G Plus Vol 4 issue 52 by G Plus

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City Police losing credibility with latest goof-ups

@guwahatiplus www.guwahatiplus.com

Volume 04 | Issue 52 Oct 21 - Oct 27, 2017 Price `10

Awesome Assam promo video stirs massive controversy Assam Tourism will launch a massive campaign to promote its `Awesome Assamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; brand from 1st November

A still of Priyanka Chopra from the video

Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

he Awesome Assam promotional campaign which was launched by the state government has once again stirred controversy with remarks pouring in from the public saying that if the brand ambassador of Assam Tourism, Priyanka Chopra, has done the

shooting inside a room of a remote location, then what kind of tourism promotion is she doing? Does she have any knowledge about the tourism sector of the state? Comments expressing emotions from disappointment to blunt rage has been all over social media and state tourism ministry came in for huge flak from the public at large. Continued on page 5

Hagrilla reached the city road because of cracker noise

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Chinese products remain in demand despite forceful efforts to ban them

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Concern

City Police losing credibility with latest goof-ups The recent “goof-up” in the Australia team bus stone pelting case and the delay in progress in the land grabbing case of Mrs Universe Kristi Das raise questions on the competence of the city police in solving cases Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

Two of the four alleged stone pelters being led to court | G Plus Photo

Who are the real culprits?

llegations were raised by several sections that the first arrest regarding the case of stone pelting on the Australia team bus was a “cover up” move by the Gorchuk Police. The stone pelting incident had drawn a lot of attention from the nation and the world and the pressure mounted on the city police to nab the criminals as soon as possible. An insider in the Gorchuk Police Station revealed that the duo, who was actuallydetainedbytheGorchukPolice for transporting goods in a vehicle from Raha without permission were made “scapegoats” for the incident. “After being detained for about four to five hours, they were set free. When stone pelting case surfaced, they were called in and held at the police station. Next day, they were produced to the Kamrup (Metro) Chief Judicial Magistrate and remanded to 14-day judicial custody without any interrogation,” the insider said. The duo was charged under Sections307(attempttomurder),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 Indian Penal Code (IPC). Four days later, the city police arrested four persons - two among them being minors and hence their details were withheld - while announcing the other two – Manoj Medhi and Mantu Kalita, both Class XII students of a local school in the city. They were arrested under the same

sections in which the duo was arrested earlier. According to the DGP, Mukesh Sahay, the four persons had watched the match on a mobile phone and after having consumed liquor that they had bought from a shop nearby, decided to throw a stone at the bus transporting

eeks after the city police commissionerate was lauded for providing a comparatively peaceful Durga Puja celebration this year, the department came under criticism again regarding alleged goof-ups and unsolved cases. With regard to the stone pelting case in which the Australian cricket team bus was attacked with a stone, shattering one of the bus’s window panes while on its return to the hotel after the India-Australia T20 match at the new ACA stadium at Barsapara on October 10, the Gorchuk Police had apparently arrested six persons in two different raids

still absconding. After these incidents, Guwahatians couldn’t help but ask how competent the police department actually is. The incidents also provide an opportunity to retrospect the case dismissal figures of the department which has been all time low. According to a source in the city’s crime branch, at least 40% of the cases registered in the city are unsloved. “Out of these cases, most of them are that of theft, robbery and recovery of unidentified cases. The city police however, have maintained a high rate in solving the capital offences such as murder, treason and espionage. But with regard to petty crimes, the solving rates need to be worked up on,” the source said. n

No whiff of accused yet

n the land grabbing incident, at least 30 men allegedly attacked and assaulted model and Mrs Universe contestant Kristi Das at around 4 pm on October 16. She also sustained injuries on her arms after the assault. Das filed an FIR at the

the Australian team in order to avenge the crushing defeat that the home team suffered in their hands. Regarding the duo’s arrest, DGP Sahay, on Sunday, said that the earlier two would be discharged according to provisions of the law after there was enough evidence to prove that it was the four others who had done the “mischief.” n

– two youths from Raha named Pabitra Khetriya, 18, and Rakesh Hazowari, 25 on October 11 and four others including two youths on October 15. Questions were being raised on the authenticity of the arrests and who the real culprits were: those arrested on October 11 or those on October 15. Then came the case in which an Assamese model Kristi Das was physically assaulted allegedly by land grabbing mafia following an altercation regarding a plot of land that was claimed to be owned by her father at ABC near Bhangagarh on October 17. According to latest updates, Das had filed an FIR and had raised the finger of suspicion on two persons. But despite having all their details, the accused are

Bhangagarh Police Station the next day. Currently, the police are conducting search operations to arrest the accused. According to the police, Das has named three persons as accused in the FIR. The plot of land in question belongs to Das’ father, Parimal Das, who is a former vice chairperson of the Guwahati Metropolitan

Development Authority (GMDA). The land is situated next to the model’s residence at ABC near Mizoram House. “The three named accused include a septuagenarian woman, her son and another man, who she claimed were her tenants. We are conducting search operations and should be able to nab the accused in the next two to three days,” said officer-in-charge of Bhangagarh police station, Bipin Medhi on October 17. Three days later and even as we go to press, there are no updates on the case yet. He added that a case has been registered under sections 147, 448, 325, 354 and 379 of the IPC and under the Assam Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act. Das, when contacted, said that she had received a call from her tenants on Monday evening telling her that a group of men had trespassed onto the plot of land. “When I reached my house and asked them about the issue, they started hurling abuses at me and then attacked me with rods,” she said. Das also raised questions about women’s safety in the city. incident, at least 30 men allegedly attacked and assaulted model and Mrs Universe contestant Kristi Das at around 4 pm on October 16. She also sustained injuries on her arms after the assault. Das filed an FIR at the Bhangagarh Police Station the

next day. Currently, the police are conducting search operations to arrest the accused. According to the police, Das has named three persons as accused in the FIR. The plot of land in question belongs to Das’ father, Parimal Das, who is a former vice chairperson of the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). The land is situated next to the model’s residence at ABC near Mizoram House. “The three named accused include a septuagenarian woman, her son and another man, who she claimed were her tenants. We are conducting search operations and should be able to nab the accused in the next two to three days,” said officer-in-charge of Bhangagarh police station, Bipin Medhi on October 17. Three days later and even as we go to press, there are no updates on the case yet. He added that a case has been registered under sections 147, 448, 325, 354 and 379 of the IPC and under the Assam Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act. Das, when contacted, said that she had received a call from her tenants on Monday evening telling her that a group of men had trespassed onto the plot of land. “When I reached my house and asked them about the issue, they started hurling abuses at me and then attacked me with rods,” she said. Das also raised questions about women’s safety in the city. n

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

City

No wildlife rescue centres, helpline nos in Ghy State zoo had issued a helpline number but it has not been working since ages Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

here is not a single rescue centre or shelter home for wildlife species in Guwahati. Even the helpline number of the state zoo has not been working since many days. After the recent issue of preserving the hagrillas (Greater Adjutant Stork) cropped up after such a bird was spotted in the middle of the busy GS Road at Lachit Nagar, Guwahatians began to wonder how they should go about helping such an animal in distress. President of Early Birds, a nature organisation, Moloy Baruah said, “Earlier the State Zoo had issued a helpline number which is now not working at all.” He said that the zoo authorities offered the excuse that one person cannot be kept just for attending to the telephone purely because it doesn’t ring for weeks together. Baruah said that if anyone has to help a wildlife species, they will have to contact the zoo. G Plus contacted the State

Zoo District Forest Officer (DFO), Tejas Mariswamy, who said that in any urgent situation people can directly contact him. But how can the general public contact him? When asked if they had any helpline number he said he will let us know. Later, he gave us the number of one employee, Hemanta Talukdar, who gave the helpline number as 18003453980. G Plus rang this helpline number a number of times but all attempts to connect failed. Later, Talukdar was contacted who said that the helpline number has not been working since many days. The Zoo DFO said that there are no rescue centres in the city for wildlife and hence the zoo takes care when contacted. But how many people have the DFO’s number? G Plus also contacted the Wild Life DFO of the forest department who gave one landline number being 0361-2333253 and said it is the number of the control room of the wildlife department and any issue can be reported there. G Plus tried calling the number five times on 20th October at around 8 pm, but no one received the call.

A still of the stork on GS Road taken from the exclusive video aired by G Plus

This proved that there is no 24/7 helpline number for wildlife protection in Guwahati. Talking about rescue centres, Moloy Baruah said that in Delhi there are rescue and shelter

Hagrilla reached the city road because of cracker noise

ecently, national media reported that pollution killed 25 lakh Indians in 2015, the world’s highest number of deaths caused by air, water and other forms of pollution, according to an international study. It also calculates to five deaths every minute due to pollution in the country. So what about the wild animals? Because of the noise pollution created by bursting of crackers, an endangered species Greater Adjutant Stork or hargilla locally, blocked the traffic at Lachit Nagar on 18th October last as it rested at the road confused and fearful of the cracker noises coming from all around. President of Early Birds, Moloy Baruah, a nature organisation said, “It was a case of fright; it was scared and it moved away from its shelter to the nearest road which is GS Road.” He said that some hagrillas take shelter on the trees around the graveyard located behind the B Borooah College and they

eat at the dumping ground behind the Ulubari market. He said that at night the hargillas take rest in the surrounding trees of the graveyard and during the day they fly out to find food. So on 18th October also, according to him, it might have been that the hagrilla was resting near the graveyard when the crackers started bursting all around and getting scared by the noise, the wild bird reached Lachit Nagar. He said that the aerial distance from the graveyard to Lachit Nagar will be approximately 1 furlong. An eye-witness, Kunal Soni, who shared the video of the bird with G Plus and which quickly went viral on the digital platform, said that he was on his bike when he saw the traffic was blocked at Lachit Nagar. After realising that there was a wild bird, he videographed the bird which was initially scared by the crowds it had attracted. But later when the crowd gave it

centres for wildlife species but in Guwahati there are none. Only the zoo has the facilities of rescuing the wildlife species but sources in the zoo said that they are running short on manpower.

