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Diwali Special

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Guwahati as a “sports capital” - a distant dream

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City’s pollution inching towards disastrous levels With Diwali and its related festivities of bursting crackers around the corner, G Plus does a reality check on the city’s pollution levels and does not find very encouraging results

File photo of Diwali celebrations in the city

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Diwali Special

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uwahati, one of the fastest growing cities in the country, will soon have to follow Delhi’s lead with regard to pollution if no steps are taken at the earliest. In a bid to curb escalating air pollution due to burning of fire crackers during Diwali, the Supreme Court had, on October 9, banned fire-crackers in Delhi–NCR (National Capital Region) until November 10 as the festivities throw up an “abysmal” level of air pollution in the winters. Last year, Delhi faced its heaviest smog – a mix of fog with smoke and other pollutants. Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, had last year introduced the oddeven scheme to regulate the private-owned cars after the Delhi High Court instructed the state government to come up with comprehensive measures to check the “alarming” pollution level. Experts reveal that

Guwahati Theatre Festival Season 2 set to roll out from November 1

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Guwahati’s pollution scenario, escalated by the increasing numbers of vehicles and with the setting up of new industries, will soon reach the same level. A further complication is the city’s water pollution due to unmanaged dumping of wastes at Boragoan, a locality near the Ramsar Site, Deepor Beel, that is polluting the soil and the ground water alike. According to a study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) updated in September 2017, Guwahati stands in the “High” category with 85.6 Pollution Index on a scale of 100. The report based on a mass-opinion based data had revealed that air pollution, drinking water pollution and inaccessibility are marked at high category, while dissatisfaction with garbage disposal and uncleanliness are marked at very high category. n Continued on page 10

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

Lead Story

Guwahati as a “sports capital” - a distant dream

G Plus delves into how Guwahati is emerging into a “Sports Capital of the Northeast” and how several instances of mismanagement are proving to be stumbling blocks Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

“G

uwahati will emerge as the sporting capital of the Northeast.” It was the final day (February 16) of the South

Asian Games, 2016 and Sarbananda Sonowal, the then Union Sports Minister (independent-charge), now incumbent Chief Minister of Assam, promised during the curtain call at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Complex at Sarusajai. The Games was later credited

for reviving the eight year drought of major sporting events in Guwahati since the National Games in 2007 and for propelling the city to its current position of hosting two major international sporting events – nine matches of FIFA Under-17 World Cup from October

World class stadium, flawed management

The packed ACA stadium during the T20 match between India and Australia | G Plus Photo

or Guwahatians, the IndiaAustralia T20 match was a payback time for the Indian team which was, in its last encounter at Nehru Stadium in 2009, handed a humiliating defeat and cricket fans from the entire northeast had flocked to witness it. Besides, the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) Stadium at Barsapara, was hosting its first international match. But much to the disappointment of the cricket fans who had high hopes from ACA, the managing association, not everything went well on the big day despite months of tall claims of being well prepared. Mismanagement of the long queues outside the stadium and chaos at the galleries irked many spectators. More than India’s defeat in the match, spectators seemed more rattled by the mismanagement.

A spectator, Chiranjit Hazarika said, “There were no volunteers manning the queues which were as long as 500-700 meters. The queues got bifurcated at places and led to a lot of confusion. In front of the gates (there were six gates into the venue), there were practically no queues and people just jostled in. The security personnel were there at the gates but the queues essentially were left unmanned, unorganised.” “I have seen a lot of cricket matches at Wankhede Stadium, but never have I seen people crowding this way. It is a world class stadium but it isn’t properly accessible by such a massive crowd due to which a lot of people had to suffer,” Pancham Chanda, another cricket fan said. There were also reports on the disappointment of the audience who had spent handsome amounts of money

on the corporate box tickets. A corporate box spectator (name withheld) said, “Purchasing the box at such a high price was wastage of money. The boxes were air conditioned and vapour accumulated on the outside due to the difference of temperature. Due to this, it was extremely difficult to watch the match.” The ACA had auctioned 20 corporate boxes each having 34 seats at a base bidding price of Rs 5.25 lakhs. Spectators also complained about the traffic and parking arrangements at the Barsapara Stadium, and blamed the authorities for lack of personnel and mismanagement. “Although I personally didn’t face much problem, my cousin went through a lot of trouble in parking his car. Firstly, he had to park the car very far from the stadium and on top of that, the local shopkeepers were asking for Rs 200-300 as parking fees to park in front of their shops. In some places, he was also asked to leave his car keys with the shopkeepers. He refused,” remarked a citizen. “There were no designated parking lots as mentioned in the road maps. Everything was haphazard. I had to park my vehicle really far from the venue and had to walk for around one and a half hours to reach the stadium,” said another. When contacted, the ACA vice president said, “There still are a lot of areas to improve. We have noted those and will overcome the shortcomings eventually. However, there are many positive sides of the match and those need to be highlighted too.” n

8 to 25 and the second T20 match between India and Australia. The city today boasts of having a world class football stadium, indoor stadium and swimming pools of international standards at Sarusajai sports complex, a world class cricket

stadium at Barsapara, and a synthetic-turf hockey stadium capable of hosting international matches. It is, however, the laggings in management and not the infrastructure that has irked the sports fans during almost all the matches. n

The stone that shook the nation

he final blow was however the incident of a stone being allegedly hurled at the Australia team’s bus on its return to Hotel Radisson Blu after the match, shattering a window. The issue was first brought to notice by Australian cricketer Aaron Finch through a tweet: “Pretty scary having a rock thrown through the team bus window on the way back to the hotel!!” He also put up an image of a broken window pane of the bus. A case was registered at Gorchuk police station under Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 427 (mischief causing damage) and 511 (attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) of the IPC and two persons - Pabitra Khetriya, 18 and Rakesh Hazowari, 25 - were

arrested. The duo was remanded 14 days’ judicial custody. The incident brought shame to the city as expressed by people on social media and despite several counter-measures ranging from the Commissioner of Police ordering a high-level enquiry and ACA condemning the “freak incident”, the chances of Guwahati hosting another international match any time soon looks rather slim. A senior member of BCCI, Naba Bhattacharjee, told G Plus, “The entire incident has been summarised to the BCCI Committee of Administrators and ACA is not to be blamed for the incident. They have also been informed that two persons have been arrested. The BCCI is convinced but the future of Guwahati in terms of hosting other such matches is still unclear.” n

Well managed, but no crowd

eanwhile, the Local Organising Committee of FIFA Under-17 World Cup was lauded for its management but pictures reveal that the galleries remain mostly empty. The tickets for the matches in the four phases sold out faster than the other six venues, but when the matches are held, most of the seats are empty. “We could not book tickets as those got sold out as soon as they came online. But, there are so many empty seats. I now think that the tickets went to the black market,” Arun Sharma, a student said. Rajat Singh, who witnessed the match on October 8 said, “I went through a lot of trouble to collect the tickets. I could not purchase them online and then when a friend of mine had to go out of station on the match day, I collected from

him. But on reaching the stadium, we saw that it was mostly empty. We boast of coming from a place where football is like religion but this kind of turnaround is very discouraging.” The LOC of FIFA, when asked, said, “There are contractual obligations with the hosting association, participating teams, the 13 commercial partners of the tournament, the host broadcaster, the signatories of the host city, stadium and training site agreements and other stakeholders with which there are contracts with regard to the tournament, to provide tickets. All the tickets that have been put up for sale are the maximum number of tickets that can be sold at each venue discounting these obligations. These empty seats are probably the tickets discounted under our contractual obligations.” n

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

City

Guwahati Theatre Festival Season 2 set to roll out from November 1

Guwahati Theatre Festival Director Dr. Asha Kuthari Chaudhuri(L) addressing the media | G Plus Photo

he must awaited G Plus Guwahati Theatre Festival (GTF) Season 2 is all set to get going from 1st November to 5th November’2017 at Pragjyoti ITA Machkhowa, Guwahati. Similar to last year, this year also the plays shall be of world-class stature and will be performed by artists from Mumbai and Bangaluru. Artists include Shabana Azmi, Arundhati Nag, Ranvir Shorey, Vinay Pathak, Kalki Koechlin and Rajat Kapoor among a host of others. After a successful first season in 2016, Guwahati Theatre Festival 2017 looks forward to widen its horizons and set new benchmarks. Guwahati Theatre Festival premiered its first edition on September 14, 2016 – September 18. It showcased 6 plays in 5 days by theatre artists/groups from Mumbai. The plays that were performed during the first edition were Hamlet - The Crown Prince, The Living Room, 2 to Tango 3 to Jive, The Vagina Monologues, The Truths of Womanhood, and One on One 2. The cast of the plays featured popular names like Rajat Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Neil Bhoopalam, Saurabh Shukla, Kalki Koechlin, Rajit Kapoor, Anuradha Menon, Shernaz Patel, Mahabanoo Mody-Kotwal, Dolly Thakore, Mona Ambegaonkar, Vrajesh Hirjee and Sumeet Vyas among others. Guwahati Theatre Festival 2016 witnessed a grand footfall of 10,000 plus people from all sections of the society, including theatre enthusiasts, critics, corporate professionals, artists, students, celebrities and bureaucrats. The audience

was disciplined, responsible and generously appreciated the performances of the actors and organisers. An interactive Talk Back session was organised at the end of each play. Each session had an exclusive moderator who mediated between the performers and the audience.

The second edition will present 5 globally acclaimed plays during the 5 days of the festival. The plays that will be performed are Quasar Thakore Padamsee’s Mother Courage and Her Children featuring veteran theatre personality Arundhati Nag and others on the opening day. The second day of the festival will have Broken Images featuring Shabana Azmi written by Girish Karnad and directed by Alyquee Padamsee. The festival will have two adapted Shakespeare plays: What’s Done is Done (Macbeth) and Piya Behrupia (Twefth Night) from two different theatre production houses of Mumbai. Another exciting play that will be staged is The Gentleman’s Club which is a take on the legendary actor of yesteryears Shammi Kapoor’s colourful life during the 70s. “Guwahati Theatre Festival has become a landmark event after its first edition last year in the cultural landscape of the region. The purpose of this unique festival is to provide a platform in

the region for a diverse range of world-class performing groups to showcase their performances amongst new audiences infusing freshness and vivacity,” said Mr. Sunit Jain, Festival Chairman and publisher of the weekly tabloid, G Plus. This time, apart from the national theatre groups that will feature at the festival, a parallel festival of plays by participating groups from the city’s colleges will also run. In this season, GTF plans to reach out to the students by conducting a workshop on theatre in a reputed educational institution in the city. Entries for play scripts (original or adaptation) from various city institutes/colleges have come in. Out of all the entries, 10 groups will be selected for auditions. On the basis of pre-set criteria, 4 best plays out of 10 selected ones will be finalised by a panel of judges and these will be performed at the Rabindra Bhawan. The jury panel comprises Dr. Asha Kuthari Chaudhuri, Zerifa Wahid, Kopil Bora, Avinash Sarma and Swapnil Bharali. To promote youth theatre, a 1-day workshop will be conducted with Army School students during the festival from Team Art Encounter at Army school,

Narengi. The theatre workshop will focus on voice and movement techniques with specific learning goals. “Along with the plays, this festival also promises to provide learning opportunities to the local youth through workshops and interactions that have been planned with visiting experts who are globally acknowledged personalities in the theatre arts,” said Dr. Asha Kuthari Chaudhuri, the Festival Director. The second edition of the festival is initiated by G Plus in association with Apollo Hospitals and supported by Vodafone, Indian Oil, Ballantine’s and Hastakshar. “Apollo Hospitals Guwahati is happy to associate with G Plus Guwahati Theatre Festival. GTF is one of the most prestigious events wherein nationally acclaimed artists perform. Moreover GTF has a special space in the hearts of the people of Guwahati and it’s very much a well accepted show. AHG always feels proud to promote such events that give healthy entertainment to the masses,” said Uday Sankar Borkataki, Senior Manager, Business Development. The tickets of the event will be available at leading restaurants and coffee shops in town as well as on bookmyshow.com. n

