GPlus Vol 4 issue 47 by G Plus

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State govt yet to take steps to ensure child safety in schools

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Volume 04 | Issue 47 Sep 16 - Sep 22, 2017 Price `10

Debt-ridden ACA gambles on hosting Ind-Aus T20 While the city waits in anticipation to watch its first T20 international, the fund-strapped ACA has taken heavy loans with hopes of repaying the same post the match

Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

hile the city is already going off the rail on hypetrain post the selection of Guwahatiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dr Bhupen Hazarika Stadium as host to one of the three T20 matches of the India-Australia series on October 10, the Assam Cricket Association (ACA), burdened with debts from its darker past, is up for a much bigger challenge post the match. For starters, according to a governing body meeting of ACA convened

in March this year, the audits conducted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after alleged anomalies by the former secretary Bikash Baruah surfaced, had revealed at least 47 cases of financial irregularities. Sahajananda Ojha, a former secretary of the ACA had, in September 2015, filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) number 7/2015 in the Gauhati High Court alleging various financial anomalies conducted by the then ACA secretary Bikash Baruah following which, Continued on page 4

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G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

In The News

State govt yet to take steps to ensure child safety in schools After the Ryan International school incident and the CBSE issuing a notice consequently for new rules to ensure child safety in schools, Assam is yet to wake up for the cause Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

he recent incident at Ryan International School, in which a child was killed by a school bus driver in the toilet of the school, has shocked the country. In this backdrop, where Guwahati and its schools are concerned, the state government has not yet taken any steps to ensure protection of the school going children. Inspector of Schools, Kamrup Metro, Buli Gogoi Bhuyan, talking to G Plus said, “The government had not yet issued any notice for any new safety norms for the schools.” Consequent to the incident, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) had issued a notice to all affiliated schools this week enlisting guidelines to ensure child safety in school premises. G Plus had asked Bhuyan whether the Assam state government has also issued any such notice. Bhuyan said that CCTV cameras have been made mandatory but only during exams but regarding safety of the children no new steps have been taken. Talking about the safety scenario in city schools, the inspector of schools said that she feels the schools are safe and stressing on the safety of children in the toilets of the city schools she said, “I feel all the toilets in the city schools are safe as there are separate toilets for students and

Toilets in Government school are in shambles | G Plus Photo

faculty.” When asked whether there are female attendants who wait outside the toilets while children use them, she said that in private schools there might be such attendants but in government schools there are no such people as there are only chowkidars hired in the fourth gate employee level. Also, there are no cleaners or sweepers in the government schools. A city-based child consultant working with National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child

Development (NIPCCD) since the last five years, talking to G Plus in anonymity, said that the children in government schools in Guwahati are vulnerable to all kinds of crime as the situation and infrastructure are pathetic. He further said that talking about private schools, all schools are not safe. Narrating an example, he said that recently he visited Delhi Public School (DPS) Khanapara where he wanted to use a toilet. He was shown into a toilet which even the students use. He said that

there should be different toilets for students and faculty and in most of the schools this is not the case. The consultant added that in the school buses there should be female conductors to ensure a friendly environment for the students but in most of the city school buses this is not the case. The consultant said that the CBSE had issued a notice that all the employees of schools should be verified by the police and psychometric evaluation should be done. But according to him, in most of the

private schools in Guwahati police verification is not done. He said, “I am confident that not a single employee of any private school in Guwahati has undergone any kind of psychometric evaluation.” He said that this is a serious issue and the government should seriously make some stringent rules. Even the city schools should ensure that the children are safe when they are in school. A senior official of the education department, talking to G Plus in anonymity, said that the safety of children in government schools totally depended on the head of the institution. He agreed that there are no cleaners in the school but all the government schools receive a fund every year for maintenance and the heads can accordingly utilise those funds for the hygiene and the safety of the schools. He further said that talking about private schools the Non Government Educational Institutions Regulation and Management Act 2006 is not sufficient to regulate the private schools and the law will have to be reworked to make some stringent guidelines for the private schools. Well, this officer might be targeting the private schools but the fact remains that that even after the CBSE notice and the country’s outcry regarding children’s safety, the state government has not yet taken any new step for the protection and safety of children in schools.

Private schools claim students safe with them

he private schools in Guwahati claim that they have all the safety and security norms in place and the students are safe in their schools. Principal of Don Bosco School, Pan Bazar, Father Sebastian Mathews, talking to G Plus said, “The situation as we see around has become more and more fragile and the responsibilities of schools have increased.” He said that in his institution certain things are in place so that such kinds of incidents cannot occur. He said that there is no hidden place in Don Bosco which children can access. He said that the toilets in the schools are located in visible places which can be seen from all corners and there are different toilets for girls,

boys, faculty and the fourth grade employees. He said, “We don’t foresee any such incidents happening in our school.” Chairman of Royal Global School, Ashok Pansari, talking to G Plus, said that CBSE has just issued a few guidelines but there are various other security concerns in schools. He said his school had many security measures in place even prior to getting the CBSE notice as the CBSE guidelines are not inclusive. He said that the entire classrooms and other co-curricular activity rooms have CCTV cameras. CCTV cameras are also installed in important areas in the corridors and especially outside the toilets. The big CCTV

cameras are also installed in the open areas of the campus so that these are also under constant surveillance. He said that after the Ryan Institute incident people are just concerned about the toilets in the schools and the verification of the employees but there are a hundred other issues. He said that in Royal Global School there are separate toilets earmarked for fourth grade employees like peons, aayas, housekeeping staff etc separately for males and females. City Joint Commissioner of Police, Diganta Bora, talking to G Plus said, “All the schools should get police verification done by the policebutIdon’tknowhowmanyofthemhave

applied for it.” He said that the issue was raised several times earlier when the Supreme Court directions came regarding police verification of the drivers and handymen but he said that he doesn’t know how far it is complied with. He said it is a mandatory requirement according to the Supreme Court guidelines but he said that if the school authorities are not following there is no penal provision on it as of now. He said, “If something happens only then they can be made liable.” Meanwhile, the city police commissionerate has not yet mandated tenant or employee verification in spite of three years of its formation.

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

In The News

No female cleaners in any government school

Bafna

Plus team visited many government schools in the city and it was observed that the safety and security of students in these schools are at stake as the infrastructure of the city government schools is pathetic. Principal of Cotton Collegiate School, Dr Dibakar Sarma, feels there is no hope for government schools as the students and their parents are not at all serious about studies. He said that in his school there are students who drink inside the school premises along with their friends and he is fed up of controlling them. Even the parents are not concerned. He said that he had even called the police many times but nothing helps. Regarding infrastructure he said that there are no cleaners or fourth grade staff except the chowkidar and therefore the condition of the toilets is pathetic. Principal of Kamrup Academy, Dr Geeta Rani Sarmah, said that there are separate toilets in the school for boys, girls and faculty. She said that the girls

A photo of a urinal in a Government school | G Plus Photo

have been asked not to go to the toilet alone and should have a friend waiting outside. She said that she manages some money from the maintenance fund to hire daily wage labours to clean the toilet sometimes. The vice principal of the school, Dr Nayan Das, said that it is a big issue that there are no cleaners and female

staff and the government should hire them so that girl students can use the toilets alone. He said this is the issue with all the government schools. G Plus also visited some lower primary government schools and the situation there is worse as there are not even chowkidars in some schools.

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G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

In The News

Debt-ridden ACA gambles on hosting Ind-Aus T20 Continued from page 1 police had raided ACA offices and the vigilance and anti-corruption branch of Assam police grilled Baruah the same year. There were also allegations against Baruah of swindling BCCI money for constructing the stadium at Barsapara. Baruah was handed a

life ban and a new governing body for ACA was formed consequently but funds from BCCI was stopped since then. “Owing to the various anomalies during Barua’s regime and because BCCI stopped sending funds, the ACA, as of date, has a cumulative debt to the tune of Rs 65 crores,” a source in the ACA, under

T20 match a further addition to the burdened ACA?

File photo of the ACA office

ccording to a source in the ACA, the association has taken loans to the tune of Rs 14 crores from Assam-Cooperative Apex Bank to refurbish the Barsapara stadium prior to the international match. According to Pradip Buragohain, general secretary of ACA, two major works are being done in the stadium which are constructing a separate practise field and a separate parking space inside the stadium. “Also, we are installing flood lights of 852 lux on both the practice fields. There are a few final touch-up works and beautification works left which will be completed within this month. Since no funds have been released by BCCI yet, we have taken loans from banks with a promise to repay after the match,” Buragohain said. The first instalment of Rs 3 crores was taken in August and then, two other instalments of Rs 6 crores and Rs 5 crores were taken in September to complete the works. “The ACA did not receive the money for the last

loan yet, but it was cleared already,” the source said. Another source in the Assam sports department said that the association will receive a breather of Rs 15 crores from the department, but up to what extent it will be helpful is still in doubt. “The association is not being able to hold inter district matches. In a governing body meeting this year, the ACA asked the district associations to vouch in with funds which would be reimbursed later, but none could come in. Matches were supposed to start from this month, but due to fund crunch those matches could not be held,” Sajjad Zaheer Hussan, former Ranji player and a member of the Association of Cricketers for Assam, said. “International matches are especially helpful if the state holds domestic matches around the same time before and after such internationals so that the players remain excited about it. With no follow up actions, merely holding an international match will not suffice,” Hussain added.

condition of anonymity, said. On February 4, 2016, the Supreme Court made it compulsory for the BCCI to implement the recommendations of Justice RM Lodha Committee following which, on February 23, the Committee of Administrators (COA), running the BCCI, had written to all state cricket

associations to submit compliance reports. ACA however chose to wait and has not complied with the recommendations yet leading to non-sanction of funds from BCCI as instructed by the Supreme Court last October. The ACA however signed the tripartite agreement (State

associations, BCCI and IPL franchises) on March 30 last regarding the holding of IPL matches due to which, some opine, the BCCI had selected ACA to host one of the matches. But until the Lodha recommendations are implemented, there’s no denying the ACA is up for hard times.

Why delay in Lodha recommendations’ implementations?

group of former Ranji cricket players of Assam, under the Association of Cricketers for Assam, has pointed out that ACA’s current submission of the members has flouted the Lodha Committee’s recommendations (see chart). The ACA had, on June this year, selected Assam Finance Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, as its president which was in direct violation of the Lodha recommendations that mentioned that no politician, bureaucrat or government employee can be a member of the Association. Sarma later resigned from the Association and hence, the ACA’s members’ list submitted to the COA of BCCI has no president. The group of Ranji players also pointed out that the current vice-president, Devajit Saikia too is not eligible for the post as he is serving as the Senior Additional Advocate General of the Assam government. According to the Lodha recommendations, office bearers of any association cannot hold their posts for more than nine years and president for more than three years. However, it is found that several members of the existing list of office bearers submitted to the BCCI have held positions in the association since 2002. “They have mentioned that they were part of governing bodies and were not office bearers and hence, they can hold onto their positions. But as per the ACA Rule Book 2011, Para 19, it is clearly mentioned that governing body’s members should also be considered as office bearers. That way, many members do not qualify as per the Lodha recommendations,” Hussain said. Despite several attempts, Saikia could not be reached. On the delay in

implementation of the Lodha recommendations, Saikia had earlier said that ACA will only implement after the Supreme Court pronounces a final verdict. “The Supreme Court’s July 18 judgment, as a verdict to a petition filed by the Bihar Cricket Association, had mentioned that the Lodha recommendations would not affect the composition of the state cricket associations. But the criterion that disqualifies individuals as BCCI officebearers, according to the verdict, has been applied to the state bodies as well. This is a contradictory directive,” Saikia had said. He said 24 state cricket associations along with Services, Railways and University cricket associations have submitted petitions in the Supreme Court. “The Supreme Court has also probably realised the contradictions in the directives. Also, BCCI joint secretary Amitabh Chaudhary’s plea in the Supreme Court is pending for a hearing. The rest of the hearings will take time. We will wait until the final verdict comes,” Saikia had added. When contacted, general secretary Buragohain said, “It is too soon to answer any queries. Even the directives of the Supreme Court are uncertain. We will wait till the fog clears and we are open to implementing the recommendations. We also vouch for transparency.” The cricketers’ association, however, told G Plus that they will reveal the “misleading information” of the members that the ACA has submitted to the BCCI to the Gauhati High Court in the next hearing of the Sahajananda Ojha case.

Following are the recommend reforms in the practices and procedures of the BCCI and also amendments in the Memorandum of Association and Rules & Regulations:

One man one post: every member will hold the post of the association and will not be a politician, bureaucrat or any state or central government’s job

Age cap: An officer must retire after the age of 70 years

Election: Elections must be held after three years and an office bearer can hold particular post for consecutive three terms while president can hold the post for two consecutive terms.

Audit: Besides the regular audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) the association also needs to go through regular audit by a neutral auditor.

Website: The state associations need to maintain their websites which will upload all the financial dealings and audit reports for all to see. Core committee: The Core committee needs to have a president, a vice president, secretary, general secretary, treasurer, one representative from each district and 2 nominees from player’s associations.