Meanwhile, the administration authorities said that the forest department deals with wild life species and the state zoo or forest department could be contacted for any situation. n

Only around 250 hargillas left in Guwahati

oloy Baruah said some open space it flew away. that only around 250 He said that people had no clue hargillas are left in how to help the bird and whom Guwahati and it will vanish to call and therefore the video one day if the government does was sent to G Plus. not take steps to protect the The Greater Adjutant endangered species. Early Birds Stork is now has been restricted associated to a much in counting It was a case of fright; it smaller since 2002 in population was scared and it moved and around with Guwahati away from its shelter to only two the nearest road which is city and has countries recorded where they GS Road” around 250 breed: one individuals in India with Moloy Baruah, President, Early Birds in the latest the largest census colony conducted in in Assam and the other 2016. During the 15 years of bird in Cambodia. Populations census, the highest number disperse after the breeding – 288 birds – was recorded in season. This large stork has a 2002. The lowest number was massive wedge-shaped bill, found in 2010, with a count of a bare head and a distinctive 113 birds. Baruah said that no neck pouch. During the one can protect birds but their day, they soar in thermals habitats and surroundings along with vultures with should be protected. He said that whom they share the habit of government is doing nothing to scavenging. It is considered as protect the habitations of the an endangered species. wildlife species. n

Citing an example, Baruah said that the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary was encroached and the wildlife habitat was destroyed. He had filed a case and the court ordered eviction of the encroachers. He further said that the eviction was stopped because the Chief Minister of Assam entered the scene as many people of his community (Mishing) live there. So the eviction was stayed. He said that the court has asked to restart eviction in November and he is waiting to know what will happen. So similarly, all the habitats are getting destroyed and the species like hargillas are getting affected. He said that in Guwahati the endangered species live in Boragaon, the graveyards in Ulubari and Aathgaon and the rest in North Guwahati. So the government should make sure that crackers and explosives should not be burst in the nearby areas. He also said that government should come up with rescue centres in Guwahati. n

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Politicking

Is Assam Congress inching towards revival? The Congress party, which has been marginalized to a certain extent post the defeat in the Assembly elections, is getting proactive with “progressive politics” even as the BJP’s popularity dips to a certain extent after the demonetization Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

fter the 2016 Assam Assembly poll debacle, the Congress party which is the largest opposition to incumbent BJP both at the Centre and in the State, is putting all its cards on the table for revival. Earlier this month, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) had formed the Assam body of All India Professional Congress to connect better with the employed masses while former Chief minister Tarun Gogoi, party president Ripun Bora and other senior members will rally on the update process of NRC – an issue which is so sentimentally dear to the people of the state. The party, that has not spent much time as the opposition since independence, barring two terms during AGP rule and one and half years (1978-1979) under Janata Party’s rule, received the biggest blow in the 2016 Assembly elections when the coalition of Bharatiya

Gaurav Gogoi addressing media during the launching of the Assam chapter of All India Professionals’ Congress | G Plus Photo

Janata Party (BJP), Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodo People’s Front (BPF) swept to majority in 86 constituencies out of the total 126. Congress managed only 26 seats. The grave however, was dug a lot earlier, to be precise, in 2009 when the first hint of dissidence surfaced within the party. The then health minister (currently holding

the same charge along with finance, tourism and several other under the BJP reign) Himanta Biswa Sarma, was the then Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s blue-eyed boy who turned bête noire by openly going against him. The discontentment allegedly spearheaded by Sarma brewed over the next five years and in 2015, the “master strategist”

resigned from the party, joined BJP and shouldered it to victory in 2016. A lot of eminent members of Congress followed Sarma’s lead and most of them are holding important portfolios under the current regime. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wave and fueled by Sarma’s impeccable strategy, BJP had an easy victory of 60 seats, while its allies AGP and BPF chipped in with 14 and 12 seats respectively. The dissidence didn’t remain confined to the Assembly elections and soon after BJP came to power in May last year, the Congress received three more blows – the elections to the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and Guwahati Municipal Corporation– as most of the Congress candidates had joined the incumbent BJP. Since then, APCC has been attempting to limp back to its earlier glory days, but the paths are being marred by misfortunes. A month after the defeat in the elections, the Congress lost its “dynamic” chief

An attempt to connect with the ‘reform victims’

alling the professionals, many of whom had lost jobs or incurred losses due to the two landmark decisions of the government, as “reform victims,” the Congress had, on October 14, launched the Assam chapter of All India Professionals’ Congress (AIPC) to connect with professionals and give them a voice to make “positive” political changes. Gogoi tore into Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s economic policy, saying it was in a mess because the government had ignored professionals. “All sectors have suffered because of wrong policies. We do politics to provide relief to the people. But we need professional advice for all-round prosperity and to create jobs. Today there is so much joblessness and farmer distress. There is economic paralysis because the government was not able to use the services of professionals. This body will help us connect with them,” said Gogoi. The motive behind the move was to provide a platform to professionals to engage with likeminded peers and political leaders for progressive politics, APCC chief Bora said. Bora was accompanied by former chief minister Tarun

Gogoi and his son Gaurav Gogoi (who is an MP) during the launch. “The centre’s many decisions have left the economy of the country and the job sectors in shambles. A lot of people went jobless as the companies could not afford them. The government has laid out these decisions as reforms, but for the first time in India, the reforms, instead of helping, are affecting people,” Bora said to G Plus. The launch was held at India Club, a city landmark which has sportspersons, businessmen and bureaucrats among others as its members, to make the AIPC members “feel” at home. The choice of the venue and the presence of senior Congress leaders conveyed that the party meant business. The AIPC is headed by Congress MP and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor, who has said its work will support the party’s political goals. The East Zone chapter of the AIPC is headed by Gaurav while Bolin Bordoloi, a former tea executive, will head the Assam chapter. Senior Congressman Pradyut Bordoloi, who heads the APCC media department, also attended the launch.

Gaurav said, “So far, 59 people have joined the AIPC online. Besides connecting with professionals seeking a positive political change in the country, the Assam chapter will look into the unemployment problem in the state and region, engage with stakeholders on economic policy and mentor and back meritorious

Congress move to oversee NRC update

he Assam Congress had, on October 18, held a high level meeting at former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s residence regarding the fresh confusion over identification of “original inhabitants” triggered after NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela told

The decisions have rattled the common people. They have realized that the ‘Congress-free India’ might not be a good idea and the BJP’s ‘Acche Din’ (good times) isn’t that good after all. As the saying goes - strike the iron when it is hot - we need to act now and expose the BJP jumlas (false promises)” A Congress insider

rural youth.” According to inside sources of the party, within a week of its launch, AIPC has registered more than 100 members. The AIPC is one of the three new departments floated by the AICC. The other two are the All India Unorganized Workers’ Congress and the All India Fishermen Congress. Assam has a state body for all of the above. n

Anjan Dutta, who died on 17th June at the age of 64, leaving the party with a leadership crisis. Ripun Bora took charge, but despite several attempts, most of the party activities, according to many supporters, remained confined to conducting press conferences – Bora and other party members at the APCC headquarters at Rajiv Bhawan and Gogoi who seldom visits the headquarters post the defeat, at his residence at Koinadhora. Now, the party insiders claim that the “wrong decisions”, referring to the BJP’s two landmark decisions, Demonetisation and implementation of Goods & Services Tax (GST) gives the much needed lease of life to the Congress. “The decisions have rattled the common people. They have realized that the ‘Congress-free India’ might not be a good idea and the BJP’s ‘Acche Din’ (good times) isn’t that good after all. As the saying goes - strike the iron when it is hot - we need to act now and expose the BJP jumlas (false promises),” the insider said. n

the Supreme Court that of the 48 lakh people whose panchayat certificates were invalidated by the Gauhati High Court, 17.4 lakh people have been identified as original inhabitants. The party accused the BJP of trying to delay the NRC update exercise in a bid to keep the foreigners’ issue alive for political gains and had chalked out an elaborate plan involving all the

district, panchayat and ward units to monitor the development and act upon if required. A party insider also said that the meeting decided that since the exercise is being monitored by the Supreme Court, the party will have to go “legally.” Clearing the party’s stand, Bora said, “Our stand has been very clear. All those who entered Assam before March 25, 1971 must be included in the NRC, no Indian citizen should be left out and no foreign national should be included in the updated NRC.” When contacted, Gogoi said, “NRC update was our (Congress) brainchild. We have as much contribution as the Asom Gana Prishad (AGP) and All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) has. We will go to every extent to preserve and protect it.” The party insider said, “Congress will file petitions questioning the figures as it believes that many of those who were detected “illegal” are actually indigenous people. The state must make sure that no indigenous people get excluded from the NRC.” n

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Lead Story

New tourism policy launched by the state government Continued from page 1

o make Assam a destination for shooting films, Assam government has announced lavish incentives under the new Assam Tourism Policy, 2017 for experienced filmmakers who make films in English, Hindi and any other language. Assam Tourism Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has launched the new tourism policy approved by the Assam cabinet which will remain operational from 1st January, 2018 till 31st December, 2022. Launching the policy the Minister said, “Making films in Hindi, English and other foreign languages in locations of Assam, especially on stories based in Assam, will be a huge boon to the tourism sector in the state. Hence, the new tourism policy has made provision for generous incentives for such films.” The new policy also offers bounty for entrepreneurs willing to set up hotels, resorts, restaurants, roadside dhabas, boats etc. in the state as such ventures will create employment avenues besides promoting tourism. “A filmmaker should have already made at least five films to become eligible to get incentives under the new Assam Tourism Policy for making films in Assam in Hindi, English or

other foreign languages. For such films, the state government will reimburse 25% of the total cost incurred by the film unit in Assam. There will be 10% additional incentives if the script of film is based on Assam and there will be another 10% incentive if more than 50% of the shooting of such a film is carried out in Assam. That leaves a scope for such a film to get maximum 45% incentives on the cost incurred in Assam,” Sarma stated. The policy which will be made operational coinciding with the Global Investment Summit to be hosted by Assam in February 2018, has announced grant for setting up tourist units/ accommodation/ restaurants/ dhabas etc. in the state. Assam government will reimburse 50% of the GST under the new tourism policy to such tourist units set up with minimum investment of Rs 1 crore. There will be 30% (capital investment subsidy) reimbursement of total cost of construction of such units with a cap of Rs 1 crore. The state government will reimburse 25% of the cost of electrification of such tourist units with a cap of Rs 10 lakhs per unit. If the entrepreneur has to build an approach road to such a tourist facility, the government will provide 75% of the total cost of such approach

Tourism Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma (L) addressing the media in the presence of ATDC Chairman, Jayanta Malla Baruah (C)

road. Several awards for excellence too have been instituted under the new tourism policy in the categories of best infrastructure, best women entrepreneur, best start-up, best innovative project, best maintained tourist facility, cleanest tourist destination, cleanest roadside dhaba, best ICT project on Assam tourism, best warden of wildlife destinations,

Tezpur MP RP Sarmah expresses dissatisfaction at the Awesome Assam video

ontradicting on the tourism policy, Member of Parliament from Tezpur, RP Sarmah said, “It is a very welcome step by the government of Assam to industrialize tourism in the state but I want to add that before sending the ministers to foreign lands for advertisement, the government must ensure their interest and knowledge on tourism sector, types of tourism in Assam, their power of expression to make the foreigners, including people from other states, understand the potentiality of tourism in Assam.” He further stated that before inviting tourists, the government should build up tourism infrastructure in the state. He has also given an example by saying that if the Chief Minister stays overnight in a government guest house in Kaziranga and next morning he goes to the washroom for a bath, after smearing soap all over his body finds there is

no water in the tap, calls his PA over cell phone and waits for ten minutes before the water flows to his washroom. If such is the condition of our government guest house, who would come to Assam? The MP said that they should learn from Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka and other states’ tourism. “Tourists want good facilities, quick quality service and secure and comfortable stay. The employees in government guest houses should be given hardcore training and enforce strict discipline for running a guest house,” said Sarmah. He also said that the government must be clear where the tourists will be taken. “The employee should be responsible and they should be forced to work and then only one will come to visit the places of Assam. Communication is another important thing that the government should focus on. They

should take the responsibility and appoint tourist guides who can communicate with the tourists,” said Sarmah. On the other hand, one Avinash Gupta, who has criticised the video of Awesome Assam, said that Amitabh Bachchan being a veteran superstar, had a complete presence throughout the video of the Gujarat tourism campaign but Assam tourism brand ambassador Priyanka Chopra, who has taken a huge amount of money for the campaign, has a footage of only 19 seconds in the entire 3.32-minute video. He also said that the government has wasted crores of rupees on the brand ambassador while she has no knowledge about the tourism culture of the state nor has she tried to know about it. She is seen only inside a room in traditional attire which doesn’t reflect that she is promoting the state’s tourism. n

best photo journalist etc., the minister informed. Assam Tourism will launch a massive campaign to promote it’s `Awesome Assam’ brand on 1st November both globally and within the country. Road shows will be organized in European/ South Asian countries and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal will lead the road shows in major cities of the country. n

Corrigendum

In the article on Nichols Higher Secondary School Golden Jubilee celebration carried in G Plus last week in Volume 4 Issue 51, it was published that the school gate was donated by the 1989 batch. It now stands corrected that the 1989 batch had donated the security room near the gate while the main gate of the school was donated in the loving memory of Jishnu Karmakar, who was a student of the school, by his parents, Bangshi Karmakar & Rina Karmakar. The error is regretted.

