Vol 4 Issue 35 by G Plus

Meghalaya waters flood city; NHAI yet to release funds for new drain PG 03

VOLUME 04 | ISSUE 35 JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017 PRICE `10

City architect envisions polder-based flood-mitigation scheme Kalyan Deb kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

ecurrent floods disrupt the living conditions of the city every monsoon and the frequency of such situations is increasing. During floods, basic amenities like drinking water, power supply and medical services are impacted adding to the vulnerability of the people. Besides, the overall lack of drainage, absence of a solid waste management system and pollution of surface water bodies and groundwater resources have created an interlinked situation that leads to flooding and water logging in the city every year. Flash floods have thus become a major threat to the city and its residents. The natural drainage channels and wetlands have been insensibly encroached upon, and along with their rejuvenation a planned measure to ease the pressure off the Bharalu River is also the need of the hour.

Charting the Bharalu River One of the important tributaries of the Brahmaputra, the Bharalu River which flows through the city, is an important water drainage channel. Originating at the foothills of the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya, the Bharalu enters Guwahati through its

south-eastern corner. It is known as the Bahini in its upper reaches and wounds its way through the thickly inhabited areas of Basistha, Beltola, Rukminigaon, Dispur and RG Baruah Road. The Bahini, as the Bharalu is known, meets a major drain (carrying storm water runoff from the public sector Guwahati Refinery of Indian Oil Corporation Limited and domestic wastewater from a large area in the eastern part of the city) near the Assam State Zoo and thereafter it assumes the name, Bharalu. At this point, the Bharalu crosses the RG Baruah Road and flows through a dense residential area comprising Rajgarh, Sarania and other areas. The river then crosses the GS Road at Bhangagarh and flows past Ulubari, Fatasil and Kumarpara before joining the Brahmaputra at Bharalumukh. The Bharalu runs through predominantly alluvial soil throughout its course.In the rainy season, the inputs far exceed the capacity of the Bharalu. Further, low lying channels within local drainage patterns lead to frequent over flooding of the adjoining areas due to inadequate hydraulic capacity. Due to siltation, the Bharalu river bed has considerably risen. Waste water from commercial and business establishments and small and mediContinued on page 02

Govt fails to resolve stone chips unavailability issue

Ambubachi Photo Feature PG 07

PG 10

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

Lead Story

City architect envisions polder-based floodmitigation scheme

The proposal illustrates how the Bharalu River flooding can be effectively addressed by creating a Polder/Reservoir along the Brahmaputra riverfront which will be a unique solution combining the creation of the Brahmaputra riverfront with a flood management feature for the Bharalu; riverfront beautification will be a great by-product drainage systems downstream and the water bodies of the city.

The concept

A map of the proposed Bharalu and riverfront proposal

Continued from page 01 um industries also ends up in the Bharalu and gets discharged into the Brahmaputra. With choking of the natural drainage, the city has become more prone to water-logging and urban flooding. However, a project called the Bharalu Flood Mitigation with Riverfront Development might just be the desired rescue act to ease the pressure off the river and curtail the flood situation in the city.

Blueprint A brainchild of Rittick Hazarika, a Guwahati-based architecture practitioner, the project was first presented in December 2016 during an international conference “CESDOC” in Assam Engineering College. It focuses on mitigating the flood condition of the city; beautification of the riverfront comes as a by-product of the project. The state government had erected a sluice structure near the Pragjyotish College at Bharalumukh to regulate the discharge level of the Bharalu, particularly to stop reverse flow from the Brahmaputra during high floods. However, the initiative had not been efficient enough in controlling flash floods. Meanwhile, the architect’s project focuses on initiating the concept of a polder (a piece of low-lying land reclaimed from the sea or a river) that will work as a reservoir prior to the

storm water being discharged into the Brahmaputra. The polder will be constructed in such a manner that the water lever in the reservoir will always be three metres below the warning water level of Bharalu. The difference will have to be maintained through a continuous process that will help in buying time during heavy rainfall. Then the reservoir will act like

hours during normal monsoon showers. Once the pressure eases off the Bharalu the process will also help in reducing and controlling the flash flood scenario as the river receives maximum amount of storm water,” Hazarika mentioned to G Plus. It was also mentioned that Guwahati suffers another major problem of mismatch between

brainchild of Rittick Hazarika, a Guwahati-based architecture practitioner, the project was first presented in December 2016 during an international conference “CESDOC” in Assam Engineering College. It focuses on mitigating the flood condition of the city; beautification of the riverfront comes as a by-product of the project. a sump taking in excess spill over water during heavy rainfall which can then be pumped out through adequate measures into the Brahmaputra. “The capacity of the polder will be equivalent to six meters rise in the water level of Bharalu. Depending on the rate of rainfall the presence of the reservoir will help us buy time from 6 to 8 hours during very heavy rainfall to 24

collection and discharge of the drainage systems. The drainage systems, especially in the hillocks are constructed in such a manner that it puts heavy pressure in the low-lying areas leading to water-logging. The architect mentioned that the slopes of the drainage systems are built in such a way that the storm water instantly plummets to the plains resulting in increase of pressure on the

The construction of the polder will be done in such a way that it will also add to the riverfront beautification of Brahmaputra and provide the option of land capitalisation. The Brahmaputra River has a hockey stick shaped curve between the Sukreshwar Temple and the north end of the Nilachal Hills which can be reclaimed to accommodate the polder and also create a large reclaimed area for land capitalisation. This area can be used for several purposes along with an additional road parallel to MG Road. “Along with the polder there will be an additional feature that will boost the riverfront beautification. Two ends (Sukreshwar Temple and the foothill of Nilachal facing the river) of the Brahmaputra River have rock base in the banks. The space within the hockey stick shaped cove is outside the main channel width of Brahmaputra and this results in deposition of sand in the area where the beach festival and Namami Brahmaputra festival was held. This embankment from the Kalipur point to Sukreshawar point will encircle this cove to create space for the polder,” the architect said. It was also mentioned that through the embankment, an additional road will be constructed parallel to the existing MG Road. The land created in between will help in land capitalisation that will be worth several hundred crore rupees where several parks and the ports currently exist. The initiation of the project will help in creating around 150 to 200 bighas of land on the 1.8 kilometre stretch. The part of land along with the use of several constructional purposes can also promote several revenue generating initiatives. “The land capitalisation along this stretch shall pay for this Bharalu flood management along with the embankment of a stretch of around 3 to 3.5 kilometres. The riverfront beautification as a by-product will be a self-sustaining and revenue generating initiative. However, the management of the polder will be the most important task with a regular process of

de-siltation and placing of adequate number of pumps,” Hazarika added. The architect also mentioned that the construction of the embankment will also create avenues of creating ports by placing jetties parking lots and other tourist facilities for a major tourist attraction in this location. However, the fate of the project will only be decided once it is presented to the government. n

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

Concern

Meghalaya waters flood city; NHAI yet to release funds for new drain

Permanent solution needs to be taken to make the city free from floods for which an RCC drain needs to be constructed to divert water coming from Meghalaya

The inundated roads of Zoo road | G Plus Photo

Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

very year, with the onset of the monsoons, the city gets ready to bear the brunt of flash floods and like every year the government and the concerned department come up with the predictable answer that from the next year the city will be completely free from artificial floods making it the biggest hoax ‘floating’ around. The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has come up with a new project to make the city free from floods and provide relief to the citizens by constructing an RCC drain from Meghalaya to Pamohi towards Deepor Beel to divert the rain water coming from Meghalaya. “The city is witnessing artificial floods since 1998 but nobody has come up with a permanent solution. According to scientists, the Brahmaputra River alone cannot carry out the excess rain water and a second channel is important to drain out the rain water coming from Meghalaya. The project of the RCC drain from Meghalaya to Pamohi should have started but the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has not yet sanctioned the funds for which the project is getting delayed,” said the Chairman of GMDA, Dhiren Baruah. The chairman said that the project is of Rs 105 crores but the NHAI has not released the mon-

ey. “The artificial floods are also caused due to encroachment on the wetlands and the riversides. The state government has taken good initiative by carrying out the eviction drives for which the water channels could be cleared properly and new channels have been constructed from Chandmari from which the rain water will be diverted to Silakhati. The former government had interrupted the eviction drives carried out in the previous years for which the flood situation couldn’t be controlled. But this year, with the support of the government, the administration has done a good job by carrying out the eviction drive and proper channels could be built up to carry out the excess rain water,” said Baruah. According to the chairman, the situation of floods has gone from bad to worse due to indiscriminate/unplanned development of the city, inadequate drainage network, absence of separate sewerage system and inefficient garbage management. As the 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. GMDA has also written to GMC, APDCL, PWD, Water Resource Department and Public Health Engineering seeking NOC for the alignment of the proposed drain so that it could bring about

a permanent solution of the urban water flood in the city. He also said that the capacity of the pumps at the sluice gate should be increased ten times to drain out the water. In a meeting

that was attended by the Guwahati Development Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Gauhati East MLA Siddhartha Bhattacharyya and other officials, Minister Sarma said that a mission called ‘Mission Flood-free Guwahati’ has been set up which aims at relieving the city from artificial flood but he also reiterated that several flood mitigation and drainage projects remain incomplete. On the other hand, MLA Bhattacharjee said that it is due to the delay in carrying out the drainage improvement measures for which the city has to witness artificial floods every year. “Flood is a natural disaster. But Guwahati’s artificial flood is the people’s own creation,” said Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M), M Angamuthu who spent the last three days inspecting every locality that has been badly affected. “Rapid urbanisation, encroachment, settlement and construction on natural water bodies, destruction and encroachment of the city’s hills are major reasons

behind the artificial floods,” said Angamuthu. n

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

City

Govt successfully turns Ambabuchi into a tourism brand With various new initiatives by the tourism department, the Ambabuchi festival has managed to touch the right chords and is on way to becoming a major crowd-puller in the religious tourism circuit every year can feel the difference now from 10 years back. So the Bor Doloi claims that there has been a huge change. Do the devotees feel the same?

The devotees

A foreign tourist walks up the Nilachal Hills to the mela | G Plus Photo

Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

mbubachi Mela, which celebrates the annual menstrual cycle of Goddess Kamakhya, began on Thursday with the doors of the Kamakhya Temple being closed sharp at 1.15 pm. The doors will be opened on 26th June at 7 am and in these four days lakhs of pilgrims will be thronging the temple. This year the fervour of Ambubuchi looks a bit different with the authorities claiming to have in place an institutional mechanism which will systematically take care of all who visit the temple during the mela. As the festival is organised every year, G Plus checks out how different it is this year and what changes has the festival witnessed in the last 10 years.

Changes in last 10 years Bor Doloi of the temple, Mohit Chandra Sarma, talking to G Plus, said that over the last 10 years there has been a ten-fold increase of devotees. He said that 10 years ago around 2 lakh people used to visit the temple during the festival whereas this year, by the end of the fourth day, he is expecting a footfall of around 25 lakhs. The

Bor Doloi added that 10 years ago the road leading to Kamakhya was narrow whereas now it is wide. He said that only the rituals have remained the same. Other than that almost everything has changed. According to him, this year seems to one of the best years as people are not facing any problems and the organisation has been very systematic and clean. He said pre-

on the road only drinking water is being distributed. He said this systematic approach was not there 10 years ago. He also said that it has been 2 years since the Bordeuri Samaj has taken charge of the temple and therefore it is known as the Kamakhya Devalaya. As soon as the Devalaya was formed the entire Kamakhya Temple area was turned into a no-tobacco

“

This is the best environment the festival has provided in last so many years as once you reach the city you can easily feel that Ambabuchi is being celebrated without any chaos.” - Sadhvi Lakshmi, a German native & regular visitor to Ambubachi viously there used to be bhandaras everywhere which used to create a lot of chaos. Even the place used to become dirty but this time the solid food items are being distributed only at the shelter camps. He said there are four shelter camps in Nilachal Hills and around nine shelter camps across the city constructed by the administration. So wherever people are staying solid food is being distributed there and

zone. He said that no one can carry any tobacco products inside the temple premises and no shops are allowed to sell any tobacco items. Similarly, the garbage collection process has improved as only the Devalaya collects the garbage from the Nilachal Hills and deposits it in the GMC dustbins at the foothill. Sarma said that cleanliness is the topmost priority and any devotee who visits Kamakhya

Prabin Bagchi, a pilgrim from West Bengal who visits Kamakhya every year during Ambubuchi, talking to G Plus said that his current visit has been his best as he has not faced any problem. He said, “Two years ago when I visited the city during the festival I faced a lot of problems as the camps and the toilets used to be dirty, the food was never available on time and choosing an accommodation camp was itself a huge concern. This time everything is systematic and I am staying at a camp in Pandu. I also know the timing of the food distribution, the toilets are clean and even the Kamakhya area is very clean.” Sadhvi Lakshmi, who originally hails from Germany but is living in an ashram in Rishikesh since the last 12 years, visits Ambabuchi every year. Talking to G Plus she said that this year she is delighted to see the organisation of the festival as there is no disorder. She said, “This is the best environment the festival has provided in last so many years as once you reach the city you can easily feel that Ambabuchi is being celebrated without any chaos.” Some pilgrims complained that vehicles are not being allowed to ply up to the temple. This is one issue otherwise for which there is no problem. There were also some devotees who came as tourists. They were staying in AC camps in the Nilachal Hills and also toured the entire city. On enquiring how they managed to find such accommodation they said that they had booked it through MakeMyTrip. G Plus thereafter thought of talking to Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) to know more about the process.