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

City

‘Swachhata Hi Sewa’ takes flight in the city

Governor BL Purohit (L) at the Swachhata Hi Sewa event at Azara | G Plus Photo

G Plus News

he inaugural program of ‘Swachhata Hi Sewa,’ organized by Mission Directorate, Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), Assam, took place in the city on Friday. The event programme was held at Rajdhar Bora Higher

Secondary School, NH37, Azara and aimed to intensify the focus on creating an environment of cleanliness across the country in the spirit of a Jan Andolan. The inaugural ceremony was graced by dignitaries including BL Purohit, Governor of Assam, Rihon Diamari, Minister PHED, VK Pipersenia, IAS, Chief Secretary, PHE Assam, VB

Pyarelal, Additional Chief Secretary, PHED, Dr M Angamuthu, IAS, District Commissioner, Kamrup (M) among others. In his speech, the Governor Assam shared some of his experiences which he encountered in his life which were related to cleanliness and he stressed on the importance of bringing social behavioral change in people which he stated is the key factor in making a cleaner Assam. The event also had activities like administering of the Swachhata Oath and was followed by laying the foundation stone for girls’ toilet with water facility within the school premises, plantation of saplings, flagging off Swachhata Raths to various districts of Assam. This rath will travel in all the districts of Assam spreading the message of cleanliness and mobilizing the crowd by making an appeal to join hands for making a cleaner Assam. These Swachhata raths will come back to Guwahati on 2nd October, 2017 marking the closing ceremony of ‘Swacchata Hi Sewa’ which will be a part of the celebration of third anniversary of Swachh Bharat Mission. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation also launched

a nationwide mass mobilization drive to accelerate Open Defecation Free (ODF) progress in villages

through construction of twin pit toilets in conjunction with the behavior change activities.

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

City

Guwahati to get new bus shelters after GMC completes survey In a survey conducted by GMC along with traffic department it has been found that bus shelters in most streets of the city are unorganised; also there are no bus routes on many roads which will be introduced soon Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

he Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has undertaken a survey for feasibility and implementation of bus shelters so that the same can be set up in an organised manner without creating traffic hassles in the city as most of the bus stoppages create heavy traffic snarls while many remain unutilized with commuters habituated to flagging down buses from the middle of the road. To eradicate such problems the survey has been conducted jointly by the GMC and the traffic department on the instructions of the Regional Transport Authority (RTA) to identify the bus stoppages and the number of bus shelters in the city. “We are currently

incorporating a uniform system of bus shelters and we are jointly working with the traffic department. We are working for the bus shelters to be numbered. Currently, at many points the bus shelters are just 200 metres apart whereas at several locations there is vast distance between them. Meanwhile, the survey has been concluded and we will discuss several policies along with setting up bus shelters where they don’t exist. Our prime focus is on putting a uniform structure by numbering the bus shelters and displaying the route numbers,” said Municipal Secretary of GMC, Debojit Baruah, while speaking to G Plus. Baruah also informed that several bus shelters that require to be refurbished have also been identified. “The bus shelters are set up in an unorganised manner. Some are placed on very narrow

Designated bus routes of Guwahati

Non-availability of city bus service on many routes posing problems to commuters

lthough the transport department has assigned various bus routes in the city, it seems the city buses ply only on the main routes like RG Baruah Road, Srimanta Sankardev Path (GS Road), MG Road, GNB Road, etc while the routes of NH 37, Zoo-Narengi Road, part of Mahapurush Damodardev Path (AT Road) and several others have never witnessed the existence of a bus shelter as buses never ply on these roads creating problems for commuters who travel on these routes. “The routes are prepared without the consent of the city bus association or the owners and on some routes buses do not run as they don’t get enough passengers. As we run private city buses we cannot run the buses on losses. There are many expenses for us where we have to pay instalments, pay for fuel and we also have to run our families through this income. But we have to bear losses if we do not get passengers. On the routes where trekkers ply, commuters don’t

want to catch a bus; they prefer the trekkers as they consume less time. We cannot fight with them as they also have to earn their livelihood,” said General Secretary of Guwahati Metro Transport Association, Bipul Ch. Kalita. He also said that bus routes should be decided after due discussion with the bus owners and on such problematic routes ASTC buses should be given as those are government run. As the ASTC buses are government owned they don’t need to have profits on top priority and if they get a minimum number of passengers also the buses can be plied on such routes. They even get subsidies but the private buses do not get such offers and if the income is not good then the owners have to bear the loss. The routes should be given after they are surveyed for passenger availability. The Mother Teresa Road and Bhetapara Road are full of trekkers and the city buses do not get passengers resulting in the owners not wanting to ply their vehicles on those routes.

roads while some are placed near flyovers which create congestion in traffic movement. Also, the bus stoppages do not have proper notices which should mention bus numbers and their plying routes, name of the bus stoppage etc. The survey has been done based on all such issues so that things can be rectified,” said Deputy Commissioner of Traffic, Amanjeet Kaur. Meanwhile, RTA Secretary Bapan Kalita, said that they have asked that the survey be conducted by the GMC based on the RTA Act and to identify the feasibility of bus stoppages as per norms. “We have asked that the bus shelters be placed at a distance of every 2 kilometres based on the survey that has been conducted so that it does not create any traffic chaos in the city. Now, the situation is that some of the bus stoppages are

A bus shelter in the city at Maligaon | G Plus Photo

just 200 metres apart from each other making it difficult for other vehicles to move as the city buses stop haphazardly violating norms,”

said Kalita. He also said that 22 bus stoppages will be constructed along the Khanapara-JalukbariKhanamukh stretch of NH 37.

Route number

Destination

Basishta Mandir to Garpandu Bus stand (Adabari) via Ganeshguri, Zoo Road, Chandmari, Kachari, Bharalumukh, Maligaon

Basishta Mandir to Garpandu Bus stand (Adabari) Via Basishta Chariali, Beltola Tiniali, Super Market, Ganeshguri flyover, Bhangagarh, AT Road, Bharalumukh, Maligaon

Garpandu Bus stand (Adabari) to Lal Ganesh Via Maligaon, Kachari, Guwahati Club, Chandmari, Ganeshguri Chariali, Ganesh mandir, Kahilipara

Notboma to Garpandu Bus stand (Adabari) Via Hatigaon Chariali, Ganeshguri, Zoo Road, Guwahati Club, Kachari, Bharalumukh, Maligaon

Garpandu Bus stand (Adabari) to Satgaon Via maligaon Chariali, Bharalumukh, Kachari, Guwahati Club, Zoo Road Tiniali, Geetamandir, Narengi

Narengi to Khanamukh Via Noonmati, Chandmari, Guwahati Club, Uzanbazar, Kachari, Maligaon, Garpandu, Jalukbari

Forest gate to Chandrapur (Ghubhali) Via Narengi, Bonda, Pani Khaiti, Chandrapur College Tiniali

Ayurvedic College to Panjabari Via Jalukbari, Maligaon, Bharalumukh, Guwahati Club, Zoo Road, Ganeshguri, Sixmile

Kachari to ISBT Via Paltanbazar, Nepali Mandir, Sarabbhati, Fatashil Ambari, Garchuk

Kachari to ISBT Via Paltanbazar, Nepali Mandir, Rehabari, Lal Ganesh, Lokhra Chariali

Church Field to Kamakhya Mandir Via Bharalumukh, Kamakhya Dham

Khanapara to Jalukbari Via NH37, Beltola Chariali, ISBT

Nine Mile to Church Field Via Khanapara, Ganeshguri, Bhangagarh, Paltanbazar, Pani Tanki

Adabari to Byrnihat Via Paltanbazar, Dispur, Khanapara, Jorabat

Jorabat to Kachari Via Khanapara, Sixmile, Narengi Tiniali, Geetamandir, Zoo Narengi Tiniali, Chandmari

Lalmati to Garpandu Bus stand (Adabari) Via Hatigaon Chariali, Ganeshguri, Bhangagarh, Paltanbazar, Bharalumukh

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

Ward Watch

Road depressions, empty buckets define Ward No 18’s miseries G Plus checks out Ward No 18 which has Anil Nagar and Nabin Nagar and their myriad woes contained within it and the picture that comes out is not very promising Concentrated Area: Anil Nagar (18C) Ward No: 18 Population of the Ward: 18,400 Voter Population: 9,300 Population of Anil Nagar: 4,500 Road depression in the connecting road in the Anil Nagar area | G Plus Photo

Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

he old ditty, “Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink,” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge has taken on a sinister connotation for the residents of Anil Nagar and Nabin Nagar who

have been facing flash floods every monsoon for the last two decades and drinking water crisis throughout the year. With at least three lives lost to flash floods in the last five years, having the former mayor and fourterm councilor of the ward, Abir Patra, as its representative, has not done any good to the residents there.

New threat of road depression along the wall

he road along the Bharalu River that runs from Bhangagarh, crossing Rajgarh, and further runs into Anil Nagar as Lakhimi Path has formed depressions at places which the locals said is caused due to void erosion under the roads by the Baharlu River. According to a city-based engineer, JN Khataniar, the wall that separates the city from the river is only six feet deep and hence, void erosion is a factor that cannot be ruled out. “Any water stream has a tendency of eroding the banks and Bharalu is no exception. But since it runs through the city, we cannot afford to let it erode. When the walls were formed, they were only six feet deep, which was the previous depth of the river bed. But, as the city grew, Bharalu turned into a city sewerage network. The population grew, the sewage quantity too grew, but the river’s capacity did not. Due to this, flash floods became even more pronounced in 2013. Later, the committee formed by Tarun Gogoi started dredging the river, and to increase its capacity, dug deeper than the

initial depth when the walls were built. So, under the six feet depth, the wall is sitting upon soft soil that is prone to erosion. So, this might be one of the reasons for the depression on the road,” Khataniar explained. “Another argument can be that land or soil is obviously much denser than water, and whenever a heavy vehicle passes or construction works occur in the vicinity of the river, it pushes towards the walls. A continued push might shift or tilt the wall due to which such depression formed,” Khataniar said. Locals are scared that if something happens to the wall in the next monsoon, the overflowing river water will rush into the area aggravating the flood situation there. The engineers too share the same fear. “We already have faced the brunt of flood more than the rest of the city. If the walls too break, I don’t think many of the houses will be saved. This is the only part of the city that is navigable by boats in monsoons. What could be worse?” Kanak Rai, another resident expressed.

Ward Councillor: Abir Patra Patra was replaced as mayor by incumbent BJP’s Mrigen Sarania last year. Trademarked by the foul stench of Bharalu River, Anil Nagar happens to be, contour-wise, the lowest point in the city and acts as a basin bowl to the rain water flowing down the hills into the river that

flows from Zoo Road to Bhangagarh and defines the northern boundary of the ward. Hence, a flash flood occurs every time the city receives a smart downpour which then needs to be pumped out into the river. The residents however fall into a catch-22 situation when the Bharalu, confined by walls about one and half feet tall (from the road level) on both sides, swells up and overflows inundating the entire area. The death reports started coming in when a youth was washed away by the river in 2013 and this followed two more such deaths the next year. Following this, the then chief minister, Tarun Gogoi, had formed a committee to address the problem spearheaded by Additional Chief Secretary, MGVK Bhanu, which bore no result. While geographic disadvantage, with a further ado of unplanned growth of the city, has attributed to this region becoming a victim to flash floods every year, scarcity of drinking water is a problem for which the locals blame the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) entirely. To top their miseries, a pronounced depression of the road that runs parallel to the Bharalu along the wall into Anil Nagar, has also formed lately, which the locals think will eventually make the wall, that has been protecting this region, cave in if a more devastating flash flood was to strike.

Baffled councilor caught in bureaucratic catacomb

he councilor, Abir Patra, who happened to be Mayor under the erstwhile regime of Congress and is still a trusted councilor of the party, however, spared no opportunity to blame the incumbent government led by BJP with allegations of the government turning a deaf ear to the woes of the people of his ward. “This ward lies in a low lying land in the city and that is why it requires more attention than other wards. The problems faced by the people here cannot be solved by the councilor or GMC alone. The matters are already in the hands of Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority and other concerned departments. But this area being a stronghold of Congress is repeatedly neglected by the incumbent government. Funds are not being released timely. When released, these are either insufficient or the works are done incompetently,” Patra said. He went on lamenting that, “I have raised the issue of drinking water crisis a number of times

at several councilors’ meetings, but no steps have been taken so far. They cited that being in a low lying area, it is not possible to provide adequate water to this region until the water supply projects are complete.” When Patra was asked what he had done during his tenure as Mayor, he said, “One must understand that until the flash flood problem of the city is solved, Anil Nagar, unfortunately, will continue to face the same problem. But it was during my tenure that the then chief minister, Taun Gogoi, had visited this ward to take stock of the people’s condition and started to mull a comprehensive solution to the problem. Under my leadership we had successfully raised the need of water supply projects in this region. Every good thing takes time, but I am sure, the project will solve the water crisis here.” Patra also assured of raising the issue of road depressions to the GMC and Public Works Department.