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Ward Watch

Confusion on jurisdiction hampers development in Maligaon The Maligaon-based Northeast Frontier Railway that connects Guwahati with the rest of the country has now become the reason for the residents of the locality to feel detached from the rest of the city Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

aligaon, located in Ward No. 5 of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), is one of the oldest extensions of the city. And yet, the residents feel detached. Under the constituency of Assam’s Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, this ward - most of which is occupied by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) – faces a unique problem: that of a disarray between the Railway authorities and the GMC. The incumbent councillor, Nilakshi Talukdar, who represents the opposition

Congress, said that most of the development works get delayed over the dispute on whether the concerned land belongs to the Railway or the city authorities. “When identified to be under the railway authority, the development takes much longer as the Railway has its own procedures to go about the issues,” Talukdar said. When one travels along the Mahapurush Damodardev Path, formerly known as the MG Road, from the Bharalumukh side, the ward starts on the left side of the road right from the Bharalumukh point. It includes the Kamakhya temple to its right, Kamakhya Railway Station, the NFR headquarters and the

The boon that turned into bane

he residents of Maligaon credit the set up of NFR headquarters in 1958 behind the development of the area. But of late, the increased traffic of trains has thrown their lives off track, the residents claim. The railway lines run from Kamakhya railway station to Paltan Bazar via Fancy Bazar and the residential areas of Maligaon are mostly located on the other side of the railway tracks. “So, to avail the main road, we have to cross the railway lines. And with increased traffic of train, a lot of our commutation gets disrupted,” Pallab Chakraborty, a businessman who daily commutes from Maligaon to Fancy Bazar, said. The residents of Maligaon railway colony said that the signal drops after every 15 minutes and it remains closed for a time span ranging between 10-45 minutes. At times the train gets delayed, but the signal drops and the road remains closed until the train

passes by. There is no certainty of how long it will take for the gates to be lifted,” Paban Sahu, a paan vendor in the vicinity of the fourth railway gate, said. On crossing the railway gate, one reaches the Mahapurush Damodardev Path, which is the only link for the region to the rest of the city. “Most of the time people cross the tracks despite the bars being down. Even motorcycles and bicycle riders dodge the signal from under, which is not very safe. But the car owners face the real problem. They remain stuck at the signals,” Sahu added. In November last year, the Centre had announced an investment of over Rs 5,000 crores to construct a 12-km-long elevated railway corridor inside Guwahati, contributing to the smart city project, to address this problem. But, the residents expressed little faith on the progress of the work and urged for a more immediate solution. n

staff quarters of the railway employees. Most of the railway land is within area 5B of the ward. The ward, mostly inhabited by Bengali-speaking population, was a centre of activities till the late 1990’s. The city, however, shifted its growth towards the Srimanta Sankardev Path, more popularly known GS Road, and the ward, marred by delayed progress and connectivity complications grew more detached from the city. “People travelling to GS Road or Paltan Bazar still say that they are going to Guwahati. They denote other parts of the city as Guwahati as if they stay outside the city,” Arindam Ghosh, a resident of Maligaon said. n

Water crisis a perennial problem

he residents of Kamakhya, further. Immediate steps should Pandu and Maligaon be taken to restore normal water complained of facing erratic supply,” Debabrata Sarma, a local of watersupplyduetotwodysfunctional Maligaon said. Now, the residents of Maligaon are receiving water every water pumps in the area. There are two water pumps to alternate day. provide water to the residents of the area – one at Kamakhya Concentrated area – Temple and another in Maligaon (5B) Pandu area. While the one at Ward No. – 5 Kamakhya Temple was set up way back in 1964 to cater Population of the ward – 38,000 water to the settlers atop the hill, the pump in Pandu was Voter Population – 20,400 set up a decade after the NFR headquarters was set up to cater Population of Maligaon: 15,000 to the then growing needs of the Ward Councillor – Nilakshi Talukdar residents there. A source in the Jal Board said that the pumps were Similarly, water supply atop the repaired three months ago, but since those were technologically obsolete, Nilachal Hills in the vicinity of the have gone out of order again much to Kamakhya Temple has also been the inconvenience of the residents of affected. The city is awaiting completion of the localities. “Water supply has been irregular at least three ambitious water supply for the past several weeks and projects that claim will provide now the condition has deteriorated 24X7 running water, but those

Encroachment an impediment to development

he railway authorities expressed that the illegal encroachment within the railway lands is one of the biggest challenges that they are facing while proceeding with the development works of the area. Claiming that the lands were for the purpose of setting up quarters for the railway employees and other infrastructural works within the area, the Railway authorities also blame encroachment behind the confusion between NFR and GMC.

GMC does not provide the basic enmities to these encroachers as they reside within the Railway land. And since they are encroachers, we are not obliged to provide those to them either” Nripen Bhattacharyya, PRO of NFR

File photo of Kamakhya Railway Station, Maligaon where NFR has its overwhelming presence

“GMC does not provide the basic enmities to these encroachers as they reside within the Railway land. And since they are encroachers, we are not obliged to provide those to them either,” Nripen Bhattacharyya, Public Relation Officer (PRO) of NFR said. “Instead, at times, with the permission of the district administration, we have evicted a lot of these people. But, Railway being the largest transport network of the country, homeless from

different parts of the country somehow find their way here and settle down,” the PRO said. When contacted, Councillor Talukdar said, “My concern is only about the parts that are not railway lands. Those areas have no complaints.” She however said that over the course of five decades since NFR set up its headquarters, a lot of houses were built within the railway land and several pockets of civilian settlements also developed which are excluded from the railway lands. “So, it becomes difficult to

projects have been hitting backlogs since their inception. Meanwhile, the existing water supply system is getting obsolete and according to the source in Jal Board, the government is reluctant to make any further developments fearing incurrence of extra costs. “We have initiated steps for purchasing two new pumps for the area that will cost nearly Rs 14 lakhs. But that will not be enough,” a GMC source said. “This (purchase of new pumps) is just a temporary solution. The Jal Board will take over the water supply work in the entire city after completion of the mega water supply project in Guwahati. The city will face minor water crises at different locations till then,” the Jal Board said. However, to address the issue, repair work has been taken up in the Kamakhya area and normal water supply would be restored within the next two days, the GMC sources assured. n identify those houses and then provide the GMC facilities such as water, garbage disposal etc,” Talukdar added. When asked regarding the daily commuting problems faced by the locals, the PRO said, “More enhanced connectivity is considered as a parameter of development and increased traffic of trains means that the city and northeast, as a whole, is growing. These problems are a very nominal cost the residents will have to pay. That too, for a short period of time as soon, the elevated corridor is coming.” n

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Governance

Government bungalows/offices Ambitious riverfront project to give new meaning to city beautification to be shifted from riverside

n order to implement the beautification project, the government offices and bungalows situated on the riverside will be shifted to other places so that people can enjoy the river view. “The DC bungalow has already been shifted and the area has been developed from where people would be able to enjoy the river view. It would be a completely public place where people will be able to walk, sit, relax and enjoy the beautiful scenario of the Brahmaputra River,” said Chairman of GMDA Dhiren Baruah, while speaking to G Plus. The chairman said that the first phase of work has been completed; the site of the DC bungalow is ready for public and it will be opened soon. He said that the ghats will be shifted to other parts so that people can enjoy the entire view of the Brahmaputra. “The proposed project is designed by Tata Consultancy Services in partnership with a Netherlands-based firm after a thorough hydrological study of the river. Once implemented, the riverfront will have a public walk for recreational purpose with sitting provisions, night illumination, facility for cycling, leisurely sightseeing and high-thrill rides by speedboats and jetties for sea planes to take off,” said Baruah. The chairman further informed that the offices of the Police Commissionerate and Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) will be shifted to other places and the area will be developed as part of the beautification project. “The project will be done in different phases and the work of the first phase has been completed at a cost Rs. 1 crore. The government has sanctioned Rs. 9 crores till date and if necessary more amounts will be sanctioned phase-wise,” the chairman added. “The Brahmaputra riverfront in Guwahati holds tremendous potential to boost tourism in the state. The beautification project should be aesthetically appealing and reflect the cultural heritage of Assam in its work,” said Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal while taking stock of the project, adding that the project should be implemented in such a manner that the tourists feel the smartness of the city while having a look at the rich tradition and culture of the state. Sonowal also said that the project would not harm the interests of the vendors of Kachari Ghat and Uzan Bazar fish market as both the markets would be retained to reflect the traditional lifestyle. n

Riverfront beautification has been mooted as part of smart city

he riverfront beautification project will be a part of the smart city project which will come under Guwahati Smart City Development Agency Limited (GSCDAL). CM Sonowal asked the agency to incorporate provisions for prayer and festival plaza, perennial water channel along the bank. He further stressed that the beautification work should not disturb the normal course of the river. Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro), Dr. M. Angamuthu, who is also the Managing Director of GSCDAL, while apprising the Chief Minister about the development of the initiative, informed that a master plan for the project has already been prepared and survey and feasibility study has also been completed. An official of GMDA said that as part of the project, the boundary walls from Sankardeva Udyan, Bharalumukh to Sukreswar Temple have been rebuilt with grills and the state government has sanctioned Rs. 2 crores for the project. “Rs. 2 crores is not sufficient for the development project. We have also developed the

Sankardeva Udyan as part of the project and it requires analysis on the impact of the embankments and possible reclamation in the downstream areas,” the official said. A study has been done to examine the stability of the river banks, flow variations to determine the perennial water depth, estimate of floods of various return periods for design of river embankments, estimate of water surface profiles employing hydro-dynamic river flow model and design parameters for river embankments. “As the Brahmaputra riverfront development project will take time, the beautification of the park has been taken up to give an upliftment. It is very unfortunate that the Sankardeva Park can’t be developed much as it is set by the river side. In the monsoon season heavy floods washed out all the soil and the floods also damaged the environment of the park. And as it is situated near the river, the labour class people residing nearby stole all the things of the park for which it couldn’t be developed,” the official informed. n

The beautification from Kamakhya to Raj Bhawan will be done in five phases & the first phase has already been completed Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

he Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has undertaken a new project of Brahmaputra riverfront beautification from Kamakhya to Raj Bhawan to provide the city with a river view which is now missing due to the existing messy construction of houses by the riverside. This is one of the first such initiatives to develop the stretch of 5.2 kms of the Brahmaputra riverside which covers 72.45 bighas of land. The project will be completed phase-wise. The DC bungalow situated by the riverside at Kharghuli has been shifted