The new initiatives ATDC MD, Kausar Hilaly, talking to G Plus said that the main objective was to create a system which could provide all the facilities to the devotees and tourists who visit the city for the Amba-

buchi festival. He said that firstly there are the devotees who are mostly from the BPL category. So, all departments were tasked with various responsibilities to ensure that the devotees got enough space to live comfortably during the visit. The camps were created accordingly and all other amenities were provided. He also said that the festival is spread over four days and during this time the devotees visit the temple once or twice, but other than that there should be other tourist attractions also which could hook the visitors for the entire stretch of their trip. So the authorities planned various new initiatives.

Promotion The MD said that there was a massive promotion campaign to promote the festival in and outside the state. He said that a bikers’ group was sent to various states and the promotional campaigns were designed to hook tourists. He said that the associated advertising agencies have done a good job. This is the first time that the festival has a logo.

Cultural activities Hilaly said that prominent singers like Anup Jalota, Anuradha Paudwal, Devakinandan Thakur Ji Maharaj among others are performing during the festival. He also said that local talents are also performing for the visitors from outside so that they can understand the music and culture of this region. The prominent singers are performing for all. He said that the cultural events are pulling huge crowds and people are appreciating the event. Initiative for high end tourists The MD said that in order to pull high end tourists so that tourism could be promoted whereby the government can generate some revenue, nine AC tents were set up in Nilachal Hills and the tents were marketed through makemytrip.com. He said that the package was designed in such a way that the tourists get end-toend service. As soon they reach the airport they are picked up, brought to the tent where food and other comforts are available, a panda is attached to the tourists to be guided for darshan of God-

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

Concern dess Kamakhya and all the other temples in the Nilachal Hills. Also later trips are provided to other spots in the city. He said that along with the AC tents there are 4 units of cottages (2 cottages in one unit) where the high end tourists can also stay. He said that they are receiving massive bookings for

the same. He said even the ship, Mahabahu, is being used for the purpose.

Art Hilaly said that ATDC has also organised an art exhibition called “Drops of Divinity,” at ITA Machkhowa where around 20 artists

have showcased their works. He said that renowned artist Apu Raj Baruah is creating live paintings in the Nilachal Hills along with 20 other artists in these four days. When the festival ends there will be around 400 paintings made by them. This initiative has been taken to pull tourists who love art and can spend some quality time appreciating the art revolving around Kamakhya.

Water sports This is the first time Guwahati got to experience water sports that include Jet Skiing, Banana Boating, Water Ski, Speed Boating among others. These were displayed on the Brahmaputra River (on the river banks behind Sonaram Field). Hilaly said that the motive behind organising water sports was that despite the water level of the river being very high, it can be

construed that tourism will not be affected as many things can be done despite the rains. He

son for tourism, there is a huge change in the organisation of the Ambabuchi festival. He said that

“

The motive behind organising water sports was that despite the water level of the river being very high, it can be construed that tourism will not be affected as many things can be done despite the rains. Water sports will attract a huge number of devotees” - Kausar Hilaly, MD, ATDC

said that the water sports will attract a huge number of devotees. Hilaly said that taking Kamakhya as the pillar of pilgrimage, and taking pilgrimage as the rea-

the government was successful in turning Ambabuchi into a brand. So Ambabuchi is a brand now which will develop further in the coming years. n

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

In The News

Every constituency to have one college facilitating free IAS coaching SLAC to start free coaching across the state for all the competitive examinations ensuring that the economically backward students are benefitted and given a fair chance Criteria for admission yy Candidates must be within the age limit of 21 to 32 years with relaxation of 5 years being allowed to SC/ST candidates, 10 years to PWD and 3 years to OBC as on the date of application for UPSC yy Applicants must possess bachelor’s degree in any stream from a university/institute recognized by parliament or the state legislative yy Applicants who have applied for the final year of their graduation examination can also apply for this programme yy Candidates must be within the age limit of 21 to 32 years with relaxation of 5 years being allowed to SC/ST candidates, 10 years to Person With Disability (PWD) and 3 years to OBC as on the date of application for UPSC yy Applicants must possess bachelor’s degree in any stream from a university/institute recognized by parliament or the state legislative yy Applicants who have applied for the final year of their graduation examination can also apply for this programme

Representative photo of students at a coaching class

Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

tudents crave for coaching to tackle different competitive examinations and there are many meritorious students who cannot afford private coaching due to its high costs. To provide them an opportunity, the government of Assam has come up with plans of free coaching for IAS and other competitive examinations which will be provided across the state. The first batch of such coaching has already been completed for Combined Entrance Examination (CEE), Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) which was conducted by the State Level Advisory Committee for Students & Youth Welfare, Assam (SLAC). The candidates are selected purely on merit. “For CEE examination, 800 candidates registered their names out of which 300 were selected. The criterion for appearing for CEE coaching is that a student in general category should get 50% marks in Higher Secondary; it is 45% for an SC/ST student. 59 students out of 300 have cracked the engineering entrance this time,” said

an official of SLAC, while speaking to G Plus. The official informed that for APSC entrance examination, more than 7,000 candidates have registered their names out of which, based on a screening test, 700 students have got the opportunity to be a part of the coaching. The coaching was held at ten

have been selected for the coaching. The candidates for UPSC were selected based on the percentages in Degree, Higher Secondary and Matriculation examinations. The coaching was held for 25 days, 20 days and one month for CEE, APSC and UPSC respectively. On being asked whether the

“

There were many procedures; as it was conducted for the first time we got very less time for the classes. From the next batch onwards we will get more time to conduct the classes. We have also decided to start the coaching and it will be offered in one college from each constituency. The coaching will be of 2-3 months duration and in the near future it will be offered for every competitive examination like banking, SSC, APSC, UPSC etc.” centres across the state including four centres in Kamrup (M). Moreover, for the UPSC entrance, more than 2,000 candidates have registered their names from which 500 students

coaching has benefitted the students as it had been conducted for a very short duration, the official said that maximum part of the course had been covered and as the time for the first batch was

very less, the classes couldn’t be conducted over a longer duration. “There were many procedures; as it was conducted for the first time we got very less time for the classes. From the next batch onwards we will get more time to conduct the classes. We have also decided to start the coaching and it will be offered in one college from each constituency. The coaching will be of 2-3 months duration and in the near future it will be offered for every competitive examination like banking, SSC, APSC, UPSC etc.,” the official informed. At present there are 15-20 faculties for APSC, 10 for UPSC and 20 for CEE. “The faculties are from Assam itself and for the students who crack the preliminary examination in UPSC, faculties will be brought from Delhi provided the number of candidates is large enough. But if there are just one or two candidates cracking the examination, they will be sent to Delhi at government cost as it is not possible to bring faculties for just two students,” said the official. The city is full of private coaching institutes but such institutes charge high fees which cannot be afforded by the students who are economically not sound. Moreover, many students also do not get the opportunity to come to Guwahati for coaching. But as the government has

provided coaching classes across the state at different centres, it would be helpful for students to avail this coaching free of cost at their own hometown. The coaching centres are currently located in Majuli, Silchar, Karimganj, Bongaigaon, Nagaon, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Dhemaji, Diphu and Dudhnoi. There will be reserved seats of 20% for students from economically backward section of the society. Selection test might be conducted in case of high number of applicants. One of the students from the first batch of the coaching said, “The government has taken a good initiative as this has been very helpful for the students who cannot afford to come to Guwahati to study in the private coaching institutes. There are many students who do not get the opportunity to compete with the other students and they do not get the right platform to expose their talents and most of them also fail to crack the examinations due to lack of guidance. Now that the government has provided free coaching in different centres across the state, the students will be benefitted. Being a student of the coaching for CEE I am glad that I was a part of it. The teaching method is good and the faculties are well experienced to guide the students effectively.” n

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

Govt fails to resolve stone chips unavailability issue

Concern

Builders, government departments not being able to carry forward construction activities because of unavailability of stone chips and whatever is available is at a very high cost resulting from smuggling nexuses; government meanwhile clueless about how to resolve the alarming situation said he was not exactly sure about the reasons.

The forest officials

Stone chips lying strewn in front of a roadside dealer | G Plus Photo

Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

wo week ago, G Plus reported that the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s builders are facing a lot of issues in purchasing stone chips for construction work as there is unavailability of the product and whoever is selling it is doing so at double its earlier and more rational price. Whatever stone chips are entering the city are being purchased illegally. What is the scenario now? How is the government managing to get stone chips? Has the government managed to find a solution to the issue? What is the reason for unavailability of the product in the market? How are the smugglers managing to bring in stone chips and selling it at a huge price? G Plus tries to check the scenario.

The present scenario A city-based construction consultant, talking to G Plus, said that all his builder clients are not being able to work as there are no stone chips in the market. He said that suddenly the stone chips have vanished from the market and whatever is available is very costly. The consultant said that all the construction work in the city has come to a halt. G Plus visited some stone chips dealers in the city and talking to one dealer in Maligaon area, it was known that the stone chips are coming into the city illegally and therefore it is very costly. The dealer said that the dealings happen at night and all the major distributors are based in the Beltola area. So G Plus decided to visit

the area. Beltola - a hub of smugglers Acting as buyers, a team of G Plus visited Beltola Bazaar in the afternoon but some tea shop workers said that the dealers come only at night. The team visited the area at around 10 pm and noticed many people hanging around at the Beltola point and also relaxing at some tea shops which were open even at that time. Talking to some people it was known that stone chips are costly because the Pilinkata and other nearby stone quarries are closed. A dealer, Surender Singh, talking to G Plus said that whatever stone chips come to Guwahati are from places like Tangla, Ranee, Udalguri etc and a lot of people have to be â&#x20AC;&#x153;managed.â&#x20AC;? He said that earlier, a cubic metre used to cost Rs 1,600 but now it costs anything from Rs 2,600 to Rs 3,200. He said that as challan is important for transporting forest items, earlier challans were issued when the stones used to be extracted from the quarries. But now the blasting and extraction happens illegally and so the challan is not issued and the product has to be smuggled. He said that the location of delivery decides the rates as the police and the forest department officials have to be managed area-wise and the dealers also work accordingly. He said he can deliver stone chips anywhere from Beltola to Ganeshguri and similarly other dealers have their areas. He said that the delivery happens only after 2 am at night as forest officials are less present at that time. When asked what was the reason for the closure of the nearby quarries he

A highly placed source in the forest department, talking to G Plus, said that most of the stone chips used to come to Assam and especially to Guwahati from Meghalaya. But recently, the Meghalaya government has stopped blasting in all the quarries. The source said that the Meghalaya government was not earning any revenue as things were happening illegally. Hence, the Meghalaya government is structuring the stone blasting process keeping environmental hazards in mind as many hills in the hilly state have vanished because of illegal hill cutting. The source said that there were a few stone quarries in Guwahati too but the district administration has banned the blasting and earth cutting because of landslide and other environmental issues. The source said that unless the quarries in Meghalaya reopen it will be tough to resolve the issue. Enquiring how the government is constructing the roads and other infrastructure in the state, the source said that it is the PWD department which can answer the question.

PWD response Talking to G Plus, PWD minister Parimal Suklabaidya said that all the works of even government departments have stopped because the contractors are not being able to procure stone chips. The minister said that the government is trying its best to resolve the issue but for the time being it remains unsolved. He said that many meetings are being held to find a solution as all departments are not being able to work because of unavailability of stone chips and the forest department will soon have to resolve the issue. He said that even the chief minister is aware of the situation and has asked the departments resolve the issue but at present the issue remains unsolved. Meanwhile, Assam Real Estate & Infrastructure Development Association (AREIDA) president PK

yy yy yy yy

yy yy yy yy Sharma, talking to G Plus, said that it is an alarming situation as builders are not being able to purchase stone chips. He said that AREIDA

is in talks with the government and is trying to find a solution but till now there has been no solution to the issue. n

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

City

October 2017 revised date for city water supply commissioning The water supply project under JNNURM will be commissioned from coming October if the concerned department doesn’t fail the new deadline which had been revised several times in the past Major Infrastructure yy 4 intake points on Brahmaputra River yy 4 water treatment plants yy 24 water reservoirs yy Overhead tanks and booster pumping stations for raising pressure yy About 200 kms of pipeline network

Water pipes at the project site at Jalukbari | G Plus Photo

Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

he West Guwahati water supply project, which was to be commissioned from April 2017, is beset with delays as the pipeline work has not yet been completed. The citizens, however, can hope to get water from October 2017 as per the new revised deadline. The project that should have been completed by 2011 has been delayed by six years. Uncertainty still abounds whether the project will be over by the new deadline given by Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) given that the department has failed all deadlines so far. The water supply project has been divided into three parts each being supervised by Gammon India, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and another foreign-based company respectively. “99% of the work of Gammon India has been completed and they are ready to hand over the project to the Guwahati Jal Board which will operate the project. But as the pipeline work has not been completed in some areas, the project has not yet been handed over by Gammon. The water supply project will benefit over 20 lakh people and

for another 30 years there won’t fruitful result,” said Baruah. Baruah said that until and be any water crises in the city,” said the Chairman of GMDA, unless the pipeline work gets Dhiren Baruah while speaking to completed the project cannot be operated as the ample quantity G Plus. The chairman said that there of water will not be possible to have been many factors for the hold the water pressure if it is not delay of the project. “It is not supplied to the respective housepossible for the contractors to holds. The western parts of the city complete the work quickly as they have to face many problems that will be benefitted from the project are while carthe areas rying out from Bharathe prolumukh to cess of exFatasil Amcavating bari, Gathe roads neshpara, in order Gorchuk, to install Rani, the pipePamohi, lines. There Mirzapur, were sevBorjhar, eral water Lankeshwar, pipelines, Garigaon, electrici- Dhiren Baruah, GMDA Pandu, Sadity cables Chairman lapur, Sanand othtipur, Kamer underground utilities that could not akhya Gate etc. The project has be mapped during the process of been designed based on the popexcavating the roads that result- ulation growth till 2040 and the ed in damages to several exist- capacity of the water is 107 miling pipelines and other utilities. lion litres per day (MLD). There There were also several areas is an intake well at Pandu from where pipelines were laid in the where the water will come to the past but these had rusted and treatment plant. There is a main reservoir at weakened. The people must cooperate with the department to Kamakhya from where the water complete the work and to get a will be distributed to seven zones