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

In The News

Khadi Board renamed as Khadi India; Rs 12 Cr clothes project awarded The fading Khadi Board has been revamped and given a new ray of hope with its first project of producing khadi garments in huge quantities Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

he Assam Khadi and Village Industries Board (AKVIB) has got a new lease of life after the state government announced to gift khadi clothes to government service holders on Bohag Bihu and making it mandatory to wear the same once a month. The Khadi Board has also been renamed as Khadi India as people will now get khadi material all over the country without specific names like Assam Khadi, Bengal Khadi, Kerela Khadi etc as earlier. In the 65 years since its inception,

the board has only fabricated flags during Independence Day and Republic day and produced mustard oil and handmade paper. On 2nd October, state finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the gifting of khadi clothes to government employees and also said that government schools will be provided with khadi uniforms. This is the first major project and the board has been asked to produce some two lakh shirts and half a lakh kurtas and sarees or mekhala sadors before Bohag Bihu - the beginning of the Assamese New Year. n

The Khadi India office located at Chandmari | G Plus Photo

How successful will the project be?

he state government had, on an earlier occasion, issued a directive to its employees to wear traditional dresses on the second and fourth Saturdays. This was not followed by the employees except for a few of them and now that the government has made it mandatory to wear khadi clothes once a month, it is doubtful whether the directive would be followed. It is also uncertain whether the Khadi Board will be able to deliver the products on time as the board does not have sufficient manpower. “The weavers of the board are not permanent and they work for only two-three months. Whenever they get other contracts, they leave. The production of khadi clothes is not constant and therefore the weavers do not stay for long for a single work. The board is not in a position to make the yarn in the state and so it is procuring it from outside,” said in-charge of AKVIB, Satyaranjan Ghosh while speaking to G Plus. He said that the board will be happy if they are able to produce the clothes which will be gifted to the government employees. The state government has taken a good decision as khadi clothes

Government school students to get khadi uniforms

are very comfortable to wear s the state education minister but it depends on the board and making a fool of the people whether it will be able to fulfil and the students by saying the project or not, said Ghosh. that the government will provide He informed that the board is khadi uniforms to the students of targeting some specific districts government schools? “When the where the numbers of weavers schools have not received their are more so that the production regular uniforms from the last could be increased at a time. “We two years, how can we expect to have also tied up with some NGOs get khadi uniforms immediately? to fulfil the project by engaging Khadi clothes are comfortable and the weavers. The weavers will we want that students should avail weave the cloth, after which that comfort during the summer the stitching, dying, printing, season but it is not possible as the calendaring government and other only deceives processing the people. State Finance Minister, Himanta will be Instead of Biswa Sarma, said that there are done at the focusing on around 4 lakh employees and board’s providing khadi headquarter accordingly the project will cost uniforms first premises. should around Rs 12 crores. He said that the they The board initiative has been taken to revive the emphasize also on providing board which has lost its dignity. proposes the regular to engage a uniforms which specialist students have designer for the project,” said not received since two-three Ghosh. years. The parents cannot afford State Finance Minister, to buy the uniforms for which the Himanta Biswa Sarma, said students have to come to school that there are around 4 lakh without uniform while some employees and accordingly the others wear their old uniforms,” project will cost around Rs 12 said the principal of a lower crores. He said that the initiative primary school in the city. has been taken to revive the board On the other hand, an official which has lost its dignity. of Khadi Board said that to n

provide the khadi uniform it will take some time as the board does not have sufficient manpower. “We have already been asked to provide khadi dresses for government employees before Bohag Bihu and as we do not have enough manpower we need some

of Rs. 170 crores is required annually for the school uniforms as informed by the teachers’ association. However, not all the weaving will be done at the centres. “The weavers can take the yarn from the centres and weave at their

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time. It is not possible to provide the uniforms within a limited time as there are more than 50 lakhs students in the state,” the official said. Moreover, the Assam State Primary Teachers’ Association alleged that whenever the state government is approached to provide the uniforms they blame the central government saying that they do not receive adequate funds for it. An estimated fund

homes while doing their other chores, which is a part of Assamese culture. More people will come forward if we give the weavers this flexibility,” the official said. The board says that once the yarn is provided to the weavers, the fabric would be ready in two months’ time. Employees of the board are hopeful of executing the project within the given timeframe if the required funds are made available. n

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

Snippets

Air Ambulance Service to be launched at LGBI Airport

n what could be termed as a significant move, Assam state government has decided to have its first dedicated air ambulance service in place at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati. The multi-engine King Air C-90 aircraft has been configured in a manner that it can also be chartered for VIP travel, like the way it is being done in many other states like Bihar, Odisha, Haryana and Rajasthan among others as a safe mode of air travel.

With this move, it is expected that the cost of air ambulance transfer would come down substantially as the flight no longer has to come from Delhi, which adds to the cost and time, and the service could be availed for transporting patients within the state too. Flaps Aviation Private Limited, a Delhi-based aviation professionals’ group which plans to start medical evacuation services from major state capitals of India, is going to start working

from Guwahati by deploying one of its aircraft by the end of this month. The company has obtained all mandatory permission and clearances from the regulatory authority as well as the airport to station the aircraft and flag off the services. A strong tie-up with the respective region-wise disaster management departments, government hospitals with emergency services, clubs, NGOs and doctors shall be maintained. n

Maria’s Public School among top 50 schools in India

Alpana Khound (L) and Nellie Ahmed (R) receiving the award

aria’s Public School, Guwahati has been awarded the ‘Future Top 50 Schools Shaping Success Award’, instituted by Univariety and Fortune 500 (India). Founder and Managing Trustee of the school, Nellie Ahmed and Principal Alpana Khound Phukan, received the award at a solemn function at New Delhi on 6th October. The school will also be featured in the ‘Special Exchange Edition’ of Fortune India, a publication that has global reputation for recognising game changers in every industry. n

First-of-its-kind cancer care grid to be set up in Guwahati

State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in conversation with Ratan Tata (R)

ovt of Assam and Tata Trusts are working on setting up a unique, first-of-its kind 3 level cancer care grid at state, capital and district levels. The initiative is likely to have an investment of Rs 1400 crores and proposed to be shared between Tata Trusts and the state. This shall also leverage various state and central government schemes. A South Asian Cancer Research Centre is also proposed to be set up to undertake research on identifying reasons and develop

treatment protocols with a focus on South Asia. Under the grid system, L1 or state level cancer care institute at Guwahati to have advanced, tertiary care facilities; L2 or medical college to have chemo, radiation and surgical oncology, and L3 or district hospitals to have day care, chemotherapy and radiation facilities. We are certain that the proposed centre at Guwahati would be able to cater to the needs of entire North East. n

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

Ward Watch

Nalapara near Sarusajai witnessing the flipside of mega sporting events G Plus brings forth the sense of discontent faced by the residents of Nalapara near Sarusajai which faces the brunt of the lack of civic sense by the city’s sport enthusiasts Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

temporary boon ends up as a prolonged misery for the residents of Nalapara – a locality that comes into the limelight whenever any major sporting event is held at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium at Sarusajai. AK Azad Road is popularly called Lokhra Road and Hatigaon, with the National Highway 37 running at its south. As per the locals, this area in Ward No 27 which never received much development from the government suddenly became the centre of attraction with the

establishment of the stadium at Sarusajai as also the Maulana Md Tayabullah Hockey Stadium close by for the National Games in 2007. Nalapara is located at the backside of the Sarusajai stadium and serves as one of the entry points to the venue during sport events. This extreme south end of the city – about 1.8 kms from the National Highway on the south and 3.2 kms from Hatigaon to its east and mostly inhabited by Rabha people, one of the oldest indigenous people of Guwahati from the time that the city was called Kamrupa – suddenly saw new wide roads built from Hatigaon to Lokhra Road and installation of streetlights and

Fans go, their garbage don’t

he very reason that once brought smiles to the faces of the residents here has now become a matter of concern. The area now bustles with activity during the matches, but thereafter it is left with a lot of garbage which takes days to clean up. “We are happy to serve these sports fans, but they leave behind a lot of garbage. The sports authority fields are designated parking areas for the events at Sarusajai. Our youths gather there during the matches to watch and manage the vehicles. But when people leave, we always find plastic packets, bottles, alcohol bottles etc. It takes days to clean up. The GMC (Guwahati Municipal Corporation) doesn’t

come to our aid,” Imdad Islam, a resident of the vicinity said. Another resident, Roshni Mahanta, who lives in a flat behind the stadium said, “At first, we were happy with the sporting events that were held here. We are okay with the crowds and their cheering, but very loud music is played during these events. During ISL, suddenly they play the teams’ songs which become very annoying for us after a while.” Also, one of the entry points to the stadium goes through the front of my flat and often after the matches are over, our neighborhood is left with garbage ranging from food packets to team banners etc. I wish GMC steps in,” n

other basic facilities that this area (27 C) was lacking in. “We thought that our miseries are over. Be it for the sake of promoting sports and to look presentable to the Central government, this area finally saw development. But it remained confined to the Hatigaon-Lokhra Road only while the rest of the area remained in darkness with muddy roads exposed with stones here and there,” Kushal Rabha, a resident said. After 2007, the Sarusajai stadium did not see many sporting events until 2013, when it was selected as one of the venues for the Indian Super League in which Bollywood actor John Abraham co-owned the northeast team

the people here are middle-class Assamese people who settled here for cheaper lands and the Rabhas who have lived here for generations. But now, this area is crowded with Muslim people who work as daily wage labourers, rickshaw pullers and construction workers for the new housing complexes,” Debojit Borah, a shop owner in the area said. Borah’s view was echoed by another Titu Rabha who said,

called Northeast United Football Club. Since then, every year, during the league, the stadium lights up and with it, Nalapara too. It, however attracted the bulk of the crowd when in 2015, the South Asian Games were held there. Along with the Sarusajai Stadium, the Hockey Stadium that has a world-class synthetic turf lit up and attracted a huge crowd when the India- Pakistan hockey match was held. India lost that match, but the residents say that it was during this match that they felt for the first time how it was to be “part of the city.” “We don’t see much activity

here except for a few late night strollers looking for alcohol in the dhabas around. During the match, a lot of people came here. We earned well by providing our lands for parking and putting up small stalls. For the first time, the city came here. Otherwise, all our youths have to go to the city for work,” another resident, Krishnakanta Rabha said. The Sports Authority of Assam’s open lands in this area are currently serving as parking areas for the FIFA Under 17 World Cup, matches of which are being played at the Sarusajai stadium from October 8-27. n

“We are still neglected”

he area might now be the epicenter of a lot of sporting activities as Guwahati makes its remain cut throughout the year. foray to be a “sporting capital of They said this leads to crimes in northeast”, but there are regions which are yet to Concentrated area – see development. Nalapara (27 C) “The government has Ward No. – 27 only built the HatigaonLokhra Road while the Population of the ward – 37,000 rest of the by-lanes are still undeveloped. Only Voter Population – 14,600 the areas that attract the eyes of the people going Population of Nalapara: 13,400 to the stadium are being developed while our Ward Councillor – Jana Rabha other issues still remain neglected,” Kushal said. The residents complain that the area. despite having functional street “A lot of petty crimes take lights in the by-lanes, their lines place here in these by-lanes

“Immigrants took the better opportunities”

ven though the National Register of Citizen (NRC) update process is going on to detect and deport Bangladeshis is going on, the residents of Nalapara said they have seen a surge of new Muslim families coming and settling down there whom they suspect to be “immigrants.” “Even a decade ago, this area was deserted with just one or two houses here and there and very few new housing complexes thronging up. Most of

The dilapidated condition of a by-lane at Nalapara | G Plus Photo

“In the late 2000s, a few of the families came. They lived by the roads setting up make shift tents. The by-lanes used to have swamps there. They filled those swamps and set up slums there. Those tents then became bamboo houses. Then they put tin roofs and now there are concrete houses there. We suspect that they are not Assamese.” “These people have taken all our opportunities,” Rabha added. n

under the cover of darkness. The women in this area don’t feel safe after dark. These dark lanes also serve as an open place for youths to practice substance abuse and alcoholism,” a resident said. They said that the open fields of the Sports Authority of Assam have become a centre of criminal activities at night. “We hope that the government intervenes soon and installs the lights in those areas and provide electricity in the by-lanes,” Ranajit Talukdar, another resident said. n

Councillor asks for patience and time

hen contacted, Jana Rabha, councillor of the ward said that he is aware of the issues, but development will take some time. “I am aware of the people’s grievances, but we are at the extreme endofthecity.Therearesomanyissues in the more densely populated wards that are inside the city. It is a matter of pride and great responsibility to have two world-class stadiums in the ward. I am aware of the problems caused, but we should all chip in to make these

sport events successful as these are part of national pride. GMC is doing as muchasitcan,but,weascitizenshould also chip in,” Rabha said. Regardingthestreetlightproblem, hesaid,“IhaveaskedtheAssamPower Distribution Corporation Limited about the same. The streetlights need some repair works. These will be done very soon.” When asked if he is aware of the encroachment in his ward, he said, “Until the NRC is updated, our hands are tied.” n

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

City

Nichols School celebrates 50 glorious years NHSS has set its goal of imparting knowledge and producing excellent individuals in its golden jubilee year Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

stablished in 1967, Nichols Higher Secondary School has completed 50 glorious years and has marked the Golden Jubilee celebration with much fanfare with a three-day programme from 10th October to 12th October, 2017.