Riverfront beautification works going on at the old DC bungalow in Panbazar | G Plus Photo

and the entire area has been developed so that people can

enjoy the resplendent beauty of the river and its sunset. n

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Health

Diwali accounts for 10-12% of annual burn cases Most of the burn cases in Diwali occur due to bursting of flower pot crackers and since 2010 to 2016, 194 burn cases have been attributed to this cracker which is popularly called kolgos Juthika Baruah

juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

ave a safe Diwali as we all say and it has become very important to keep uttering these words so that people would become conscious and burst crackers safely as burn injuries during Diwali have become a matter of concern for the people. Around 10-12% of the burn cases take place during Diwali according to the data provided by Burn Care Foundation, a social unit of Nemcare Hospital. Most of the burn victims during Diwali are children up to the age of 18 and burning of hands, faces and eyes are common injuries witnessed during Diwali. “The cases of burn injuries are increasing as people are not aware and most of the injuries take place due to bursting of flower pot crackers (kolgos). In the last six years (2010 to 2016) a total of 279 burn cases occurred during Diwali celebrations,” said Dr. Bhupesh Prasad Sarma, Sr. Consultant and Surgeon, Burn Care Foundation (BCF). Dr. Sarma said that the BCF has collected and analysed data on

yy yy

Diwali-related burns since 2010 and according to the data 279 patients with burn injuries have been treated in the hospital out of which 194 patients suffered burn injuries due to bursting of flower pot crackers. Dr. Sarma further informed that the BCF uses the most modern methods of treatment of burns like early excising and skin grafting. He said that people can also donate skin so that it can be used on people suffering from burns. “The skin gets

Fun and frolic with crackers often lead to burn injuries | G Plus Photo

damaged once it gets burned and we have to change the skin. This has lead to improved survival, improved cosmetic healing of wounds, reduced hospital stay and reduced the cost

Causative Agents Earthen Chakari/ Lamp Phuljari

Year

Total No

Male

Female

Fire Cracker

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

Total

279

203

of treatment. Patients with 40-50% burns can now leave the hospital in 2-3 weeks’ time,” said Dr. Sarma. Dr. Hitesh Baruah, Managing Director of Nemcare Hospital and Secretary of BCF, said that in view of the recent weather changes in the region, which is attributed to the effects of global warming, they appeal to everyone to desist from playing with crackers so that it would reduce the number of burn cases and also keep the environment pollution and sound free. He asked to preserve the environment by celebrating Diwali as the festival of lights. As there was no advanced treatment earlier, burn related

deaths were more (79% in case of major burns) during the period 1980-1992. Now cases of death have been reduced to 27% after the development of modern treatment. Dr. Sarma also advised people to rush to hospital instead of applying ointments or any other formula to reduce the pain of burning. “Most people use different types of ointments which should not be used. Rather one should dip their hands or body in water immediately after one gets burned. Water is the most essential element in case of burn injury. It is also very important to do physiotherapy during the treatment so that the body parts do not shrink,” Dr. Sarma added. n

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Rain

Showers

27°/23° C

29°/23° C

29°/22° C

28°/21° C

SATURDAY Rain

26°/23° C

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Concern

Lack of public toilets remain a cause of concern for female citizens Shortage and non-availability of public toilets in the city are causing females to suffer from many diseases but GMC remains apathetic to the issue despite claims to the contrary

here has always been a shortage of public toilets in the city and although the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has come up with many schemes of

installing public toilets there has been very little to show on the ground. Roughly 60% of the country’s 1.2 billion people defecate in the open; the consequences for women

Lack of public toilets a reason for ailments of women

lthough the public toilets are a concern for the people as a whole in the city, it is the women who suffer a lot. While the female population of our society continue to face sanitation problems, the concerned officials keep saying that they’re working towards it and there are just enough toilets for women as there are for men. The officials of GMC also said that the existing toilets

are well maintained although the general public seems to have an altogether different opinion. Speaking on the diseases that female suffer from due to nonexistence of toilets, Managing Director of Nemcare Hospital, Dr. Hitesh Baruah termed it as a a very serious problem in the city and rued that the concerned department is least bothered. “Public toilets are very important in the city. Lack of it not only makes the city dirty but females have to face myriad problems. As they do not find a toilet they have to wait for long which causes many diseases like gall bladder stone, urine infection, gastritis etc,” said Dr. Baruah. He also said that they have appealed to GMC many times to construct public toilets under the Bhangagarh flyover and proposed that the hospital unit will take the responsibility for maintenance but the GMC has not come up with any positive decision. “The area is so big and there are so many commercial establishments, hospitals, offices where thousands of people come and go every day. But they do not find a single toilet to use in the vicinity and males have to urinate by the roadside. As the females do not have any option they have to wait until they reach their homes or any other suitable destination. Resultantly, they suffer from many ailments,” said Dr. Baruah. n

are huge for which they suffer from many diseases. “Public toilets are one area that we’re lagging behind in, but we’re constantly working on it. A lot of projects have

been taken up by GMC in the recent years to solve the issue. We are not just coming up with more public toilets for men and women, but also for the disabled,” said Commissioner

Juthika Baruah juthika.baruah@g-plus.in of GMC, Monalisa Goswami while speaking to G Plus. n

GMC fails to complete public toilet schemes

he GMC forever continues to be in process of constructing public toilets in many places. Such works though have not yet started and whenever they are asked about the progress they say that work will be started soon without yielding any tangible results that might make the public feel good. The places where public toilets were set to be constructed are at Chabipool, Sarabhatti Chariali, Beltola, Basistha Chariali, Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH), Mathgharia and DC office premises but till date not a singleconstructionhasmaterialized. “The construction in these areas will be started soon and we will provide the maintenance part to private companies so that they can be wellmaintained as a section of people do not know the utility of toilets and due to the unhygienic condition of the toilets people do not use them. We have also installed six numbers of portable toilets and another 4-6 portable toilets will be installed. As there is lack of space in the city we cannot construct community toilets in some places,” said an official source of GMC. The source said, “We have given a proposal to construct 100 toilets per ward of individual households and we have identified 7,135 beneficiaries which implies that more than 100 toilets will be constructed in each ward except in some wards which will have less than 100 toilets. An amount of Rs. 4,000 will be sanctioned by the Central Government per household

File photo of Guwahati’s first e-toilet

and the first instalment of Rs. 2,000 will be given to start the work. The second instalment will be given after it is uploaded on the website.” The source informed that GMC has successfully inaugurated modern public toilets under the Public Toilet scheme of Swachh Bharat Mission at Fancy Bazaar, Khanapara and Nepali Mandir and the project has been executed under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode. The salient features of the toilets are ramp provided for the physically challenged, modern urinals and water closets provided in the toilets, separate toilet provided for the physically challenged, blank walls provided which can be used for advertisements and bio-digester tanks provided as an alternative to the conventional septic tank. There are several new projects

in the pipeline. GMC had also tied up with Indian Oil Corporation to install more toilets by September 2017 but no such toilets have been installed in any of the places in the city. These toilets were expected to have Indian and western pans, urinals, bathrooms, hand dryers, showers, hand showers, tissue paper dispenser and liquid soap holders. The source in GMC informed, “We’re currently working on bringing portable and trolley mounted toilets to ease the situation. Currently, there are two on-going projects - one in Pan Bazaar (near Pani Tanki) and another below the Bhangagarh flyover.” But locals of the two areas said that no such projects have been seen so far and alleged that the GMC only hoodwinks the people by making such false statements. n

Kamrup Natya Samiti drama festival to start from 21st October

amrup Natya Samiti, a cultural organization committed to socio-cultural development of the society, has completed its centenary celebrations with a three-year long program from November 2013 to December, 2015. The organization,

which has the oldest theatre hall housed in Kumar Bhaskar Natya Mandir, at times had not been able to showcase drama due to various reasons. But this year the organization has come up with its year-long drama festival to be staged from 21st October to

November, 2018. The play to be staged on 21st and nd 22 October, 2017 is Sashythashri, a comedy play by Mahendra Borthakur which will have three shows. The next play, Mrinal Mahi by Satyaprasad Baruah, will be staged in the first week of February.

The third play, Nimila Aanka by Lakhyadhar Choudhury, will be staged in April-May, 2018 while two other plays of Prabin Phukan and Atul Chandra Hazarika will be staged in August-September and November-December respectively. The legacy of Assamese drama

and culture can be showcased by staging both epic and modern dramatic creations and keeping that in view, the Kamrup Natya Samiti has decided to stage dramas at regular intervals which would go a long way to safeguard Assamese drama and culture. n

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Business

Chinese products remain in demand despite forceful efforts to ban them Various campaigns, the administration and bodies like Bajrang Dal fail to bar Chinese products from being sold in the city markets Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

mid calls from various sections to boycott the sale of Chinese products, shopkeepers in Guwahati selling electronic items during Diwali feel that no force can stop the sale of Chinese products in Guwahati and in India. A shop owner in Fancy Bazar, Kalim Solanki, who sells decorative lights and other electronic items said, “The administration officials visited our shops and even the Bajrang Dal workers took out a rally in Fancy Bazar asking not to sell Chinese products but I challenge all and say that no one can stop sale of Chinese products especially during a festival like Diwali.” Solanki said that he asked an officer of the administration how they can stop selling Chinese products when all the big dealers and wholesalers are providing only Chinese products. According to Solanki, there

is only one or two types of decorative lights made in India and the quality of those lights are not good. Even customers do not prefer to purchase those lights. He said that the jell rice lights which are mostly used during Diwali are produced both in India and China, and the Indian lights have poor quality bulbs whereas the Chinese jell rice lights have LED bulbs and come in various colours with options of various effects. Similarly, there are other lights like the disco and laser lights which are only produced by China. Solanki clarified that they purchase the lights from wholesale dealers like Eastern Trade Agencies and if the government has to stop the sale of Chinese products, the dealers have to be first stopped from selling the same. Similarly, many other shopkeepers in Guwahati sell Chinese decorative items and all are of the view that Chinese products cannot be banned unless the government stops the import and no force can stop the

Brisk sale of Chinese lights at Fancy Bazar | G Plus Photo

sale of such products. There are many social media campaigns running after the BJP came to

No option other than Chinese products

he shopkeepers’ line of thought is that while the administration and organisations like Bajrang Dal ask the shopkeepers not to sell Chinese products why are they not stopping the dealers from bringing the products from places like Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai? A wholesale dealer, Amit Agarwal, owner of Eastern Trade Agencies said, “There is no option other than Chinese products.” He said that all the electronic items are mostly made in China and they don’t have any other option but to purchase. He said that it is nothing but a political campaign and unless India starts manufacturing these products people will have to keep purchasing Chinese products. He said that as a distributor he has to fulfil the demands and during Diwali all the decorative items are brought from the big markets based in Delhi, Kolkata

etc, where only Chinese products are available. e claimed that for the next 15 years India cannot do without Chinese products and only when India starts manufacturing such items and the government stops the import the administration and Bajrang Dal will be able to stop the sale. He said that there used to be a time when illegal Chinese products where available in the market which used to be brought in without proper papers and most of them were smuggled. But now, after GST and other government policies, it is very difficult for the smugglers to smuggle in such products. So whatever products are available are legal even if these are Chinese. He said as a dealer he cannot afford to do illegal business and he proudly claimed that he sells Chinese products and will keep selling them. n

power asking people to stop sale and purchase of Chinese products but many Guwahatians feel that

it is just a political campaign and the government can stop the sale only if import is stopped. n