Hopes dampening with delaying water project

ith the water supply system in shambles and the new projects yet to see the light of day, the dwellers of Ward No 18 are bracing for hard days. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funded South Central Guwahati Water Supply Project, which was supposed to be the breather for city’s drinking water crisis with its promise of catering 107 million litres of water per day, has been pending implementation since the works started in 2011. Government agencies like the GMC, the PHE and the Assam Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board supply only 92 million litres of water per day against a demand of 140 million litres/day. What’s more, the GMC supplies water to only 50,000 households in a city that has a population of more than 9 lakhs. While the problem is consistent throughout the city, it holds more significance to this particular ward as the ground water in the area is mostly contaminated with the Bharalu River’s polluted water and to get clean water, it is required to dig too deep. “Even the houses that have dug that deep and set up shallow tube-wells, deep tube-wells and wells does not get clear water during the monsoons when flash floods hit and fill those up with contaminated water. So, like it or not, we have to remain dependent on the water provided by the GMC twice every day. We can hardly fill one or two buckets with the water provided,” Dipankar Rabha, a resident of Anil Nagar told G Plus. “We’ve had our hopes stacked up regarding the JICA water project, but it’s been delaying for so long and has hit so many impediments. So many scams and controversies have come to light that now we are now not very sure if this project will be completed at all,” Karan Medhi, a resident in the area said. Jimi Chishi, a tenant in the same region said, “The only reason why I am here is that it is the cheapest place to stay in the vicinity of GS Road. We have to purchase water almost round the year and regularly during the winters, but then also, due to its problems, this area is cheaper in terms of rents than rest of the city.”

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

Campus

AASU makes the biggest impact in PGSU election of GU ABVP fared poorly in GU polls as AASU backed candidates came out with flying colours followed by NSUI and SMSS which won two posts each Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

Winning candidates and their supporters celebrating the PGSU election results | G Plus Photo

andidates backed by the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) registered massive wins in the Post Graduate Students’

Union (PGSU) election of Gauhati University leaving behind Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) which won only two seats.

Although Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ruling in the mainstream politics, its students’ wing ABVP couldn’t come out with flying

colours in the students’ election of GU. ABVP, for the record, had also fared poorly in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) elections in New Delhi. Manash Pratim Duorah and Monjit Sarma of AASU won the posts of President and General Secretary respectively with 1423 and 1283 votes in each case. Deepak Borah (NSUI) won the post of Vice President with 861 votes while Anjita Paul (NSUI) bagged the Assistant General Secretary post with 1092 votes. Himakshi Bora of Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti (SMSS), the students’ wing of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), won against Bhaskar Dutta with 1214 votes for Literary and Magazine Secretary, David Basumatary received 1188 votes against Utpal Baruah for Sports, Bhaskar Jyoti Sharma got 982 votes for Cultural Secretary, Himamoni Kalita got 1661 votes - the highest among all the winners – for the post of Debate & Symposia Secretary.

Among other winners were Barsha Rani Boruah (Music), Ariful Islam (Major Games), Gauranga Bodo (Social Service) and Masum Janid (Gymnasium). Ranjan Upadhaya won the Boys’ Common Room Secretary post with 1455 votes against Pabitra Pegu who got 778 votes while Sagarika Goswami won as the Girls’ Common Room Secretary post by bagging 1230 votes against Aligunjana Sarmah with 1067 votes. Phanindra Basumatary of ABVP was elected uncontested. In total, 15 candidates were elected to the different offices of the PGSU. This time the total voting percentage was 63%, which is 10% more than the previous year. There are around 3,009 votes in this Electoral College out of which around 2,400 students voted. Interestingly, 969 students chose NOTA in a bid to reject the candidates. Altogether, 45 nomination papers were received by the GU authority in this election out of which the nomination papers of 5 candidates were rejected while 10 others decided to withdraw their nominations.

Students’ election not helping development of the University in any way

he students’ union election has been conducted with much enthusiasm and fervour but will the elections bring a fruitful result to the expectations of the students is a big question. “The candidates contest in elections only for their future political gains. Every year we cast our vote with an expectation that the union members will bring development in the university. This always remains a kind of dream for us. During the elections they assure to develop the university but after the election the promises are never fulfilled,” said Arunima Bhuyan. Another student of the Sanskrit department, Sagarika Bhuyan

said, “We want a change in the university which we have not seen although the union members assure us. There is no security system, bus services are not available which is very important and the small problems should be tackled. We don’t expect much but at least the minor issues should be solved.” “The elections are held with a purpose to bring development in the university. We have seen that Tezpur University and Dibrugarh University are much more developed than Gauhati University. We don’t have Wi-Fi connection and the utmost important bus service is not available for which

the students have to face many problems. We want the elected candidates to bring a change in the university by developing the infrastructure rather than to think about their political future,” said one of the students. Talking to G Plus, Monjit Sarmah who was elected General Secretary (GS) said, “I am thankful to the students that they have chosen me. After one month a general meeting will be held with the department heads, officials of the administration, union members to discuss about the problems of the university so that we can start our work accordingly. In the next 11 months we will

proceed to solve the problems of the students.” The newly elected GS also said that the students want a change and that he will try his best to fulfil the expectations of the students. “I have visited each and every department to know about the problems so that I can work

accordingly. I also want to bring a change in the election procedure so that only the eligible candidates can contest in the election. An open debate will be conducted and the candidates who give the best answers to the questions should be given the candidature for the election,” said Sarmah.

GCC polls: Female GS after 55 years; AASU on a roll

he Gauhati Commerce College (GCC) has made history with the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) backed candidate with Ritumoni Mahanta winning the post of the General Secretary (GS). It is after 55 years that a female candidate has been elected as the GS of the college. Speaking to G Plus, GS Ritumoni Mahanta said that

there are 13 posts in the college students’ union out of which two posts are fixed for boys’ and girls’ common room. She said that other than these two posts, in other posts, both boys and girls could contest in the election equally. “Now-a-days there is no gender discrimination and therefore the election in the colleges should be contested equally. I am very happy

that the students have elected me as the general secretary with a hope that I will be able to develop the college further. I will try my best to develop the college in all aspects - be it education, sports, culture etc,” said Mahanta. Speaking about mainstream politics she said that it is now that she has understood the actual meaning of politics and that it

is not easy contesting in politics whether in mainstream or in college election. “I have an urge to contest in mainstream politics as well and winning the college election will definitely help me contest in the mainstream politics in future,” said Mahanta. The other winning candidates are Joydeep Saha as Assistant General Secretary (AASU),

Subham Das as President (ABVP), Dolly Das as Vice President (AASU), Gopal Mahato as Minor Games Secretary (AASU), Kalyanjit Dutta Major Games Secretary (ABVP), Girls’ Common Room Secretary Henna Basumatary, Boys’ Common Room Secretary Pran Kishore Sharma and Avilash Goswami as Gym & Athletics Secretary (ABVP). n

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

Health

False bills fleece patients at GMCH While G Plus has been reporting on a number of anomalies at the GMCH over the last few weeks, this week, another racket of over-charging patients has come to light

racket at the laboratory of Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) has compelled patients to shell out extra money for tests through inflated bills. The fraudulent scheme was unearthed following an internal scrutiny conducted by GMCH last July. It was revealed that some employees of the laboratory department along with a few contractual workers are charging extra for tests from the patients. However, the bills which were submitted to the hospital showed no records

of extra charges than the actual rates. Police have arrested five contractual workers after an FIR was lodged by the hospital authority for swindling of funds and cheating the patients. A doctor at GMCH explained that the fraudsters took advantage of the ignorance of the patients about the procedures of treatments and tests in the hospital. A substantial number of patients who visit the hospital every day come from villages at far-off locations. After investigation was initiated into the case,

Story of hi-tech swindlers

he thrust on digitalisation seems to be motivating fraudsters to come up with innovative plans. The GMCH authority has been baffled with the skills displayed by a few of its employees to fleece the unsuspecting patients through a deceitful tactic.

A police official explained that the false billing at GMCH was carried out through two proxy software programmes on the same computer that produced two different bills with the same format but showing two different rates. “There were two printers that were installed

GMCH confuses everybody, feel patients

esha Khatun, 27, whose father is critically ill and is being treated at the geriatric ward of the hospital is uneasy after hearing about the arrest of the employees and contractual workers. “We are already low on money from the long treatment and we are asked to conduct a test almost every day. We have no idea on how much to pay or what is the cost of the particular test. We go to the billing desk with the list of tests the doctor suggests. Sometimes, the expenses are covered but we often have to run to the ATM before standing in the queue for the test,” Khatun said. Khatun’s concerns are shared by other patients that G Plus spoke to at GMCH. Partha Prawal alleged that the hospital lacks transparency and the procedures were confusing. He drew a comparison with other hospitals that display maps at different locations that serve as guides to the patients and have desks providing brochures about the

treatment facilities. “GMCH lacks these facilities. Anybody visiting this place has to make rounds continuously over flimsy issues. The hospital can at least put up a sign board, upload on a website or probably issue brochures with the rates in every ward,” complained Prawal. The GMCH authority however feels that the task is easier said than done. It is not possible to display the rates on boards given the wide range of the tests that are conducted every day. “GMCH conducts at least 550 different tests in the hospital. It is simply not possible to make everybody aware of all the rates by putting them on sign boards. It will take the entire hospital’s walls to put on all the tests,” Superintendent Ramen Talukdar said. He however pointed out that efforts were on for more transparency in the hospital. “Plans are being discussed to put an end to such rackets. The information technology department has already been approached for assistance.”

police found that the employees who had come under suspicion of the hospital authority had acquired property disproportionate to their known sources of income. So far, police have detained a permanent employee of the hospital named Abdul Hayem and three contractual workers identified as Dhruba Jyoti Sarma, JintuTalukdar and Kuldip Kumar Nath. Interrogation of the accused has revealed the name Girija Nanda Choudhury as the mastermind of the scheme who also has been detained by police. – one above the desk visible to everybody and another beneath which could not be seen by the patient at the counter. They used to put the inflated amount in the printer above and hand over the bill to the patients, while the

A queue at the GMCH billing counter | G Plus Photo

carbon copy of the bill with the genuine rates from the printer would be submitted to the hospital,” he said. The racket in the hospital is believed to have been going on for about seven months. The

probe will ascertain how much money has been swindled from the patients. Only two among the accused were entrusted with billing while the rest were employed in the laboratories in the hospital.

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

Crime

Notorious drug peddler arrested in Satgaon G Plus reviews the city’s drug addiction scenario in the backdrop of the recent arrest of notorious drug peddler, Aftar Hussain Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

highly wanted drug peddler who had managed to dodge the police several times earlier has finally been nabbed. Aftar Hussain was arrested on 13th September from his residence at Nowpara after his movements were tracked by the police following the receipt of specific inputs. “Aftar Hussain alias Ritu is wanted since a long time. Earlier in June, he evaded arrest narrowly from a place where the police had also reached,” said assistant commissioner of police, Purabi Mazumdar, giving details about

Drug peddler Md. Aftar Hussain (L) in police custody | G Plus Photo

Guwahati on a high – more demand for heroin and brown sugar

he demand for heroin has soared in Guwahati with an increasing number of junkies from high-profile families now taking the plunge into the world of drugs. “There is an increase in the demand of drugs like heroin and brown sugar in Guwahati and there many pockets where the peddlers sell drugs to the addicts,” said a police official who did not wish to be named. “The addicts are mostly from well-to-do families but the parents avoid disclosing this to the police.” He said that 1 mg of heroin costs around Rs 400 and one kilo of heroin in Guwahati as high as Rs 3.5 lakhs. He explained that these illicit items are also in demand during parties in the city.

The increasing demand is evident from the number of peddlers arrested from different parts of the city in the recent past. Heroin in its injectible form (called No 4) is mostly imported from Myanmar through Manipur and Mizoram. Brown sugar, which is a residual item in the production of smack, is a relatively new entrant in Guwahati and produced at selected pockets in a few north Indian states. However, reliable sources claimed the possibility of consignments now arriving from Myanmar as well. The peddlers firm up their transactions over phone with addicts and the consignment is delivered at spots which keep on changing. ACP Purabi Mazumdar is of the view that the price of the twin items

has scaled following the high demand in the city. She added that mugging is also done by the addicts sometimes for buying the drugs. So far only a few kingpins have been apprehended since the peddlers are ignorant about them. And those who do are reluctant to share information with the police. Consignments are received by peddlers at places after the deals are firmed up over the phone. It is possible that the networks are far and wide and remote controlled from the most unusual locations. Police officials have made a case for cooperation with the public to arrest the rising graph of the crime. They explained that the demand and supply of these drugs came down in the city following a drive last year.

the earlier incident when he was carrying a consignment of drugs in his vehicle. Police confiscated 15 small containers with heroin from the vehicle following which a case was registered under section 21(B) of NDPS Act in Satgaon police station. Since then, Hussain has been on the run, hiding at various places until luck ran out for him a few days ago. On the 13th, police personnel who were deployed in civvies pounced on him as he was about to enter his residence. Hussain’s arrest comes close on the heels of another incident on 10th September in the city when two peddlers – Biswajit Singh and Budheswar Burman – were

apprehended. Police recovered 5.13 grams of powder in white and brown that has been sent to the forensic laboratory, two needles and Rs 9,800 from the duo suspected to have been selling drugs near Kamakhya Gate for a long time. Investigation revealed that Biswajit is a hardcore peddler who had been arrested many times on charges of peddling. Burman is a driver and had given his car to Biswajit so that he could bring the drugs from some destinations to Paltan Bazar. Both of them however claimed that they were addicts and not peddlers, said a police official. Both are residents of Kalapani near Goushala and have now been remanded to judicial custody.