“

The water supply project will benefit over 20 lakh people and for another 30 years, there won’t be any water crisis in the city”

and accordingly reservoirs have been set up at Fatasil Ambari, Durga Sarobar, Ganeshpara, Maligaon, Maligaon Goshala, Assam Engineering College and one at Kamakhya hill top. The capacity of water in each reservoir is approximately 2 lakh litres and the entire project will be digitally controlled through Water Infrastructure Management System (WIMS). To counter the problem of Guwahati water supply, Guwahati Jal Board will use surface water of the region from Brahmaputra River basin by proper planning and management rather than ground water. The treated surface water to be provided by Jal Board is much safer in terms of arsenic and other trace elements like sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, total hardness, iron and manganese. Moreover, the JICA assisted South Central Guwahati Water Supply Project was also to be commissioned by April but due to the incomplete work of pipeline laying the project has been postponed. But it has been assured by the Chairman of GMDA that people of Guwahati will not suffer from water crises from October. While around 65% of pipeline laying has been completed it also includes the completion of the reservoir of 1.30 crore litres

capacity at Ramsa Hills along with six other reservoirs. However, some of the areas within the project will be commissioned through a grid line from West Guwahati. Through the grid line, areas such as Chandmari, Silpukhuri, Milanpur, Fancy Bazar, Panbazar, parts of Zoo Narengi Road, etc will be benefitted with 20 million litres per day. The North Guwahati project that is close to completing 70% of pipeline laying is expected to be completed by the end of 2018. Meanwhile the completion date of the East Guwahati project is expected to be 2020. The water supply project was initiated in 2009 but it was only in 2012 that the work gained momentum as there were many issues of land procurement etc. Obtaining permissions from the railway authority and also from Kamakhya Debutter Board took time as the pipelines have been set up under the railway track. n

Main features of the project yy Brand new infrastructure yy 100% coverage of the entire city yy 24X7 portable drinking water supply yy Adequate water pressure yy Computerised central monitoring system through SCADA yy Volumetric Metering System yy Tariff Structure - water regulatory authority yy Immediate operation and maintenance

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

Cottonians’ hooliganism puts reputation of institution at stake

Buzz

Students of the newly formed Cotton University indulge in yet another act of hooliganism destroying property worth thousands of rupees yy

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A screenshot from the CCTV footage inside the bar in Prashanti Lodge | G Plus Photo

Kalyan Deb kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

trend has emerged in the recent past where the students of the newly formed Cotton University keep managing to become the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons. While the people of the city are tackling crisis after crisis caused by incessant rains and subsequent water-logging, the students of the esteemed institution have not failed to make it to the headlines for diametrically opposite reasons. Self-obsessed by their youthfulness and being students of one of the most reputed institutions of the country, a few Cottonians yet again got involved in an act of hooliganism destroying property worth thousands of rupees. Such acts not only raise questions on the kind of education and discipline that the students are receiving they also tarnish the reputation of the century-old institution.

The fracas The incident took place in the bar-cum-restaurant of Prashanti Tourist Lodge which is a unit of Assam Tourism Development Corporation, situated on Station Road in Panbazar. A group of 10 to 12 students got involved in a brawl with the staff members of the joint. It so happened that three students of Cotton University, who report-

edly reside in the Mahendra Nath Deka Phukan Hostel, were enjoying their time on the evening of 19th June, Monday. As the clock struck 10 pm, the students were served their bill of Rs 1,630 and were notified that the bar has been closed as per the guidelines of the government. However, the already inebri-

he stormed out of the premises of the bar-cum-restaurant. Ten minutes later the three returned with a group of 10 to 12 boys and went on a spree of destroying the property of the joint. Although the damage could be contained to a large extent as the bar was already closed, the group, in the process of vandal-

“

Due to the wrongdoings of a handful of students, we cannot blame an entire institution. Although I cannot intervene in the matter as Cotton University is an autonomous body now, I think such students should be suspended for some time or even rusticated so that their parents get to know about their conduct” Himanta Biswa Sarma ated students demanded to place an order of additional liquor and refused to settle the bill. On being told that no alcohol can be served post the time limit notified by the government the three students refused to pay the bill and stormed out of the bar. However, some of the staff members managed to get hold of one of them near the front desk; the other two had managed to leave the premises. All requests and efforts at asking the third student to settle the bill failed as even

ising, broke mirrors and a few other properties of the bar worth Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000. The staff members immediately informed Panbazar police but the men in khaki could not get hold of the hooligans.

The disciplinarian Following the vandalism a video footage could be obtained by the police that identified three of the boys involved in the brawl. Meanwhile, police mentioned that investigation is in process and

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the three have been identified as students of Cotton University and were summoned for interrogation on 23rd June whereas the other students are yet to be identified. Commenting on the issue while addressing media persons regarding the act of vandalism by students from Cotton University, the state education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that he has asked the Vice Chancellor to look into the matter. “Due to the wrongdoings of a handful of students, we cannot blame an entire institution. Although I cannot intervene in the matter as Cotton University is an autonomous body now, I think such students should be suspended for some time or even rusticated so that their parents get to know about their conduct,” the minister said. Meanwhile, representatives of Cotton University mentioned that it is unfortunate that the institution repeatedly comes under scanner due to such acts and condemned such behaviour. “We are in communication with Panba-

zar police and we will extend our co-operation in order to find the facts and circumstances of the incident. We have also directed the students to report to the police station on the designated day and as per schedule. Meanwhile, the guardians of the students have also been informed and anyone found guilty will be treated with adequate disciplinary actions,” the official mentioned. It was also mentioned that no one is allowed to indulge in any kind of indiscipline or anti-social activity and the few students who tend to violate rules and regulations will be disowned by the institution. The university is also looking forward to arrange counselling, convene guardians and parents meets and also plan for much better security arrangements within the campus along with instructing the concerned officials, including the hostel superintendents, to follow proper decorum in the hostels. In recent updates, it was reported that the accused have managed to attain bail while further investigation is underway. n

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

Photo Feature

A devotee bows her head down at the temple to give her offerings to Maa Kamakhya A Sadhu performs an asana as a part of their meditation

Naga Sadhus like every year, showed up in numbers to take part in the rituals

A devotee dresses up as Maa Kamakhya at the festival

Pilgrims find their much required break at a rest camp at Sonaram Field during the Mela

The Ambubachi Mela Special G Plus brings to you a photo feature of the festival that has gripped the entire city and has devotees from all across the world!

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

In The News

Poor info dissemination results in confusion for Ambubachi pilgrims at Sonaram ground Information regarding change/additional accommodation camps set up by the DA might not have reached pilgrims who are habituated to staying at the Sonaram High School ground and the inadequate facilities and toilets there are proving to be a dampener platforms laid for us to sleep on and it has not been of much problem so far, only God knows what we will do if it rains,” the sadhu mentioned. The security personnel on duty have also expressed concern for the pilgrims as the arrangement has been inadequate given the footfall of devotees in the area. Dissatisfaction regarding the inadequate number of toilets in the camp was also expressed by the men on duty. 50 toilets Devotees at the rest camp at Sonaram field | G Plus Photo

Kalyan Deb kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

he doors of the Kamakhya Temple atop the Nilachal Hills were shut to the devotees for three days from 22nd June as that day marked the beginning of the annual Ambubachi festival this year. Lakhs of devotees from all over India and neighbouring countries have already congregated at the temple for the festival amidst the state government’s elaborate plans to make the fair a part of the country’s spiritual and religious tourism circuit. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had said that the state government had launched publicity and awareness campaigns in both national and international media and this has led to increased tourist inflow into the city for the Ambubachi Mela. Arrangements such as accommodation for the visiting pilgrims at 8 venues with proper back-end support system, adequate toilets, proper sanitation and hygiene with Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) staff, dedicated Bhandaras for food supply and drinking water along with detailed crowd management and security plan among several others have been put in place. Among the new initiatives, two new locations providing accommodation for the pilgrims at Tarun Sangha Ground in Boripara and Swami Abhayananda Ashram in Bongshibagan have been provided this year. Meanwhile, in a first ever step, the camp at Sonaram High school ground has been declared as the cultural venue where the inaugural ceremony of the mela was held. However, the declara-

tion of the camp as the cultural venue has come with its own setback. While a massive stage along with sitting arrangements has been set up on the ground, the initiative has drastically reduced its accommodation capacity. People could be seen looking for shade in order to escape the scorching heat and setting up their own tents on the sidewalk near the camp. Meanwhile, platforms have been put in place in order to meet the additional requirements of accommodation. There are many who have expressed discontent over the arrangements of Sonaram ground. “I have been visiting the city for over a decade during Ambubachi Mela and my wife and children accompany me. For the past several years we have been taking shelter at the Sonaram Ground as we find it more convenient to travel to and from the temple. But this year the arrangements have not been adequate. Although we managed to find a spot to lay our heads after sundown it is very congested and there are also many who have to sleep in the open,” said Binoy Biswas, a pilgrim who has visited the city from Kamakhyaguri in North Bengal. A similar opinion was echoed by a sadhu who hails from the same area. He mentioned that it is very difficult to shift from one place to another looking for shade when the sun is at its brightest. “I arrived in the evening day before yesterday and spent the night at the camp near the railway station. Yesterday, I had to shift here (Sonaram High School Ground) but could not find a spot inside the marquee and had to sleep in the open. Although, there were

have been set up in the camp against 150 in the past years. “There were a much larger number of toilets in the past years whereas there are only a few this time. There is a massive rush during the morning hours and since we have to report for duty, managing amidst the rush becomes a problem for the on-duty officials,” a security personnel mentioned. What could be observed from the discord in the arrangements despite the addition of two camps

this year is the lack of awareness among the pilgrims – a clear communication gap. Many at the Sonaram ground were found to be among those who have been visiting the city annually for several years and are habituated to residing in the camp there. But the change of plans this year has been a confusing setback for many of them. Meanwhile, officials of district administration could not be reached for their comments on the matter. n

G PLUS | JUN 17 - JUN 23, 2017

Snippets

GTP marshals resources with additional manpower

NGO distributes water to devotees and pilgrims

he Youth for Humanity, a Guwahati-based NGO, is taking part in the Ambubachi Mela which started from 22nd June, 2017 and will continue till 26th June, 2017 in the city. With all the members present, the NGO is serving devotees and pilgrims and giving water bottles and biscuit packets

A traffic police on duty in the new uniform | G Plus Photo

Sukanya Kar & Sushmita Dey

ccording to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, a smart police force is of supreme importance in order to deal with the modern day law and order challenges. A pilot project has been launched for the modernization of the Guwahati Traffic Police (GTP). In total, 200 newly inducted traffic constables have been trained as part of the pilot project from the different units of Assam Police. Their training mostly included a complete knowledge of the traffic skills, certain behavioral aspects like dealing with people, and a first-hand idea of the road passages of the city. These police personnel have further been absorbed in various traffic connected activities and the number of traffic constables working as “friends of pedestrians” have been increased as a part of this initiative. There has also been a positive change in the manner, style and behavior of the traffic police workforce, according to the various citizens of the city. “The one change that I have actually noticed is they have become more concerned and sympathetic to the public,” said Priyanka Bhattacharjee, a student while talking to G Plus. Amanjeet Kaur, Deputy Commissioner (Traffic) shared the experiences and troubles that are mostly faced by the traffic police system. She acknowledged that the addition in the number of traffic personnel has indeed been of great help to the system as it has enabled them to

operate in certain areas which are otherwise very difficult to handle due to weak manpower. During the recent flash floods, the situation was challenging but the dedicated work of the officials was admired by the people. “As the water level starts rising and the major roads of the city gets flooded, people mostly run to safety and leave their vehicles on the road. It is the duty of the police force to keep track of these vehicles so that they are returned to their owners. The force did a commendable job during the floods,” said Kaur during a conversation with G Plus. The excessive crowding of the local buses in the city is an additional problem. The issue of over-crowding in buses cannot simply be solved by the road traffic control system of the city and coordination among all concerned departments. The DCP explained, “We do not have the regulatory permission to make any rule regarding how many passengers the buses should let in but what is in our power is to ensure that they obey all the onroad traffic rules without creating any traffic congestion on the way.” Towards this end, GTP has been taking certain necessary actions against city buses by restricting them from stopping anywhere and everywhere. The ever-increasing Ola and Uber cabs have led to more traffic congestion. The drivers of these taxicabs mostly create a mess and rarely show any regard for the traffic rules. GTP has also collected a large amount in fines this year. In the first five months, there has been a collection of

around Rs. 2 crores in fines. More than 65,000 vehicles have been fined in the first five months of the year. Moreover, a dedicated drive against drunken driving was also conducted. Around 3,500 cases of drunken driving have been recorded so far. There is an utmost need of technological interventions also. A comprehensive intelligent traffic management system should be installed including the arrangement of e-challans and city surveillance system. If this is attained, the whole traffic can be supervised from a single control room itself. Also, while interacting with officials, it was informed of the several other dilemmas that GTP faces every day. Parking of vehicles in wrong places is the most common traffic gaffe that people create. An added problem is the tendency of overtaking. Traffic management is a very dynamic process. The additional number of constables that has been provided might be sufficient for the moment but in future, this number may not suffice. According to the citizens of the city, more than a change is required to make the road traffic control better. “Modernization is always done with a hope of something better; I guess the same was the objective with the GTP. Increasing the number of personnel is definitely a positive implementation. In places like Beltola Tiniali, Ganeshguri, Basistha Chariali, etc. a significant number of officials are needed to control the increasing traffic,” said Manas Pratim Baruah, a resident of the city. n

to the needy keeping in mind its main motto: Save Food. They are trying to maintain cleanliness throughout the entire program. The NGO’s work has been appreciated and has showcased extensive unity and co-operation with the authorities and aims to continue the same throughout the festival. n