Bajrang Dal claims to ban it completely by next year

fter failing to bar the sale this electronic items sold in Guwahati crackers sold this year are all made year Bajrang Dal claims it are China made, he said that this in India and only the electronic will definitely ban the sale of year they might have failed but items are Chinese. Last year many Chinese products next year. Talking next year they will ensure that the shopkeepers had complained that to G Plus, Bajrang Dal Guwahati Zila sale of Chinese items are completely the administration had harassed Sonjujak, Deepjyoti Sarma said, banned. Regarding asking the the sellers who were selling “The sale of Chinese products is government to stop the import, the Chinese-made electronic items and the administration less this year and next had claimed that they had year we will completely seized items which were ban it.” He said that the Jell rice lights are produced both in India and without papers. The source body had submitted a China; the Indian lights have poor quality bulbs said that this year all such memorandum to the whereas the Chinese jell rice lights have LED Deputy Commissioner bulbs and come in various colours with options electronic items are legal and cannot be seized. and the administration of various effects. So the campaign had assured them that against Chinese illegal Chinese products products by the BJP-run will not be allowed to be sold in Guwahati markets. He Bajrang Dal leader did not want to government and their allies like Bajrang Dal has gone in vain said that the organisation had comment anything. Meanwhile a source in the and instead of carrying out such carried out rallies in places like Fancy Bazar and other markets district administration, talking to campaigns the government should to inform the people not to buy or G Plus, said that they raided many facilitate manufacture of such sell Chinese items and the sale is shops but did not recover any illegal products in India so that people lesser this year. On informing him Chinese items in the markets. have options and also do not face that all the decorative lights and The source added that the fire any kind of harassment. n

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

City

City gets its first automated multi-level car parking facility Saumya Mishra

nabidtoeasethetrafficwoesofthe city, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated a multilevel automated car parking facility near Sraddhanjali Kanan on RG Baruah Road in Guwahati on Tuesday. This parking facility is the first-of-its-kind in North East. The project, undertaken by Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), has been completed at a cost of Rs. 14.33 crores. The parking facility has the capacity to accommodate 302 fourwheelers and 27 two-wheelers. It consists of six levels of overground puzzle parking with moveable pallets which will be manned by trained staff, said officials.

pay Rs 15 per hour with additional Rs 10 for every hour. “This parking facility will greatly help in reducing traffic congestion on the stretch of road in front of the Sraddhanjali Kanan Park and near the state zoo. Visitors currently park their vehicles on either side of the road which causes major traffic problems for commuters and pedestrians,” said project engineer at GMDA, Pulak Kalita. He added that the multi-level parking will reduce this tendency of roadside parking by the residents. Parking has been a major cause of concern for the residents in Guwahati with more than 9 lakh vehicles including two, three and four-wheelers operating on the city roads. Apart from this, vehicles from neighbouring states also enter the The newly opened multi-level parking facility at Sraddhanjali Kanan Park | G Plus Photo

Total project cost

Rs. 14.33 crores Capacity

302 four-wheelers 27 two-wheelers Total levels of parking

6 levels of overground puzzle

of RRIPL, said that the pallet system, which can move horizontally and vertically, will make it convenient for a large number of cars to be parked simultaneously. He added that sensors are also fitted in the facility which can detect any obstruction in the parking area. “A grace period of ten minutes will be provided to the vehicles where they will not be charged the

parking fee if they decide to leave the parking facility within ten minutes of parking,” said Talukdar. He said that the ground level can park 7 cars at a time and these pellets can move horizontally. While the first, second, third, fourth levels can accommodate 36 cars and they move both horizontally as well as vertically. Finally, the top level has a capacity to park 8 cars and can move

vertically. This multi-storey car parking also boasts of some additional facilities such as rest room for drivers and care takers with toilet facilities and automated ticket-vending machines. Chief Engineer at GMDA, Debajit Das, said that he hopes this parking facility will provide maximum benefit to the residents of the city. n

parking

SHORT TENDER NOTICE NO.01 OF 2017-18

Hourly parking fee

Two- wheelers Rs 5 per hour with additional Rs. 5 for every hour Four-wheelers Rs 15 per hour with additional Rs 10 for every hour Ground level can park 7 movable pallets

cars at a time on

Sealed tenders are invited affixing non refundable court fee stamp worth Rs. 8.25(Rupee Eight & paise Twenty Five) only to be draw up in APWD F-2 Form from experienced PHED registered Contractors only for the works for Restoration of different PWSS as mentioned in Annexure attached herewith under the :; jurisdiction of Tezpur PHE Division No.II, Dhekiajuli of Sonitpur District. The Tender will be received up to 3.00 PM on 23.10.2017 and the same will be opened on 24.10.2017 in presence of the contractors or their authorized agents who would like to be present. The rate should be quoted both in figures & words inclusive of all taxes. Taxes under the –provision of GST applicable shall be deducted at source and deposited into the State Exchequer. Details of works along with the detail tender paper including Annexure- A & B may be seen & obtained from the office of the undersigned on payment of Rs. 50.00 ( Rupees fifty) only for each group in cash during office hours of all working days up to 12.00 Noon on 23.10.2017.

First, second, third, fourth levels can

The Tenderer must submit their tender paper along with Earnest Money in the form of NSC KVP/Call deposit/Fixed Deposit from Bank etc. (2% for General and 1% for SC, ST & OBC) duly pledged in favour Executive Engineer (PHE), Tezpur Division No.II, Dhekiajuli along with photocopy of up to date Renewal Registration Certificate, PAN Card, else the tender will be treated as cancelled.

Top level has a capacity to park 8

If the receiving and opening date falls in holidays or otherwise office remains closed, tenders will be received and opened on the next official working day.

accommodate 36

This parking facility has been built by Mumbai-based Ram Ratna Infrastructure Private Limited (RRIPL) and took around three years to complete. The hourly cost of parking here is Rs 5 for two-wheelers with additional Rs. 5 for every hour whereas four-wheelers will have to

cars each

cars

city every day. This results in traffic snarls. The GMDA is also planning to make the entire stretch of road in front of the Sraddhanjali Kanan Park a no-parking zone in order to ensure free flow of vehicular movement. Bijoy Talukdar, service in-charge

The undersigned reserves the right to accept or reject the request for issue / accept of tender paper with gut assigning any reason thereof and is not bound to accept the lowest quoted rate. Executive Engineer (PHE) Tezpur Division No.II Dhekiajuli Janasanyog 608/17

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Snippets

City gets its first electric bus

P Tiwari, Managing Director, Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) on Monday inaugurated the first-of-its-kind electric bus in Guwahati. The bus will ply from Paltan Bazar to Kamakhya for the initial 7 days. Passengers can avail

a free service for the 7 days. The bus will have facilities like - mobile charger, Wi-Fi, AC and comfortable seats. With this move, ASTC has become the first transport corporation in the entire Northeast to have launched this service. n

Assamese Muslims seek entry in NRC list as original inhabitants

embers of indigenous Assamese Muslim population on Sunday demanded that their community be included as ‘original inhabitants’ in the National Register of Citizens. They alleged that a section of vested interest circles is trying to mislead the NRC update process which has made the local indigenous population apprehensive about non-inclusion of their names in the NRC. Speaking at a convention organised at Haji Musafir Khana here, advocate Nekibur Zaman said that the Assamese Muslim population has a history of 800 years in India and they must be given a fair deal like any another Indian citizen. “If necessary, a special

committee should be formed to streamline the process so that names of no Indian citizens are left out,” Zaman said. “We are the sons of the soil and the state government should take necessary and immediate action against those trying to conspire against indigenous Muslim

population in the state,” said representatives from the Goria Moria Desi Jatiya Parishad. The leaders of the indigenous Muslim community coming from different walks of life were unanimous in saying that an error-free NRC must be updated at the earliest. n

Mobile app ‘Vayu’ to show air quality in Guwahati

itizens of Guwahati will soon be able to know the quality of the air they breathe when they step out oftheirhousesviaamobileapplication called VAYU (Value Air You Use). The application will also convey when it is unsafe to venture out of houses, both for children and adults.

The India chapter of Clean Air Asia (CAA ), an international organization dedicated to enhance air quality and reduceairpollution,hasdevelopedthe mobile application. Guwahati is among 14 cities across the country where this facility will be available. n

ARMY RECRUITMENT RALLY FOR LOWER ASSAM AT 4 POLICE GROUND ABHAYAPURI, BONGAIGAON FROM 24 OCT 17 TO 31 OCT 2017

Army Recruiting Office, Narangi will be conducting Recruitment Rally at 8 Assam Police Ground, Abhayapuri, District Bongaigaon (Assam) wef 24 October 2017 to 31 October 2017 for Soldier General Duty, Soldier Tradesman, Soldier Technical, Soldier Nursing Assistant and Soldier Clerk/Store Keeper Technical/Clerk inventory Management.

What the Tweet?!

Kalyan Deb

The iconic monument, Taj mahal, is in the eye of the storm and the reasons are not savoury Ramesh Srivats @rameshsrivats ‘Taj Mahal a blot, built by traitors,’ says BJP lawmaker Sangeet Som. He must be against marbles, having lost his. Ananya @mini_707070 Tajmahal a beautiful monument. But a reminder of oppression. 14 pregnancies in 19 yrs of marriage. 14 mor marriages after Mumtaz Mahal had died. Hands were cut off d artisans who build it Historian Romila Thappar shoved down our throats a history full of BLOODSHED as a LOVE STORY. Shirish Kunder @ShirishKunder “No matter how perfect you are, some pessimists will still find faults in you.” - Taj Mahal Sanjiv Bhatt @sanjivbhatt Do we deserve the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Qutb Minar...? Not really! Do we deserve the Modis, Shahs, Yogis, Soms...? Doubtlessly! The Frustrated India @FrustIndian Had Rajdeep Sardesai told Shah Jahan to build a hospital where Taj Mahal stands today, Mumtaz Mahal would have lived. Sabena Siddiqi @sabena_siddiqi Current Indian govt suffering from an inferiority complex vis a vis Muslims/ Mughals #TajMahal

Final districtwise schedule of dates is as under :a) b) c) d) e) f) g)

24 October 2017 - Chirang 25 October 2017 - dhuburi and south Salmara Manchachar 26 October 2017 - Goalpara 27 October 2017 - Kokrajhar 28 October 2017 - Barpeta 29 October 2017 - Bongaigaon 30 & 31 October 2017 - Medical of balance candidates

The Army Recruiting Office Narangi has intimated that the Admit Cards for all the candidates who have applied online for Bongaigaon Rally have been generated. The same can be downloaded from the site www. joinindianarmy.nic.in after 11 Oct 2017. Candidate will be permitted entry into the rally site only on production of Admit Card in duplicate. Anyone found with fake admit card will be handed over to police. All candidates should also bring the necessary documents and photographs to the rally ground. Touts & dubious persons should stay away from the rally site. They will be handed over to police if caught.

Recruitment rally of Army is a step towards Nation Building. Army requested all to cooperate in this noble process. For any additional information candidate may contact Army Recruiting Office, Narangi on mobile number 09476690712 or nearest Army/Assam Rifles unit.