“All addicts are not criminals,” Rehab coordinator

eddlers are sometimes found a case for the treatment of the addicts selling drugs but they should not since addiction was a disease which ought to be viewed from a different beclubbedascriminals. “Addictsarecompelledtodocertain perspective. Addiction is a social stigma and things as a result of their addiction. different people They are not deal with addicts criminals differently, opined because to Das. Addiction, fulfil their own according to him, needs they get is a disease which involved in should be dealt certain activities with carefully. to extract their He said that there quota which, are some police according to our officers who law, is a crime,” send the addicts said Arup Das, to rehabilitation coordinator centres whereas of Nirmaan Arup Das, coordinator of Nirmaan there are also Rehabilitation Rehabilitation Centre. officers who Centre. directly put the Last May, theCentrehadjoinedhandswithAssam addicts behind bars. The disease, Aids Control Society for counselling according to him, is curable and there addicts in jail who had been convicted are examples where an addict has becomeanIASofficerorabusinessman forstealingandmugging. Das’ opinion echoes the claims of andhadsuccessinlife. He said, “Even I am a recovering the police that most of them belonged to well established families. He has made addict.”

Weather report for the week Guwahati Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

T-Storm

Rain

Partially Cloudy

T-Storms

35°/26° C

30°/26° C

33°/26° C

32°/25° C

31°/25° C

32°/25° C

SATURDAY

Partially Cloudy

35°/27° C

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

Snippets

‘State Capital Region’ around Guwahati formed

n line with the National Capital Region, Assam will have a ‘State Capital Region’ encompassing Guwahati and its peripheral areas with the passing of a bill in the state assembly on Friday.

The Assembly passed Assam State Capital Region Development Authority (ASCRDA) Bill 2017 by voice vote to set up the regional authority for preparation of a plan for rapid development of the SCR.

CEC upgrades with new Advanced Computer Lab

Introducing the Bill in the House, Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the SCR shall comprise the districts of Kamrup Metropolitan, Kamrup, Nalbari, Darrang and Morrigaon, fully or partly. Capital Guwahati is in

Kamrup Metropolitan District. The authority and guidelines of existing Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and other urban authorities were not

sufficient for desired development and growth of SCR, Sarma said. ASCRDA will be the overall authority to direct, implement and monitor the development of SCR, said the state’s health, finance and education minister.

NOTICE Pre -Examination Coaching Camp for Tea Tribes Community for the Civil Services (UPSC, APSC etc) Examination 2017-2018 Applications are invited from aspirants of the Tea Tribes Community for admission into the Pre-Examination Coaching Classes for the Civil Services examination, 2017 2018 conducted by the Union Public Service Commission and Assam Public commission etc. Highlight of the Programme:

Duration :- 3 (three) months.



Venue :- Assam Administrative Staff College, Jawaharnagar, Khanapara, Guwahati- 22.



Subjects :- General Studies, Selected Optional Subjects

Eligibility Conditions 1. Degree holder with at least 50% marks at degree level from recognised university. 2. Candidates must have attained 21 years of age and not attained 32 years of age on 01-01-2017. 3. 15 seats will be reserved for candidates of humanities stream and 15 seats will be reserved for candidates from Science & Commerce stream including B.Tech and other allied steams) Advanced Computer Lab with i-Mac is inaugurated in CEC Head Office by actor, Kopil Bora

EC Education Group inaugurated the first Advanced Lab with i-Mac at its head office premises situated at Silpukhuri, Guwahati. This stateof-the-art lab was inaugurated by renowned Assamese actor Kopil Bora. This advanced computer lab is expected to cater to the needs of aspiring graphic designers and software animation experts of this region and is equipped with the latest Apple i-Mac Quad Core i5 machines with 21.5 inch, 4K retina display specifically suited for graphics and animation softwares. This advanced lab is designed and dedicated to the aspiring students who want to pursue some high end courses without putting financial burden on parents. It seems that in most cases a huge number of students move outside the state for pursuing higher technological courses which puts a financial burden for the middle

and lower middle class families of this region. To eliminate this problem CEC has designed and developed the professional course curriculum for the aspiring students thus reducing the burden from the guardians. Established with an aim to create trained and efficient manpower in the field of information technology, software and hardware courses in computer, fashion and textile designing, interior designing, spoken English, tourism, journalism and beautician, CEC has successfully carried out different courses for the last 24 years of existence with a brilliant record of trained individuals in over 175 CEC centres across the entire North East region who have been able to secure their lives by getting jobs or becoming self-employed after completing courses at CEC.

100 ft Durga Idol of Guwahati to get listed in Guinness Book of World Records

ith a 100 feet tall idol of Goddess Durga, Bishnupur Durga Puja of Guwahati is all set to get listed in the prestigious Guinness Book of World Records. Speaking to G Plus, the marketing head of Bishnupur puja

committee, Biren Sarkar said that the Bishnupur puja committee will have the tallest Durga idol this year. The idol is designed by Nuruddin Ahmed, who has been associated with the puja committee since the last 7 years.

4.List of selected candidates will be published on newspaper and will also be displayed on the Notice borad of the Directorate. Selection Criteria: The top 30 (thirty) candidates will be selected strictly on the basis of marks obtained during the Degree examination. 30% of the seats for the coaching shall be earmarked for women candidates. • Coaching programme will be non-residential and no hostel facility will be provided to the candidates. However a monthly Stipend at the rate of Rs 7500.00 only will be provided to defray the cost of lodging. • Applications must be as per the format of the application enclosed herewith. • Applications should be submitted to the office of the Directorate for Welfare of Tea & Ex-Tea Garden Tribes, Assam, Rupnagar, Gowahat1-32. • Last date for the submission of forms is 5th October, 2017. Sd/Director Wellare of Tea & Ex-Tea Garden Tribes, Assam, Guwahati-32

Janasanyog no 1500/17

SHORT QUOTATION NOTICE Sealed quotation in affixing non-refundable Court fee stamp of Rs. 8.25 (Rupees eight and twenty five paisa) only are invited from reputed Govt. Registered Supplier for the supply of Surgical/Laboratory/Instrument & Other Hospital Consumables which are urgently required at F. A. A. Medical College & Hospital, Barpeta. The Tender documents containing detailed information/terms and conditions for the purpose can either be obtained from the Office of Medical Superintendent, from 05/09/2017 to 18/09/2017 between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with non-refundable payment of Rs. 500/- or may be downloaded from website http://faamcassam.co.in Those who download the tender documents from the website should enclose the DD / bankers cheque of Rs. 500/-(Rupees five hundred only) (non-refundable) in favour of Superintendent, FAAMCH. The tender documents are not transferable. The last date and time of submission of quotation is 20°’ September, 2017 up to 1.00 p.m. and the quotation will be opened on the same day at 1.30 p.m. in presence of the intending suppliers or their authorized representatives. The quotations are to be submitted to the office of the Superintendent, F.A. A. Medical College Hospital, Barpeta on all the working days during office hours. Superintendent F.A.A . Medical College Hospital Barpeta, Assam. Janasanyog No 520/17

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

G Talk E

The Akhil disruptions

rom the Guwahatian’s perspective, super agitationist Akhil Gogoi is better off andar than baahar. And if his antics are anything to go by, it often crosses my mind if he himself feels the same way too. Constantly looking for trouble where there is none, with a fan-following perhaps bigger than Zubeen Garg’s, Akhil Gogoi has successfully made the agitation bastion of Dighalipukhuri his second home. And the hordes that descend with him have brought good ol’ Guwahati to complete halts on more occasions than one can remember throwing the daily schedules of the hard-working Guwahatians completely out of gear. But what happened in Golaghat this time, from where Gogoi was arrested, reeks of government vendetta; a deep-rooted agenda to keep the rabble-rouser away from his adoring public and facilitate easy governance in the process. A video which showed Akhil, in only his ganjee, hollering for a good reason for his arrest, went viral and much as you may admire or despise his modus operandi, he was supposedly arrested on charges of sedition. In a speech at a rally in Moran apparently, he did

his best to incite the public to take up arms - ULFA-style in protest against a number of government moves to dilute the Assamese culture and society. Gogoi has long been protesting the current dispensation’s attempts to grant citizenship to persecuted Hindu migrants from Bangladesh, nonimplementation of the Assam Accord and opening of 21 new colleges named after the BJP ideologue, Deendayal Upadhyaya. I screened the internet for that Moran speech of Gogoi just to draw my own conclusions of whether his speech was indeed so volatile that he was arrested on a charge as serious as sedition but couldn’t find it. Apparently, that speech did not have the desired impact and the crowd had dispersed peacefully. Does set the mind wondering whether his arrest the next day was actually warranted? Or is it just a ruse to keep the man quiet behind bars – an act of vendetta by the government? For the average Guwahatian though, the video was somewhat amusing and of relief to a large extent for the hope that our daily schedules might just remain on track for the while. Swapnil Bharali Editor

Peeping what now!?

n a parallel universe, Steve Jobs is alive and is friends with NaMo. This ‘parallel Steve’ has perfected intra dimensional travelling and is peeping into our world with ‘parallel NaMo’ and discussing the WWDC2017.

NaMo: So these guys launched the iPhone 8! And just within 5 minutes of that, they launched the iPhone X. Making everything else obsolete. So you can throw the old iPhones away now. Steve: 90K for a phone? I’d have never priced it at that. NaMo: Right! Now we’ll see whether this NaMo’s November 8 move actually worked! All the stashed money is going to come out. This is how black money is going to turn ‘transparent’. Get it? From the transparent glass back cover on the iPhone? * laughs* Steve: A sense of humour on watching your country burn? Hmm, slightly disturbing. But wait, the iPhone 8 has been rendered useless after it was succeeded by the launch of iPhone X then? What happens to the iPhone 9? Arrghh! They ruined my entire numbering system. NaMo: I don’t think they are making an iPhone 9. Don’t you know why? Steve: Why? NaMo: Because seven ate nine. Get it? * laughs* Oh wow, I crack me up sometimes. Come now Steve, let’s take a selfie. Steve: It’s better to crack yourself up instead of having cracked an iPhone screen, now front and back. Trust me, it hurts. SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA

In the aftermath of Mission China

O p i n i o n Swapnil Bharali

than Mission China – movies that his brilliant, sustained promos nticipation is the word. ought to have been watched by all deserved some returns on his After a long time, I was but fell short of viewership and investment. really looking forward consequently, business. Yes, they And so I updated: I won’t say to the release of an Assamese were not mounted on such big it’s a perfectly made movie. But in its movie. In fact, so excited was I for canvasses and they failed to create imperfections lie its beauty. Peppered Zubeen Garg’s Mission China that the buzz that Mission China did. But with songs, romances, stunning I even tweeted the night before its the phenomenal business garnered visuals, some interesting characters release asking for some kind of a by Mission China should make and some deadly fight sequences, review from the movie’s ‘premiereZubeen realise more than ever the it’s a kidnap-rescue tale told with attendees’. All I got in return were tremendous responsibilities he Zubeen-style finesse. Jerky at times, some cryptic replies that were owes his teeming millions of fans pacyoveralltheeffortputintopresent just not specific enough for me to who have given him this cult status an out-n-out entertainer is obvious. draw a conclusion; a few messages – if only for the sake of the future of I am not going to be a bookish bounced back saying it was my Assamese cinema. critic to this one simply because review that they were all waiting What Zubeen says, his fans there is no need. All I will say is - Go for. All in all, it did turn out to be a listen, blindly. What he does, cumbersome night; I was they adore and imitate, blindly slated for the proverbial again. The ordinariness of first-day-first-show the hat Zubeen says, his Mission China was made next morning. Arriving at the iconic fans listen, blindly. What he extraordinary solely because starred in the pivotal Anuradha Cineplex for does, they adore and imitate, Zubeen role, all his inadequacies in the 10.15 am slot, the blindly again. Zubeen has acting notwithstanding. If this mood that greeted me was nothing short of festive. to think out of the box, help is the magic that Zubeen Garg weave, if this is the way he Hip youngsters in all sorts groom the next generation of can can hold his audience in thrall, of Zubeen paraphernalia actors, entail smart media he needs to demonstrate more were at their excited best clicking selfies against marketing and make heroes rigour and farsightedness taking up the cudgels of the poster-standees. The out of the Siddharth Nipons, in Assamese cinema. Zubeen has excitement, restlessness Gunjan Bharadwajs and to think out of the box, help and fervour were truly groom the next generation palpable reiterating Vivek Borahs making them of actors, entail smart media beyond any shred of doubt bankable actors. marketing and make heroes the immense popularity out of the Siddharth Nipons, and God-like status of the Gunjan Bharadwajs and Vivek Experience Zubeen #MissionChina. youth icon called Zubeen Garg. Borahs making them bankable You will understand the living The hall itself was cacophonic; actors. Ditto for the Yankees and phenomenon that he is. And yes, boisterous youths making a din Dipleenas. I think this is a just and new comers Yankee Parashar and at just locating their seats. It was a valid ask from the savvy and suave Siddharth Nipon Goswami were the packed house. As the credits rolled Zubeen because, as I see it, without most refreshing aspects of the film. the noise became more frenzied. his Midas touch, the rejuvenation of So, this is not a review. Rather, And it was crescendo with Zubeen’s Assamese cinema as an industry in it is a reckoner of the fact that first appearance on the screen; the aftermath of Mission China is a Zubeen Garg has reached that the din continued till the end of far cry and only wishful thinking. pinnacle of popularity and herothe movie drowning plenty of But, mind you, this is neither worship where it is imperative that dialogues in the process. to decry the forthcoming Tumi he shoulders more responsibility An hour and 40 minutes later, Ahibane releasing shortly nor and displays more maturity. the broad smiles on the faces of the Priyaar Priyo (starring Zubeen This movie has proven that it is young crowd spoke louder than again under the far more competent Zubeen and only Zubeen that any words or actions that they director, Munin Barua) releasing in sells, make no mistake about that. had indeed had their tryst with December. I am sure both are going I have watched movies of recent their God. Well, I hadn’t - not by to be eminently watchable movies. vintage like Ahetuk and Gangs of a long barge pole. But then, I was But will they manage to generate Northeast (this one was in Hindi expected to share my experience the same fervour and hype and run but as regional in terms of movie and review the movie – I always to packed houses? Well – ‘time’ and values) and my opinion is that owed that much to the Assamese ‘talk’ will tell! these were far better productions cine lovers and to be fair to Zubeen,

r Inability to discern?