CRIJAF Sona launched for cultivation of jute

ext 2 Nature has launched CRIJAF SONA, a talcbased microbial formulation to promote Jute Geo Textile as the farmers are facing problems in jute cultivation. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) - Central Research Institute for Jute & Allied Fibres (CRIJAF) has developed a talc-based microbial formulation which is very useful for quality jute production in stagnant water. The microbial formulation consists of three different strains of ‘Bacillus Pumilus’ isolated from jute retting water. This talc-based microbial formulation was extensively used in large scale demonstration of improved retting in various jute growing districts of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Odisha and Meghalaya during retting season from 2013

to 2016. Microbial formulation has certain benefits like retting duration reduced by 6 to 8 days compared to conventional method. It improves productivity by 8-10% because of reduction in retting period, fibre quality is improved by 1-2 grades over conventional method, farmers can earn additional income of Rs. 9,000-Rs. 11,000 by using microbial formulation from one hectare of land over traditional method, extraction of fibre is very easy in this method and labour cost is also reduced. The microbial formulation is user-friendly and does not have any adverse effect on plant, animal, fish and human health. In Assam, nearly 80,000 poor farmers are dependent on jute cultivation and produce 1.3 lakh metric tons of jute fibre. n

Audition for Mrs India Home & Miss India Queen of Globe International on July 2

he Assam audition for Mrs India Home & Miss India Queen of Globe International will be held on 2nd July at Hotel Gateway Grandeur. The criteria for Mrs India Home is that a candidate should be of 18-26 years of age and should have 5.5’ height and the age limit for Miss India Queen of Globe International a candidate should be 21 years and above and should have a height of 5.3’. The jury members for the audition are Kiran Bodo (Mrs West

Asia Earth), Neha Agarawal (Mrs East Asia Earth), Amrita Dutta (Mrs West Asia Universe). The dress code for the audition is black/white top & T-shirt, denim jeans and as per the instruction of the jury members the candidates should wear high heels. The registration fees for Mrs India are Rs. 2,000 and for Miss India is Rs. 1,000. The audition will be based completely on pre-registration which is open at Hotel Gateway Grandeur.

G PLUS | JUN 17 - JUN 23, 2017

Buzz

Young Guwahatian Watch

name that has been creating a lot of buzz of late, Riyan Parag is the prodigious cricketer who has given Guwahati a reason to rejoice and celebrate. This young lad of 16 is all set to join the Under-19 cricket team of India which will be playing two four-day matches against England in the next month. Riyan is all prepared to bring laurels to his country as much as his state and is striving hard to join the national cricket team. Riyan has been playing cricket from the age of five and recalls how he was awed by his father, a former Ranji player, Parag Das. His mother, Mithoo Barua Das, was also a national level swimming champion and motivates Parag greatly to perform well and learn from his mistakes. From a very tender age, Riyan has been encouraged to engage himself in sports which eventually bolstered his interest in cricket. He practices his batting and cricketing skills with his father, who evidently shares a lot of tips and guidelines to help the budding cricketer. He believes that having both his parents as successful sportspersons has been an added advantage as it is not difficult to make them understand that

Riyan Parag

sports and games are equally important as studies. He believes strongly that a balance needs to be maintained as both have their own utilities. Riyan describes himself as a greatly disciplined person and explains how he considers that it is only with proper order, control and obedience that one can fully succeed in life. “In my entire training, whether it is batting or bowling, I try to maintain discipline and stick to my rules. I usually bat for two to three hours and train for one and a half hours and during that time I try to concentrate fully by following the set parameters,” Riyan mentioned during a conversation with G Plus. Consistency seems to pose

be attained. He goes on to say that a better way of being reliable and consistent is by watching one’s diet. Under the supervision of Mr. Nishanta Bordoloi, who is a qualified fitness trainer, Riyan has been following the Ketogenic diet. This particular diet is known to force the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. Speaking more about the diet, the teenage cricketer said, “For three-four months now, I am following a Ketogenic diet. I had to lose some weight; cutting down on fats was the best idea. Following this diet has helped me a lot in my schedule in case of tiredness and also injuries. I would credit this routine to the fact that I had no injuries in the last season as well.” Travelling to a foreign land for the first time, Riyan expressed

Cricketer

a really big challenge in the field of cricket, according to Riyan. He thinks that performing almost every day is difficult as a lot of energy and power is required on the field. Being unswerving is a necessity but not always can it

how his only motive for the tour is to focus completely on his game. The opportunity has come his way after a long time in his opinion. He was, in fact, waiting to join the team when England had flown down to India but had missed the chance then. Getting this break meant that he fully needed to concentrate on his preparation and prove himself in front of the world. He is very determined to achieve what he has set out for and is resolute about winning the matches for his team. An example of his willpower and fortitude can be seen in the records of the Cooch Bihar Trophy U-19 league match where the teenage prodigy had helped Assam in taking a 157-run lead against Himachal Pradesh in the first innings. Talking about India’s loss in the recent ICC Champions Trophy 2017 finals, Riyan mentioned that he was forever in full support of the Indian cricket team and not very disappointed at the loss as the team had made India proud on various other occasions. He conveyed his dream to play in the senior team within the next five years and believes that the opportunity to join the U-19 team has taken him a step closer to his ambition.

Singapore based writer launches book dedicated to Assamese roots

ankhya Samhita, an Assamese author based in Singapore, has debuted with a book “Revelations of an Imperfect Life” asserting the need to be close to one’s Assamese roots. The book is published by one of India’s fastest growing publishing houses, Readomania. The book is based on the life of a young Assamese woman, Tanaya Saikia,

who meanders in life in search of her home and her identity. As Sankhya Samhita, author of Revelations of an Imperfect Life, says, “Staying away from Assam has made me realise the importance of our roots and culture. What we become in life is always a function of where we belong, our home, our roots. This book is an ode to all those who are in

the search of a home they haven’t found yet.” The book was launched by celebrated actor Badal Das, and eminent litterateurs Anuradha Sarma Pujari, Srutimala Duara and Dhrubajyoti Hazarika. The launch included a panel discussion on “Getting back to the roots” and invoked many sentiments and memories in everyone present. Anuradha Sarma Pujari recalled the hankering for roots she feels whenever she thinks about her hometown, Jorhat while Srutimala Duara talked about her vivid childhood memories of the Pan Bazaar of yesteryears. Hazarika talked about the profound impact of reading books and his upbringing in Shillong had on him, and was moved by the book “Revelations of an Imperfect Life” enough to read aloud a section of a chapter from it. Guest of Honour, Badal Das gave a heart-warming keynote address on the importance of the book title. n

#Summer #Sparx #KindleYourSkills #Fun #MakeYourHeadway

8th, 10th, 11th & 12th of July Age group

Activity

Timing

Let's Narrate

9:OO AM-10:30 AM

(Class 1 - 5)

Let's Confer

10:30 AM-2:00 PM

(Class 6 - 10)

Registration forms available at:

For further queries: 7002331351, 7002803065, 7002809848, 9854514438 Channel Partner

Radio Partner

Print Partner

Digital Partner

(Certificates will be handed out at the end of the workshop)

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

Art

Mricchakatika: Romance in the bygone era

A still from the play starring Kopil Bora (L) and Zerifa Wahid (2nd R)

Meenakshi Gautam

“M

ricchakatika” is a classical, Sanskrit play that is replete with romance, politics, intrigue and ribald comedy. The play, with its political and social undertones is set in 5th century Ujjain. It reflects the status of women in those times and one finds that gainfully employed women enjoyed certain kind of independence as in modern times. The protagonist of the play, Vasantsena, was one such woman. Being a courtesan, she had considerable material wealth. She was an object of desire for many, but she chose her lovers carefully. So even though the King’s brother-in-law expressed his desire to possess her she refused, threats to her life by him notwithstanding. Sudraka, the playwright presents a picture of society where women had their say especially if she was earning and wealthy. And Vasantsena was no ordinary courtesan; she had a mind of her own and despite her profession,

she was prudent enough to discern between right and wrong. Thus, she showered her affections on the poor but virtuous and very learned Charudutta. Charutta, the learned Brahmin, was renowned for his knowledge and his charity which left him in penury. He was also besotted by Vasantsena. But beyond the love story the play is layered with several subplots. Charudutta shares a strong bond of friendship with Maitreya - the gambler who turns into a Buddhist monk and who eventually plays a crucial role in proving Charudutta’s innocence. The underlying currents of viciousness show when the King’s mad brother-in-law tries every move to win Vasantsena’s heart and fails miserably. Ultimately he tries to kill her and implicate Charudutta in the murder. But Charudutta is saved in the nick of time by the arrival of Vasantsena. Here one gets a glimpse of the corrupt judicial system of those times where even Vasantsena’s mother’s admission that she believes that Charudutta did not kill her daughter does not

hold water. Charudutta is married so we have his devoted wife Dhuta and their son. Then there is the story Charudutta’s young son, Rohasena who wants a cart made of gold similar to the one that his friend has. And Vasantsena willingly forgoes all her jewellery for the same. Vasantsena’s jewellery plays a pivotal role in the play as her jewellery, kept in Charudutta’s safe custody, gets stolen. This situation however, instead of creating misunderstandings, brings the two lovers closer to each other adding to the charm of the play. The play portrays the beauty of age old human emotions when Charudutta’s wife willingly sacrifices her last bit of jewellery to save her husband’s name from getting tarnished by the blame of taking Vasantsena’s jewellery. It exhibits the playwright’s

intricate workmanship where his tale of love and deceit gives us insight into the socio-political conditions existing in 5th century Ujjain. But a play like this which is steeped in human virtues of sacrifice, loyalty, trust, strength of character is juxtaposed with distrust, selfishness and malevolence. But these are human sentiments that are universal and will continue till time immemorial. Staging a play of this stature is a mammoth task in terms of sets, costume, presentation and enactment. As far as the sets were concerned, it was functional and minimal succeeding in creating the right ambience. The costumes are an integral part of any classical play and in this play also it does evoke the “times.” But the acting left much to be desired. Kopil Bora as Charudutta tried to do a convincing job almost succeeding at times. Vasantsena (Zerifa Wahid), the character around whom the whole play revolves, was at times seen as a woman who had come of age. At other times she was the nubile girl lost in Charudatta’s love. Again at other times she

knew the power she wielded with her beauty and body dynamics. The different and subtle layers of a courtesan’s character were not sufficiently portrayed; one wanted to see the arrogance, politics of beauty and charms and a very strong and pronounced body language. These were sorely missing. As Charudatta’s lovelorn muse Zerifa perhaps did do some amount of justice to her role. Ratul Das as Sakara did display his histrionic skills effectively but it was a tight rope walk where one felt that he could have done with a bit more control in his acting and voice modulation. Abhinash Sarma enjoys directing such classical plays and he seems to be one of the few who is keeping the banner of classical plays flying high in the northeast. At one level, Mricchatika can be seen as a treatise of gender study. If at one level, women enjoyed material affluence and accompanying power, women like Vasantsena did not enjoy social status. Women were bought and sold as slaves and they continue to be objects of desire for the males. If at one end of the spectrum you find Vasantsena as every man’s desire, at the other end there is Charudutta’s wife who is willing to be Sati when she hears that her husband is about to be hanged. She has no qualms also of accepting her husband’s second wife or his slave girls. Plays like these give its audience a peek into the conditions that existed and yet serve as a reminder that despite advancements in society human emotions remain the same. n

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

T-Storms

31°/24° C

30°/24° C

29°/25° C

30°/25° C

29°/25° C

SATURDAY

T-Storms

31°/24° C

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

In The News

Drops of Divinity – Let Art Speak For Your Devotion

Jayanta Malla Baruah, Chairman, ATDC checking out paintings on display | G Plus Photo

Chandrika Das Pablo Picasso had rightly said, “Everything you can imagine is real.” And imagination gives birth to incredible things. It is always astonishing to witness interactions between the material elements and an individual’s thought process that culminates into visually pleasing works of art. Guwahati was fortunate enough to witness one such thematic art exhibition – a first of

voutly considered as the power of womanhood behind the circle of life. While lakhs of devotees and tourists thronged the Nilachal Hill where the goddess is considered to reside, Hastakshar Art Gallery of the city dedicated an ode to the superpower in forms of intriguing visual art.