DIRECTOR RECRUITING ARMY RECRUITING OFFICE NARANGI Janasanyog 1798/17

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Photo Feature

Celebrating at Panbazar: Phuljaris and Kolgoses The traditional ‘saki’

Brighter than a million flames: Aitas at Mother’s Old Age Home

The lit up dark sky: From Gandhi Mandap

At Rajgarh: Mother and daughter celebrate Diwali

NBD Girls’ Hostel, Cotton College, creates an attractive Alpana

Catch the best photos this Diwali captured by G Plus’s in-house photographer Surajit Sharma

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

G Talk E

Sumanta Deb

Glutton for criticism

ll my young life my mother had taught me to sing “O mur apunar dex…” standing in attention. The city’s movie halls play it as the official State Anthem where we rise from our seats in reverence. But then, a promotional video on “Awesome Assam” had me spring to attention, only to watch with ridicule, some young maidens in traditional clothes dancing to a badly sung Anthem in an awfully accented female voice. The video was terribly slow and painfully long to be dubbed as an advertisement meant for being aired on national commercial television channels where advertisements are too costly to be run for more than 30 seconds against this preparation of 3.32 minutes. Well, the video managed to stir controversy of extreme proportions and I am inclined to believe that the principal cause is the Priyanka Chopra factor. A metaphor that can be drawn is the appearance of a Lamborghini in a place like Guwahati which would hog all the attention away from the riders who brought in the car in the first place. Priyanka Chopra’s cameo appearance from a place that is distinctly not even remotely connected to Assam is that proverbial Lamborghini that disappeared before one could feel it. The only consolation was the smart line she uttered to the effect that

Understanding NDA’s governance O p i n i o n

Assam “stays with you forever.” What was difficult to understand about the video was the content and its desired target audience. The Anthem, sung twice, really would never make sense to probable tourists anywhere from Rajasthan to the USA. The quality of the rendition… Oh Gosh! The entire video is a montage of loosely assembled footages and is not backed by any commentary specifying pinpointed tourist locations. Slow to the point of being boring, the creation of the video smacked of pure incompetence and bad briefing to the producers. Rather than being a tourist promo, the “short” film looked like a communal harmony video designed for political appeasement. An advertisement essentially caters to its target market and we need to understand what would interest that market. The requirement is to speak in a language that the target market would understand. The State Anthem and all of the rest of the film do not serve this purpose. Well, what can you expect when people from all walks of life suddenly turn out to be brand communication experts while the specialists are made to stand by twiddling their toes? Glutton for criticism, this Tourism Department, isn’t it? Swapnil Bharali Editor

GUWAHATI ADDA

Let it Rain! Jain: Yaar! This is so messed up. The rain washed away my Diwali spirits this year. It feels like buying crackers was such a waste. Agarwal: Mana kia than na maine! The tides this year were never in favour of ‘pro-crackers’. What with the DC ruling for 10 PM and sale restrictions and Chinese product restrictions; you should have known better. Jain: You forgot the Social Media tirade for a green Diwali too. Those guys are the worst. First they change their profile photo to support Green Diwali, and then next day, all the pathakas on my timeline upload photos with phuljharis. Agarwal: Well, I for one am glad that lesser crackers were burst this year. It was like the Rain God punished you for disobeying Angamathu’s orders. There seems to be some equation he has with the Rain God though. He helped him control urban flooding, washed away the waste of a festival like Namami Brahmaputra and is now doing pollution control. Jain: You and the street dogs both brother! Oh look, there’s a dog! Come come, let’s post a selfie with that one and say that we didn’t burst crackers because we care about these little guys! If it rained, we might as well fish for “likes.” SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA

he Oxford dictionary defines ‘Transformation’ as “a marked change in form, nature, or appearance.” In May 2014, when the NDA government assumed power, it is likely that the winners interpreted the poll victory as a mandate to transform India by biting the bullet on “unglamorous” decisions to bring the focus of governance on improving the lives of citizens at the bottom of the pyramid. Hence, any mid-term appraisal of the government has to strike a balance at examining how it has tackled long term systemic issues and the ones which needed immediate attention. In a country of over 1.3 billion, prudent economic management and job creation is the key to fiscal and social stability. In this regard, the government has fared well. It is set to achieve the fiscal deficit targets it set forth in the Union Budget. The fiscal deficit which was 4.6% of GDP in 2013-14 (resulting in inflationary pressures) is now at 3.2% in 2017-18. This was done by curbing wasteful government spending coupled with increases in tax revenue. The positives for the government include good inflation management with food and non-food inflation at record low levels compared to the period 2012-14. However, the true test of the government will depend on the fallout of its demonetisation move, GST roll out and banking reforms. Sceptics have termed demonetisation a failure as 99% of the demonetised notes are back at the banks. However, the real success of demonetisation was the highest ever detection of unaccounted money; over 18 lakh suspected bank accounts were scrutinized, close to Rs. 3 lakh crore of the cash returned to the banks are currently under

r Hats off!

investigation, lakhs of suspicious transactions were red flagged and finally, we have become a lesscash economy. All this has led to an increase in tax compliance. For the banking system and the aam aadmi, demonetisation has led to increase in deposits, additional liquidity and softer interest rate regime. The increase of over 70% in digital payments led to an increase in the overall banking system’s efficiency. More than one crore workers were added to EPF and ESIC system post demonetisation and bank accounts opened for about 50 lakh workers; their wages are credited directly into their accounts. This brings us to GST. The rationale of the government was

The “vikas” agenda of the government is deliberate; it appears to be looking to remain in power for long and wants to focus on creating a huge vote bank of the “neo” middle class and poor who aspire for a better life. to do away with a number of state and federal indirect taxes, plug loopholes in compliance and incentivize tax filers through a system of tax credits. Now the tax rates have been rationalized to five nationwide and compliance is up (though complaints abound of poor connectivity, a slow IT backbone and cumbersome forms, amongst others). The one large transformation in the economic sphere where Modi and his FM appear to have not been successful is tackling the problem of NPAs in banks and recapitalisation of banks. Now for some other significant appraisal areas of the NDA’s transformational agenda: The “vikas” agenda of the government is deliberate; it is expecting to remain in power for long and wants to focus on creating a huge vote bank of the “neo” middle class and poor who aspire for a better life. This

is explained by steps taken for financial inclusion (over 20 crore Jan Dhan Yojana bank accounts, insurance and old age pension for the poor), its programme of taking electricity to every unelectrified village, and the PM’s appeal to the middle class to voluntarily give up their LPG subsidy and use the freed up subsidies to provide free connections to over 3 crore households. However, have things on the ground really changed? Have our roads, hospitals, schools, public transport, cities and towns improved? Has the CTO addressed the issues impacting local governance which have a far bigger and direct impact on our lives than surgical strikes or diplomatic successes with foreign powers? Why is it that projects such as the JICA-funded water supply project in Guwahati go on for years without even a drop of water reaching the citizens? Why despite making scientific advancements, have we failed to find a cure for Japanese Encephalitis which claims lives of hundreds of children every year? Why is it that our cities are, for the most part, unliveable and dirty? Are there limits to governmental intervention and a point where citizens have to take ownership to improve quality of governance? The government’s biggest failure till date appears to be its inability to transform governance in the states substantially, be it Assam or Uttar Pradesh where electoral victory does not appear to be changing things on the ground fast enough. As 2019 approaches, the NDA leadership would do well to focus on improving quality of governance in the states, bring in best practices from the Centre, and ensure a bigger focus on improving the quality of life for the poorest of the poor. n Bangaluru-based Sumanta Deb, a self professed “bhakt,” is a management consultant by profession, specializing in driving large scale organizational transformations. His views do not necessarily reflect that of his employer, a global IT company.

Letter to the Editor

he recent interview of BJP strongman Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma in one the leading TV news channel of the state was an eye opener for many of his critics. The interview which lasted for around two hours covered his past and present roles in state development. A person who is always in the eye of the storm never faltered to answer any of the queries put forward by the anchor points by point. In the whole grilling period he unmasked few of the so called intellectuals of the state namely Dr. Hiren Gohain, Arup Borbora, Udayaditya Bharali, Lakhi Nandan Tamuli, etc to name a few for their dubious and diabolical roles for almost two decades due to which the indigenous Asomiya people are at the receiving end. The clarity with which the Minister was replying to some vexed and complicated questions will make an arch critic like me stand and admire. Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma at the present juncture is miles ahead of the rest of the politicians. Hats off! Lanu Dutta Chowdhury, GNB Road, Guwahati.

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

In Focus

Master Chef Kunal Kapur finds his way to Assam and Bodo Thali. It was a day after she forwarded them the required information that Chef Kunal Kapur had made plans to come to Assam. It was for his show for Living Foodz wherein he was visiting parts of India to shoot for different varieties of traditional thalis. Since they wanted the complete feel and taste of the ethnic thalis, the experience was designed as such. The Bodo Thali was shot in a village called

uwahati is abuzz with a lot of guests from the Food Industry. Last week it was Rocky and Mayur from Highway on My Plate and this time it was Masterchef Kunal Kapur who came to shoot for his series Utsav Thalis that would be aired on the Living Foodz Channel. G Plus spoke to his chaperone Mitali Das, who took him through the fascinating cuisine of the land of rivers and blue hills. To start it off, how did Kunal Kapoor find his way to Assam? Speaking to Mitali, she said that it

came through a Facebook friend of hers, Rashmi Hazarika. “She called me up one day and said that one of her friends (Sahil Verma) was doing a research project on different cuisines of the world, specializing with thalis and asked if I could help her with the information from Northeast,” says Mitali. Since they were very particular about the thalis and did not want a spread which is generally served in restaurants or something that was very common or commercial, Mitali suggested them the Mising

Lamdang Para, near Manas National Park and the Mising Thali was shot in The Panacea Village

with the help of the owners of The Mising Kitchen. The complete shooting schedule was planned over two days. On Day 1, the whole shooting took place in The Panacea Village, Sonapur. Since they were looking for an ethnic feel, the setup was made outside with the complete feel of a traditional kitchen. Kunal was welcomed by a Mising dance. He tried playing the Dhol along with the other Dhuliyas and also tried a few steps from the dance. The location for Day 2 was a 3-hour journey from Guwahati to the village Lamdang Para. Special arrangements had already been made there. Elephants from “The Smiling Tusker Elephant camp” welcomed Kunal with the traditional gamocha. Giving a general idea about the speciality of the thalis, chef Kunal was treated to the thalis in Bell Metal utensils. The first thing that was served was Apong (Rice-beer). Some dishes were served with Khar. One particular thing that Kunal enquired was why these thalis did not come with a dessert in the end. The answer to this of course is the

fact that thalis in NE start with the Apong which acts as an appetizer and the combination of Apong and sweets do not go hand-in-hand. One special dish that was cooked in the Mising Thali was “Ranam Jorsa”- pork cooked with Elephant Apple. Mising dishes have jute leaves in them and the reason behind this is that, these leaves have medicinal qualities which help in preventing diseases that are prevalent in those areas. On day 2, the special dish that was cooked was “Moithana Winkhri”- a sour fish curry. Kunal also learnt the traditional procedure of making of Zumai. Mitali adds that apart from these shots, they captured the scenic beauty and the village ambiance and took a detailed shot on the making of Apong (Rice-Beer). Out of these, what Kunal Kapur liked the most was the Elephant Apple (Outenga), Khar, Bhoot Jolokia and rice beer. He was also presented with many traditional tokens of love and appreciation like Japi, Xorai, Assamese Gamocha, Mibugaluk (Mising jacket), Linne Mufler (Mising muffler), Siphung (Bodo flute), Aronai (Bodo gamocha), Bodo jacket and a few books on Assamese culture. He also took a special interest in learning the Assamese language. He however could only grasp “Moi Tumak Bhal Pau” and “Moi Bhal” out of everything added Mitali.

Was the district administration justified in banning bursting of fire-crackers after 10 pm? The administration’s order of banning bursting of fire-crackers after 10 pm drew a mixed bag of responses with most taking exception to it. Here are a few comments from our digital pages Oishik Kashyap This is our festival and it’s our wish up to what time we play with crackers. We people of the city will burst crackers whole night. The administration should go and ban the slaughtering of animals during Eid and other occasions. Moreover, it’s an appeal to all that burst crackers as much as possible. I mean seriously this is heights; they keep on banning everything whereas there are so many issues that need to be looked at. District administration please go and have a look around there are many important issues. Diwali is festival for celebrations, so stop such bans. Babita Pathak Dear administration, take some good steps for floods as we all know that many people suffer a lot. Some of them even lost their lives. Please don’t take this type of steps during festival like Diwali and all rather try to solve major issues instead of banning festivals. Nothing is going to change within 2 days. It’s a festival so people will enjoy in their own way. No doubt crackers are not good but still it’s a festival and people will enjoy it. But yes, bursting of crackers on roads should be banned totally. Prakash Rupani Can the District administration ban the 50 car convoy of the CM? Can the District administration ban a festival where lakhs of animals are sacrificed in a single day? Can the District administration stop taking bribes in DC court and registration offices? The answer is no. So my answer to ban on Diwali after 10 pm is a Big NO.