Letter to the Editor

have come across the news in all the print and electronic media, including your Facebook Page, that in a press conference held on Wednesday by former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, he said that Rahul Gandhi is mature enough and the most deserving leader of the country. What exactly is the matter with the opposition leader? Has he lost control as he has not been in the ruling government and is it this factor that is making his mind unstable? Is it only because Rahul Gandhi has admitted his mistakes that Gogoi said that he should be made the Prime Ministerial candidate in 2019 Lok Sabha polls? Is it only because of the Gandhi title that Rahul Gandhi should be made the prime ministerial candidate? This lack of discretion or the lack of the capacity to discern between the capable and the incapable on the part of a senior man like Tarun Gogoi is confounding. AH Tapadar, Bharalumukh, Guwahati

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

In Focus scenario of the Assamese film industry, Yankee said that the industry has a lot of talents but has been lagging behind in certain aspects over the last few years. But after the huge success of Mission China, she feels that the industry is capable of producing great movies and is on the rise. Talking about her career further, the model turned actress wishes to step into the largest film industries of the world – both Hollywood and Bollywood. She wants to actively be part of film industries from across the globe and make her mark in the world as a role model for women empowerment. Yankee considers Priyanka Chopra as her role model and says, “Priyanka Chopra has struggled alone to become the brand that she is today. She’s the perfect example of women empowerment all over the world and has been an inspiration to many. I wish to achieve what she has and not remain confined to a particular place. I’d love to

Yankee Parashar Actor, model, anchor

ankee Parashar has been creating a buzz across the state and beyond with her role in Mission China. Born and brought up in Guwahati, Yankee pursued her schooling from St. Mary’s Guwahati and credits the school for her wonderful upbringing. Setting her mark as an example of beauty with brains, Yankee is currently pursuing Political Science (Hons) along with BA LLB (Hons) from NERIM Law College, Guwahati. Yankee started her career in the entertainment industry way back in 2012 as a model when she was in 12th grade. And there has been no looking back ever since. Over the years, she has walked on various ramps across the country, anchored small and big events, worked in ad films based in Mumbai, and has also been the DY365 Calendar Girl in 2015. Talking to G Plus about finding her calling as an actor, Yankee said, “I never planned on becoming an actor. It kind of just happened. I never received formal training in the field of acting; before Mission China, I had zero experience in

the line. So I believe it was on the cards and destiny had a big role to play in it.” She further added, “I wouldn’t call acting as the only ideal profession for me, rather it is one of them.” Yankee portrayed the character of “Ragini” in Mission China and did full justice to it. She has gained much acclamation for the role and has also received many offers for future projects. Talking to G Plus about her debut film and her experience of working with Zubeen Garg, Yankee said, “It was a little difficult to be part of such a big project, especially since I didn’t have any prior experience. But I’m thankful to the entire cast and crew of the movie for showing enormous support towards me. Zubeen Da is truly a legend and it was because of his guidance and mentoring and Garima (Garg’s wife) Bou’s motherly affection that I was able to be successful in my first movie.” Talking about the present

see the younger generation look up to me.” Among the long list of actors that Yankee would love to work with in the near future are Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachhan, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, and Aishwarya Rai Bachhan. Apart from acting, Yankee’s hobbies include swimming and playing the piano. She’s a 5th grade piano student from the Trinity Academy of Music, London who loves to perform along with her father, Bhubaneswar Bhattacharyya, who’s a gold medallist in piano, guitar and tabla. She’s also a state-level swimmer who describes herself as a sea person saying, “Whenever I see crystal clear water, I immediately feel the urge to dive in.” She considers her parents, Bhubaneswar Bhattacharyya and Smriti Rekha Bhattacharyya, as her biggest inspirations for not only supporting her throughout her journey, but also encouraging her to be independent and achieve greater heights in life. Talking about her biggest strength and weakness from a professional context, Yankee says, “I think my biggest strength is that I’m very dedicated and give 100% in whatever work I take up. But my biggest weakness would be my short temper as I cannot stand lies, cheating or anything bad happening around me.”

Is the Zubeen controversy around an attire a remark on ‘creative freedom’ or just an artist’s arrogance?

Point

ubeen’s tryst with the headlines for something other than Mission China’s success should act as an eye opener for artists and people who command influence over the mass public and that everything you say and do in public space ‘must be carefully measured’. In his various public appearances and encounters, Zubeen has been embroiled in several controversies, each trumping the other. However, the fact remains that an artist must learn to gauge public space and conduct himself accordingly. It is highly possible that the success of Mission China may have gotten to his head and thus led to his utter disregard for making that ‘impromptu’ comment about beating up an Army officer and demanding a salute. Added to that, it is reported that he was inebriated which, in the past, has been Zubeen’s Achilles’ heel. All of this indicates that Zubeen, as a public figure, still has to grow up. Anyone with a voice does not become a sensation. It is the public that chooses to build a hero and an artist must learn to respect that honour. If a public can build, it can certainly destroy. After his video went viral, Zubeen must have certainly seen the public backlash and it was then that he issued an apology thus proving that even the most loved public icon, within seconds, might have to do damage control.

hat is with showering Zubeen with brickbats? So what if he was wearing an Army beret and was in the character of Colonel Goswami? So what if he chose to say ‘piti dilu hoi taak’ – it’s the Axomiya equivalent of ‘let’s have a chat.’ I’d say this is where people have stopped keeping apne kaam se kaam. The officer could’ve walked away, or just moved on with his work, but this nose poking is what has bloated the issue. Although, it was disappointing to hear that something like this happened and we’d appreciate if Zubeen keeps his cool in the future, it certainly was not something to be uchalo-ed and dramatized. This is what happens when people interfere in a creative space, whether it is an army officer or a Pankaj Nihlani. Ask yourself, did Zubeen ‘impersonate an officer’? Was he causing public harm? No right? Then why meddle? He has not dressed up and paraded around as Col Goswami before has he? So the fact is that an artist like Zubeen chose to stay in character, something most artists do to express their creative freedom. Also, instead of demanding that the “use of Army dress and weaponry should be monitored,” the Army first needs to ‘apne girebaan me jhaanke dekho.’ If they can tackle hard issues like rampant corruption in their MES departments and the bribery, it is only then that they should get into public space and tackle soft social media issues and viral stories.

Counter Point

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

City

Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival begins in city year to honour exceptional contribution to cinema in the Northeast. In the previous years, the award had been conferred on Shri Aribam Shyam Sharma (2014) from Manipur, Shri Abdul Mazid (2015) from Assam, and Smt Jnanada Kakoti (2016). This year, the award will be conferred on renowned Assamese director, Shri Munin Barua. The BVFF was conceived in 2013 with the objective of promoting Northeast cinema and providing a platform for regional filmmakers. The festival also aims to bring together great storytellers under one roof, offering the audience a dynamic experience which combines cinema, short films, documentaries, culture and performing arts.

G Plus News

fter four successful editions, the 5th edition of Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival (BVFF) has started from 15th to 17th September at Pragjyoti ITA Centre, Machkhowa, Guwahati. Nationally and internationally acclaimed film personalities such as Vishal Bharadwaj, filmmaker, producer, screenwriter, and music composer, known for his films such as Omkara, Kaminey, Haider, and Rangoon; Gauri Shinde, the director of films like English-Vinglish and Dear Zindagi; Abhishek Chaubey, known for films such as Ishqiya, Dedh Ishqiya and Udta Punjab; filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor, who is the visionary figure behind Iqbal, Dor, and Dhanak; the versatile Nagraj Majule, whose latest film, Sairat, became the first Marathi film to gross over Rs 100 crores worldwide; and Adil Hussain, an internationally acclaimed actor who received the Special Jury Award at the 2017 National Film Awards, will be a part of the 3-day festival. The festival will see screening of films from all across the Northeast along with a few invited films from the rest of India, interactive sessions, a 3-day workshop on Film Appreciation by Film and Television Institute of India,

Adil Hussain being presented with a memento at BVFF | G Plus Photo

Pune, in addition to a film quiz, panel discussions and the highly anticipated award ceremony. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the festival, Tanushree Hazarika, Director of BVFF said, “It’s an honour to have the best of the film fraternity for the festival. Dignitaries like Nagesh Kukunoor and Vishal Bharadwaj are renowned names in the film arena of the nation and it’s a big thing to have them at BVFF. We aspire to become

one of the best film festivals of the nation. We hope that the festival opens new floodgates of opportunities for the aspiring filmmakers of the region. The festival has some brilliant films lined up for screening.” Vishal Bharadwaj, recipient of one Filmfare Award and seven National Film Awards, is one of the esteemed guests at the festival. Speaking about the festival, he said, “Mera Assam se reeshtha bohut purana hai (I Director Vishal Bharadwaj lighting the ceremonial lamp | G Plus Photo

‘Liakat’ shines at film festivals

Kalyan Kumar Kalita

‘L

iakat’ (It Rains in the End), an Assamese short film, is presently shining at various film festivals. The film was screened at the 9th Jaipur International Film Festival 2016 and Delhi International Film Festival 2016 along with almost 60 short films from worldwide. The film is directed by Monjul Baruah of ‘Antareen’ fame and produced under the banner of ‘Jalan Films’. The story of the film is an adaptation of popular novelist Manikuntala Bhattacharjya’s short story, the screenplay of which has been written by Monjul Baruah and dialogues have been penned by Manikuntala Bhattacharjya and Monjul Baruah. ‘Liakat’ is about the twist in the friendship between Liakat and Hanif, caused by Liakat’s sense of loss over Hanif’s well being, about which he has been apparently concerned so

far. In a fit of jealousy at the certainty of Hanif’s well being, he again tries this time to shape Hanif’s life in a different way. But this attempt brings his own life to a fateful state instead, showing us the fragility of individual’s commitment in our current reality. Thekeyrolesinthefilmhavebeen essayed by Boloram Das, Mayukh Sarma, Kamal Lochan, Purnima Saikia and Chandan Bhuyan. The cinematography of the film has been done by Suman Dowerah,

background score by Ambar Das, art direction by Ronal Hussain and Dipika Deka, sound design by Amrit Pritam. DI Colorist is Sujit Borah, costume has been designed by Rani Dutta Baruah, makeup is by Ashitav Baruah, production designed by Mukut Saikia; the film has been edited by Twenchang. The film has been produced by cultural activist and the co-producer of critically acclaimed Assamese feature film ‘Dinabandhu’, Gopal Jalan. The film was earlier screened at ‘Smita Patil Documentary and Short Film Festival 2016’ and ‘GCC Short Film Festival 2016’ and was officially selected for the ‘5th Indian Cine Film Festival 2017’ and ‘Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival 2017’. According to the producer Gopal Jalan, very soon hewillproduceanothershortfilm.He also added that ‘Liakat’ has already participated in various other national and international film festivals. n

have a long relationship with Assam). I came to Assam for the first time in 1982, to play cricket. I have worked in various parts of Northeast while shooting of my films. I love film festivals, because I believe the study of films begins from film festivals. Agar film festivals na hote, hum aaj director na hote (If there were no film festivals, I wouldn’t have been a director today).” Since 2014, the BVFF has presented a Lifetime Achievement Award every

The first day of the festival began with films like Loktak Lairembee, Liakat, My Name is Eeooow, and Mukti Bhawan. The second day of the festival will have films like Escaping Time, Aaba, Sairat, and films from BVFF contest. The final day of the festival also has some brilliant films for the audience like Cine Basket, A Death in the Gunj, The Black Cat, and Antardrishti. Speaking about the festival, actor Adil Hussain said, “I am extremely delighted about the festival, because the festival witnesses amazing films from all over the country which are not seen otherwise in theatres. The festival is a bridge between individual and society, and individual and the universe at large, because it helps the audience to learn, to gain wisdom, and to evolve at large.

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

Trotter

Hillary Clinton sends pizza for her fans

ormer US Secretary of State and presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, made a number of her fans incredibly happy when she sent them boxes of delicious pizza. They were lined up outside a New York City bookstore waiting for the release of Ms Clinton’s memoir, What Happened, in which she details what she believes led to her loss in the 2016 US presidential race.