Famous Alumni of the School: Nabish Former RJ Zerifa Wahid Actress Prashantt Ghosh Designer Hridayjyoti Goswami Singer Nasiur Rahman Dermatologist

The school was initially given recognition up to the primary level in 1972. Later on, recognition was given up to Class X by the Board of Secondary Education Assam. It is a full-fledged Higher Secondary school now and one of

the outstanding schools of the city. The school was fortunate in having Sri Binoy Kumar Roychoudhury as its first chairman. Young Roychoudhury, who had just then returned from the United States with training in administration, was dynamic and guided the course of the school efficiently. The cooperation and contribution of each member of the Managing Board, the help and prayers of the church members and the understanding and appreciation of guardians of the children were all stepping stones on which Nichols English School was built and moved forward as the years went by. Principal Tingianem Manchong is dedicated to the belief that all students learn in an environment that is safe and caring. “We continue our commitment to prepare students to think big and establish goals on their journey of college and career readiness,” the Principal said. “As we stepped into our 50th year our goal of imparting knowledge and producing excellent individuals will continue. NHSS takes pride in nurturing strong, community relationships. Everyone is welcome to be a part of our institution and feel the warmth of what Nichols truly is. I strongly believe that parent and community partnership is essential,” said Manchong. The Principal also said that in every way that schools are measured, whatever it is through academics, athletics, or cocurricular activities, NHSS students

experience a safe and rigorous learning. Throughout the year, the students’ leadership quality is developed through their service as volunteers which help develop character and discipline in the child. As part of the golden jubilee celebration, the alumni of 1989 batch has donated the school gate and 1995 batch has donated the drinking water for the students and staff members of the school and also football goal posts, a cricket kit which consists of 3 bats, 3 pair of

pads, 3 pairs of gloves, 3 helmets, 6 stumps, one keeper pad, one keeper gloves and a kit bag. The batch also donated two cricket bats for juniors, five footballs, two volleyballs, one badminton net, three skipping ropes, three flying discs, Ludo & Ladder, Chess Boards and sets of brain vita. An alumni of 1995 batch said that they have contributed the sports equipments so that the students could get better option to play. “The students of the school are good in sports and have also

won some football and cricket tournaments and to give them an opportunity we have donated the sportsequipmentssothatitbecomes easy for them to keep practicing the games so that they can rise at the national and international levels,” the alumni said. A health check-up has also been organised for the students and different competitions like dance, salad making competition, handwriting competition and singing competition had been arranged by the school. n

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

Concern

Fogging, awareness reduces dengue cases in city to 936 Dengue cases in Kamrup (M) have decreased from last year which had more than 5000 positive cases and it has come under control due to the repeated fogging in the city Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

ases of dengue, at 936 till 10th October, have fallen from last year which had more than 5500 cases in Kamrup (M) making it the most vulnerable district. In the last two-three years the cases had increased at an alarming rate but this year it has decreased due to the fogging activity that was undertaken actively by the health department and Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC). Speaking to G Plus, Joint Director of Health Services, Kamrup (M), Dr. Ganesh Saikia said that it is due to the stagnant water that this type of disease is increasing in the city. “Earlier the disease of dengue was transmitted from Delhi, Mumbai and other big cities but now the disease has become local. Last year no cases had been reported from Sonapur but this year 95 cases have been

detected from that area,” said Dr. Saikia. The city has four zones namely the Capital zone (Dispur), South Zone (Dhirenpara), West Zone (Pandu FRU) and East Zone (East Guwahati State Dispensary) and out of the four zones, East Zone is affected the maximum with 358 cases followed by Capital Zone with 209. “Last year the most affected area was South Zone for which we have given more emphasis more to that area and therefore the cases have decreased to 105. West Zone reported 151 cases and 18 cases have come from unknown areas,” Dr. Saikia informed. The state reported more than 1200 cases. Dr. Saikia further informed that the mosquito breeds in clean water and the wee hours of morning is more vulnerable. Except the three districts of Chirang, Karbi Anglong and Karimganj, all other districts of the state have reported dengue cases this time. With 132 cases, Jorhat is the second worst

File photo of fogging in the city

dengue-affected district this year followed by Tinsukia with 63 cases. This year, Barpeta and Golaghat both reported 25 dengue-positive cases, followed by Nalbari with 20

No scarcity of money and chemicals for fogging activities

he Kamrup (M) health department and GMC are conducting fogging activities in all the 31 wards of the city every 15 days and the third round of fogging has been completed. The fourth round has started from 9th October which will continue till 3rd November. This time the concerned department has emphasized on awareness and fogging activities to lessen the number of cases and therefore fogging is done twice in each place. “There are 29 fogging machines in GMC out of which two are vehicle mounted and the rest are manual machines. The chemical used in fogging is melathon and one litre of

chemical is mixed with 19 litres of diesel,” said Dr. Saikia. The joint director further informed that fogging could decrease the density of the mosquitoes but not the infectivity and therefore it is necessary that people must be aware and keep up the habit of disallowing water to become stagnant. “We have asked the people to cooperate with us and help the workers to lift the machine in the hilly areas while fogging and asked them to guide the officials to where the fogging needs to be done. We also asked them to keep the doors and windows open and keep food covered so that the fog can enter the house to get rid of the

mosquitoes. They have also been suggested to feed the children a bit early so that the fog couldn’t harm them,” said Dr. Saikia. He also reiterated that during heavy rainfall, heavy wind fogging cannot be done and therefore it might take more than 15 days to do the same twice within the targeted days. Fogging is a costly affair as the chemicals are costly and the labourers are also affected by the fog for which they need treatment. This time there is no crisis of fund or chemicals for fogging but it depends upon the public as to how they accept it and cooperate with the officials to point out the areas which are vulnerable. n

cases, Goalpara with 19, Dibrugarh with 14, Sivasagar with 13, Darrang with 12, Dhemaji with 11, Kamrup with 10, Kokrajhar with 10, Dhubri with 9, Nagaon with 8, Lakhimpur

with 7, Bongaigaon with 5, Udalguri with 5, Cachar with 4 and Morigaon and Sonitpur with 3 cases each. Hailakandi has reported one dengue case till date. n

Water crisis is one of the reasons for dengue

s the city is facing huge water crisis people collect rain water which is one of the main reasons that the cases of dengue are more in the city. “It has been seen during the awareness meeting that people harvest rain water and when we asked them to throw the water away they refused citing acute crisis of water in their areas; they also do not keep the water covered which is even more dangerous. The dengue mosquito breeds in clean water and the water which is stored should be changed every seven days,” Dr. Saikia said. He said that as the people in the hilly areas have to go a

long way for water they do not waste a single drop and such water kept stagnant for more than seven days allows the mosquito to breed in it. At Paltan Bazaar police reserve there is ample number of mosquitoes as people harvest water in buckets, vessels, pots etc. Open dumping of solid waste is also common in the city and contributes towards the high breeding of mosquitoes. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes opt for breeding in tyres while the Aedes albopictus prefer breeding in open battery boxes. Discarded earthenware, paper cups and glass bottles are other sources of mosquito’s larvae. n

Weather report for the week Guwahati Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Rain

Partly Cloudy

Sunny

Partly Cloudy

T-Storms

30°/24° C

31°/24° C

32°/24° C

33°/25° C

33°/24° C

32°/24° C

SATURDAY

Rain

31°/24° C

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

Health

Vacancies in medical colleges leading to shortage of doctors Shortage of doctors is a major problem in the health sector resulting in poor condition of service to patients; 50% of the qualified doctors do not join government service Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

lthough Assam has come up with two-three new medical colleges, qualified doctors emerging is rather less and is leading to shortage of physicians - a chronic problem in the city as well as the state. Doctors are not interested in joining government services and many senior doctors have also opted for voluntary retirement leading to shortage of doctors in times of emergency. Also, the number of faculty members has decreased and so many posts are lying vacant in the medical colleges. Speaking to G Plus, Joint

Aspiring medical students protesting outside the Directorate of Medical Education after the GHC decision to revise medical entrance & admission procedures | G Plus Photo

Director of Health Services, Dr. Ganesh Saikia, said that

shortage of doctors has been a never ending problem as doctors

Personal life more precious than serving people

octors should be responsible towards serving the people as they are considered as God but young doctors seem more concerned about their lives rather than the patients’ who depend on them. “The guardians are also equally responsible as they do not want their children to go to an isolated place to serve people. Earlier, people led a very critical life and earning a livelihood was their main motive and therefore they used to join wherever they could but now the scenario has changed. As the youths lead a healthy lifestyle they are not desperate for a

job; rather they would wait for the right time to get a job of their choice and opt for private jobs rather than government service so that they can live in their hometown,” Dr. Saikia reiterated. He said that they also get good packages and facilities in private nursing homes and also in government hospitals outside the state for which they go do not want to serve here in the state. Most of the students go outside after completing their MBBS and also concentrate much on coaching for getting into PG courses rather than practice in the rural areas

Medical colleges not competent to produce doctors: Dr. Ganesh Saikia

he state government has come up with new medical colleges and has announced to open more colleges in three-four districts but how effective are the medical colleges is a big question. Talking about the minimum facilities in the government hospitals, Joint Director of Health Services Dr. Ganesh Saikia said that there are no faculties in the medical colleges and although the new colleges are functioning with the minimum faculties prescribed by the Medical Council of India (MCI) healthcare facilities are affected because of shortage of doctors. Dr. Saikia also informed that senior level doctors opt for Voluntary Retirement Scheme

(VRS) and after their retirement the vacant posts are not filled up as the newly appointed people are not willing to join the medical colleges. “If students do not want to join the government services then who all will be the next level professors to teach the students? The government has announced new medical colleges but where will they bring the faculties from or will it run without the faculties? There should be a proper plan before introducing a medical college so that students can get the best of the facilities and education system so that in the near future they can find interest to join the government services rather than opt for private jobs,” said Dr. Saikia. n

which is mandatory for them. Doctors have resigned from

do not want to join government fearing postings in rural areas. “In Kamrup (M) there are 20 urban health centres under National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) and 28 regular hospitals but in some centres there are no doctors. This is only because the students, after completing their MBBS, do not want to go to rural areas to practice,” said Dr. Saikia. Dr. Saikia further informed that the doctors are appointed through the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) but the students do not even appear for the entrance examination nor do they join after being appointed. “Last year APSC conducted examinations for 500 posts and after cracking the

examinations less than 50% of the students joined the services; the rest went for private jobs. Nowadays students do not have any family burden and parents also do not force them to take up jobs if they are posted outside their hometown,” said Dr. Saikia. He also informed that the students go outside to pursue post graduate courses and do not come back to their native land for practicing or serving the people. “It is mandatory for students to practice in rural areas after completing MBBS to get into PG courses but most of the students do not do so. These are the factors for which there is a scarcity of doctors and it will be a never ending problem,” said Dr. Saikia. n

their jobs just because they had been posted in rural areas which are far away from their home. According to an estimate, around 50% of the posts in the state health

services are vacant and whenever advertisements to fill up the posts of doctors are published, the number of applicants is far less than the number of posts. n