“

The unique use of thread in the art pieces is something I have never seen before. I loved the art works; each of them conveyed devotion. But the thread works have really moved me” - Jayanta Malla Baruah its kind - that depicted religious belief and power in the form of Goddess Kamakhya. It is that time of the year when religious belief and the power of Goddess Kamkahya draws lakhs of devotees towards her. Ambubachi Mela, the biggest religious festival of the state, is de-

‘Believe’ by Sujata Bhowmick The exhibition, organised by Hastakshar and supported by the Assam Tourism Department Corporation (ATDC) depicts devotion for Goddess Kamakhya during Ambubachi Festival. The exhibition, which is based on religious connectivity of all forms with the Goddess, has drawn comprehensive collection of art pieces from artists of different parts of Assam, who displayed dynamic art pieces crafted in diverse mediums of acrylic, oil-oncanvas, 3D art along with unique sculpture pieces. The exhibition began on 23rd June and will continue till 25th June.

abstract forms that evokes joy and thought at the same time. It is a matter of pride that artists of the state have reached out to the people of the nation. It also gives me pleasure to announce that Priyanka Chopra, the brand ambassador of Awesome Assam, will start shoots in the state from coming December.” Among the array of art pieces, was an unique representation of Maa Kamakhya which was presented to the audience by city based artist Manika Devi. Her art piece named ‘Belief’ with a ladder showcased ‘step by step journey of human belief.’ The red vermilion represents fertility and womanhood, while the red footprints on the ladder depict the blessings of Goddess Lakhsmi. “There is an internal belief in each of us. I use ladder in my art works often because I believe there is no jump from one phase of life to the other. One has to cross a journey step by step to achieve whatever one desires to,” said Manika Devi. Manika is an MFA in Print Making from MSU, Baroda, and pursued her Junior Fellowship from HRD, Govt of India. Rabin Bar, a renowned artist of the state, presented the power of fertility through an abstract which was different from the rest of the art works. While other art works were presented in colours, he chose to speak about the concept in white and red. It was a white abstract with drops of red – the power of womanhood that enables one to carry and nurture a life. Another artist Pubali Dutta, who named her art piece as ‘Kameshwari,’ presented Goddess Kamakhya in a form along with Roodraksh. The acrylic-on-canvas depicts a woman who sits in the position of Dhyana facing the mighty Kamakhya Temple. It is an illustration of both strong womanhood and grace at the same time. “Roodraksh is an integral

The 30 eminent artists and sculptors that delivered the vivacious art creations for the city audience are Aditi Chakravarty, Alfred Marshall, Anirban Dhar, Anjal Dutta, Arundhati Choudhury, Bhagyaraj Baruah, Champak Borbora, Chandana Manav Kalita, Chiranjit Bhowmick, Debojyoti Boruah, Juri Devi, Kunal Bharati, Maneshwar Brahma, Manika Devi, Moumita Mazumder, Mukta Changmai, Namita Minotra, Pallavi Sarma, Pallavi Barooah, Pankhi Saikia Nath, Prabin Kumar Nath, Pubali Dutta, Rabin Bar, Rajashree Dutta Choudhury, Ratul Chanda, Sanjay Sengupta, Saumik Raj Bhumiz, Shyamali Chaliha, Sujata Bhowmick and Suman Bortahkur. The art exhibition was inaugurated by the Chairman of ATDC, Jayanta Malla Baruah. While sharing a casual moment with the art lovers in the gallery, Baruah stroked a representation of the Kamakhya Temple, in red hues. Speaking on the occasion, he said, “The power of Goddess Kamakhya is magnificent. She is believed and worshipped in various forms and her might is enough to trigger emotions in people. ATDC has always tried its best to showcase the culture of Assam in various forms to the people in a global platform. It gives me immense pleasure to see such artistic rep‘Belief’ by Manika Devi resentation in

part of our religious belief, which is why I have used it in my work. I tried to portray the glory, might, and grace of the Indian goddess in my art work,” said Pubali. Pubali is a self taught artist born and raised in Tinsukia District of Assam and is currently based in New Delhi. She had earlier displayed her art works in several parts of the country and also abroad. She further said, “When I was asked to present my art, I was only given the theme – Ambubachi. Today, in this gallery, I can see the same theme so viv-

‘Kameshwari’ by Pubali Dutta idly portrayed by different artists in dynamic forms which is so amazing. Each of the art works is unique to the other. This explains how art unites us all in same language, yet in a different manner.” Hastakshar Art Gallery has, from time to time, tried to portray intrinsic forms of art with a message to reach out to the people of the city and to ignite the love for artistic talent. Hastakshar was formed with a singular vision to create India’s most reputed, credible and trustworthy art & craft platform from all the stakeholders. The art gallery aims at creating a vibrant art community by means of organising art fairs, auction houses and exhibitions. It also aims to create an engaged audience by means of creating awareness amongst the youth and improve the self esteem of the artisans engaged in the process. “This is the first time that an art exhibition is being organised on the occasion of Ambubachi. It can be a rare and exciting opportunity for the visitors to trigger their experience of the festival through the paintings. We are thrilled to organise such an event and delighted that the people will be able to travel through the artist’s imagination of the Goddess,” said Bidisha Das of Hastakshar Arts & Crafts. n

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

Fun Horoscope of the week

Your friendship zone perks up this week as cosmic forces encourage you to take stock and think about how you might improve your social life. This could involve taking the time to connect with people you haven’t seen in a while or deepen a key bond. Meanwhile, you may find that joining a group or club gives you a new lease on life and offers activities that you really enjoy. Someone from another country or culture could attract your attention, too.

You may find yourself in the spotlight this week and in coming weeks, and this could provide an opportunity to showcase your skills or impress the boss or someone else. You will also be very aware of how your skills impact others in a positive way, and this can spur you on to give your best. The New Moon in this same zone on Friday could coincide with a new job or promotion or the start of a contract.

If you have a good feeling about a country or destination, this might spur you on to make travel plans. The same may be true if you’re fond of someone who lives far away. You may also have a passionate interest in a subject and want to learn more or even write a book about it if you have enough experience. A passionate trend could also reveal strong emotions for someone nearer to home that you might be ready to share.

As the Sun and Mercury move into a more sensitive sector of your chart, you could be ready to face certain issues that have been holding you back for some time. These could be childhood experiences that created patterns that affect your progress at work or in key relationships. You may find that reflecting on them enables you to gently let them go. Counseling or therapy could work equally well at this time, if this option appeals to you.

With your lifestyle sector in focus for some weeks, you now have opportunities to improve your health or progress at work. In fact, this is a good time to consider your overall level of happiness and what you can do to enhance it. The cosmos encourages you to intuitively grasp what you need to do to feel more vital and alive, and it might not be what you think. If you require a life coach or personal trainer, either of these could be effective.

The focus on fun continues as the Sun and Mercury dance into your leisure sector. This trend, which continues for a few weeks, encourages you to explore your creative skills. This can be a good opportunity to showcase them to people who have an interest in what you do. You may find you feel more vital and energized and more confident in general. This is ideal if you’re looking for love or want to rekindle the spark in your present relationship.

This can be a time of give and take, as well as making the time to understand someone’s feelings. You may become more aware of how certain routines and patterns within a bond have been taken for granted for some time. This influence can encourage you to rewrite the script and take those actions that can change things for the better. The New Moon on Friday brings a chance for a fresh start or to take a relationship to the next level.

curio-city

1. Sir Roger George Moore, best known for playing secret agent James Bond in seven feature films between 1973 and 1985. 2. Airlift. Mathew, a resident in Kuwait was one of the people credited with the safe airlift during the 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait which is hailed as the world’s largest civilian evacuation in history 3. Secretary. 4. Pulling your leg 5. Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh

He appeared in various print advertisements– including toothpaste and, most notably, knitwear, which earned him the nickname of “Big Knit.”. Identify him? ( Hint : Very much in the news)t

Eighty one-year-old Mathews, who hailed from Kumbanad in Pathnamthitta district, was ailing for some time and passed away last Saturday. Popularly known as ‘Toyota Sunny’, Mathunny Mathew inspired which 2016 Bollywood movie?

curio-city

The origin of this phrase has a criminal background. In crime-ridden London in the old days, back-alley thieves worked in pairs. One would use a cane, rope, or piece of wire to trip a pedestrian, knocking them to the ground. While the victim was down, the second thief would rob them. From this arose a phrase which today refers to tripping someone figuratively. Which Phrase?

The name of which north-eastern capital city comes from the name of a fort built in the fourteenth century by King Ramchandra of Mayapur? Abhra Das; Ace Quizmaster of Assam This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Cathy by Cathy Guisewite

1 2

5 34 6 7

1 2 6 53 9 5 9 36 7 2 5 9 8 1 7 41 6 4

3 6

8 5

7 6 4

Daily Sudoku: Fri 16-Jun-2017

9 7 4

Daily Sudoku: Thu 22-Jun-2017

1 7 5 3 6 28 53 19 42 64

2 4 8 1 7 4 1 97 55 68 39

9 6 3 2 5 1 4 23 89 77 18

7 3 5 8 1 2 7 9 4 8 3 6 84 1 66 7 45 5 21 9

4 9 6 6 2 57 95 31 23 48

8 1 4 5 3 35 86 72 19 27

5 3 9 4 8 62 27 84 91 36

6 2 7 9 1 7 9 41 34 86 55

8 9 6 2 3 7 Daily Sudoku: Fri 16-Jun-2017 medium 4 9 2 5 3 1 6 7 8 5 7 6 4 2 8 9 http://www.dailysudoku.com Word of the week1 3 1 8 3 6 9 7 4 5 2

Estival

Daily Sudoku: Thu 22-Jun-2017

very hard

adjective [es-tuh-vuh l, e-stahy-vuh l]

Pertaining or appropriate to http://www.dailysudoku.c summer.

Crossword

In ancient time, _________ were the secret keepers of the rich and famous, often instructed to perform tasks in secret for their masters. This is the origin of a particular word referring to a particular class of people. What or which profession?

1 7

The focus shifts to a more secluded and spiritual sector of your chart, and this phase is likely to last for some weeks. This can be an opportunity to take an honest look at your life and consider letting go of situations or perhaps relationships that no longer serve you. This includes emotional baggage you could well do without. This is also a time when understanding what motivates you and makes you tick can enable you to make wiser decisions in the future.

The Sun and Mercury move into your sign midweek, bringing an end to a period in which you’ve been more inward looking. Now the cosmos encourages you to express yourself and reveal more of your true nature. This can also be a chance to manifest those ideas that you’ve been dreaming up in recent weeks. With a New Moon in Cancer on Friday, this is a perfect time to get started on a project that is deeply meaningful to you.

Sudoku

While the focus on your financial sector could encourage you to look closely at your money situation, it might also entice you to spend. The coming weeks could see you tempted into purchasing items you don’t really need as a way to feel better about yourself or ease the anxiety in a certain situation. But you may find that small treats are just as effective as big-ticket items. Pampering yourself with a spa day or luxury treatment could be even more fulfilling.

Across

Down

1. Summer month (4) 3. Sheath for a sword (8) 9. Stray from the subject (7) 10. Grown-up (5) 11. Paved garden area (5) 12. List of things to be done or discussed (6) 14. In truth (6) 16. Extortionate money-lender (6) 19. Infuriate (6) 21. Garden tools (5) 24. Contempt (5) 25. Incident (7) 26. Cooked egg dish (8) 27. Conspiracy (4)

1. Riding-breeches (8) 2. Of little weight (5) 4. Free-and-easy (6) 5. Red Indian warrior (5) 6. Apart (7) 7. Facts given (4) 8. Shrink in horror (6) 13. View (8) 15. Fashionable (1,2,4) 17. Exert to the utmost (6) 18. Owing money (2,4) 20. Tightly packed (5) 22. Hillock (5) 23. Capital of Norway (4)

You could have a lot more empathy for others once this week gets underway, and this could positively impact the way some relationships pan out. But having too much compassion may not always work in your favor, and there are times when it could be inappropriate, such as in a work setting. It would help to get a second opinion if you’re uncertain. The New Moon in this same zone brings the possibility of a new beginning regarding an opportunity or relationship.

last week solution

Intense situations may seem to bring feelings to the surface, but with a focus on Cancer, you could register everything very deeply. As the emphasis is also on your home and family zone, a lot of the drama could play out here. It might be tempting to act defensively when the best approach would be to talk things through, even if you feel uncomfortable about doing so. You may find that others will be more willing to open up if you start.