Reportedly, “hundreds” of fans camped outside Barnes & Noble’s Union Square branch for a chance to meet the 69-year-old former presidential hopeful and buy her campaign confessional. That’s when they got a surprise: fresh, piping hot pizza from famed New York pizzeria, Joe’s Pizza, signed: “From the Secretary.” Thrilled fans posted pictures

of the pizza on Twitter. Ms Clinton took to Twitter to respond to her supporters, writing: “Enjoy! See you all tomorrow!” Ms Clinton’s tweet went viral with over 36,900 ‘likes’ and 4,700 retweets. The move earned her plenty of praise on Twitter. Ms Clinton kicked off a 15city book tour with Tuesday’s book-signing. Pre-orders for her 494-paged memoir - in which she rips US President Donald Trump as an incompetent, unworthy, sexist “liar” - have already made it a top seller on Amazon. Ms Clinton offers a personal account of her reckoning with the election: how she was expecting an easy victory but was “shellshocked” on election night; how she refused antidepressants and psychoanalysis, but drank her fair share of “Chardonnay,” and how she sought refuge in her family, an alternative breathing technique and yoga. (Source: ndtv)

Delivery man drinks customer’s soup, replaces it with urine

wife’s romantic surprise for her husband turned into a foul smelling nightmare when the soup she sent for her spouse was replaced with urine. As a loving gesture on Chinese Valentine’s Day last month, the wife made red bean soup for her husband who was at work. She used a food delivery service to send the hot soup in a thermos to her partner’s workplace. But when the soup reached the husband’s office, she didn’t get a call of appreciation from him. The husband, surprised with the pungent smell of the soup, called up home to check if the soup was freshly made. It was, confirmed the wife. The mystery lay with the delivery company. When he called up the company to complain about the strange smell of the soup, he received a call from a delivery man who confessed to the un’pee’lievable

dozen monkeys suffered simultaneous heart attacks when they were “scared to death” by a roaring tiger, it has been claimed. Locals were initially baffled after the monkeys were discovered in a forest clearing in the Kotwali Mohammadi area of north India. Vets thought that the animals were poisoned and post-mortems were carried out. However, the tests apparently revealed that the primates had all died from heart

attacks. Vets concluded that the only explanation was that the monkeys were scared to death by a big cat. Vet Dr Sanjeev Kumar said, “It was confirmed in the post-mortem report that the monkeys died due to cardiac arrest. The monkeys could have died due to a tiger’s roar as tigers often traverse that area.” Villagers reported tigers are often in the area and were heard roaring at the time of the deaths. (Source: dailymail)

Lucky 3-year-old cuts world’s biggest sponge cake on birthday

crime. The delivery man said he had gulped down the soup because he was really thirsty and topped up the thermos with his urine. “I didn’t have any grievances, I just couldn’t find any water,” he admitted. He also offered 420 Yuan for what he did but his offer was declined.

Reportedly, the owner of the delivery company flew from Beijing to Chengdu to personally apologise for the ‘strangest incident in the company’s history’. The delivery man was laid off after the incident and cops are investigating the matter. (Source: ndtv)

YouTube star PewDiePie uses racial slur he 27-year-old Swede real name Felix Kjellberg - could be heard using racial slur while he was playing a video game during a live streaming. After using the term he appeared to recognise his error, saying: “I don’t mean that in a bad way.” PewDiePie, who has more than 57 million subscribers, previously had to defend himself over anti-Semitism allegations. On another occasion, he was

Monkeys ‘die from simultaneous heart attacks after being scared by tiger’

suspended from Twitter for socalled Islamic State jokes. Sean Vanaman, whose Campo Santo studio develops the game Firewatch, tweeted that he intends to file DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) reports in an attempt to remove all videos and streams of Kjellberg playing his company’s title. PewDiePie amassed his following by posting recordings of himself playing video games and providing commentary. In

February, some of his videos were found to contain Nazi references or anti-Semitic imagery, which resulted in Disney cutting ties with him. He is reported to have made $15 m (£11 m) through YouTube last year and has accrued billions of hits since he joined YouTube in 2010. He had been associated with Disney via Maker Studios, a company with a network of YouTube stars. (Source: bbc)

ow this is something of a dream come true for most kids. A lucky 3-yearold boy in Dorset, UK, got the world’s largest Victoria sponge cake, weighing over 300 kg, for his birthday. Steven Oxford of Oxfords Bakery baked the massive cake for his youngest son Samuel’s birthday and revealed the massive jam and butter cream-filled creation at Sturminster Newton’s annual cheese festival on Sunday. Reportedly, the cake was just less than 5 feet wide and measured 8.5 inches in height. It also took a whole day to bake.

“I made it by myself with a few helpers from a bakery equipment manufacturer called ‘Brook Food Processing.’ We made it using large industrial cake mixers and a fork lift truck to transport it to the oven.” said Oxford. There is currently no Guinness World Record for the largest Victoria sponge cake. Oxford has registered his own giant creation and is hoping to hear back from them. “It’s set a world record. We will wait to hear confirmation from the Guinness Book of Records in a few weeks!” he said. (Source: ndtv)

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

Reviews Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Diana Penty, Ronit Roy, Gippy Grewal, etc Director: Ranjit Tiwari

vie Mo view Re Lucknow Central

ased on true life events, Lucknow Central is a feel-good, human, prison-break drama that succeeds to manipulate you emotionally, despite being predictable and filmy in portions. While the peg is somewhat similar (barring the undertrial element) to the recent Qaidi Band, Lucknow Central has a distinct execution and is way more evolved. What essentially works for LC is its classic ‘winning against all odds’ theme. The inmates finding a reason to live and a sense of belonging within the four walls of the Lucknow Central jail instead of their homes is what tugs at your heartstrings. Farhan ably carries the film on his shoulders but his efforts to nail his desi character are partially visible. For instance, his flawed English pronunciation seems a tad artificial and inconsistent. (Read Corut for court, rohk for Rock and naan existent for non-existent). Nevertheless, he gets the mannerisms and innate innocence of a small town guy right and makes you weep for his misfortune. Deepak Dobriyal is excellent as always and so are Rajesh Sharma, Inaamulhaq and Ravi Kishan. Diana Penty and Gippy Grewal play their parts well. For all those who have not seen Qaidi Band, we are sure that you will take an instant liking for Lucknow Central for its innovative script and screenplay.

Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Sohum Shah Director: Hansal Mehta

hahid, Aligarh or CityLights, there is a certain sensibility that Hansal Mehta’s films come embedded with. Simran, starring Kangana Ranaut, is not one of them. With this tale of an Indian immigrant in the US, Mehta is venturing into a happier territory where his direction is marked by a light touch. Simran revolves around Praful Patel (Kangana) who is a 30-year-old divorcee living in Georgia with her middle-class parents. A housekeeper by profession, she gets drawn to a life of crime after her tryst with gambling at a Las Vegas casino. One bad turn leads to several more and before you know it, Praful is in a sordid mess. The first half of Simran is fairly entertaining and Kangana Ranaut’s brilliant, effortless performance as Praful Patel makes the film a fun experience. As we reach the interval, we wait for Praful to turn into Simran and take us on an adventurous ride. Besides Praful, every character in the film is one note, from the rigid father to the helpless mother to the scary moneylender to the sincere suitor. These actors seem particularly stagey and theatrical in contrast with Ranaut, who shines with a spontaneous and often irresistible performance. We’d say, go and watch this film for Kangana Ranaut’s yet another stellar performance. This film also proves one more thing – there never could be a best for Kangana as she’s unstoppable.

The NEW 11th Avenue Café and Bistro Kashmiri Nath

Gold Mine 10:00 AM Mission China 10:30 AM 05:45 PM 08:15 PM Haunted House 12:00 PM 05:00 PM Simran 12:30 PM Lucknow Central 02:45 PM Forest Adventure & Aero Bike 03:00 PM 08:00 PM

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vie Mo view Re

Simran pork or boneless chicken is sure to leave you asking for more. There is an extensive choice of

1th Avenue needs no introduction. This charming cafe entered the food scenario about 3 years ago and it quietly and subtly changed it all with decor that did not scream for attention but grew on you, eclectic are eccentricities that uplift the space. without being overbearing, music that Anindustrialdrumthathasturnedup soothed you and food that comforted as a table, doodle art on ceramic plate, you. Young, hip and welcoming in a a place that exudes positive vibes. The best news is that the menu has the old very charming way. So, when, I heard favourites and is serving the favourite that a second branch of 11th Avenue had opened its doors at Rajgarh - pork - in every imaginable way but Road, I smiled and I’m sure many did with the 11th Avenue stamp on it. others did too. Young owner Gaurav Expecttobewowedbytheirbowls, is the backbone of this Cafe/Bistro; his one course meal, inspired by the Asian passionshinesthroughineveryaspect. rice and noodle bowl, 11Th Avenue Veryconvenientlylocatedopposite has introduced these amazing tasting Icon School, this new place is a chip off bowls. Warm soothing broths, with the other one - small and stylish; there flat noodles or rice, topped with smoky

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beverages, mocha and tea. They are serving some very interesting Artisanal teas which are infusions done by a brand called Dweller. We tried the red tea - Haimang Tea - which

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actually is an infusion of dried local flowers; I found it very refreshing, with a subtle tangy flavour. ThiswasfollowedbyWaterMelon Expresso. So different, I mean who would put together water melon juice with back coffee?! Well, take a sip of this drink with fresh lemon wedges and hint of mint and be a convert. I was totally bowled over. So, there was Hot Chocolate too. Nothing new, when the menu has interesting options, it begs one to be adventurous. The best part of the evening was the Chicken Bowl with Shapta Tingmo. The steamed bun was pillowy soft and light and the chicken with robust Asian flavours was mind-blowing. At Rs 180, this bowl is a steal. Delicious and perfect in every way. I pray that it does not change ever. We followed this with an Asian Bowl, flat noodles with smoked pork, fried garlic, cilantro in a mild coconut milk broth, with a slice of boiled egg. Indeed a very appetising bowl. Silky noodles, cooked perfect, succulent pork but something was amiss in the bowl. This bowl is a cross between a Thai noodle bowl and Khow Suey and in the process it

06:15 PM 08:00 PM IT 01:00 PM Lucknow Central 03:30 PM 08:30 PM

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is a bit lost. I’m sure 11th Avenue will work it out as their menu is still work in progress. The best is yet to come, we had Roast Pork with gravy and it was incredible. Perfectly sliced pork pieces, juicy and soft cut against the grain, with a rich brown sauce, mashed potato and vegetable and some carb in the form of bread! Go dig into this plate and if you love pork you won’t be sorry. At Rs 320 plus taxes, you would want to eat this for every meal! The desserts are an extension

Add: Rajgarh Link Road, Opp Icon Institute Cost: Rs 600 plus taxes for two Must have: Roast pork with gravy, Shapta Tingmo Bowl and the various teas! of their old menu; I decided to skip it. 11th Avenue is a place to watch out for in Rajgarh - good food, warm inviting ambience and reasonably priced with free Wi-Fi. Events to keep you interested to keep going back, young owner Gaurav has the fingers on the pulse of Guwahati. n

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

Entertainment

Pabitra Rabha – the artist who is known for his Humanity Chandrika Das

has a children’s wing named ‘Khilkhilai’ which gives the young children a platform to show their talent. In 2008, ‘Dapon’ emerged with a unique initiative - a mission to give an identity to the dwarfs of the Assamese society - the class of people who are otherwise often neglected if not humiliated. An individual project that saw rays of hope for the physically-challenged community is today spreading smiles on the faces of many. “Whenever we meet a common man, we extend our greetings. It might be as simple as a ‘Hi’ or a ‘Hello.’ But we do not see this happening with a dwarf. When I noticed this, something in me moved. I took a resolution to work for them,” said the artist. From 2008 to 2011, he wandered from door to door to meet dwarfs from different families. By the end of 2011, he gathered nearly 30 dwarfs and convinced them to work with the

umanity is an irreplaceable virtue. They say, the one who lives for others, are above all. A man who could have had it all for himself, instead stepped to make lives worthwhile for a physically-challenged class of people, who are otherwise very much neglected. An inborn artist, alumnus of one of the most reputed institutions of the country, this man from Assam continues to contribute everything he can for his homeland. An alumnus of National School of Drama, Pabitra Rabha, has contributed both his learning and earnings for the people of his small village of Assam, Tangla. Pabitra graduated in Arts from Tangla College and then joined Gauhati University to pursue his Masters. However, his interest in theatre and drama was so compelling that he gave up his course midway. However, as destiny would have it, he was privileged enough to get into If you keep on giving the National School of Drama, from your best to any work, where he graduated in 2003. it will happen one day. His contribution to the The initiative I started Assamese society is immense. went through a very Being an alumnus of the most prestigious drama school in the difficult phase, but my country, he could have lived a determination never let life which is much coveted by me give it up. any artist of the nation. Instead, Pabitra dedicated his learning and team for a better cause. With time, earnings for the development of his the troop gained recognition and village. With a warm heart and a identity across the state and outside strong-willed mindset, the artist with their noble work. Rabha set out on a journey to bring good and his team have been working on drama and theatre name to his hometown in without any financial every way possible. support from the Back in 2003, government. Tangla, a small Apart from village of acting, the Assam that dwarfs are is situated at provided the Bhutan with border, often education made it to and selfthe news for improvement insurgency. training. The place Pabitra Rabha Pabitra was deprived of Rabha has so far proper connectivity worked in Bollywood and electricity. During a time when people hardly knew movies like Mary Kom and Tango anything good about the village, it Charlie besides the Zubeen Garg was this man who was determined produced Mission China. The to take it to the global platform. artist, who has it all to give many Pabitra, along with his friends, established artists a run for their through sports and drama, were money, desires to deliver it all to associated with various social the people of the state. He has no activities since long. Pabitra, along pans of moving to Mumbai or with his friends, started ‘Dapon’ settling down there abandoning in 2003. Currently, ‘Dapon’ boasts the responsibilities and the dreams of nearly 25 brilliant and talented he has for his hometown. The artist artists who perform in various makes his living by selling cereals cities of the country. ‘Dapon’ also and vegetables otherwise.