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

Concern

Air pollution in city: a predicament in making Continued from page 1

Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

ccording to the WHO report, air pollution level in the city is 75 out of 100, which puts the city into the high category of pollution. The report however mentioned that PM10 and PM2.5 – suspended particulates smaller than 10 micron and 2.5 micron respectively in aerodynamic diameter – which are the primary particle pollutants, are 92 and 49 per 1000 microgram. There are basically six atmospheric pollutants or components of Air Pollution Index (API), namely sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), PM 10, PM 2.5, carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3) that are measured at the monitoring stations throughout each city. The Pollution Control Board of Assam, however, in 2014, had revealed a study based on fouryear monitoring data in which they mentioned that the air pollution due to gaseous pollutants in the city is much below the permissible limits. The board still maintained that the current pollution scenario in the city in 2017 is not that grim but the Diwali season propels the

city’s Air Pollution Index above the permissible limits. “Guwahati’s condition is not as grim as Delhi, but it is still worrisome. While Delhi reaches a whooping 700 in API during the Diwali season, Guwahati, despite having ample reserves of flora in and around, too reaches above 300 in the index. Guwahati’s normal API is within the permissible limit of 100-130,” Gokul Bhuyan, senior environmental engineer of PCBA said. As per the National Air Quality index set by the Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the 51-100 API is considered ‘good’ while Guwahati falls in lightly polluted category of 101 to 150; New Delhi and Mumbai fall under the highly polluted category of above 300 API. Bhuyan said that the burning of fire crackers should not be encouraged as it emits harmful gaseous pollutants – sulphuric dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. “The permissible level of these gases in Guwahati is 50% lesser than the rest of the country. But fire crackers burning might take this to a higher level,” Bhuyan said. Guwahati’s gaseous pollution level is below 40 while the permissible limit is 80. The larger problem is the

District administration to regulate sale of fire crackers

aking heed from the Supreme Court’s judgment banning fire crackers in New Delhi–NCR during Diwali, the Kamrup (Metro) district administration will also regulate the sale of fire crackers in the city. Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M), M. Angamuthu told G Plus, “Diwali crackers cannot be sold here and there without prior permission. Both wholesalers and retailers will have to take permission for selling crackers.” The sellers will have to take a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Fire Department, Guwahati Municipal Corporation, Police, Pollution Control Board and District Administration. “There will be designated places and only the certified sellers will be able to sell the fire crackers. Disciplinary action will be taken against anyone flouting the guidelines

and not having the required permissions,” Angamuthu said. The PCBA informed that they have already set a guideline for the sale of crackers. “We have put emphasis on low smoke crackers and will also check the ingredients used in the crackers. For example, the crackers containing Strontium or heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury will not be allowed,” PCBA engineer Gokul Bhuyan, said. However, regulations were set by the district administration to thwart the sale of illegal China-made crackers last year too, but were openly sold anyway. “Several raids are being conducted at shops in the city already and the district administration will ensure that the sellers follow the regulations,” Angamuthu said when asked about the imposition of the restrictions. n

A city bus emitting smoke adding to the pollution levels in the city | G Plus Photo

particle pollution caused by vehicles and other construction works in and around the city that attributes to most of the respiratory diseases in the city, Bhuyan said. It should be mentioned that according to a report published by Indian Association of Health Administrators, there has been a rapid increase in asthma cases in recent years in many parts of India. “In Assam, 3% of the population

was reported to be suffering from asthma. As of 2014, the reported level of asthma is 3,278 per 1,00,000 population in Assam, which is higher than the level reported for India as a whole which is 2,468 per 1,00,000 population,” the report mentioned. Rajan Kumar Chakravarty, one of the researchers behind the study said, “Concentration of asthma patients is highest in Kamrup

(Metro) in comparison to other districts in the state.” Gautam Khaund, a city-based Pulmonologist said, “Most of the heart and respiratory disorders that are not inflicted by smoking are caused by the concentration of black carbon in the respiratory system.” Black Carbon is a suspended particle emitted when carbon-compound fossil fuels such as coal, petrol, diesel etc are burnt. n

“Our lives matter too”

“At least one out of every he PCBA, through a matter too,” Digvijay Borbhuyan, public interest notice a resident of Nalapara area that five children in this region has issued on October 5, had falls within the pollution radius, respiratory problem. Even we adults find it difficult to breathe directed temporary shutdown of said. Demands for the shutdown around the industrial areas. We industrial units located within one-kilometre radius on both of big industries in and around have to put on air fresheners in sides of the National Highway the city that emit toxic wastes in our homes. Whereas these last for about six months, here, from the LGBI Airport to we need to change them Khanapara junction and around two kilometre-radius It is true that the Deepor Beel’s every two months,” Ismail Hussain, a resident of Pub of the Indira Gandhi Athletic water quality is depleting, but Borbari said. Stadium, Sarusajai, during there is no indication that can When the PCBA was the FIFA Under-17 World asked regarding the same, Cup which is being held here point to a particular unit or house to Bhuyan said, “The pollution from October 8 to 25. take action against them from industries is not much of While the move was a concern here in Guwahati. welcomed by all sections, Gokul Bhuyan, senior environmental Most of the industries in and the residents of industrial engineer of PCBA said. around the city are micro, areas expressed the need of small or medium industries. such moves to be imposed These don’t emit much throughout the year. “It seems like the government solid, liquid and gaseous forms pollutant. However, the areas in is aware of the toxicity of fumes have been raised for quite some the vicinity of the industries face coming out of the industries, but time in the city. Besides several concentration of pollutions. It is has not acted until now. Now that, micro, small and medium mostly due to unplanned setting foreign players are coming and industries, the Guwahati Carbon up of these units,” Bhuyan said. “It is true that the Deepor the reputation of the entire city Ltd that manufactures calcined is at stake, they came up with petroleum coke and carbon Beel’s water quality is depleting, this move. Their lives matter, electrode paste, is causing most but there is no indication that can but what about the thousands of the pollution in the area. point to a particular unit or house of families living in the vicinity Allegations are that the industry to take action against them,” who are inhaling the polluted air is dumping its toxic wastes in the Bhuyan said. n throughout the year? Our lives Deepor Beel. Continued on page 11

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

City

Boragaon dumping area not scientific, say experts Continued from page 10

hat that used to be the threshold to Deepor Beel and a must-visit location for ornithologists from the world over is now a dumping ground for the city’s waste. After travelling for about a kilometre along the Vigyan Path - a detour to the right about 4.8 kms along the National Highway 37 towards Khanapara – one reaches the disposal site of the city’s waste which is situated virtually along the banks of Deepor Beel, a wetland which was declared Ramsar Site, one of the 25 in India, for sheltering more than 219 species of birds including more than 70 migratory species. “It is obvious. Dumping of waste in this area will directly affect the ecosystem there. And yet, the government is blissfully negligent about the damages,” activist Rahman said. He said the dumping area is unscientific and the GMC should have conducted a proper study before setting up one. “It is true that this area is away

from the city. But they should also look into this wetland’s ecological importance. Also, the Deepor Beel, besides being the source of the Burha Bharalu River, is the largest water body and contributes to the ground water that runs under the city. Polluting this area will automatically pollute the ground water,” Rahman said. A study conducted by Aaranyak, an Assam-based conservationrelated NGO, revealed that Deepor Beel, which once recorded a count of 19,000 water birds in a day that included some of the of the globally threatened species of birds like Spot Billed Pelican (Pelecanus philippensis), Lesser Adjutant Stork (Leptoptilos javanicus), Baer’s Pochard (Aythya baeri), Pallas’ Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster), Greater Adjutant Stork (Leptoptilos dubius), currently receives only 2000-3000 birds every day during the winter season. “The migratory birds don’t change their tracks. Most of them only know one location and don’t go around exploring. There had been instances of avian like Migratory

Demand to draft policies for industrial waste management

onservationists and experts moved Dispur to chart out a comprehensive policy to regulate the waste management of the industries in and around the city. Greater Kamrup, including both Rural and Metro, has as many as 21 industrial units in which there is one large industry – Guwahati Refinery at Noonmati and at least 42 medium production units besides several small and micro units. “The city needs a comprehensivewastemanagement policy. These industries are dumping their wastes without any regulation. In other states, there are certain guidelines to be followed before dumping. Most of the wastes from these industries are either toxic or at least nonbiodegradable. These wastes need to be scientifically processed and the toxic part needs to be separated. Then, there are designated places for dumping of these wastes,” Mirza Rahman, a river expert and water conservationist said. Jayaditya Purkaystha, secretary of Help Earth, a Guwahati-based NGO said, “Due to dumping of industrial wastes in particular and other garbage in general, the fauna in and around

the city are getting badly affected. The Greater Adjutant Stork, commonly known as Hargilla, is on its way to extinction. Deepor Beel, which used to attract migratory birds every year, has become so polluted that very migratory birds come now. The amphibians and the aquatic animals are the worst affected. Without a policy to regulate waste management soon, Guwahati will have only humans and diseases.” Moloy Barua, president of another city-based NGO, Early Birds, stressed on drafting a plan to not only regulate waste management but to restrict the setting up of industrial units in the city. “Guwahati is confined by the Brahmaputra River on one side and bracketed by hills and forest lands on all fronts. There is not much scope for the city to spread and that is why, city planning is very important. We understand that industrialisation, to a certain extent, is also important, but not at the cost of our ecosystem. The government should divide the city into different zones and accordingly allot lands. Now, industries are mushrooming anywhere and creating pollution,” Barua said. n

File Photo of Boragaon dumping ground

Water Fowl, the Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus) regularly migrating here during the winters from Siberia

anddyinghere.Allofthesecouldhave been avoided if the dumping ground had not been set up at Boragaon.

There are other means of pollution there, but Boragaon attributes the bulk to it,” Purkaystha said. n

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

Feature

Rocky and Mayur from Highway on My Plate travel to Guwahati

Mahima Sethi – Prêt Couture: The New Boutique in Town

f you are looking for trendy clothing that you won’t find in a department store, Mahima Sethi – Prêt Couture Boutique is the place for you. Nestled among the hustle-bustle of the shops and restaurants of Amaze Shopping Mall located at AT Road, this boutique is a venture by Mahima Sethi, an award winning pass out from Pearl Academy of Fashion who has worked under reputed export houses and veteran designers like JJ Valaya. Not only is the designer technically sound in the field of fashion, she’s also very passionate about her work. Talking about the inception of the boutique Mahima said, “This is my passion. I enjoy creating pieces which make people look their best irrespective of their body type. Everything I make is out of love and being a shopaholic myself, I felt that the city needs to be able to try out new trends first

hand rather than going out and wearing what others are wearing.” It’s true. Most of the pieces in her boutique reflect creativity and one would want to try them because they are unlike what you would have already seen and they are most importantly, wearable. At a first glance, the boutique feels like a breath of fresh air – bright and pretty. Everything is displayed in an easy to see manner, complimented by the spacey front and centre table. The boutique provides a

fun, trendy shopping stop for locals. It has got items you can’t find anywhere else locally. For a good buy, the ready to wear range starts from Rs 3000 but for customised orders, the client's budget is taken into consideration. The boutique officially

Rocky and Mayur with Kashmiri Nath at Guwahati

A opened for customers on the 8th of October, 2017 and talking about its first collection, the designer said, “I’ve designed the first set of collection keeping in mind the festive season – transitioning beautifully into Indian, Western and Boho, something which Guwahatians have not seen earlier. The key to Boho style is keeping it simple yet stylish and adorning this look is super simple. Keep the colour palette earthy — fresh cream, copper, mud and bronze. Pick tribal accessories made from natural materials. You just need to pair things up well and ensure you don’t overdo it.” Over the past decade, hundreds of fashion and retail outlets have come up in the city. The fashion industry has been growing at a fast pace with new brands making their advent and a lot of talented designers setting up their shops in the form of smart and luxury boutiques. But what sets Mahima Sethi’s boutique apart is the introduction of Boho-chic style of fashion. In addition to women’s clothing, a small part of the store is dedicated to accessories too. While not the main focus of the shop, Mahima Sethi’s boutique does sell a selection of chic accessories. Talking to G Plus, Mahima said, “Accessories is something I myself love – be it jute necklace, chunky silver or more. At my boutique, you would find offbeat accessories which compliment your clothes rather than just being good on their own.” A personal advice would be to mix and match the clothes and ask the designer for her suggestion in doing so. You’d be surprised at the outcome! n

lmost every household in India knows Rocky and Mayur. They entered our homes and our hearts through their iconic NDTV Good Times TV show, Highway on My Plate. They are well known for being the funny, witty best friends eating their way across India. We are all well aware of their on-screen personalities, but what hits you like a tsunami and engulfs you is their exuberance for life and their humility. Their passion for food and life is probably bigger than their appetites! I had the absolute pleasure of spending time with both of them and it was a riot. They were in my city, Guwahati, and by various alignments of the stars, our paths crossed. ‘’We met by fluke,” I said, to which Rocky replied, ‘’It was meant to be.” I nodded my head in agreement. He is twice my size and he has been a state boxer for Delhi and so I’m not refuting him! Jokes aside, they were in town to taste and eat Axomiya dishes and rediscover our infamous bhoot jolokia. Every dish they tried had to be flavoured with bhoot jolokia. Their love and understanding of Axomiya flavour is palpable and their enthusiasm infectious. A table laden with Axomiya delicacies was set for them at King Chilly, the speciality restaurant at Hotel Gateway Grandeur. Rocky told us about his connection to Assam: his father had served in the Indian Army and was posted in Tezpur. He had spent many a summer in Tezpur and Shillong. Mayur soon piped in about his time in Jorhat, only he did not remember much! “I was one year old when Dad was posted but I still have that Assam connection just like Rocky,” he grinned. Rocky is a wildlife enthusiast.