Last week’s solution

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

Trotter

A man got a tattoo, went swimming and died

ot even a Jesus tattoo proved enough to save this tattooed swimmer from suffering a horrible death. If you’ve ever gotten a tattoo, you know that one of the most important rules is to keep the ink clean and covered during the first few days following your appointment. And that makes sense, since it is an open wound after all. Failure to follow the guidelines can make the area more susceptible to bacterial infections. Obviously, that means swimming, especially in dirty water, is a bad idea. Unfortunately, failure to comply with this rule left one freshly inked man dead. Just five days after getting a new

cross tattoo, a Texas man decided to go swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. Three days after his swim, he was admitted to a Dallas hospital with

severe pain in both his legs and his arms. He had chills, a fever, and the area around the tattoo was obviously infected. Within just a few hours, the man began experiencing darkening skin, bruising, and large amounts of fluid building up inside his legs. He was in the early stages of septic shock. He also tested positive for vibrio vulnificus. After a few months in the hospital, the man’s condition quickly worsened. He eventually died. Let his deadly tattoo story be a testament of the importance of proper care. Share this story to remind those thinking about getting new body art to be careful about their decisions. (Source: Viral Nova)

China’s futuristic ‘straddling’ bus test site demolished

hina’s innovative plan to tackle air pollution has come to an abrupt end after local media reported that the test site of the state’s controversial ‘straddling bus’ is being demolished. The Transit Elevated Bus – essentially a metro system that arches above cars – hit headlines last year after it was unveiled at a tech expo in

Beijing. Referred to as the ‘straddling bus’, the 22-metre long (72 ft), 4.2-metre high (14 ft) rail vehicle was hailed as the future of transport. Now, the project has been scrapped, according to China News Service. Work has reportedly begun to demolish the specially built testing site in Qinhuangdao City in north

China’s Hebei Province. This process is expected to be complete by the end of the month. According to the state run news agency, the Beidaihe District government refused developer TEB Technology’s appeal to extend the land contract which is due to expire in July. Workers were seen using electric breakers to dismantle and remove the test-track on Wednesday, the Hong Kong Economic Journal reported. The straddling Transit Elevated Bus (TEB) was first tested on the 300-meter-long track last August, although authorities told the state-run People’s Daily newspaper that they weren’t informed of the road tests. The bus has been sitting idle since last October, sparking complaints from local residents that it’s become a traffic obstacle. Doubts over the legitimacy of the project arose in August when Chinese state media reported that it was a scam to defraud investors. (Source: RT)

China’s futuristic ‘straddling’ bus test site demolished

he inability to remember has long been considered a failure of the brain, but a new study has found that our brains are actively working to forget memories in order to retain the truly important information. In fact, the study’s researchers believe the brain is not designed to keep memories intact, but its actual purpose is to only hold onto valuable information to optimize intelligent decision making overtime. “It’s important that the brain forgets irrelevant details and instead focuses on the stuff that’s going to help make decisions in the real world,” says Blake Richards, author of the study and associate fellow in the Learning in Machines and Brains program. The new University of Toronto paper was published on Wednesday in the

Neuron journal. Paul Frankland, a senior fellow at CIFAR’s Child & Brain Development program, who was also involved in the study said, “We find plenty of evidence from recent research that there are mechanisms that promote memory loss, and that these are distinct from those involved in storing information.” The pair’s research into the brain’s persistence (remembering) and transience (forgetting) found forgetting is just as important as remembering for two reasons: One, forgetting allows the brain to let go of outdated or incorrect information making it easier to adapt to and decipher new problems. “If you’re trying to navigate the world and your brain is constantly bringing up multiple conflicting memories, that makes it harder for

This is what happens in an internet minute in 2017 16 million text

messages

4.1 million videos viewed in YouTube

342,000

applications downloaded

46,200 posts uploaded in Instagram

452,000 tweets sent on Twitter.

990,000 swipes in

Tinder

156 million mails

sent

40,000 hours

listened in Spotify

50 voice-first

devices shipped by Amazon echo

120 new accounts created in LinkedIn

15,000 GIFs

sent via Facebook Messenger

1.8 million snaps

created in Snapchat

$721,522 spent

online

70,017 hours

watched on Netflix

you to make an informed decision,” says Richards. For example, someone who meets new people every day is likely to forget the details of each exchange, whilst someone who talks to the same people on a day-to-day basis is likely to hold on to information longer.

3.5 million search

queries on Google

900,000 logins in

Facebook

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

G Talk E

Ambubachi apathy

s they say, familiarity breeds contempt. Well, I am not using the word “contempt” here in its derogatory sense. But what I have observed is a certain sense of indifference that the citizens of Guwahati show towards the city’s biggest tourism festival – Ambubachi – currently ensuing at the Kamakhya Temple premises. While devotees, sadhus and sanyasins are thronging the city by the millions for a tryst with the Goddess, the citizens by and large, are quite keen on avoiding the AT Road for fear of being swamped by the traffic and the crowds. I am not sure it is the same with festivals in other cities of the country; I have never visited the Kumbh Mela, for example. But when it comes to Guwahati, I somehow sense that the inertia of the citizens towards their own festival stems from a lot of factors and devotion is not one of them. Word-of-mouth stories keep flying around about the merry “weeding” of the teeming millions that visit the 4-day fair from all over. In fact, a friend jokingly went on to describe the whole experience of his visit from a few years back as nothing more than a huge “bhang ka adda.” Ambubachi Mela somehow does not bring any excitement among Guwahatians. For one thing, visiting the Kamakhya Temple at this time is essentially a daunting task. There is no way that private vehicles can go right

up to the temple which basically means it is a 3.5 kilometre uphill trek. And no, shuttle services are not available this year from the foothill to the temple. Again from what I hear, the administration has not been too articulate at disseminating proper information regarding facilities and arrangements; there are none that might have been suitable to the Guwahatian. I mean, I have clear doubts that the pampered Guwahatian would take the trouble of even Ubering his way to the foothill and then trekking all the way up even though the occasion provides some of the best photo ops and FB posts in the world. What I am trying to say is that the biggest tourism festival of the city is unfortunately shunned by many of the city’s own residents for reasons that surely must have some reasonable solutions. To be part of a colourful multitude in one’s own city is something that the Goddess Herself has laid out on a platter. It depends on us people to take advantage of this magnificent event and soak in sights that would remain as happy haunting memories. And it definitely should be the city administration’s quest to find ways and means of getting the citizens involved to visit the Ambubachi Mela rather than treat it as an avoidable occasion. Trust the future melas will hold more enticing propositions for the Guwahatian. Swapnil Bharali Editor

Shock Therapy

he past few weeks have been very interesting for Guwahati. The city is drowning in floods, gripped by Ambubachi fervour and water sports are making its way to Guwahati. See the connection? Also, the DC has ordered the chopping down of trees touching the high tension wires so as to avoid more electrocution related disasters. And yes, another person lost his life electrocuted in the floods taking the city death toll to 3 just by electrocution. Focusing on the CM’s announcement to give a job to the deceased’s wife and an ex-gratia amount of Rs 6.5 lakhs, the question that needs to be raised is whether paying an ‘X’ amount is the solution to such mishaps in the future. Line faults have been a major problem as revealed by sources at APDCL. Overhead cables, exposed wiring, undefined scope for underground wiring have all been long standing issues that needed to be tackled and now, the quick and dirty solution which is being widely criticized is to chop off trees which is another negative point to the city’s green cover. The department is lacking modern day technology because of lack of funds and then the CM has asked APDCL to cough up 2.5 lakhs for the victim’s family. If the right technology is put in place, and barrels would do their work, then in case of storms in the future, the barrel should drop and thereby kill the live current being passed. It is important to mention that APDCL loses Rs 43 crores every month as revealed in a story done by G Plus purely to avoid load shedding. However, if the department works a little strategically, cuts their losses and gets the right technology in, this recurring habit of paying a victim a compensatory amount could be avoided. SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA

Does the cup still bring cheer?

hen Alexander Bruce bartered a musical snuff box and a single-shot flint lock pistol for a few saplings and seeds of tea from the Bisaroja of the Singpho tribe in the fishing village of Kundilnagar on the north bank of the Lohit River, tea was officially discovered in India. The East India Company under the stewardship of Governor General Lord William Bentinck started painstaking research on how to introduce tea manufacture in India. The intention was not only to boost the company’s coffers but also eliminate the heavy dependence on Chinese tea. But I am sure they never imagined then that one day, India would become the second largest producer of tea in the world. Assam today produces a little over half the country’s tea. Over the last 25 years, a green revolution in the form of small tea growers has lead to economic prosperity in the rural areas of upper Assam and the north bank. The small growers today account for about 45% of the total tea production on Assam. And almost all of it is made into CTC Tea. But it’s been seen that the quality of the plucked leaves is generally average or below average. The Tea Board of India needs to monitor that the quality of green leaves being supplied to tea factories are of the quality prescribed. Tea factories should also be hauled up if they take substandard leaf. But both need to done in tandem. Without this much needed intervention, the reputation of Assam tea is at risk. There are plans to introduce bio-metric cards by the Tea Board for green leaf suppliers. This can help keep track of quality of green leaves being supplied. With the consumption of tea increasing in the West, we need to look at a change in our product mix and increase more orthodox tea production, as this is their tea of preference.

r Daily hassle

The Plantation Labour Act (PLA) came into existence in 1951. When tea estates were started in the late 19th and early 20th century, contracted workers had to be brought from Odisha, Telengana and Bihar as the Assamese youths then were gainfully employed in their own fields. They had enough and did not need to work for someone else. Since communication to the tea estates was very poor, the PLA ensured that the contracted workers were provided almost everything by the tea estate - from accommodation to rations to medical care. Nothing was available in the vicinity of the tea estates then. But now the situation is very different. With markets coming up close to tea estates, increased spread of government health care, it’s time that the PLA was revisited and amended accordingly. With the next wage negotiation on us next year, the Assam tea industry is concerned. With the increased aspiration of the workers and the government’s insistence on the Minimum Cash Wage, the industry is worried whether it will be able to survive. One must appreciate that the tea industry provides direct employment to over 6 lakh people and maybe another 6 lakhs, indirectly. Half of the employed are women. It has one of the lowest turn-over to worker ratios. The Industry is keen to offer higher wages to its workers. After all, they are the main resource of the tea estate. But it can only offer what it can afford. Any move to pressurize the industry to pay more than

Opinion

Debajit Chaliha

it can afford, will be detrimental, not only for the tea industry but for the rural economy of Assam - particularly upper Assam. For its survival the industry may have to look at mechanization of its plucking operations. This will reduce the dependence on temporary workers which could lead to higher unemployment levels in rural Assam. Over the last couple of years, there has been an innovation by our small tea growers - handmade teas. These teas are naturally organic and of good quality. An increasing number is taking to this in Assam. This is good news for the small tea growers, as this innovation will greatly add value to their product. It requires concerted efforts by the authorities at providing knowhow on finer packaging and market linkage to these growers. With the right focus, India could challenge China in artisanal and handmade teas in the not very distant future. The so-called developed world is looking at a healthier option to coffee. Assam CTC tea, not just any CTC tea, is the closest alternative. Assam CTC tea’s USP is its strong, gutty cup. It provides that “wake up” feel, much like coffee. There should be a focused strategy on marketing this USP of Assam tea. There is a huge demand waiting to be tapped, provided there is focused marketing. Tea is part of the social fabric of Assam and we should ensure that it stays that way. Assam tea needs to evolve. We need to listen to what our customers want and tweak our product accordingly. The authorities need to listen and work proactively with the industry. Only then will the cup truly bring cheer. Debajit Chaliha is a Director at Korangani Tea Co. Pvt. Ltd. He is keen on educating people about tea - its quality parameters and regional preferences.

Letter to the Editor

he ever busy GNB Road has become a hell drive for the commuters. Almost on a daily basis there is some kind of dharnas or protests by some organisations in the southern side of the Dighalipukhuri. Such protests on a day to day basis create a massive traffic jam on the GNB ROAD resulting in harassment of the commuters. The jam stretches from Chandmari to Fancy Bazaar and from Ulubari to Uzan Bazaar. During the peak hours, when there are such protests or dharnas, it takes more than an hour to transverse between Gauhati Club and Panbazaar. Such chaotic traffic jams cause loss of valuable time of the people. The district administration should not give permission to hold such activities in such a busy locality. In turn they should find alternative place like Khanapara Veterinary ground or any other vacant place in the outskirts of the city. Gaurrav Chowdhury GNB Road, Guwahati.

Corrigendum

In the article published in the last edition of G Plus titled ‘World Day Against Child Labour’ it was written as “Childline In collaboration with UTSAH has launched a social media campaign” whereas the campaign was conceptualized and launched by UTSAH in collaboration with Childline for promoting 1098.

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

In Focus

Indrani Raimedhi Journalist/Writer

The government resorting to doling out compensations to families of victims dying in the city’s floods has not gone down well with Guwahatians. Here are a few reactions. Bedomita Deb ASEB, do you think that’s enough to replace her husband? You have changed the wife’s life forever. How many murders will you commit like this? When a person kills someone he is called a murderer, a criminal and given death penalty or life term. This is no different. So what about you all? Do you have an answer when this mass murder will stop? We are to be blamed for all these. Citizens never come forward against authority for genuine cause. So many NGOs, human rights’ activists and students’ associations are there. Can’t they call for indefinite strike until all drains and electrifications are set right? Actually public memory is very short lived and self-driven. Human life has no values. Bhrigu Borthakur Nowadays we see this as a usual “kill & compensate” trend which is readily being used by this current government which has no liability towards protecting its citizens and giving them a safe environment. Koushik Hazarika The general impression that we have is that the power cables go dead automatically if they snap or any short circuit happens! It’s supposed to be a simple system similar to the MCB’s that we have in our homes. If such a system does not exist, then we are all in danger at all times. Would be great if you guys find out the details and do a story! Mautushi Das What nonsense is this? Human life is no better than an animal’s life. People should protest and stop this death trap. Come on…human life is so cheap. The boy might have been on duty when he died. That day a school student died. I don’t know here public is really not playing a good citizen’s role. Debanjan Talukdar The electric trap on the waterlogged road is really gruesome. No way ASEB has the right to endanger our lives; either the deceased Malakar’s or ours. Henceforth there must b a proper investigation on the whole issue and the responsible should be dealt with strict measures. This is a real blunder on the part of the concerned department. Santanu Patowari Government or any authority may think that the value of a life can be measured in rupees. But how bitter the reality can be can only be felt by the families who have suffered the loss. Each and every time we are losing someone. But announcing some cash money is not only the solution. Huge amount of fund has already been wasted in the name of solution of Guwahati’s artificial flood problem but what’s the outcome? If the government can invest a few crores in a proper way and with proper intention, this problem can be resolved. No doubt we also have to help the authority. Loss of more lives is totally not acceptable as it pains a lot. Debodeep Chaki ASEB, you could not look after these matters closely and people are dying for it. What would Rs 2.5 lakhs do to his family and for how long? He has a wife too. 2.5 lakhs would relieve her pain, her troubles? It is so disgusting to see the careless, reckless behaviour of GMDA, GMC, ASEB along with the state government. They are ignorant about road safety and water logging problems and the best they can do is give compensations to the victim’s family. We will see how you compensate when someone from your own family dies. Human life has no value for this government. Such a shame!