Prabir Kumar Talukdar I am surprised by the immense mental deprivation of people living in this beautiful city of Guwahati. You have failed to understand the basic science that you studied during your school days. Diwali is all about lights and sweets. Let’s keep aside the government for some time. How difficult is it not to light a cracker and enjoy ‘Deepavali’ in its true meaning? Why don’t you start answering yourself that you can be the change? I don’t take a bus to work nor do I have a bike. I have a wonderful bicycle that takes me to work. I don’t want people to change. I have just changed myself. If in all the 363 days, people pollute the city, what’s good for the argument that for the 2 days of the festival, let’s burn crackers and add to the existing pollution? Guys, you haven’t visited Beijing and if you do, you would know how important fresh air is all about. Let’s give a damn to the government and change ourselves. Can’t we? You have failed to understand that the whole issue has been communalized and that’s what I can see in the comments. I have no idea why you are falling into traps. Tinku Yadav People who are supporting the statement are those who never go out during a festival. What about others who really want to enjoy these two days which come only once in a year. During the rest 363 days, why don’t people show up to avoid pollution? There are over 363 ways through which our environment is getting polluted. Solve those 363 problems in 363 days. And please let everyone enjoy these two days. We would have supported the decision if it meant for every problem of pollution. But why only for Diwali? I can see old buses releasing massive smoke. Where does the government hide its face during these 363 days? For this Diwali, many are asking not to burst crackers. If they have such a loud voice, they should go and stop all those busses today and we will not burst crackers tomorrow.

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Travel

The Twilight Zone

File photo of Hong Kong Lunar New Year Fireworks 2016

t took me two scores to wise up to two truths of life: travel light and never give up on love or life! Thus in the wee hours of a chilly January morning, I boarded an Air India flight to Hong Kong (HK) with thrilling trepidation…it was 2011. The trip got off to an unsatisfactory start with the apathetic attitude of our decrepit fleet and its crew. It didn’t do justice to the cash I had shelled out and left me disgusted. To top it all my baggage got delayed and the return ticket was refunded after 3 months. No surprise there! Luckily, immediate assistance plus $500 was offered as compensation by the HK airport authorities on my plaint. The ‘Octopus’ card (a smart card that allows one to buy just about anything except love) I had bought on my earlier trip came in very handy as I took the MTR (Mass Transit Railway) to check into one of the pigeonholes (for $100 per night) in the infamous Chungking Mansions of Kowloon. Within a month my visa was approved and the contract signed (thanks to my postgraduate degree which I had doggedly completed at a distressful time). Within a week, I found accommodation in the ‘boonies’ of the New Territories (if you can call 500 sq. ft. a house although everything in HK is less than 1000 sq. ft. - even a 5 star hotel suite). The pint-sized

village flat with a sofa-cum-bed, pantry and toilet was shared with Anna, an energetic and streetsmart Filipina. My new employer Winson, a shrewd but avaricious businessman, offered me $200 per hour (HKD not USD) for part-time work, as he bluntly spelled out my job opportunities. “You stand a better chance as an NET aka Native English Teacher because your accent is not strong (meaning thick) and your skin (meaning complexion) is not so dark like other Indians and Pakistanis who have many degrees!” As I hopped into the year of the rabbit (with a paltry salary that barely covered rent) I felt secure in the knowledge that I had both feet over the threshold. While in Hong Kong I was enticed by the many tourist traps, of which I will list a few favourites. The stupendous Symphony of Lights at Victoria Harbour is a 365 days a year, glittering affair of 15 minutes every evening, displaying luminous laser beams that pollute the evening sky with an array of colours; thrown off by the many multinational company buildings dotting the busy harbour. Say what you may, but it is uniquely HK! The Peak is another such attraction that will leave you shutter-bugged. The enormity of the skyscrapers straddling the tallest mountain in HK Island could instil agoraphobia in the feeblehearted. Nevertheless, the daytime

and night-time views are simply spectacular. Personally, I prefer the double-decker bus rather than the popular tram ride to the Peak. Growing up in India, I have enjoyed fireworks of the mindboggling kind in Barpeta town of Assam, not to mention the deafening variety during Diwali. Still the thrice a year ‘Fireworks’ fanfare in the fragrant harbour is an extravaganza worth witnessing during: National day (1st Oct), Chinese New Year (start of the Lunar Calendar) and New Year’s Eve. My first ever was a dazzling, decibel-defying display of pyrotechnics at the Victoria Harbour in ’11 Chinese New Year which was well worth the 3 hours wait! Though told that it is nearly impossible to sail through the mass of bodies which comes to witness the event and that I’d have to wait for an eternity to get the best spot; I had to see what the ‘hullabaloo’ was about. ‘Don’t forget water!’ I was forewarned but promptly forgot. But I daresay it was an utterly grandiose affair, worth every drop of water I sacrificed. And amazingly after the show was over, there was absolute order; no shoving or jostling only whoops of sheer joy! When speaking of Hong Kong one cannot NOT mention Macau or vice versa. A visit to the ‘Las Vegas of Asia’ is voguish not just for die-

hard gamblers or shopaholics but also for those in need of urgent visa renewals to Hong Kong. Macau is the quickest place to get one (visa rules for Indians have changed recently). The very first time I had been there to get mine done felt like a chore (I had no money to shop or gamble). I took the free shuttles to and fro the glitzy casinos, imbibed free beverages until I felt all eyes were on this vagrant female loitering in the casinos for freebies. The next time around I wasn’t keen to burn a hole in my pocket in the City of Dreams. The first thing that comes to mind when anyone asks me about Hong Kong is SAFETY. In India where I spent most of my life, I’ve always felt like the sexiest person alive. No kidding! I have been catcalled, groped, molested, ogled at etc. ever since my chest turned into breasts. Such a shame that it happened and still happens to most of us! But here I don’t seem to draw much attention except an occasional glance at my ubiquitous facial features. A squarish jaw with high cheekbones, small round eyes,

Gayatri Das aka Gee small mouth, prominent nose and nice smile, I’ve been mistaken for every nationality but Indian. Although plagued by initial doubts and challenges, I have felt more fortunate in this city then I have had in a decade in Delhi. As I sit down with a red vino (I’m no connoisseur yet, but love a tipple or two three) to write about a second lease on life, I listen to a song that transports me back to the sensual, sun drenched beaches of Phuket. n Gayatri Das aka Gee is from Guwahati and is a resident of Hong Kong. A free-spirited traveller, she terms herself as an educator, blogger and wanderer. Her blog: sojourntraveldiaries.wordpress.com

Skylines of Hong Kong | File Photo

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Trotter

Optical illusion served by McDonald’s Posted on Sunday, the post has over tons of reactions and comments of dazed and confused people finding it really hard to spot the answer. Stared at it long enough and couldn’t find the answer? And are your eyes okay? Move away from the screen. Hiding between the lines, you’ll find the words: “Bring McNuggets.” Also, is anyone else craving for some junk after this? Hello, McDonald’s? (Source: mirror.co)

nternet loves its optical illusions and fast food company McDonald’s used that to do some clever marketing. The chain served its fans an optical illusion that had everyone a bit disoriented. Posted on McDonald’s UK Facebook page, the optical illusion is an innocent looking photo of vertical bars with the caption: “Tag a mate who should read between the lines.” Yes, the answer is actually hidden between the lines.

Mom charged with murder after allegedly putting her 2 toddler sons in hot oven

amora Williams has been charged with murder in the deaths of her 1-year-old son Ja’Karter Penn and 2-year-old son Ke-Yaunte Penn. Police say she admitted to putting the boys in the oven sometime between midnight

Thursday and 11 PM Friday. Their bodies were found on Friday, October 13th. Family members are horrified. “It was like a real horror movie,” said Jameel Penn, father of the children. “It was Friday the 13th.” An older sibling of Ja’Karter

and Ke-Yaunte was found in the home. Penn says his three-year old son Jameel Penn Jr. called him to tell him his brothers were dead. The boy was not harmed but his father says he witnessed the killings of his brothers. “He talks about his brothers,” said Penn. “He knows what happened. He talks about it all of the time.” Williams waived a court appearance on Monday and was denied bail. Neighbours say Williams often left the young children at home alone. Her sister, Tabitha Hollingsworth, says Williams has struggled with mental health issues for years. “She’s had issues from a baby,” said Hollingsworth. “Issues that my mom has tried to address with the state of Georgia.” Hollingsworth says her sister should be put on suicide watch in the Fulton County Jail. (Source: mirror.co)

Meet the man who named himself after his favourite chai

athan Yorkshire Tea Garner, the Sheffield teadrinker loves his chai so much he officially changed his middle name from Derek to Yorkshire Tea, his preferred brand of tea. The idea for Garner’s unique ode to chai came after a colleague at work teased him over his love for tea. “I was at work one day and my mate Billy said, “Chuffin’ hell, you drink so much of that stuff you should change your name to Yorkshire Tea,” the Daily Express quotes Garner as saying. Garner’s surprised employers even tweeted photos of him with his deed poll

proving the legal name change. Garner adds that while some friends and family think the move is a bit “silly,” it definitely had his mum laughing out loud. “Friends and family mainly think it’s a bit of a silly thing to do but my mum Cheryl thinks

it’s great. She laughed out loud when I told her,” Garner said. The tea-lover, who works in a concrete factory, says he has been drinking tea since the age of 12 when he was introduced to the Yorkshire Tea brand by his grandfather. The 31-year-old says he averages nearly 20 cups of tea a day. A brand manager at Yorkshire Tea says the company is “beyond flattered by (Garner’s) overwhelming love for a proper brew,” according to Munchies. The company even tweeted a photo of Garner visiting the Yorkshire Tea headquarters. (Source: theworldvibe)

Diwali greetings from Canada’s Justin Trudeau, wearing a Sherwani

anada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to social media to wish those celebrating a Happy Diwali. Mr Trudeau posted a photo of him lighting a ceremonial lamp during celebrations in the city of Ottawa, as Indian High Commissioner, Vikas Swarup and members of the Indian diaspora looked on. But it’s his choice of greeting that has a few people on social media riled up. “Diwali Mubarak!” wrote the

Canadian politician in photos posted on Twitter and Facebook. “We’re celebrating in Ottawa tonight. #HappyDiwali!” Mr Trudeau, photographed wearing a black sherwani, was immediately corrected by some on social media. The Canadian PM routinely takes to social media to celebrate different cultures and faiths. He has been spotted at least twice before in kurtas as well. (Source: ndtv)