He has visited Kaziranga National Park several times both as a traveller, seeking new experiences, and as a foodie, eating cuisines and connecting people. I loved their candour and enthusiasm for what they do. They are different to one another amd yet complement each other with their unique personalities. If Rocky loves the pork with laisaax and bhoot jolokia, Mayur matches it with his love for Boror Tenga with Ou Tenga or Elephant Apple. They both equally love the Kumal Sawal which we presented in a new avatar: a savoury salad with hints of bhoot jolokia. We discussed the future of Axomiya cuisine: will the rest of India warm up to a cuisine, which is by far, one of the healthiest and most flavoursome cuisine in the country? A cuisine whose flavours don’t overwhelm you, rather coax you to savour the simplicity. They savoured the lunch at King Chilly, the fragrant Joha Bhaat with Paro Mangxo (Pigeon curry) to Pork curry and Masor Ou Tenga diya Anja to Bahor Gaj chutney along with the ubiquitous Pitikas. “We have always been drawn to the earthiness, simplicity and clean flavours of the wonderful cuisines of Assam. We love the way the Assamese cuisine combines the bounty of nature and the sheer range of farm and forest produce to the table ingredients they offer,” said the duo. They believe that the rest of the country will soon discover the fabulous taste of Axomiya Cuisine. It is indeed a heart-warming thought for all of us locals who love our regional dishes. I believe that food can move forward and beyond geographical boundaries to connect with people through the language of flavours and tastes. n

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

Photo Feature India vs Australia Venue ACA Stadium, Barsapara Date 10th October, 2017

Crowd cheering for India during the T20 match

Indian skipper Virat Kohli tosses while Australian skipper David Warner looks up

Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest scorer, Kedar Jadhav, in action

Australians celebrating the dismissal of Virat Kohli

Man of the match Moises Henriques lifts his bat after his half century

Guwahatians were treated to two big international sporting events this week. And although the T-20 match turned out to be a disappointment and the tides were not in Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favour in the cricket match, here are glimpses from both the events to look back at.

An Australian batsman square drives during the match

Players of New Caledonia (L) and France (R) during their respective National Anthems

New Caledonia vs France Honduras vs Japan France vs Japan Honduras vs New Caledonia Venue Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium

Action moment from the match between Japan and Honduras

Honduras players celebrating after scoring goal against New Caledonia

Japanese supporters cheering their team

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

G Talk E

Inglorious “rockstar”

y worst fears - from my last editorial – came true. No, it doesn’t make me feel at all like Nostradamus; I was not on any prediction spree. I was just making an observation based on my past experiences of the city holding big events and the hooliganism resorted to by a few over-zealous mischief-mongers. What kind of savage amusement such people find in pelting rocks at visitors is beyond my understanding; it also make me wonder if these acts are done under some kind of influence – either intoxicant-induced or mischievously motivated. Apparently, one person has been arrested; no one, not even the police, is sure that he is indeed the confounded idiot who was responsible for the rock-pelting attack on the Australian cricket team’s bus that shattered a window. The fallout has been of shame among Guwahatians. And why not? For all of us Assamese being at the crossroads where our identity is often at stake or questioned, this single incident has successfully marred all that we seek to portray as a community of softspoken, mild-mannered people whose hospitality is

nothing short of legendary. But then, one swallow doesn’t make a summer. By the same yardstick, one nincompoop who had no control over his faculties is not representative of the community. Guwahatians did its best in saying sorry. They held placards with their apologies written boldly in front of the Aussies’ hotel and at the airport and we have reason to believe that we have been forgiven. However, the entire incident snowballed with just one tweet by Aaron Finch and strangely there was no eye-witness to the incident. Even the location of the attack remains vague. Of course, we cannot rely on Finch to name the locality but what the police needs to do is to set an example once and for all by ensuring that the miscreant is caught and royally punished. Of course, this would require the police to push its potential to the limit given the apparent lack of witnesses and proof. But if at all the rock was hurled and the window did not shatter from any technical snag of the bus, this inglorious rock pelter’s goose best be cooked over slow fire. Swapnil Bharali Editor

But we did make the headlines!

tumultuous week for Guwahati indeed! What with the city playing host to the FIFA U-17 World Cup matches, the T-20 match, compounded with the unfortunate stone pelting incident, Guwahati proved that it is now capable of making headlines; even if not for the world class infrastructure, it certainly did for the management and the aftershocks. However, with everything that transpired, Guwahati seems to have grown as a city, embracing both the events sportingly (pun intended). As people, the act of issuing an apology seems to have gotten to the Aussies’ hearts and they too could not help but admire the spirit of this city! And it is only our indomitable spirit and our ‘want’ to see more international events in the city, that for once, people stood in solidarity. For a city that is so fragmented in its approach, whether it is being delayed with the NRC or Aadhaar, the JICA project or the peaking levels unsolved crimes, this act of coming together will reflect positively on this city in the long run. The management for the events however, still have much to learn. The city did not reverb with the energy of either of the sports. Empty seats for the FIFA matches were directly proportional to the barren campaigning done for the same. There was no welcoming feel at the airport or on the drive towards the city, except a couple of hoardings and some footballs hanging from the bridges. The point is, the city needed to make the headlines for the right things, instead of the wrong ones and hope this week serves as a lesson. SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA

The gambler’s festival

n this festive mood of Diwali, the biggest open secret of the Indian society is the mass indulgence in gambling in the nooks and corners, private residences and clubs where big money exchanges hands in a sport that is fun on the one hand, and a dangerous gambit on the other. I am no gambler but it is fascinating to hear stories about the amount of money that comes under stake. I remember an endearing anecdote of a dear friend who is a member of a premier club of Guwahati and has always been an ace gambler. In Teen Patti to be precise! He apparently refrains from gambling at his club simply because the stakes run into lakhs of rupees and he feels constrained to wager his hard-earned money that has every chance of disappearing into someone else’s pocket even as you bat an eyelid. And so that fateful night, a couple of years ago, he dropped into his club with no intention of gambling, mind you. But he carried Rs 50,000 in his pockets – 1000 buck notes. Yes, such notes were there then, if you’d remember. “I hadn’t gone to play, you know,” he kept insisting later. He could never answer my query on why he was carrying that kind of money if he had no intention to gamble in the first place. Yes, the gambling was good, the stakes were high and he came back home without around 8 times the money he had carried into the club with no intention of gambling! To top it all, his wife won the top house in the Housie that night to complete the sweetest Diwali that the couple ever celebrated. The

fireworks were in their wallets it seems. Gambling, I guess, requires a different kind of acumen that comes inherent with birth. I, for one, am the worst gambler ever; getting even a “pair” would light up my eyes for all to see. I had even, on one occasion, tried to bluff my way holding cards of 2,3 and 5 (the worst deal from a deck that was possible) only to lose heavily and thereafter I had sworn to not to touch a gambling table by a barge pole. I had no qualms being a spectator though and seeing people lose money often

gives me immense joy. I would now venture to say that the biggest gambling desk today comes on TV and the biggest “croupier” of them all is none other than the legendary Amitabh Bachchan. I understand that it requires a judicious dose of great knowledge to win the fabulous money on offer on the show. But no one can discount the solid luck factor that plays a huge part on Kaun Banega Crorepati. I know there is nothing much to elaborate when it comes to luck at the “Fastest Finger First” situation. But as the show progresses, as it currently is, with Bachchan dwelling and discussing at length the personal lives of the contestants in the “hot seat,” showing their videos and generally wasting

r Accountablity for Ministers

O p i n i o n Swapnil Bharali

enough time where the other contestants might feel that they are perhaps missing out on an opportunity, it is more luck and less knowledge that decides the amount of money a contestant might win or lose. I had the good fortune to witness this season’s first Crorepati’s game – a wonderfully played out episode by a winsome Bengali lady from Jamshedpur. The calculated risks that she took were wonderful and to her good fortune, she called correctly every time for all her 15 questions. She had indeed “gambled” her way to becoming a crorepati consuming enough time to answer her questions. Further, in between, Bachchan connected the contestant to her daughter (twice) thereby further scuttling the chances of another contestant who might have otherwise been there in the hot seat and won some amount of money too in the process. Anyway, while hardcore gambling remains a passion or even an addiction for many among us, it is best confined to the wasteful festivities that entail Diwali. The fervour of gambling in the premier, high-society clubs and social communities of the city usually culminates with a couple of grand rounds of Housie and the top prize might run into several thousands of rupees. The fun and feeling of winning such a prize is beyond ordinary and makes for a superb culmination of our unique festival. Happy Diwali dear readers and exercise caution while gambling! n

Letter to the Editor

unotsav, one of the many festivals by the incumbent government, was started by the India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state Gujarat and now replicated here to involve politicians and bureaucrats to participate in the school’s curriculum and evaluate the learning conditions there based on several parameters. This followed an evaluation report in June this year and eventually all the teachers and principals of those schools were brought in and humiliated publicly for their laggings (a move which should also be started for the politicians and ministers too, I believe). After seeing the crazes around these festivals and how fast they fade away, serious doubts comes in mind regarding the commitment of the ruling party’s promise of “Acche Din”. Jeeva Roy, Mathgharia, Guwhati

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

In Focus

Ashutosh Aggarwal Educationist

et amidst lush green hills, on the outskirts of Guwahati city is Sanskriti the Gurukul (STG) – the only day boarding school of North East India. The school is the brainchild of Ashutosh Aggarwal, the Founder and Secretary of STG. Born in Ludhiana, Punjab, Ashutosh Aggarwal did his schooling from Don Bosco High School, Guwahati and went on to study at DAV College, Chandigarh where he pursued Pre-University and PreEngineering education. He further went on to acquire a BE degree in Mechanical Engineering (Hons)

from Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala (Punjabi University). Ashutosh Aggarwal is the son of Smt Nirmal Aggarwal, who was the founder principal of three schools of Guwahati - Tarun Ram Phookan (NF Railway), Shishu Niketan and Happy Child High School, in the early 1960s and 70s. Talking about his venture into the field of education, Ashutosh said, “I was raised up in an atmosphere where discussions were only in terms of education and how education can change the face of the country. My mother was undoubtedly

my first inspiration to pursue my career as an educationist.” Talking to G Plus about the inception of Sanskriti the Gurukul, he said that the school was conceived in the year 2000 when technology was paving its way into the city at a fast pace but the city schools weren’t changing accordingly. The schools were a typical lot without proper infrastructure, and limited to completing the curriculum for the board exams. So, Ashutosh decided to bring about a change to the prevailing scenario and thus STG was born. Ashutosh’s work in the field of education has received acclamation far and wide. He received a Leadership Award in 2008 from EQFI for being the top leader among private schools in India. He has also received the prestigious White Swan Award for being the Most Influential Leader 2015-16. Apart from these, under his guidance, the school has also received many awards at regional as well as national level. Ashutosh is also the co-founder of the ATELIER, a unique exploratory and experiential school based at Bangaluru and Guwahati. Having been associated with

the field of education for such a long time, Ashutosh dreams of an overall change in the education system of the country. He says, “We need to have a school system which recognises that learning is natural and the love of learning is normal. We need a school system that values questions above answers, creativity above facts memorization, and individuality above uniformity. Education is no longer a visa to get jobs because the assessment system presently is creating a generation who are unwilling to take risks. Sadly, all the stakeholders are busy catering to standardized assessment systems, as the so-called “success” is measured in terms of percentage. But what actually correlates with success are not grades, but ‘engagement’ and ‘explorations’ on the topics discussed in class,” he further added. In the same vein, he pointed out that there is a need to come out of “teach to test” method of learning since education is a privilege and cannot be ultimately measured or reduced to selecting the right response to MCQs. Rather, education must prepare young people for an unknowable, ambiguous and rapidly changing future. Talking about the current scenario of Assam in the field of education, he said, “I believe Guwahati is at par with the rest of the country in terms of quality education, especially with the number of new schools which have come up over

the last decade and every school trying its utmost best to implement the best systems and principles in education for the benefit of the students. The only thing lacking is the exposure which students in the metros have on day to day aspects of life. Apart from that, I still believe SEBA is more attuned to the cultural ethos of Assam, but they need to fine tune their systems to be at par with the rest of the country.” Ashutosh Aggarwal also expressed his thoughts on the difference that he observes in the schooling of his time and said that he doesn’t observe much difference except the replacement of blackboards with smart-boards. He elaborated saying that the assessment system is still the same but the competition level has gone so high that a student feels insecure about his admission even after scoring as high as 97%. “But the most drastic difference is that most students nowadays are aware of a lot more things than we were at their age. With the blessings of Professor Google & Ma’am YouTube, adolescence now comes 5 to 6 years advanced compared to our times.” Ashutosh Aggarwal enjoys teaching maths and loves to be a quizmaster. Apart from being an educationist, he’s a traveller and a fun loving person. Ashutosh loves to travel to new places and in his bucket list of places to visit is a cruise to Antarctica.