journalist and writer by passion and a gifted wordsmith, Indrani Raimedhi is one of the most prolific English writers of Assam. Author of ten books, Indrani found her calling at a tender age and decided to make a career as a journalist and a writer. Today, decades later, she is one of the eminent journalists of the state and has ten books to her credit. Born in Shillong to Deba Prasad Mazumdar and Anjana Mazumdar, the journalist started her schooling at St Mary’s Convent there. It was after completing her 5th grade that young Indrani had to shift to Assam with the shifting of the capital from Shillong to Dispur. She completed her schooling from St. Mary’s High School, Guwahati and enrolled herself in Cotton College. Along with her brilliance in academics which she proved by attaining top positions during her student life, she had won innumerable prizes at national, regional and state level, as a student. The avid reader that she is, Indrani found her companionship with books at a very young age. “Interestingly, before even getting enrolled in school, my father enrolled me in the State Central Library of Shillong. I was probably six at that time. Since I was a voracious reader from my childhood, I have always had the desire to write,” Indrani mentioned to G Plus. “Meanwhile, the habit also detached me from the rest of the world. I would rarely go out and get involved in any kind of physical activity and would rather stick to books. However, I found the connecting link to the world through my writing. Like it is said that there are voices in people’s head and I portray them through my writing and I feel restless until I am able to express myself,” the writer added. The writer, who finds inspiration in the different characters that she comes across in her daily life, started her career in journalism at a very young age. Her writings

started getting published while she was in her first year in college. She contributed short stories, middles and features in The Sentinel on a regular basis. Her contribution to some of the leading dailies continued even during her stint as a teacher when she worked in Don Bosco High School and Faculty High School. In December 1989, she joined The Assam Tribune as the first female addition to the editorial department as a sub-editor, working in the features section. Her work included reporting and writing features on art, literature, school issues and feminist issues among several others. She has carried out in-depth interviews with various renowned names that include Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami, Kula Saikia, Dr Hiren Gohain, American travel writer Paul Theroux, Pulitzer Prize winning writer Eddie Harris, BBC journalist and writer Mark Tully, writer and columnist Khuswant Singh, Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan, Pulitzer prize winning journalist Dr Catherine Mitchell, to name a few. Indrani’s work also won her the Kunjabala Devi Award for Investigative Journalism in women’s issues in 2004. “It was since a very tender age that I had wanted to be a journalist and somehow I always used the terms ‘journalist’ and ‘writer’ together to define my career options. Although I had made up my mind to pursue a career in the same field I was not aware about the technicalities and moreover, options of choosing mass communication or any such courses were not available then. So in order to bridge the gap I did a diploma course in creative writing which I could not complete but I learnt the technicalities of writing by working in the field which, despite being a challenge, is also addictive,” the journalist mentioned. Along with her profession the wordsmith continued to pursue her passion for writing and apart from penning down ten books till date, Indrani has also been the founder vice president of the North East Writers’ Forum and played an active role in various literary activities. Her project of nine short stories led to the publication of her first book titled “The Second Coming and other stories” in 1996 and Indrani only continued to move ahead with “The Concubines’ Room and other stories” in 1998, “The Night Journey and other stories” in 2000. “The Stranger’s Touch – Stories in 2008” and “The Invisible Man” are some of Indrani’s other creations. She is currently working on a book which is based on female convicts and the women who are fighting on the course of law. The journalist/writer mentioned that this publication is proving to be a very satisfying attempt in her career as a journalist. The book is slated to be released later this year. The writer has also had a long innings in television interviewing various personalities and anchoring programmes.

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

Reviews Cast: Salman Khan, Sohail Khan, Zhu Zhu, Isha Talwar, Shah Rukh Khan, Om Puri, etc Director: Kabir Khan

t the outset, one must warn people that Tubelight is a departure from your regular Salman Khan mass entertainers. Here Bollywood’s darling-star plays a child-man who doesn’t take off his shirt or flex his biceps. So the audience going in for this one, must first invest belief (or should that be disbelief?) in this age of innocence offering from Kabir Khan, whose past outings Ek Tha Tiger and Bajrangi Bhaijaan were more commercially-wired. Tubelight inspired by the Hollywood film Little Boy directed by Alejandro Monteverde, is told with a fable-like simplicity. Set in Jagatpur, a pretty North-Indian town, during the Indo-China war, the locals are mostly hangers on, who have little to do except laugh at Laxman’s antics or berate him. Banne Chacha(Om Puri) mentors him, imparting Gandhian gyaan at every given opportunity. Narayan (Mohd Zeeshan) is the local bully who slaps the hero around without provocation, making the slaps sting less and irritate more. Things brighten up a bit when the drop-dead gorgeous Liling(Zhu Zhu) and perky

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Guo(Matin), who are Chinese immigrants move to Jagatpur. But even this track seems conveniently-placed just to evoke the Hindi-Chini bhai bhai sentiments. The film that propagates the values of family, faith and patriotism doesn’t manage to take a complete leap of faith because somewhere someone couldn’t pull this one off convincingly. In fact, everything is so cloyingly sweet that you start feeling you’ve strolled into a sermon rather than a Salman movie. Pritam’s Naach Meri Jaan and Sajan Radio are magical, as is Shah Rukh Khan’s cameo as magician, Go-Go Pasha. Aseem Mishra’s camera work is largely-breathtaking. When it comes to performances--Salman laughs and cries unselfconsciously, unraveling the lesser-seen side of his macho image. He cannot move mountains with his performance but he manages to keep the faith alive. Sohail is sincere. Zhu Zhu shows spunk and young Matin entertains. And, Om Puri reminds you of the mettle unsung heroes are made of.

Album Melodrama By Lorde

n Melodrama, Lorde invites all of us to join in her anguished party of the damned, convincing her believers that if we just keep on dancing the ills of the world won’t be able to catch up to us. And for now, that is a faith promising enough to get totally lost in. Melodrama’s acceptance of taking what you can get while never failing to reach for the stars makes it one of the smartest pop records of the decade. Self-care has allowed Lorde to make something extraordinary and authentic, something that takes you by the hand and assures you that you can survive and thrive in the same sea of emotion. It’s a rudely excellent album, introspective without ever

soap. By definition, this is the largest action setpiece Bay will ever pull off – unless in his next film he just finds two bigger planets, or throws in a moon for good measure. But the sequence, in all its literally earth-shattering preposterousness, is a cinematic experience no other filmmaker could have possibly concocted. Fighter jets arc from background to foreground in lock-tight formation, shuddering planes of rock plough into each other at neck-craning angles, giant robots slug each other with swords and rockets as one surface tilts crazily into the next. In its commitment to clashing viewpoints and gonzo geometries, the carnage is almost Cubist – and watching in 3D on an IMAX screen, my eyes spent half the time stuck out on stalks, like a Tex Avery wolf. Bay’s first live-action Transformers film – a logical next step for the director of The Rock, Armageddon and (shudder) Pearl Harbor, though a coy and timid affair by the new ones’ standards.

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being indulgent, OTT in all the right ways, honest and brave, full of brilliant songs with lyrics to chew over for months. There is a palpable depth of feeling and meaning in her songs, operating on both personal and universal levels, delivered with subtle dynamism and dizzying imagination. She is a breath of fresh air with the power of a hurricane. It’s Lorde’s own storytelling that offers Melodrama‘s most rewarding twists. She didn’t just write an excellent, expansive album that pushed her boundaries in all directions. She underwent a journey of catharsis. With a dazzling set of songs, she’s also given other broken hearts a path to the green light at the end of the tunnel.

Game Old Man’s Journey Platform Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows devices

Noonmati 03612656968 Tubelight 08:45 AM 11:15 AM 02:00 PM 05:15 PM 08:30 PM

Gold Mine (7D) 11:00 AM

Haunted House (7D) 01:00 PM

Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Isabela Moner, Jerrod Carmichael, Josh Duhamel, Laura Haddock, etc Director: Michael Bay

umans and Transformers are at war, Optimus Prime is gone. The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth. Saving our world falls upon the shoulders of an unlikely alliance: Cade Yeager (Mark Wahlberg); Bumblebee; an English Lord (Sir Anthony Hopkins); and an Oxford Professor (Laura Haddock). There comes a moment in everyone’s life when we are called upon to make a difference. In Transformers: The Last Knight, the hunted will become heroes. Heroes will become villains. Only one world will survive: theirs, or ours. For the climax of Michael Bay’s new film – or rather the last 45 minutes of it, because from the first shot of prologue onwards, the whole thing is nothing but climax – the director smashes two planets together, a catastrophe we’re told entails “casualties in the tens of millions” as entire cities are gouged from the earth’s surface with the nonchalance of a fingernail running across a bar of

Anuradha Cineplex

05:00 PM

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Forest Adventure & Aero Bike (7D) 03:00 PM 08:00 PM

PVR Cinemas Dona Planet 08800900009 Tubelight 03:00 PM 05:20 PM 06:00 PM 08:20 PM 09:00 PM

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Galleria Cinemas HUB 097069 89143 Tubelight 03:00 PM 05:45 PM

he first fighting game of its kind. Choose a fighting champion from around the world, equip your own combination of extendable arms, and then use a mix of button presses and quick hand motions to really take the fight to your opponent. Throw punches and guide them midflight to hit agile fighters, avoid incoming attacks with dashes, or trampoline high into the air to rain down fists from above. Power-up your punches to deal extra damage or curve your fists around obstacles to hit skittish opponents. Fill up your special gauge to dish out devastating combinations and finish them off. Unleash your inner fighter in this unbelievable sporting event. Fight via simple motion and

button controls Grab onto your JoyCon with a unique “thumbs-up” grip and use simple motions and button presses to outthink your opponent. Toss and curve punches when you find an opening, and dodge a flurry of incoming attacks. It’s fast-paced fun for everyone! Select from a variety of fighters like Ribbon Girl, Master Mummy, and more! Each fighter has their own special attributes to learn and master. Fight in arenas with unique obstacles. Choose your arms carefully. Each weapon has its own strength. Some are slow and do tons of damage, while others are fast as lighting, but will only serve to set up larger combinations. It’s up to you to mix and match your arms to fit your play style.

09:00 PM

Grande Cines Paltan Bazar 09854017771 Tubelight 03:00 PM 03:45 PM 05:45 PM 06:30 PM 08:30 PM 09:15 PM

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

Lifestyle

VAASTU SHASTRA

YOGA AND VAASTU

nternational Yoga day was celebrated on 21st June all over the world. Yoga is a more than 10,000 year old Hindu system of keeping the mind, body and the soul in perfect condition and in unison. It literally means “to join.” The benefits of yoga are best if it is performed at the right place. According to Vaastu, the place where there is no imbalance of the five basic elements, the mind can be at peace and the body is in a relaxed state. The Panch-Maha-Bhutas, i.e. the five basic elements are studied in detail in Yogashastra. In Vaastu Shastra everything is considered to be a living entity. The ‘prana’ or bioplasmic energy which is the essence of Yogashastra is reflected in the Vaastu Shastra concept of positive energy flow. Yoga should not be practiced in just any room located in just any direction of the house. As per Vaastu Shastra, the house can be divided into sixteen zones and each of these zones has a purpose and only a predefined activity can be performed in these zones. For example, south of southwest is marked as the zone of disposal and is ideal for throwing away the waste. Likewise, south has been identified as the zone of relaxation and is recommended for yoga and meditation. The mind and the body attain a state of complete relaxation and can allow an individual to experience real connectivity

with self. If you are doing yoga for meditative purpose, then northeast, the zone of mind and clarity, will give you best results. Energies present in this zone naturally facilitate connectivity with higher self which is the basic purpose of yoga. Even astrology says that the sun is at its apex in the south direction, ensuring that the south is illuminated the most, making it ideal for yoga. The south of southeast is also recommended for yoga. Since this area is governed by the fire element, this direction governs power, energy, strength and confidence. Some mind-related yoga exercises can also be performed in this zone as this zone also positively influences the mental power of the individual. Many natural healing or nature care centres in Kerala have set up their healing centres in this zone. That is why one should not practice yoga in any direction without taking the Vaastu into consideration. If the southern part of the house permits, then practice yoga in this zone only. This will provide the positive effects of yoga when done regularly. Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

rahmaputra - Assam’s most romanticized upon river. Second to Ganga, in terms of the amount of literary and artistic works dedicated, Brahmaputra has played a very important role in the iconic and cultural history of our state. Contradictorily enough, northeast India is viewed as a deviant and exotic land. The lens gets even more blurred with the sense of sympathy and isolation from the state itself. Lately, the river has also lost its aesthetic significance in the creative sphere. The river seems to have lost its poetry. Transforming these internal conflicts into expressions unfettered by boundaries of political connotations calls for the need of art. Following the same line of thoughts, Desire Machine Collective, an artist collective based in Guwahati started by Sonal Jain,

Reincarnation of the Living

eincarnation? What do you want to know about it? See, consciousness is energy. Consciousness is what? It is energy and intelligence. Like in your body every atom of your body is a recycled one, there is nothing new in the body. You came into the world with four kilos, right? Seven pounds, ten pounds, something like that. How much do you weigh now? About seventy kilos? With these seventy kilos, it is an additional sixty-five kilos, sixty-six kilos which you added by eating all French fries, pizzas, and potatoes, baked up potatoes and noodles, Swiss cheese and marzipan and chocolate. But where did all these things come from? The same material right? So our body is not new, it is very old, every cell in this body is, atoms in this body are old, ancient, but got recycled, formed new, isn’t it? The air you breathe is all recycled. So no atom, no energy or matter is new, it’s all recycled. But this mind which is a huge energy - what is it? It is consciousness is energy and intelligence. When someone dies, the body disintegrates. All the nitrogen, oxygen atoms go back into the earth. But the mind remains like energy. Like a wave, like a cloud. And the last impression in the mind causes it’s the next birth. Like when a mouse dies it becomes a cat – because the biggest impression in the mouse’s mind is a cat. Whatever is your fear or your desire or your last impression - whatever that is the strongest causes the next birth. So the

shri shri ravi shankar Founder- Art of Living Foundation.