A still from a play by Dapon | File Photo

According to Pabitra Rabha, in a world which is disturbed and disconnected from human values, theatre plays a very strong role. Theatre is a medium where people can connect to one and all and share their emotions unlike in any other medium. Pabitra Rabha has recently played the character of Lama in Mission China. While speaking abouttheexperience,hesaid,“Itwas a wonderful experience. Assamese cinema has seen something unique after ages.” When asked about

the popularity that the movie has fetched, he replied, “It’s all about marketing. The team of Mission China has marketed the film very well, and that’s what every movie should be doing. If you make a good movie but keep sitting at home expecting the audience to come to you themselves, you’re at fault.” The upcoming project of the actor is a Bollywood movie named “Bavesh Joshi” where he will be acting along with Harshvardhan Kapoor. He is simultaneously working on a drama named

“Garvadharini” which implicitly shows the essence of maternity and motherhood. A common man of multiple talents, this artist has devoted much to the state. Acting skills which could challenge any artist, a noble initiative that no one would have dreamt of, this man has a lot in his account. While chasing the dream of giving people an individual identity, Pabitra Rabha has brought a new ray of hope for not only his hometown, but entire Assam. n

Abhishruti Bezbaruah all set to launch her new album

bhishruti Bezbaruah is all set to launch her latest album ‘ABHISHRUTI’ on Sunday, 17th September. The folk fusion album has a total of six songs based on different themes, spreading messages of peace, celebration, love and devotion. Describing the album and the inspiration behind it, the singer said, “Every song has inspired me. The album begins with a prayer, the lyrics of which have been penned by the veteran literary philosopher, Late Radhanath Phukan. The Bihu songs have been inspired by my experiences at the Hindi and English film industries. When it comes to the song about peace, I really sell because of my experiences as a child as I grew up

in a not so safe environment and was sent off to boarding school.” She further added that the songs are more in the ethnoelectrical zone and there are contra-punctual scenes in the video. And the ethnic instruments have been fused with electronic

elements to give it a new soundscape. Talking about the response expected from her new album, Abhishruti said, “When I release a song, I don’t have any expectations in mind. For me, it’s more about me being convinced with my work and liking my own songs. But I really hope that the audience will accept my music just like they’ve accepted my earlier works.” The conceptualisation of the album has been done by Abhishruti herself, with Amborish Saikia on the lead guitar, Rakesh Baro on keys, Partha Pratim Patgiri on bass guitar, Biraj Baishya on drums, Maina on percussions, Piti on flute, pepa, gogona, and bhortaal and Runty on khol and dhul. n

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

Fun Horoscope of the week An undertaking could have a serious note, but it can be a fun occasion as well. A focused blend of energies could see you collaborating with someone on a plan that needs two pairs of hands rather than one. Someone may offer to help out of the blue, and this input could also add a dash of creative inspiration and extra sparkle. Options for a lively weekend seem to be in the offing. Finally, try to avoid getting upset regarding a family issue.

If you have money to spend, you might be eager to invest it in something that gives you an advantage at work. Investing in a class could be one of your wiser purchases this week, as it could give you the ability to apply for jobs that pay more. Aside from this, you might want to splurge on items that add extra cheer to your domicile. If you’re entertaining guests, you might want to treat them to something special.

There is such a thing as serious fun, and it could appear as an invitation to join activities that involve certain skills and knowledge. Connecting with friends who share your passion could make this a delightful week. Even so, you might want to look at the cost before you splurge on leisure outings, as one option may prove far more expensive than another. A cozy evening for two on Friday could enable you to explore the potential in your relationship.

You may be very enamored of one idea that seems to have special resonance for you, but you could have difficulty persuading others how good it really is. If you want other people to team up with you or support you, it might be easier to get things up and running yourself and lead by example. The weekend could see you adopting a spiritual approach to the deeper issues in life, and this could lead to a change in a key relationship.

You might need someone’s help with a business venture or idea that you can’t manage on your own. This week, a positive blend of energies involving harmonious Venus your personal planet, could see you making great strides with this person’s aid. However, try to avoid a tendency to overthink this matter. Rather than make progress, you could go around in circles. Just doing it could make all the difference.

There’s plenty of action in your social zone, but with lively Mercury moving to catch up and connect with feisty Mars, you won’t be backward in sharing your opinions. Moreover, doing so could cause others to feel irritated and perhaps answer back. If you want to keep the peace over the coming days, it would help to be sensitive in how you broach and discuss certain topics. On another note, keep your eyes open for an opportunity to showcase a key skill.

A decision to hook up with someone could present you with a solid opportunity. Early in the week, give some consideration to a serious idea, as it could work in your favor. However, you could clash with someone in authority unless you’re willing to compromise. Friday and the weekend look like a lot of fun if you can keep work and professional matters out of the conversation. If you want to discuss business, socialize with likeminded colleagues.

The desire to travel could prove very tempting, especially if you’re invited to join someone on a short break or vacation. It could also be a good opportunity to enjoy some peace and quiet and reflect on matters that need careful thought. At the same time, a business deal looks very promising. A meeting with someone on Friday could turn out well for you both, and it could be the first of many. It’s also possible that a small windfall could come your way.

Connecting with others on a team effort could be very rewarding over the coming days. It might be hard work, but it could also be worth it. On another note, you may feel a need to change but find certain friends are resisting your efforts. They’ll likely relent if you can persuade them why this is important to you. There’s a lot of fun to be had and new experiences to enjoy as of Friday. An encounter could lead to an enjoyable new experience.

Go easy when discussing sensitive matters, as such discussions could put you and another at odds. In fact, it might be better to avoid rocking the boat, particularly over the weekend and especially if you want to spend a relaxing time together. Consider broaching the subject later next week, when both of you feel a lot more relaxed about it. On another note, you may easily impress someone in authority by using your charm and natural abilities.

9 7 52 5 7

1 8 6 2 6 3 73 4 6 21 2 5 9 4 5 7 9 4 3 1 9 Daily Sudoku: Fri815-Sep-2017 1 3 Daily Sudoku: Thu 7-Sep-2017

last week solution 6 3 7 1 4 18 94 87 53 32 46 21 53 87 78 79 12 65 21 54 52 83 99 78 66 25 47 34 99 13 81 58 16 64 95 33 66 21 42 89 94 75 42 36 27 Daily 7Sudoku: 9 Fri815-Sep-2017 5 1

9 29 65 46 37 81 72 58 13 4

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

8 66 43 89

2 54 99 38

54 11 27 65 92 73 71 47 15 86 3 medium 2

Daily Sudoku: Thu 7-Sep-2017

very hard

Word of the week

Estha and Rahel are the chief protagonists of which Booker Prize winning novel?

4 5

1 2 3 By what name is Karanjeet Kaur Vohra better known as?

Mickle

1. Umananda island in the majestic Brahmaputra 2. Danny Denzongpa 3. Arundhati Ray’s The God of Small Things 4. Sunny Leone 5. First and the only Indian Cricketer to feature on its cover 6. Unokoti,the ancient Shiva Worshipping place in Tripura

What is the smallest inhabited river island in the world?

Quick crossword no 14,753

Phir Wahi Raat, a critically acclaimed 1980 Horror movie is the only Directorial effort of which multi talented actor?

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

Dilbert by Scott Adams

Crossword1 Across Author of The Descent of

Across

1 Annoying person (4) 3 Wrenched a ligament, causing pain and 8 Man (7,6) swelling (8) 8body To a Skylark, To a 8 Excess fat (4) 1 Prediction (8) Nightingale etc (4) 9 Sent exile (8)(5,3) 2 UK money (8) into 9 Global conflict 11 11 hold (4,6) 4 Out10 of sorts (6) Wrestling Glittering with changing 14 Large American 5 Versatile person (3-7) colours (10) (6) vulture 14 15 (4) Illusory (6) 6 Small 12amphibian Glutinous (6) 17 Clad (10) 7 Devon (4) 20 Smallchemical naval escort (6) 14 river Whitening vessel (8) 10 Not yet finished (10) 15 Be nonchalant (4,2,4) 21 Gambling game 12 Revelatory — blabbermouth (8)— Algarve capital (4) 18 19 Altered (8) 13 Garden flowers22ofVerse the iris family (8) lacking artistry 20 Coniferous tree (4) (8) 20 16 Farm livestock (6) 23 Star Wars knight (4)

Down

1 Annoying person (4) 3 Wrenched a ligament, causing pain and swelling (8) 8 To a Skylark, To a Nightingale etc (4) 9 Global conflict (5,3) 11 Wrestling hold (4,6) 14 Large American vulture (6) 11 15 Illusory (6) 17 Clad (10) 2014 Small naval escort vessel (8) 21 An inseparable constituent fluid (4) 21 Gambling game — Algarve capital (4) 18 Etcher’s 22 Verse lacking artistry (8) 19 Study (4,3,6) of sines etcDown (abbr) (4) 22 1 Prediction (8) 23 Star Wars knight (4) 2 UK money (8) 17

18 19

Great; large; much.

Quick crossword no 14,754

Across 8

adjective [mik-uh l]

curio-city

Identify this wonder from the Northeast

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

1 2

What unique honour was given to Sachin Tendulkar by Wisden Almanack in April 2014?

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

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

curio-city

Sudoku

Funds may be available to help you get started on a domestic project, and this could bring you a lot of satisfaction. It may not be anything major, but it’s well worth it if it will add extra sparkle to your home. In addition, a get-together on Friday could be a very special occasion if you’re holding it at your place. Whether it’s a school reunion, gathering of work colleagues, or coffee with workout buddies, it could lead to new friendships and social opportunities.

You’ll be eager to explore the potential in an idea that could see you traversing new territory. This could be a serious plan that you’ll want to explore with someone else. However, don’t dive into the details just yet, because that could slow down the process. Focus on the bigger picture and you’ll be able to refine your plans later. Friday brings a fabulous opportunity for a social event that could be truly enjoyable, whether it’s a date or other fun occasion.

Down4 Out of sorts (6)

9 10

15 16 17 19

19 Study of sines etc (abbr) (4)

Solution no 14,753

C H A R L E S D A RW I N 2 Merriment Last week’s I solution O M A O D 6 Small (8) amphibian (4) F LAB BAN I SHED Solution no 14,752 7 Devon river (4) 3 Dressed (5) A E A C E A 10 Not yet finished (10) N TP F O R R E SI RI TI DGE SSUC EM T S 4 Ambassador’s (7) 12 Revelatory residence — S T I CE K Y BA L E A CC H W W E L blabbermouth (8) Y Y U R 5 Jig, say (5) 13 Garden flowers of the PE L AY IL T CO O OO L A L L E V I A T C R L L A U iris family (8) of 6 Decoration made M O D IK F I E DA P I N P E R E C 16 Farm livestock (6) M O E U E G ribbons (7) fluid (4) 18 Etcher’s T A P E R KP AER TYA NED P DA R UC E PL 7 Notion (4) S E I S R E 11 Cadge (8) A I R B E D V A L O U R 13 Mediterranean islander (7) N E F L I B D O N E F O R L A T H E 14 Gradual increase (5-2) A N A I T E 16 Not native (5) L E I B I S H O P R I C 17 Flower bud used in L A L K L O H cooking (5) B L U E E Y E D B O Y 18 Deep unconsciousness (4)

5 Versatile person (3-7)

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

Lifestyle

anmashtami celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna. Ashtami, the half moon, is significant as it indicates a perfect balance between the seen and the unseen aspects of reality; the visible material world and the invisible spiritual realm. Krishna’s birth on Ashtami signifies his mastery of both the spiritual and material worlds. Krishna’s teachings are most relevant to our times in the sense that they neither let you get lost in material pursuits nor make you completely withdrawn. To celebrate Gokulashtami is to imbibe extremely opposite yet compatible qualities and manifest them in your own life. Krishna simply means the most attractive -the Self or the Being. Radhe - Shyam represents the infinity. Radhe is the individual life and Shyam is the infinite life. Krishna is the Self of every being and when our true natural Self shines through our personality, skills and abundance follow suit. It is said that Krishna used to steal butter. What does this metaphor signify? Butter is the final product of a process: the milk is first made into curd and then only the curd that is well churned becomes butter. And like milk or curd, life is the process of churning through so many events, happenings and instances. Finally the butter comes out, which is the saintliness in you. The whole essence of it is to maintain that balance, to be joyful, happy and centered. You can have a big smile when everything is smooth in your life; if you can smile even in adversity then you have achieved something in life. It is like how Krishna stands with one foot firmly on the ground, the other is raised, poised; this is how dance can happen. This depicts the way to live life in perfect balance. When you are buried in the mind, dance cannot happen. Witnessing the disturbances of the mind helps us to rise above them. So whenever you are disturbed,

instead of thinking that this should never have happened, simply surrender. In the Bhagwad Geeta Lord Krishna says, ‘Why is it that so many are not able to know Me? The reason is that they are constantly stuck between their cravings and aversions.’ A person who intensely craves for someone or has too much hatred for someone falls into the trap of Moha (attachment). When such a person has a problem in his life, be it regarding money, or relationships, etc., then his mind is completely engrossed with the problem and he spends his day and night worrying over it, even years, but he is not able to overcome it. For this, Lord Krishna says, ‘Those whose Punyas (meritorious deeds) begin to bear fruit are freed of all their sorrow, and they begin to get drawn towards Me. Those whose sins are not cleansed remain stuck in ignorance and delusion’. If you walk towards the light, the darkness of ignorance automatically starts to disappear. But sin is that which does not let you move towards the light. And this is what causes misery, pain and suffering. When a person completely understands that I am not the body, I am pure Consciousness, then such strength dawns in him. Once you have faith in the Divine, then that is it. Then you should not doubt it one bit. This is what knowing the Divine truly means. Krishna is the symbol of all possibilities, the total blossoming of all aspects of the human, and the Divine. Janmashtami is the day when you enliven that viratswaroop of Krishna in your own consciousness once again. Letting your true nature manifest in your day-to-day life is the real secret of Krishna’s birth.