Has the freak incident of stone pelting at the Aussie team bus tarnished Guwahati’s image? Siddhartha Kataki Those who are being overly self critical and saying that Guwahati does not deserve such kind of events, I would like to ask them, why should the entire city suffer just because of a single lunatic? Why on earth Barsapara should be treated differently than Eden Gardens which is one of the most unruly grounds in India. Do people go “Shame Kolkata, shame, shame” then? I am saddened but not ashamed. So those who are so ashamed, leave Guwahati, as this is not the way Guwahatians react when the city’s name is getting tarnished. Moreover, many issues need to be addressed here. Why the teams were allotted vehicles which were not properly reinforced to protect its occupants in case of an emergency? Why did the miscreant get a chance to get so close to the vehicle which allowed him to cause damage by simply hurling a stone? What disciplinary action has been taken against those in charge of security? Was there any CCTV footage, if not then why? These issues need to be addressed and worked upon so that we can learn to avoid such unwelcome incidents in the future. Mano Jit Choudhury These acts are not done by people who use Facebook. They are mostly the uncivilized, illiterate drug addicts found on streets which the police let go after collecting 100 bucks. Let’s ensure civil behaviour and safety as a habit, not just something as an occasional event. Assamese are renowned for their hospitality; let’s help in the best way possible to maintain that image instead of playing the blame game. Bedanidhi Rudrax Sharma Dear God! Looks like some people of Assam still live with the Stone Age mentality. They will never know what civilization is no matter how much you try to teach them. Guwahati should be banned again for international sports because it is not safe for athletes. My sincere apologies to Team Australia that they had to witness such a horror.

Sheila Lyngdoh The damage is done and the image of the region is tarnished. A painful incident that cannot be undone, but organisers should take this as a lesson to be foresighted for future events. The stone pelting is not reason enough to justify the ignorance and judgement of those who either know very little or nothing at all, of the NE. To me personally it’s not an issue that cannot be rectified. It’s only a matter of acknowledging defeat with a sporting spirit which was missing in the stone pelter. Rinkumoy Sonowal It’s really a shameful act. Hooligans all around, spoiling the name of Assam. Police have to take severe action seeking and examining who has thrown stone at the bus. If people in Assam treat foreigners this way, who will wish to come again? But these fools don’t understand. Brainless hypocrites throwing stones. Maanisha D Kumar Just because some idiots have done something which is really bad doesn’t mean that everyone will point at the whole of Guwahati for that incident. Who knows from which community these idiots belong? Whoever has thrown stones as we all know in Guwahati is a mixture of several cultures and languages. So pointing at Guwahati and its people because of just a stupid incident does not decide what Guwahati deserves. Subham Purkayastha Yesterday we really lost the game. We now have to pay the price for this. Our mentality is now being questioned? The damage would have been much less if this would have occurred with the Indian team bus but targeting the Aussie team cannot be repaired.

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

Buzz

Digital Masala Challenge to be held in city

n 14th and 15th October, a 2-day hackathon called ‘Digital Masala Challenge’ will be held in Guwahati for the first time. The Digital Masala Challenge is a creative competition sponsored by Facebook where five teams will compete to produce a tech or non-tech solution to counter violent extremism, and reconnect communities. The

solution could be in the form of an app, a bot, a social media campaign, or anything else which can effectively counter violent extremism and its impact can be measured. The winner of the hackathon stands to receive a reward of Rs 3.25 lakhs to develop the idea with mentoring and support from Facebook and Youth Ki Awaaz to execute it smoothly.

The hackathon will be held at the Royal De Casa hotel. The participating teams first need to submit their idea through the Facebook pages of Digital Masala Challenge or Youth Ki Awaaz’s website. Teams would then be shortlisted from these entries and will be invited to present their ideas. The last date of submission of entries is 11th October 2017 midnight. During the final round, each team will have 48 hours to envision a concept. It could be a mobile app, a social media campaign, or anything else. Teams will pitch their pilots to a panel of judges and a live audience. The winning team will receive $5000 (around Rs 3.25 lakhs) to support their idea. Kavitha KK, Public Policy Manager, Facebook, India, South Asia and Central Asia and Anshul Tewari Founder, Youth Ki Awaaz, will be present at the event. n

World Blind Day observed in the city

t was a sight to behold - an unending line of people in blindfolds walking shoulder to shoulder down the usually busy stretch of Panbazar from Food Villa to Don Bosco School. More than 200 people participated in the Blind Walk organised on the occasion of World Blind Day (12th October), guided by fifty visually impaired people. The walk was supported by Rotary International, Lions

Visually impaired students performing at the cultural program

International, G Plus, Rotaract Club of Guwahati Luit, FAsCE India, Art of Living, NavJan Trust, MATRI, CRI, Necha, Montfort School and Don Bosco School. Conducted as a part of the ‘World Blind Walk’ organised by a Bangalore-based organisation called Project Vision in 250 locations across the world, the walk was flagged off by Siddhartha Bhattacharya, MLA

- Gauhati East who accompanied the participants till the end. Apart from major cities of India, the walk was organised in the US, China, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Father Joseph, Head of Project Vision (North East Region), said India faces a severe shortage of corneal donations. “In a year, there is a need for 2,00,000 corneas, while only 26,000 get donated,” he said. The walk aimed to

encourage people to become eye donors in the form of ‘vision ambassadors,’ who could act as a point of contact when a death occurred. “Someone needs to speak to the family and coordinate the donation process, a vision ambassador would fulfil this role,” said Tushar Jalan, Head of Operations & PR, Blind Walk Guwahati 2017. Vijay, 40, who lost his eyesight in his late teens, was one of the members leading the walk and said, “Being led by us gives sighted persons a chance to step into our shoes for a day.” The participants converged at Don Bosco School Guwahati where they took a pledge to donate their eyes, followed by cultural performances by Montfort School/Jyoti Niketan School and felicitation of supporting organisations. The program ended with the National Anthem. n

Brett Lee visits GMCH and IIT-G

Brett Lee at the inauguration function of Spirit, the annual sports festival of IIT Guwahati along with the star recipients of Cochlear, India

ormer Australian cricketer Brett Lee on Monday, 9th October, visited Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH), Guwahati in his role as the ambassador of Global Hearing to spread awareness regarding hearing implants among children. While in Guwahati, Brett Lee also visited Indian Institution of Technology, Guwahati (IIT-G) to inaugurate “Spirit” - the annual sports event of the institution on 11th October. He addressed the students of the prestigious institution along with a few Cochlear recipients on 12th October. He attended a meeting with the doctors, faculty members and patients at GMCH, harping on the need to provide medical assistance to children with hearing disabilities at a young stage so that they can fight the problem effectively. He spoke about the significant functional, social, emotional and economic impact of hearing impairment on individuals and their families. During his interaction at IIT, the cricketer sought for help and ideas from students to make new innovations in the field of hearing impairment. Speaking on the occasion Brett Lee said, “Hearing loss has become a huge global public health issue. I wish to use this platform to say that everyone deserves to enjoy the sounds of everyday life. I want to help make sure, that anyone who is living in this world can experience the sounds of joy, be able hear the voices of loved ones, family and friends. Parents should not ignore the smallest signs of hearing loss and should take speedy action.” He went on to say, “We have personally witnessed how a cochlear implant takes a person from silence to sound. It’s a lifechanging moment. Kerala has set a benchmark by mandating Universal

Newborn Hearing Screening in all government hospitals. They also have a comprehensive programme to tackle hearing loss. The work they have been doing is phenomenal and other states should also ensure that everyone can experience the sound of happiness.” Professor Kalpana Sharma of GMCH said, “Symptoms of hearing loss are not visible and are often treated as a low-profile disability. Assam has over one lakh citizens with hearing impairment. Every year, more than 27,000 children are born deaf in India, which leads to delays in the development of speech, language and cognition. This hampers the child’s education, career and entire life. However, Universal Newborn Hearing Screening can identify any sign of hearing impairment. Early detection makes treatment a possibility. Medical technology has given birth to a great innovation that can now restore one’s hearing ability and can totally transform the life of the recipient. This helps in providing treatment at an early stage, thereby reducing the trauma of hearing loss.” Stressing on the need for early detection of congenital deafness in children, Professor Nirmal C Bhattacharyya, Nodal Officer for the Samarth Assam scheme, said, “The Government of Assam has launched a new initiative called ‘Samarth Assam’ with the objective of identification and comprehensive treatment of all birth defects in children of the state. The scheme will integrate all child health-related programmes and ongoing programmes under the state government. As its first step it has taken up the task of providing hearing aids and cochlear implants for children with congenital deafness free of cost to the poor section of the population.” n

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

Snippets

Stage set for junior tennis in city from Oct 26

he 2nd Guwahati Open Junior Tennis Championship - 2017, which is one of the flagship tournaments of the state, organised by Guwahati Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA) at Nurul Amin Tennis Complex, RG Baruah Sports Complex, Nehru Stadium, Guwahati will be held from October 26-30, 2017. The tournament will be held for Boys’ and Girls’ Singles – Under 18, 14, 12 years. All winners will be awarded with cash scholarships. The championship will carry a total of Rs 2 lakhs as scholarship money. The winners in Boys’ and Girls’ Singles Under – 18

category will receive Rs 10,000/and runner-up will receive Rs 7,000/- as scholarship money while in Under 14 Singles the winner will receive Rs 7,000/and runner-up will receive Rs 6,000/-. In Under 12 Singles category the winner will receive Rs 6,000/- and runner-up will receive Rs 5,000/-. Scholarship money will awarded to the players from quarter-finals stage in all categories. Sports goods manufacturer “HEAD” is the main sponsor of the upcoming event and will be distributing sports kits of different items to promote and popularize the game of tennis in the region. The tournament will

feature more than 275 players from various parts of the region. An organising committee has been formed with Kalyan Kumar Das as Chairman, Anirban Das and Kishore Jayanta Madhab as ViceChairmen, Nabajyoti Kalita as Organising Secretary, Samar Deka, Bhaskar Sarma and Hrishikesh Bijoy Das as Joint Secretaries, Rishiraj Das as Chief Referee and Dilip Pathak as Treasurer to run championship smoothly and successfully. Interested participants have been requested to send their entries on or before October 25 to the organising secretary (9435559885/7638055126). n

All-new S-Cross set to check into NEXA showrooms

Attractive offers in city showroom for Dhanteras

old is not merely a precious metal in India, or an investment option, but it holds great sentimental value for people here. Apart from occasions like weddings, it is considered auspicious to buy gold on occasions such as Dhanteras. L. Gopal Jewellers, with its two showrooms at Fancy Bazar and GS Road, arguably stands as one of the brands with the largest variety of Gold, Diamond, Kundan and Platinum jewelleries, in the entire North East India. The wide collection of jewelleries and gold materials include special Temple Jewellery collection, hallmarked gold coins, and silver coins and

utensils. From the light weight ones to the heavy and intricate jewelleries, one can avail a discount of flat 30% on gold making charges and flat 50% on diamond making charges, under the Dhanteras offers. Their elegant jewellery collection, which could be a charm for any occasion, can be availed from Rs 1.5 lakhs onwards. “Our brand has always thrived to provide modern yet elegant jewellery designs to the people of the city. Our jewelleries are designed to fit the fascination of people from different age groups and class.” said CEO Vikash Soni. n