Tracing the poetry of northeast India - Desire Machine Collective nars. It explores the transgressive nature of the river narrating stories of everyday, documenting personal rather than the official history of the river shared across its two peripherals namely North and South Guwahati. The riv-

photographer and Mriganka Madhukaillya, film-maker, had launched a project called ‘Periphery’ in 2007. The duo works with image, text, speech, photographs and films to talk about larger socio-political issues through the language of art. Periphery, located on MV Chandardinga, an abandoned ferry docked on Brahmaputra, is one such project that has converted a dysfunctional space into a hybrid alternative for researches and artists from all over the world to share ideas through workshops, residencies and semi-

last impression, the last moment just before you leave the body, if you’re only thinking of chicken you’re sure to find yourself in the poultry farm. The last impression is very important. Usually human beings are born again as human beings. And deep attachment usually you have is for children. You know, that’s why there was a tradition all over the world, even in Africa, in India, you named the great grandfather’s name to the son. George V., George VI, George IV. So the great grandfather whoever they were, their name is kept because they get reborn like that. But if your attention is on the divine then you become, you merge with that space, then you become free. That is the last thing. And in the last moment, if your mind is free, full of peace, and bliss, and love, and joy, not fear or anxiety, then that state of mind, that consciousness becomes free. If it wants, it can come back, if it doesn’t want, it doesn’t need to come back. That is called freedom. Liberation means what? Free. You are free because you are contended. You have nothing more to do. You want to do something? You can come. If you choose to come, you can come. Then you can choose where you want to come. That is all. (Laughs)

er and its relationship with energy, food and living encompassing experiences of humans is a vital part of this project. Collaborating since 2004, Desire Machine Collective has showcased their works internationally at Lyon, Rome, Berlin, Venice, Paris and Queens Museum and Grey Art Gal-

lery both located in New York. Yet another work of theirs that catches our attention is ‘Two Rivers’, show-

cased at the Gasworks Residency, UK. It catalogues the shared history of two rivers – the Brahmaputra in Guwahati, Assam and the Thames in London – focussing on how the legacy of colonialism continues to affect their social and economic use. In a broader perspective, they are trying to shift the focus of con-

temporary art lovers to the theoretical background in the production process and engage in the interac-

tive process of art-making rather than simply considering it from a consumerist point of view in the buying and selling at galleries. And most importantly, they are celebrating politics, history, migration, violence, tradition and such social processes bringing it under the bracket of emotions; and emotions as the French Philosopher, Gaston Bachelard said, “…is perhaps nothing but an expression of poetry that was lost.” Jahnabi Mitra A Psychology graduate who writes to keep herself busy on long weekends. Believes in art and fashion as therapy.

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

Entertainment

New Assamese film ‘Khalanayika’ ready for release Paramount Achievers Awards for

emant Nilim Das, an Assamese creative director and producer based in Mumbai, who is popularly known for his critically acclaimed films like ‘Pocket Gangsters’ and ‘Black September’, is all set to release his bilingual film titled ‘Khalanayika’. The film has been made in both the Assamese and Hindi language. The Hindi version has been titled as ‘Banned Love Stories’. Directed by Hemant Nilim Das, the production was supervised by Sarthak Kumar and Hemant Nilim Das himself under the banner of ‘Golden Shakehand Productions’ and ‘Innovation Next Media’. The story and screenplay of the film has also been penned by the director himself, along with the co-writer, Tapan Deka. As informed by the director, ‘Khalanayika’ is a movie based on the young generation. It talks

Kalyan Kumar Kalita about the union of love and hatred and how most of the times in our lives, we turn out to be vengeful beasts. The roles in the film have been essayed by Fairypriya, Sonia, Aarti Rana, Jayant Negi, Alok Singh, Chanchalesh Singh, Drashyam, Gagan, Utkarsh, Harshant, Upasana, Gauri Shankar, Ramesh Singh, and Love Joshi besides many others. The music of the film has been provided by Shree Gurunath Shree, Zubeen Garg and Anupam Baruah while the lyrics have been penned by Hemant Nilim Das. All the songs of the film have been beautifully sung by Dibash, Satabdi, Sapna

and Zubeen Garg. The cinematographers of the film are Chittaranjan Dhal and Narayan Dixit; the choreography has been done by Jeetu. The action directors are Rajubhai and Pradeep Bhabesh, ATC whilst the editing has been done by Navdeep Arjun. The movie’s creative director is Robson Lal Baruah, the executive producer is Manish R. Sharma, the associate producer is Jonali Mali. The production has been looked after by Pankaj and Utpal, and post production lab has been given to Shree Anant Arts. Khalanayika’s assistant directors are Feroz Khan, Ujjal Kumar and Chandan Kumar while the fashion designer for the movie is Palashi Gogoi. According to the producer, the Assamese version of the film will hit the theatres by the end of August this year. The production team is very hopeful about their venture and expects that the film will be a mega-hit in the state. n

Monalisha Gogoi

Kalyan Kumar Kalita

t is only through sheer hard work and confidence that one can achieve soaring heights in life. Along with that, destiny, as we know, also plays a great role in shaping one’s future. Monalisha Gogoi, also dotingly called Mona, is one such destiny’s child. Born in Jorhat to Lt. Kamal Ch. Gogoi and Ila Gogoi. Monalisha started her life with very humble beginnings. The struggles of life know no bounds; sky is the limit for the one who fights it all out. Monalisha took to selling vegetables and meat in Guwahati and Nazira while she was still studying. With the qualifications in hotel management, she soon came to Guwahati and joined one of the hotels here. In 2006, she joined Hotel Monsoon Palace as a Front Office Manager and was

gradually promoted to the post of Operations Manager. In a little while, she rose to the post of Director with her dedication and hard work. During her working days in Hotel Monsoon Palace, she met Gajen Kalita, an established entrepreneur who was also the owner of the hotel and married him. According to Monalisha, it was for her husband’s support and encouragement that she has been able to establish herself. Monalisha debuted as a singer, lyricist and composer of an album titled ‘Ore Piya’ in 2016. The album was felicitated with the year’s best album by ‘Enajori’ and ‘NEBCUS Media’. Apart from that, Monalisha has also involved herself in several social and charitable activities. She has been providing financial help for the education of many children belonging to the needy families and also keeps on offering philanthropic services by bearing the medical expenses of patients. For her contribution to business, society, as well as music, she was felicitated with the ‘Paramount Achievers Award Mumbai, 2017’ in a presentation ceremony held at Andheri, Mumbai. n

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.

Mirza Arif Hazarika

ooj (The Fight) won the Rajat Kamal Award for the best regional film in the National Film Awards of 1990. This movie was also the first to bring the ancient game of ‘Moh Jooj’ onto celluloid.

Synopsis: Buffalo Fight or ‘Moh Jooj’ is an ancient game of Assam that is played during the festival of Magh Bihu. People train their buffaloes and prepare them well in order to fight. To win the brawl is a matter of pride for the victor of the bout. Bhogai was the proud owner of the

on the other hand, sold the ani- Magh Bihu. Ganapati, with Bhogai’s winning buffalo that year. Bhogai’s mal to Ganapati at a higher price. trained buffalo under his combuffalo was successful in defeating Ganapati was very pleased to own mand, was all set to compete and the one that belonged to GanapaBhogai’s buffalo and deep in his regain his lost glory. Even though ti; a wealthy agriculturist with an mind, he was aware that no one he was very disturbed, Bhogai aristocratic family background. His could defeat him in the duel now. went to the arena to watch the cerbuffalo was well fed, well trained Ganapati started training the ani- emonial fight. From afar he even and had always been a natural wintried to cheer the buffalo he ner in these ceremonial fights. once owned but the animal But that particular year, it was soon overpowered by was Bhogai’s turn. GanaJooj (The fight) – 1990, Color its opponent. Ganapati felt pati felt humiliated when humiliated once again but Bhogai’s buffalo won. He Banner: Mahabahu Cine Enterprise Bhogai was not the one to ackept wondering, “How can Producer: Bipul Barua cept defeat. He approached a poor man from the lower Story, Screenplay, Dialogues and Ganapati and asked for the caste win against me?” He Direction: Hemen Das buffalo. Eventually, he took vowed to avenge the defeat Music: Khagen Mahanta, Ramen Choudhury command over it for the final and started to prepare right Cast: Pulin Nath; Sitarani Hazarika; Hari Deka; Dr. Hemen Barman; Lakhi Barthakur; bout and after a tough fight, away for the next year. MoiBipul Barua and others Bhogai’s buffalo won over na, Ganapati’s daughter, the others. Ganapati conhowever had a soft corner sidered the triumph as his for Bhogai. own and was prepared to take Bhogai’s life started to change mal for the approaching fight with the animal back with great joy. But and things soon got worse. His great enthusiasm. In the mean- his daughter Moina, who had been father fell ill and was in dire need time, Bhogai’s father passed away. observing very carefully, took hold of good treatment. Bhogai apBhogai was totally heartbroken for of the buffalo and presented it to proached Hafiz, a trader in the he had tried all that he could and Bhogai, the rightful owner. Gananeighborhood, and sold off his yet he was unable to save his father. pati was speechless and preferred prized buffalo to meet the expensTime passed by and soon, it was to walk away silently. es of his father’s treatment. Hafiz,

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

Events

This Bangalore based band is made up of 5 unique musicians bringing their own flavours and styles to the table

Young, energetic, full of surprises and utter madness on stage, Lagori has, over the last 7 years, brought thousands to their feet at their concerts

Event: Lagori Live at Underdoggs Date: 16th June Lagori an Indian Folk Rock Hindi band from Bangalore performed Live at Guwahati on 16th June at Underdoggs. Lagori have performed over 500 sold out shows across the country including Nh7 Weekender Bangalore, Pune and Hyderabad, Bollywood Music Project (Asia’s largest Bollywood music festival) among others. Book launch

Black coffee - dark and strong

Priyanka Agarwal Nawalgaria, a native of Guwahati, launched her book titled Black coffee - dark and strong. The book is a “not-so-ordinary” tale of an otherwise ordinary girl named Tamanna. The story of the book tells the readers about how her life changes from being an innocent little teenager to a strong and dark person. The book is available on Amazon.

World Music Day 2017

Joshua and The Note Ninjas with Joshua Queah (vocals), Lopeno Ovung Queah (drums), Laurence Matthew (bass), Naren Rai (guitars) and Bhushan (keyboards) performing on the occasion of World Music Day 2017.

Venue: ITA Centre for Performing Arts, Machkhowa

93.5 RedFM Ka Thappa Finale Date: 20th June 2017 93.5 RED FM Guwahati started a new season of the RED FM KA THAPPA and for this year, the theme was “SHORE ONCE MORE!” The people of Guwahati have voted for their favourite nominees via SMS & Whatsapp and the winner for the selected category was awarded with a Memento and Certificate. Here are the winners of this year:

Faruk & Harmonic Concert

• Xokolutkoi Atyadhonik (Sabse latest technological) Electronic Showroom: Next Electronics • Xokolutkoi Aramdayok (Sabse comfortable) Saloon and Spa: Kurls & Spykes • Xokolutkoi Saktishali (Sabse powerful) Fitness Centre : Bidang MMA Fitness Center • Xokolutkoi Huswadu (Sabse Tasty) Highway Dhaba : Orange Resort • Xokolutkoi Atuloniyo (Sabse Famous) Super Market / Departmental Store : Bipanan Khetro • Xokolutkoi Janapriyo (Sabse Unique & Exceptional) Fuel Service Station: NRL 6 Mile.

G PLUS | JUN 24 - JUN 30, 2017

Catching Up Most shared story of the week

Krishna Kalyani

New

Chick on the block

post of Milind Soman’s love story with an Assamese girl caught the readers’ attention on G Plus last week as the post went viral with over 3K reactions. The couple’s photos have been all over Instagram and other social media channels and the fitness icon seems to embrace the story with no qualms!

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oreign dignitaries visiting the country used to be gifted replicas of the Taj Mahal and other minarets which did not reflect Indian culture,” UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath was quoted as saying by a national daily. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said foreign dignitaries visiting India were now being given copies of Gita and Ramayana instead of Taj Mahal replicas.

About Me Greetings to all the readers of GPlus! I am Krishna Kalyani from Guwahati. I am diploma holder in Mass Communication from Cotton College. I am an aspiring actress, and keep special interest in acting and dancing. When I was pursuing my graduation in Sonari College, I was awarded “Best Director” and “Best Actor” respectively in the years 2013 and 2014. My journey in acting began with a drama club called “Palash” where I was trained to become an actor. Mojo I was associated with many dramas since college days, which became my inspiration. The real turning point in my career came when I was offered the lead role of a drama “God”, after being trained by Baharul Islam Sir and Bhagirathi Ma’am in a school of drama called “Seagull”. The journey so far to reach this position has been very challenging but I’m always determined to reach my goal. Route in Woods I have an aim to establish myself as a successful actor in the Assamese film industry. At present, I am engaged in serials, short films, and various music videos. Besides, in the coming months, I shall be starting my new project in the field of a daily serial. Photography by - Unique Borah

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