uite often I’ve heard my friends say that they do not have enough money to invest in mutual funds. For most people, mutual fund investments are pictured as investment option where one requires a huge amount of funds to grow their wealth. However, I would like to clarify (like most experienced financial advisors) that this is only a MYTH and not a fact. For the uninitiated, a mutual fund is a professionally-managed trust that pools the savings of many investors and invests them in securities like stocks, bonds, short-term money market instruments and commodities such as precious metals. So, mutual fund is a platform where one can park their savings and over a specified duration earn returns on their investments. When a mutual fund collects enough of such savings from different individuals, it will invest all the funds in a well diversified

manner across asset classes to offset any potential loss. Thus, the savings you invested will grow over a period of time. But there’s a question arising in your mind, how will it grow? Let me explain this to you with an example: Suppose Mr. X works in an MNC at a monthly salary of Rs. 40,000. He has savings lying in his bank account amounting to Rs. 1,00,000. How should he start investing to let his money create wealth for him? Mr. X has two options: A) To utilize his idle fund and B) To initiate savings from his monthly income. For option A, we have a concept called SIP (Systematic Investment Plan). It is a systematic way of taking out a certain pre-decided amount of money from your savings and investing it in a mutual fund. In our example, Mr. X invests 20% of his salary which amounts to Rs. 8,000. So every month, X will

Astrological effect on Vaastu

here is a close relation of astrology with Vaastu. Though it is not considered by many experts, sometimes it becomes easier to rectify the Vaastu through astrological remedies. For this, a little bit of knowledge on astrology is essential. Sometimes it is seen that people living in similar buildings have different kinds of struggles or successes in life. That is, though they are living in similar apartments as in some housing colonies, the Vaastu effects on the residents are more or less same but the fortunes of the residents are not necessarily the same. This is due to the effect of stars and planets on their natal charts. Astro-Vaastu deals with this aspect. THE 4TH HOUSE The 4th house, starting from the lagna on the birth chart, deals with ownership of houses and subsequent residence luck. 1. If the owner of the 4th house in the birth chart is situated in an exalted place, the owner will be lucky. 2. If there is a good planet like Jupiter or the sun on the 4th house of the birth chart, then the owner will have good luck as far as residence is concerned. Mangal or Mars and Shukra or Venus are also lucky planets to have on the 4th house. But the planet Saturn, if situated in the 2nd house of the birth chart, can protect the owner from all sorts of evil effects of Vaastu. On the other hand, Saturn on the 5th house will always make the owner dissatisfied in his own home. 3. If there is no bad planet like the

shri shri ravi shankar Founder- Art of Living Foundation.

Mutual Funds: Small savings, big returns

VAASTU SHASTRA

Live Like Krishna

Saturn or Rahu on the 4th house of the birth chart, the owner will have good times. 4. Venus is the ruler of beauty. If Venus is on the 4th house and is not looked upon (drishti) by inferior planets, then the owner will have a beautiful house. 5. If Venus is placed on the 12th or 8th house of the birth chart and looked upon by inferior planets, then there is a danger of the property being damaged or encroached by others. 6. If both Jupiter (Brihaspati) and the moon (Chandra) are together on the 4th house of the birth chart, then the owner will have a good house and a lot of financial luck. 7. When Venus is on the 4th house of the birth chart and the original owner of the 4th house is on the 7th house of the birth chart, the person will get a house through his wife. 8. If the owner of the 4th house of the birth chart is placed at Aries (Mesh), Cancer (Karka), Libra (Tula) or Capricorn (Makar) and if it looked upon by good planets, then the owner will have more than one residence. These are astrological predictions and readers are requested to consult experts in case of any doubt. But whenever the Vaastu is perfect and things still are not going smoothly; consider getting your birth chart checked for anomalies on the 4th house. Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

Monthly Investment / SIP

Rs. 8,000

No. of Yrs

Expected Rate of Return (p.a. %)

12.00%

Lumpsum Investment (Rs)

Rs. 100,000

Total Investments (Rs.)

5.8 lakhs

10.6 lakhs

15.4 lakhs

20.2 lakhs

25 lakhs

29.8 lakhs

43.55 lakhs

83.23 lakhs

153.18 lakhs

276.44 lakhs

End Value (Rs.)

8.25 lakhs

21.03 lakhs

If you invest Rs. 8,000 per month for 10 years @ 12 % p.a. expected rate of return, you will accumulate Rs. 21.03 lakhs at the end of the 10th year; however, if you invest for additional 10 years, you will accumulate Rs. 83.23 lakhs at the end of the 20th year. invest Rs. 8000 under option A. Research recommends that every individual should invest at least 20% of their monthly income. However, saving schemes in mutual funds allow an individual to start saving from as little as Rs. 500. This means that you can start investing by taking out a sum of Rs. 500 only. This should steer clear of the misconception that one needs to have a large sum of money to invest in a mutual

fund. For option B, Mr. X can invest a sum of Rs. 1,00,000 at once in different asset classes. It could be Liquid Funds (for short term goals), Hybrid Funds (to balance the risk factor), Value Funds (to benefit from less valued stocks) etc. You might wonder, why invest in a mutual fund when you can do the same with a bank FD (Fixed Deposit). Let me tell you, in the present day financial

systems, a mutual fund provides you highest tax-free returns as compared to traditional options like a FD, PPF, Savings account, RD etc. Let me bring a clearer picture from the table shown on top: Pallav Bagaria CEO, Brand New Day – one of Northeast’s leading Mutual Funds Investment Consultancy and Portfolio Management Services pallav@salasarcapital.com

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

Buzz

UM Motorcycles launches new bikes in Guwahati yy

M Lohia Two Wheelers, the Indian arm of the American motorcycle maker, introduces the brand new Renegade Commando Classic and Renegade Commando Mojave in Guwahati. “There is an increasing popularity of biking in the state as well as the increasing demand for it. We launched our showroom earlier this year, and till now we have delivered more than 150 bikes and are full with bookings for the next 3 months. The reason for launching the showroom was largely driven by the untapped market in this segment of this region. We are the first one to enter Northeast India. We are sure the new bikes will receive a very good response from the bike lovers in Guwahati,” said Mr. Kishor Jain, CEO, Luit UM Guwahati, expressing his

yy excitement at the launch. The Renegade Commando Classic was much appreciated when it was showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo. It is a USA originated cruiser powered by a 279.5 cc single-cylinder Liquid-cooled EFI engine, mated to a six-speed transmission with overdrive for vibration free rides. It is a complete touring package which includes premium saddle bag and tank cover, polycarbonate windshield, highway engine guards and alloy back rest. The Renegade Classic will be available at Rs 193,758/- (ex-showroom, Guwahati). The all new Renegade Commando Mojave has been inspired from the Mojave desert in North America. Mojave will also share the same engine as the Renegade Classic but will feature new style and colour. Mojave will

be introduced in the market in a unique desert coloured matte paint, Mojave Desert logos and fuel tank cell phone pad. The Renegade Mojave and its sibling Renegade Classic come with an electric start and have an air filter with paper element innovation and six-speed synchronized mesh overdrive for easy cruising. The motorcycles have a fuel tank of 18 liters with a kerb weight of 179 kg. The Renegade Commando Mojave is available at Rs 185,299/(ex-showroom, Guwahati). An innovative feature called Service Alert Maintenance comes as a standard fitment in both the Renegade Commando Mojave and Renegade Commando Classic, giving customers a heads-up on the service update. n

Guwahati girl leads Assam Chess team to Vijaywada

fsheen Afsha Zaman of the Assam Chess Club led the Assam Girls State Team in the 31st National U7 Chess Championship 2017 at Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh held from 3rd to 12th September 2017. Afsheen is the current Assam Champion in the Under 7 Girls category and has been undergoing training at Assam Chess Club for the past 3 years.

Acknowledging the state champion’s performance, the Assam Chess Club in a statement said, “Afsheen performed brilliantly and played excellent by scoring 7 points out of possible 11.” A win in the last round would have secured her a spot in the top 10 ranking in the tournament. However, the state champion was defeated by Vidula Anbuselvan of Tamil Nadu.

Artists of the Samahar Natya Gosthi performing a drama titled “PIL-99” written and directed by Dr Sitanath Lahkar during the 11th edition of Brajanath Sharma Memorial Inter State Drama Festival organized by the theatre group, Samahar, in association with Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam, at Rabindra Bhawan in Guwahati on Sunday last.

Wild Wisdom Quiz held at city school

,170 students from 70 schools came together to vie for the title of North East Champions at the city-level finals of the Wild Wisdom Quiz 2017 held at Royal Global School, Guwahati on Saturday, 9th September. Archita Baruah Bhattacharyya, Coordinator, Assam State Office, WWF-India, informed that a total of 70 schools from the Northeastern states took part in the quiz this year. Besides, one wild card entry winning team from North East also participated in the city final. Adhiraj Kar (Class VI) and Navaneel Chakraborty (Class VII) of Delhi Public School, Guwahati,

emerged as winners securing the first position in the Middle Level quiz after various rounds conducted by Abhra Das. Kaizan Minotra (class V) and Shubhaan Sharma (class V) of Army Public School Tezpur, came out as the Junior Level champions in the North East, City final. Archita Baruah Bhattacharyya, Coordinator, WWF-India, AAPSO, said the winners of WWF Wild Wisdom NE City Final – DPS Guwahati – will now represent the Northeast in the National Final to be held in New Delhi on October 6. The National Levels will be conducted by Siddharth Basu. n

Gym chain organises fitness extravaganza

record number of fitness enthusiasts from Guwahati, Bongaigaon, Shillong and other parts of the Northeast participated at GNRC #NeverStop Guwahati on Saturday. Organised by Virat Kohli’s gym chain Chisel Dighalipukhuri, the event saw the participation of more than 1000 health and fitness enthusiasts participating in various

competitions like cycling, hill climbing, cross fit challenge, arm

wrestling, etc. The day-long event saw various health and fitness modules like hill climbing, cycle rally, yoga and Zumba besides fitness challenges. The event started off with a hill climbing run from Chisel at 6 am while a cycle rally was flagged off from the same venue at the same time. Noted Assamese actor, Nayan Nilim, flagged off the hill run and the cycle rally. n

Waheeda Lifestyle and Rudra TAI Consultancy hosted the Miss Green Assam Pageant 2017. The Show was judged by Waheeda Rahman, Pranjal Pratim, Kamal Barman, Franko Parakka and Bashali. The Jorhat auditions for the same will be held on 16 September.

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

Snippets Restrictions on State Additional Advocate General lifted by the Assembly

tate Additional Advocate General Devajit Lon Saikia, who was barred from entering the State Assembly for taking selfies in the Speaker’s gallery of the House, had submitted contradictory statements during inquiry into the case. The Speaker had barred Saikia from entering the House for two weeks on February 13 this year for clicking and uploading selfies on Facebook, during the Budget Session, after receiving a complaint from AIUDF MLAs. Speaker Hitendra Nath Goswami had then forwarded the matter to the Privilege Committee, which sought a reply from Saikia

during the course of examination of the issue. Reading out his ruling in the House on Monday, September 11, Goswami said that Saikia has, however, not violated the restrictions of the House intentionally or knowingly. Saikia, in his written submission to the Privilege Committee, submitted that he was not aware of the restrictions prohibiting carrying of electronic gadgets, including mobile phones in the gallery, as the restrictions mentioned in the passes do not include restrictions on electronic gadgets. “I have perused the gallery passes and found that the passes do not include restrictions on electronic gadgets. Also, the restrictions were not displayed in the entrance of the gallery. Therefore, the person entering the Speaker’s gallery is not expected to know the restrictions in question as there was a lacuna in the system, which has been rectified as per my direction dated February 24, 2017,” he said. “He also submitted that he has visited the Assam Legislative Assembly for the first time and

City girl to represent India at World Junior Badminton Championship

Ashmita (in action) will represent India at World Junior Badminton Championship

shmita Chaliha, state badminton player, is all set to represent India at the World Junior Badminton Championships. Ashmita is included in the Indian Badminton team which will participate in the international event that will be held in Yogyakarta,

Indonesia from October 9 to 22. While Ashmita is included as the playing member, Bahniman Bora (a former junior national champion and currently an employee of the Food Corporation of India, NE Zonal Office) will be a part of the coaching staff of the team.

to keep the memories alive the pictures were clicked without there being an iota of malice, ill motive or disregard to the majesty of the House,” said the Speaker. According to Goswami,

Devajit Lon Saikia also submitted that if the act of taking the picture of the House and uploading it in Facebook hurt the sentiments of the members of the House, then he was sorry about that. “He

further mentioned that he has respect for the Chair of the House and as such the direction of the Chair not to attend the Assembly has been strictly complied with,” the Speaker said. n

G PLUS | SEP 16 - SEP 22, 2017

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