EDUCATIONAL NOTICE SECOND COUNSELING FOR SELECTION OF CANDIDATES FOR ADMISSION INTO 1st YEAR B.Sc. NURSING COURSE IN THE 3(THREE) NURSING COLLEGES OF ASSAM FOR THE SESSION 2017. This is for general information that some seats in B.Sc. Nursing course under Unreserved category are lying vacant in the Nursing Colleges of Assam for the session 2017, Accordingly a 2nd round of counselling for selection of candidates for admission into 1st year B.Sc Nursing, course in the three Nursing Colleges of Assam for the session 2017 shall be held on 17th October/2017 in the office of the undersigned at 11.00 A.M. The candidates, who have obtained Rank from I to 183 in the Common Entrance Examination, may appear in the 2nd counselling. All Un-reserved candidates, who were called for 1st round of counselling held on 21st & 22nd Aug./2017 may attend the 2” counselling. Those candidates already admitted after first counselling who want to change their institution as per available vacancy in order of merit may also appear in the 2nd counselling.

he urban premium S-Cross from Maruti Suzuki is all set to arrive in a brand new avatar this festive season. The all-new S-Cross will further strengthen Maruti Suzuki’s position in the premium segment. The company today opened bookings for the allnew S-Cross at its network of NEXA showrooms across India. This includes the Guwahati NEXA showrooms at Gorchuk, Rukminigaon and Zoo Road. The all-new S-Cross sports an entirely new, bold design with a powerful upright stance with classy and tastefully upgraded interiors. More new-age technologies, like an intuitive touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay would also complement

the all-new S-Cross. The piano black coloured central panel, together with a premium leather finish arm-rest, adds a dash of premium-ness to the offering. Launched in August 2015, S-Cross was the first premium offering to debut from the company’s all new premium retail channelNEXA. S-Cross therefore, has been instrumental in shaping the premium imagery of the channel and contributed significantly towards establishing NEXA.The Company has sold over 53,000 S-Cross in the domestic market and exported over 4,600 units. The new S-Cross can be booked with an initial payment of Rs 11,000/- at any of the 280+ NEXA showrooms. n

Candidates who are satisfied with their allotted seat and institution during the first counselling held on 21st & 22nd Aug./2017 need not appear in the 2nd round of counselling and their seats in already allotted college shall remain unchanged. Candidates not yet admitted must bring with them all original testimonials, PRC, Admit Card of Ent. Exam - 2017 etc. A set of photo copies of all the said documents signed by the candidate herself shall be required to be deposited at the time of counselling. The admitted candidates who desire to change their Institution shall bring their Admission receipt at the time of counselling.

time.

Candidates should appear personally for counselling on the scheduled dates and

Sd/- Prof. (Dr.) A.K. Braman, Director of Medical Education, Assam Janasanyog- 1737/17

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

Reviews Cast: Himansh Kohli, Taaha Shah, Soundarya Sharma, Anupam Kher, Jimmy Sheirgill Director: Sattwik Mohanty

vie Mo view Re Ranchi Diaries

anchi Diaries is meant to be a comic tribute to Ocean’s Eleven, with a bunch of quirky characters who get involved in a bank heist gone wrong. Writer-director Sattwik Mohanty seems to have a sense of humour that he might put to good use some day when he decides to write a proper screenplay rather than this lazily handled assemblage of scenes. We know the film is set in Ranchi not just because of its name, but because every single character from veteran Anupam Kher to Satish Kaushik to Jimmy Shergill to a bunch of younger actors is made to speak

in the supposed local lingo. And they all sound like they are in elocution class. The film revolves around a young girl who wants to become a famous pop singer and her friends. How her friends land in trouble, thanks to a corrupt politician who is attracted to the girl and how they escape from his clutches forms the entire narrative. But, it comes off as a random assemblage of scenes– in forests (that’s where the ‘Naxals’ live), a large mansion (that’s where the bad guy stays), police chowkis, and a crumbling building which is meant to house a bank—trying to pass off as a film. n

simply can't hold a torch to the blazing brilliance of his co-star. And perhaps, we can't blame Ali for this: he emotes beautifully with his eyes and plays the role of a servile and amiable servant to royalty with aplomb, but it doesn't quite match up to the rest of the formidable cast. The narrative reduces Abdul to being a mere spectator and that's its biggest flaw. Also, the film falters as it abruptly changes gear and transforms into a tedious tragedy from a cross-cultural comedy. Despite an uneven narrative and historical inaccuracies, Victoria and Abdul is a delightful film that deserves to be watched for Judi Dench. n

vie Mo view Re

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ith Tata making its entry into the compact SUV segment with Tata Nexon, the car is built on Tata’s X1 platform that forms the basis for the Vista, Bolt and Zest. The Nexon compact SUV has been a long time coming and is finally available at Guwahati’s newest Tata Dealership, Kamakhya Motors at Kamakhya Gate, Guwahati which is the Tata Motors Passenger Car Dealership in the city. The service centre is located at Bamunimaidam Industrial Area. The Nexon looks part-SUV, part-coupé and fully distinctive.

Judwaa 2 09:00 AM 12:00 PM 03:00 PM 06:00 PM 09:00 PM Ranchi Diaries 09:30 AM 04:20 PM 09:25 PM Victoria and Abdul 10:15 AM 03:40 PM 06:10 PM 08:40 PM Kaun Mera Kaun Tera 10:55 AM Blade Runner 2049 11:45 AM 08:25 PM Kingsman: The Golden Circle 12:45 PM Chef 01:30 PM 06:35 PM Spider-Man: Homecoming 03:05 PM Newton 06:05 PM

Cast: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Eddie Izzard, Adeel Akhtar, Paul Higgins, etc Director: Stephen Frears ictoria & Abdul, starring Judi Dench & Ali Fazal takes an uncompromising look at the end of the Victorian era and the relations between the queen and her servant The film belongs solely to Dame Judi Dench. The 82-yearold remains a tour de force on screen, dominating every scene she's in. Every bat of the eyelid, every turn of the face, every imperceptible or obvious gesture, movement and expression of hers carries dramatis beyond gravitas. Abdul Karim, played by Ali Fazal, is positively anaemic in comparison. While gorgeously dressed and accoutred, Fazal

Cinepolis Christian Basti

activity band. With the

Pragjyoti Cinema Maligaon 0361 2570777 Newton 11:00 AM 05:00 PM Chef 02:00 PM

wristband on, you can lock/ unlock the vehicle and even start the engine, effectively doing away with the need to carry the key fob. With its 209mm of ground clearance, impressively long travel suspension and meaty 215/60 R16 tyres, the Nexon has the ingredients to tackle the worst of Guwahati roads. n

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

Fun Horoscope of the week You might be putting too much pressure on yourself, which could get in the way of accomplishing something that should be easy. Give yourself a few days’ grace and you may find it isn’t as complicated as you thought. Key news this week is that lucky Jupiter moves into Scorpio and your health and wellness sector and stays for approximately one year. During this time, your energy could be higher than usual. You may have more opportunities to progress at work, too.

With expansive Jupiter entering your leisure sector on Tuesday, the coming year could see you eager to get out and enjoy life. If you’ve been very busy, the cosmos urges you to make more time for yourself to unwind and get involved in those things you love to do most. Romance may come knocking at your door, too. Regarding other matters, don’t try too hard midweek, because it won’t help. Relax your grip by the end of the week and things should seem easier.

While disagreements are possible over this week, try not to let them spoil what could be a productive time. Use such opportunities to engage in heart-to-heart discussions and find out what you have in common and how you might work together. Much can be achieved through negotiation. Fortunate Jupiter enters your home and family sector on Tuesday for an approximately one-year stay. This can bring a chance to make positive changes at home, perhaps to expand the family or move somewhere bigger.

You might find yourself trying to persuade a family member to go along with your way of thinking. However, he or she could prove very determined, especially around midweek. Let it go for now. They could reverse their stance by the weekend. Expansive Jupiter moves into your sector of communication and networking on Tuesday, and this can bring fabulous opportunities for businesses involving technology, writing, and media. As it will be here for a full twelve months, the world is your oyster.

Your negotiating skills may be needed this week, especially if you are pitted against the stubborn desires of another. Constructive conversation can do a lot more for you than overt persuasion. You may be pleased with the way things go, too. The good news is that optimistic Jupiter moves into your sector of finances on Tuesday. It remains here for one year, bringing opportunities to enhance your income in various ways. You could overindulge, though, so be aware of this tendency.

Whatever tensions seem to be present in your life, the good news is that positive Jupiter enters your sign on Tuesday for a yearlong stay. This can enhance your confidence and bring lively opportunities to help you fulfill your dreams. Regarding any conflicts you may face, handle them with grace and goodwill and you’ll find that they can be resolved in a way that works for everyone. Don’t be tempted to do too much over the weekend. Time to yourself can be valuable.

With adventurous, lively Jupiter, your personal planet, changing signs this week, you may notice a shift in your focus. It moves into your spiritual zone for a twelve-month stay to 1 2 to release those limitations 3 4 encourage you and live to your fullest potential. This can be a time when a coach or mentor has a profound effect 8 on you, helping you soar to new heights. Meanwhile, the week ahead could reveal differences of opinion that can be resolved with 9 careful handling.

You could clash with someone in authority early in the week. This is due to aspects that will last a few days, so it would be wise to handle this with care rather than come across as too intense. A diplomatic touch can help you find a positive solution. On another note, lucky Jupiter moves into your social and networking zone on Tuesday, bringing many opportunities to connect with people who can bring positive associations and prospects your way.

Could the coming year be the one in which you make a big splash? With expansive Jupiter entering your sector of career and ambition on Tuesday, anything is possible. This week marks the start of a very positive phase when the sky’s the limit. Over the coming days, however, you might have to deal with some stubborn people, and the way you handle it will either impress others or not. Tact could be key when it comes to stating your case.

If a certain friend appears stubbornly stuck in their ways, it could cause a clash of views and values unless you can be willing to have a heart11 12 to-heart chat. On another note, someone closer to you might disagree about a goal or ambition, and this may also need careful handling. It can work out well with the right approach. The good news is that Jupiter enters your sector of far horizons, and you could see an increase in travel 14 and other15adventures.

Which famous Indian Film of the Yesteryears literally meant ‘Ornament of the world”?

It is made by boiling green tea leaves with saffron strands, cinnamon bark, cardamom pods and occasionally roses to add a great aroma. Generally, it is served with sugar or honey and crushed nuts (usually almonds or walnuts). What is being talked about?

4 5

Connect these two individuals

Why did Route 91 Harvest Country Music Festival, held since 2014 in Nevada come into news recently?

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

Garfield by Jim Davis

7 6

Daily Sudoku: Thu 5-Oct-2017

5 54 9 3 66 2 1 7 7 8 7 8 2 9 4 1 6 3 5 6 3 1 8 7 5 4 2 9 3 10 1 5 2 9 4 7 8 6 4 7 8 1 5 6 2 9 3 2 9 6 7 8 3 5 4 1 1 2 4 6 3 9 8 5 7 8 5 3 4 1 7 9 6 2 9 6 7 5 2 8 3 1 134 Daily Sudoku: Thu 5-Oct-2017

hard

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

Word of 19 the week 20

Arcadian

adjective [ahr-key-dee-uh n]

3 Which personality, famous in a different field, also wrote several books like Annasaktiyog, Shreeramachandra, Hajrat Mohammad, and Budhhadeb while in jail? In the Wild West who or what was known as a Jawbreaker?

5 9 8 1 2 5 1 4 1 5 3 9 Daily Sudoku: Thu 712-Oct-20172 8 4

6 9 2

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

curio-city

3 2 1 6 5 1 9 3 6 1 8 2 4 1 3 5 7 1 3 45 5 5 7 4 8 2 2 9 97 8 1 5

Quick crossword no last14,758 week solution

1. Alam Ara, the first Indian Talkie. 2. Kahwa, the Kashmiri green tea infusion. 3. Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi. 4. A dentist. 5. The ghastly Las Vegas Strip Shooting of 2017, where the white terrorist Stephen Paddock shot 58 people dead took place during this popular music concert. 6. Kanupriya Agarwal (Durga), the first Indian Test Tube baby with the man who gave her life, Dr. Subhash Mukhopadhyay, the pioneer of IVF in India.

curio-city

Sudoku

You could be your own worst enemy at the start of the week, especially if you’re holding back from an opportunity that would be good for you. However, talking about your feelings with another might help if it allows you to understand where you’re going wrong. As optimistic Jupiter moves into your sector of relating, this expansive influence is positive for all your business or personal relationships. As it will be here for a year, this side of your life could soar.

Getting someone to see things your way may not be easy at the start of the week unless you can put yourself in their shoes. While it’s possible to compromise, this might seem like a stretch too far unless you can find a very good reason for doing it. The good news is that lucky Jupiter enters your sector of shared resources and transformation on Tuesday, boosting opportunities regarding business and enhancing your income. It’s beneficial for coaching and counseling, too.

Crossword Across 1 Sympathise with (4) 3 Intelligible only to the initiated (8) 9 Canadian province (7) 10 Skinflint (5) 11 Stated on oath (5) 12 Stimulus (6) 14 Boxing category (13) 17 Parts of a process (6) 19 Carpenter’s tool (5) 22 Waterside plants (5) 23 Skating arena (3,4) 24 Make a new finding (8) 25 Obscene (4)

Down

Across

Rural, rustic, or pastoral, especially suggesting simple, innocent contentment.

Quick crossword no 14,758 1

18 Relish (5)

20 Still with us (5) 1 Sympathise with (4) 1 Take no risks (4,4) 21 Poke (4) 3 Intelligible only to the 11 12 2 Inhibition based on social custom (5) initiated (8) 4 English county (13) 9 Canadian province (7) 5 Asian language (5) 14 15 16 Skinflint (5) 6 Taking10 a break (7) 7 Kernel11(4)Stated on oath (5) 8 Soak (6) 17 18 19 20 12 Stimulus (6) 13 Marked linearcategory discolouration (8) 21 14 with Boxing (13) 15 Simple natural 17 and Parts of (7) a process (6) 22 23 16 Spotted (6) 19 Carpenter’s tool (5) 18 Relish (5) 22 Waterside plants (5) 20 Still with us (5) 24 25 23 Skating arena (3,4) 21 Poke (4) 24 Make a new finding (8) Across 18 Relish (5) 20 Still with us (5) 1 Sympathise with (4) 25 Obscene (4) 21 Poke (4)

Down

3 Intelligible only to the initiated (8) 9 Canadian province (7) 10 Skinflint (5) M O(5) U S 11 Stated on oath 12 Stimulus (6) A N 14 Boxing category (13) U N (6) I O 17 Parts of a process 19 Carpenter’sLtool (5)F 22 Waterside plants (5) T O U 23 Skating arena (3,4) 24 Make a new BfindingR(8) 25 Obscene (4)

Last week’s solution

Solution no 14,757

S 1 Take no risks (4,4) A 2 Inhibition based on social N custom (5) F 4 English county (13) R 5 Asian language (5) A 6 Taking a break (7) E R M I N Down R C 7 Kernel (4) 1 Take no risks G (4,4) A L L I 8 Soak (6) 2 Inhibition based on social A S custom (5)A 13 Marked with linear 4 English county (13)S I C M U discolouration (8) 5 Asian language (5) O (7) S O a break 15 Simple and natural (7) 67 Taking Kernel (4) T W O S 8 Soak (6) 16 Spotted (6) 13 Marked with linear discolouration (8) 15 Simple and natural (7) 16 Spotted (6)

A K A T W I G I D A A T H I C K E T T S E H D E F R A N C E N E R E A P A C H E Solution 14,757 O M no U D S S A K A T W I G VMA OANU N T A II N D G A A U NI I O N A T H B I C K EST L F F T S E H A TLO U R BD EIF RR A CN CHE B R A N E R E REM I N L E A PI A C HEE R C M U O D F R E E H O L D G A A MU O T W

L L I V A N A S I S I C A L S O E O S F R E

T I N G A B S B I R C H L I E E H O L D

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

Lifestyle

Take a step towards your financial well-being this Diwali

iwali is around the corner. Most of us are busy with preparations with a huge checklist of shopping, gifts, goodies, and other festivities. When we can spend so much time to prepare for Diwali, why not spend time deciding on our financial future? This Diwali let us start the New Year being wise about investments and financial health. That said, people do believe in investing before the start of the New Year, but all they do is buy gold. Indians have an age-old tradition of

buying gold on auspicious occasions. Adorning as jewellery gold shines the brightest, but does it also lighten up your investment portfolio? The price of gold is determined though supply and demand. Now consider this, when you buy equity you get ownership of a company, you become a stakeholder. When you invest in bonds, you earn interest but when it comes to gold, you are just keeping it in a locker waiting for its price to go up. Note that gold as an asset class has underperformed over the

last couple of years, and though it can be a good hedge to equity investments, one should allocate to it proportionately. Investing in physical gold also leads to safety hassle. It would be better to invest in non-physical gold, better known as Gold bonds or Gold ETFs.

What if you are new to investment? If you are completely new to investment, then it is better to start with goal alignment. Make a note of your short-term and long-term goals and based on those goals, start investing. Talk to a financial advisor, read up on equity, bond and mutual fund invest and educate yourself and take your first step on the auspicious day of the New Year to start with new resolution of investment planning.

But what if you are an existing investor with an existing portfolio? If you are an existing investor, then you should re-evaluate your portfolio’s asset allocation status. Asset allocation is a strategy that balances the risk and reward of your entire investment based on your individual goals. For example, if you have a long-term goal, make sure to be heavier on equity with right exposure for value creation. Many of us start our first

investment to save on taxes. If that is the motivation, then be it. While planning the investment, first check the compulsory items under 80C that you must invest in: PF (Provident Fund), insurance premium, house loan repayment etc. After that is ascertained look for other options like Public Provident Fund, Equity Linked Saving Scheme, and remember, tax benefit is limited to just Rs. 1.50 lakhs. Another important thing to review is your

insurance portfolio to ensure a healthier and safe future. Make sure you have adequate risk cover in form of life and health insurance. Try to arrange haphazardly created insurance portfolio and make sure not to mix it with your investment folio. Also keep track of all documentation with respect to your insurance cover. Don’t forget, Diwali is a time when Goddess Laxmi visits us to bless us with good health, happiness and well-being. But that blessing would be of no-use if we don’t take a step forward to invest rationally and focus on financial well-being. So, think and plan before investing. Align both your short term and long-term goals for a healthier and wealthier future. Remember, the choices you make today will define your tomorrow. A Happy Diwali and New Year to all! Pallav Bagaria CEO, Brand New Day – one of Northeast’s leading Mutual Funds Investment Consultancy and Portfolio Management Services pallav@salasarcapital.com

Diwali and Rangolis S

ay the word “Diwali” and one of the first words that come to my mind is ‘Rangoli,’ or ‘Alpana’ as it is referred to in Assamese. In Assam most of us grew up decorating our gates with banana trees and earthen lamps. Then entire halves of bamboo branches would be nailed into the trees to hold the lamps and candles. It was more like a form of installation art! The entire installation would continue with lamps placed through the gate to the walls and the veranda. We would even make lovely patterns on how the lamps would glow. There would be a few lights too - mostly ‘lichoo’ lights. The whole day of Diwali would be spent in procuring two banana trees and fixing them near the gate! But, I am not sure how many of us have this luxury anymore! We all live in apartments now. But the art continues! We have all adopted the Rangoli as one of the

VAASTU SHASTRA

Vaastu for this Diwali

he festival of Diwali is known as the festival of lights but it is actually a ritual to worship the Goddess of Wealth, Lakshmi. It also symbolises the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil and hope over despair as Lord Rama was supposed to have celebrated Diwali after his victory over Ravana. It starts with Dhanteras (two days before Diwali) and ends with Bhai Dooj two days after Diwali. Being one of the most important religious festivals of the Hindus, the rituals are followed with certain Vaastu rules. It is believed that Goddess Lakshmi likes to enter a clean house. So it is a tradition to dispose all old and unused items in the house and make it neat and clean. While cleaning the floor, rock salt is mixed with water for mopping the same. A pinch of black salt (sendha namak) may be mixed. Housewives clean the kitchen thoroughly and change the positions of 26 items on the shelves like moving the jars of salt or masalas to a newer place. Since light is an inseparable from Diwali, it is essential to light up the entire house. Earthen oil/ghee lamps are best but electric bulbs can also be used. Use blue coloured bulbs in north and red, orange or yellow bulbs at east. Red, white and violet bulbs are used at south while pink, orange, gray and deep yellow bulbs are best used at west. The main door is decorated with a garland of marigold flowers and mango leaves with mantras written on them. It is a custom to draw an auspicious design or Rangoli on the floor in front of the main door to usher in Lakshmi. The main door should be decorated with religious symbols like the “Aum” or the “Swastika”. Two earthen oil lamps should be placed on both sides of the main door. Be careful not to draw

must-have things to do during Diwali. This practice is very convenient for our smaller apartments now and at the same time looks pretty and creative too. We have taken the whole Rangoli drawing concept to the next level. Most offices have Rangoli competitions and some even have beautiful themes for Rangoli Art. There are district and state level competitions for Rangolis and we get to see huge artworks with beautiful display of colour! Coloured rice, flowers, sindoor, haldi and holi powder are usually used for drawing. Patterns vary from florals and peacock motifs to geometric patterns. Every year you get to see bigger and better designs with Kasturi Borkotoki enhanced creativity! Kasturi is a palette knife artist and This Diwali, let’s paints impressionist floral designs in oils. She hails from Guwahati. say it with a colourful Blog: kasturiscanvas.blogspot.com Rangoli. Happy Diwali!

the Aum or Swastika symbols on the floor with the Rangoli. The entry of Goddess Lakshmi is also symbolised by drawing small feminine footprints on the floor. Nowadays, readymade red footprints are available which can be used too. A tray with water and flower petals in the east or north is very auspicious. Floating candles with rose petals in the centre of the house brings positive energy into the house. It is a custom to give gifts to friends and relatives. People make personal visits and gift sweets or boxes containing dry fruits etc. However, antique and leather items should not be given as gifts. On the day of Dhanteras, that is, two days before Diwali, people believe that buying precious metals like gold, silver, etc will bring Lakshmi to the house. Aluminium or cast irons are not recommended. Investors buy shares on that day and do not sell whatever may be the price. Lots of people perform a Puja on the night of Diwali. It must be done in the northeast corner of the house for best benefits. East is the second choice. While placing the idols, Ganeshji should be placed to the left of Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati to her right only. The idols should not face each other and a pitcher or Kalash with water should be placed in the northeast with a coconut on top along with 8 mango or Ashok leaves on the brim. Lord Hanuman or Goddess Kali is worshipped or invoked on the day before Diwali to protect over negative forces like diseases and evil eyes. Guggal dhoop or incense is specially burnt to remove negativity. Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

G PLUS | OCT 14 - OCT 20, 2017 Diwali Special

Catching Up

GYAN

Did you know?

Chitralaya

ANGELIKA DUTTA New

Chick on the block

About Me Greetings to the wonderful readers of G Plus. I am Angelika, 19 years old, and a student of B.Com 2nd sem from Icon Commerce College. Modelling in my life started as an interest, less of mine and more of my mom’s. I am currently associated in both print and ramp modelling.

he Chitralaya, Which roughly translates as ‘the adobe of picture’, was a small framing shop set up by an 18 year old entrepreneur Indramohan Chakraborty back in 1918 near Jamatullah departmental store (which later became Ghulam Rahman & Sons was located where the Unique Books and Silver Sports currently stands) in Pan Bazar. The Chitralaya soon became a hub of

framing shops due to the lack of the likes in Assam. Soon, there was a demand for poster painting, banner printing and signboards. The shop was a meeting point for some famous football players like G. Banerjee, Animesh Ganguly, Telimeran Ao, Sarat Das,Toshen Bora and the like. Now managed by the brothers, Pradip and Raja Chakravarty, the shop will complete hundred years next year. n

Mojo It was my mom who believed in me, even before I thought of modelling. The journey that started out of her interest has brought me a new identity all together. Route in Woods My education and a proper job are the two priorities of my life. Whether I’ll take up modelling as a full fledged career or not, only time will say. Photography by - Unique Borah Costume - Moonmee Boruah

Printed & Published by Sunit Jain on behalf of Insight Brandcom Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Janambhumi Press (P) Ltd., Kalapahar, Guwahati and Published at 4A, Royale Arcade, Ulubari, Guwahati - 781007, Editor: Swapnil Bharali. Phone: 0361 2522444, Email: info@g-plus.in, RNI No: ASSENG/2013/52641