‘We Hear You,’ Kolkata Police says on Facebook after #metoo posts go viral

or days, Twitter and Facebook newsfeeds have been flooded with posts that say #MeToo. The hashtag has been trending world over ever since women (and men), who’ve faced sexual harassment or assault, tweeted #MeToo to show the extent of the abuse. Now, in response to the viral hashtag, Kolkata Police has shared a post on Facebook saying they are ‘perturbed’ by the number of women who’ve shared their stories of abuse and that they ‘hear every single one of you’. “We at Kolkata Police have been perturbed by the number of women who have shared #metoo. And we would also like to reiterate our pledge and commitment by saying that we hear every single one of you,” says the post. In the post, Kolkata Police requests people to walk into their

police stations and report sexual harassment without being afraid. They, in turn, promise to listen to the complaints ‘with patience and kindness.’ “We also feel it important to talk to boys about the need to stop sexual harassment, and for this, we have recently launched a project, ‘Dear Boys’ in schools,” says the post. Since being shared, the post has collected almost 4,000 reactions and more than 1,000 shares on Facebook. Read it in its entirety below: “I am loving whoever is handling KP’s (Kolkata Police) social media,” says one Facebook user. “Great initiative. More patrol cars on the roads and strict action for offenders will help too. Having lived in multiple cities unfortunately I have faced the most harassment on the roads in Kolkata,” says another. (Source: ndtv)

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Reviews Cast: Aamir Khan, Zaira Wasim, Meher Vij, Tirth Sharma Director: Advait Chandan

vie Mo view Re

Secret Superstar

et in the town of Vadodara, Gujarat, Advait Chandan’s debut film, Secret Superstar, is the story of a 10th class student, Insiya Malik (Zaira Wasim), who dreams of becoming a professional singer in the big bad world of Bollywood. The film shines a spotlight on domestic violence, an issue that’s often brushed under the carpet and simultaneously sheds light on how it takes a woman to be a woman’s pillar of strength through the riveting mother-daughter bond. Even though Secret Superstar’s domestic violence-based storyline specifically speaks of one home in a tiny corner of Vadodara, Gujarat, the film resonates bigger feelings, like

it was speaking about women and the world at large. In light of chronic harassment and oppression from a patriarchal society determined to throttle women’s voices, the movie shows that women create a network of Insiyas and Najmas to draw silent strength from (the recent #MeToo movement is a fantastic display of this little world of solidarity and courage). The ones who help us fight for ourselves and each other at the same time. Sometimes these networks of voices look like our mothers and sometimes like our daughters. But most times, they look like the person we’d like to see in the mirror — the friend found in the unlikeliest of places. n

Cast: Ajay Devgn, Parineeti Chopra, Arshad Warsi, Tabu, Tusshar Kapoor, etc Director: Rohit Shetty

t has been 11 years since Rohit Shetty first introduced fans to Golmaal characters. Madhav and Gopal are back to tickle your funny bone with Golmaal Again. Starting Parineeti Chopra, Ajay Devgn, Tusshar Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Kunal Kemmu and Tabu, the film is a horror comedy, with a heavier dose of the latter. Given the nostalgic value of the film series and the stardom of the main cast, Golmaal Again is expected to touch the right chords. One thing that differentiates Golmaal Again from the rest of the bunch is the spooky

undertone that Rohit Shetty has added to this sequel. With ghosts and exorcism in the mix, one thing that especially catches attention is Tusshar Kapoor getting his voice for the first time ever in the series because of an evil possession. Also, there’s a twist in the second half of the flick which has grabbed audience’s attention. But, the surprising element of Golmaal Again is Nana Patekar. Rohit Shetty might have had a misfire with his last directorial ‘Dilwale’, but he’s bettered his most famous franchise with a film that betters its predecessors courtesy some decently smart writing. n

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Gadget Review

Here Are 4 Best Dual Camera Smartphones To Buy Right Now!

ual cameras on mobile phones are the next big fad that smartphone makers are keen on pushing to consumers. In fact, this year in the Indian smartphone market, we’ve seen quite a few devices showing off their dual-lenses, across all budgets- from the low end to the most expensive smartphones. And we’ve listed them all, making it easy for you to make your next pick.

a 5.5-inch full HD LCD display. You get dual 12-megapixel shooters at the back along with 2x optical zoom, as well as a 5-megapixel selfie camera at the front. Under the hood, the device is rocking Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 625 chipset paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage which can be further expanded using a memory card. The A1 is powered by a 3080mAh battery.

Xiaomi A1: Rs 14,999

The X Cam sports dual rear cameras – 13MP and 5MP. LG X Cam also has a 5MP selfie snapper for video calls and selfies. The device also features a gesture shutter that enables the user to set a three second timer by holding

This is Xiaomi’s first smartphone running stock Android, just like Google’s Pixel devices as opposed to its conventional MIUI that is seen on all of its devices. The device sports

LG X Cam: Rs 14,998

their hand up and forming a fist with it. Other than this, the phone features a 5.2-inch Full HD display with 1080x1920 pixel resolution. It runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow and is powered by a 1.14GHz octa-core processor. It offers 2GB of RAM and 16GB internal storage. LG X Cam also houses a 2,520mAh battery and offers 4G, LTE, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS as connectivity options.

G5 Plus and added another camera at the back, making the current G5 Plus owners frown from top to bottom. Adding dual 13-megapixel shooters at the back and an 8-megapixel selfie shooter, the Moto G5s Plus gets a 5.5-inch full HD display at the front. This metal-clad smartphone also gets Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 625 with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Powering the device is a decent 3000mAh battery.

Moto G5s Plus: Rs 15,999

OnePlus 5: Rs 32,999

Motorola refreshed its existing

OnePlus 5 has been one

of the best smartphones to go for, offering flagship-like specifications at a not-soexpensive price point. From the 5.5-inch full-HD OLED panel to the monstrous Snapdragon 835 and 6GB RAM/64GB storage, the smartphone is loaded to the neck. At the back, you get dual 20-megapixel and 16-megapixel sensors, along with an 8-megapixel selfie shooter at the front. Along with OnePlus’ superfast Dash Charging, the device sports a decent 3300mAh battery to survive the day. n

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Entertainment

Guwahati girl bags Best Actress award at ‘Views of the World’ Film Festival

iyar Saikia of Guwahati won the Best Actress award at the ‘Views of the World’ Film Festival for her role in the 2014 feature film Sold. Oscar-winning director Jeffrey D Brown’s Hollywood movie Sold is a hard-hitting child

trafficking drama based on a novel by Patricia McCormick. The real-life drama centres on a Nepali girl’s struggle after being sold into prostitution in Kolkata. Niyar Saikia plays the young girl and Gillian Anderson an American photographer who tries to rescue her. Talking to G Plus about her experience of working in Sold, Niyar said, “I had the most amazing experience ever and I do feel proud to be a part of such a venture which empowers human rights.” She further added, “It was an

extremely difficult role to play as I was just 13 when I did the movie and it had several parts where I was struggling to

dive into the role. But I learnt a lot from it and I learnt that I could handle such demanding characters. Lakshmi is a very strong character herself and to be that strong was really challenging.” Ever since it’s first screening, the film has gained acclamation far and wide. It has won awards at various festivals like the London India Film Festival, Washington DC South Asian Film Festival and Sonoma International Film Festival. Niyar had earlier received the award for the Best Actress in all India multilingual drama competition held in Cuttack in 2006 and she’s also the recipient of the national scholarship (CCRT) in the field of theatre. On receiving the Best Actress award at the ‘Views of the World’ film festival, at Montreal, Canada for the film ‘Sold’, an elated Niyar said, “I feel privileged to have been given the honour of best actress. It feels amazing.” n

1st Guwahati International Film Festival

he 1st Guwahati International Film Festival, organised by the Jyoti Chitrabon Film Studio with support from the Assam government, is set to showcase more than 75 films from across the world. The festival will be held from 28th Oct to 2nd November and showcase some of the best films from 35 nations of the world. Minister for Culture, Naba Doley, informed that the films will be showcased in 8 different categories including Indian Panorama, World Cinema, Tribute and Retrospective. The festival will take place at two different venues - Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra and Jyoti Chitrabon Film Studio. The delegate registration can be done through the official

n a proud moment for the state, an Assamese music video, “Rhythm of Brahmaputra,” has been declared the winner in Dance and Music Production category at the Arte Non Stop Film Festival 2017, Buenos Aires, Argentina. ‘Rhythm of Brahmaputra – Unheard Voice of Majuli’ is the debut music video by Dream 92 Productions and it depicts the treasured island in a completely new light. According to the description provided by Sudarson Nath, the director of the video, “The fact

that Majuli is a land of beauty is known to all. But there are many other stories on the same land which are often unseen - stories of un-kept promises, stories of raised hopes getting shattered piece by piece with the passage of time.” The music video tries to capture all of it and succeeds in doing so. The music video, which had been a semi-finalist at the Caribbean Film and Market Festival 2017 earlier this year, has now been awarded the Best Production for Music and Dance at the Arte Non Stop Film Festival Buenos Aires. n

Village Rockstar steals the show at the Jio MAMI Film Festival

Cultural Minister, Naba Doley and Chairman of Assam State Film (Finance & Development) Corporation, Jatin Bora along with the Chairman of Jyoti Chitrabon, Pabitra Margherita after registering themselves as delegates for the upcoming 1st Guwahati International Film Festival

website giff.assam.gov.in which incurs a minimum delegate fee

of Rs. 150 for students and Rs. 300 for other categories. n

North East region’s second animated movie to be produced

ased on the life and philosophy of Vaishnavite saint Sri Sri Madhabdev, AM Television Production is now producing Borar Po: Sri Sri Madhabdev, which will be the North East region’s second animated

Assamese music video wins at the Arte Non Stop Film Festival

movie. The production house recently produced the region’s first-ever animated movie titled Sarbagunakor Srimanta Sankardev, which was screened in India and abroad. Producer Sanjive Narain

announced the making of the movie at a press conference held in Guwahati. The movie will be directed by national award winning director Manju Bora and the music will be scored by national award winning singer Tarali Sarma. n

ssamese filmmaker Rima Das’ “Village Rockstars” took home multiple awards at the Jio MAMI 19th Mumbai Film Festival that closed on Wednesday, 18th October. It bagged the Golden Gateway award. The film also took home two other honours: Oxfam Best Film for Gender Equality award and Young Critics Choice award. Till 2014, 36-year-old filmmaker Rima Das was one of the many struggling actors in Mumbai. She did bit roles, but they were so inconsequential that she can’t even recall them. Thereafter, Das

decided to tell the story of a group of kids from her village, Chhaygaon, in Assam’s Kamrup district. All she had with her then was a camera and the intention of capturing the life she grew up living. Her film is now complete making her the first woman filmmaker in India to make an entire feature film all by herself. Das not only wrote and directed Village Rockstars, but also filmed it, did the production design and edited it single-handedly. Her only assistants were a group of six preteens whose story she tells in the film, which is now being shown in film festivals across the world. The director-cinematographereditor-producer said, “I am grateful to the MAMI jury and especially my children. Most of the people thought that I was mad. But the children and my family believed in me. When I started making movies, the movies were earlier selected in festivals but my mother used to ask whether I will win. So this is to my mom.” The seven-day event, which concluded on Wednesday night here, screened over 220 films from 51 countries including features, documentaries and short films. n

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Fun Horoscope of the week Romance could be sweet with luscious Venus now dancing through your leisure zone. If you’ve been working hard, this week can be an excellent time for a short break and a chance to put your relationship on a new and exciting footing. A social event could see you becoming romantically interested in someone. But there are deeper currents as Mercury, your guide planet, enters Scorpio. This could be your cue to connect with someone who can help you reach your full potential regarding your health.

With sociable Venus in your home and family sector, you may have more thoughts of entertaining. This doesn’t have to be a grand occasion, as even a small get-together with close friends or family can be a lot of fun. The cosmos also encourages you to get involved in hobbies and pastimes that you enjoy. Anything that gets your creative juices flowing can be therapeutic and restorative. Later, a desire to get your place shipshape could inspire you to deal with clutter.

With optimistic Jupiter and chatty Mercury in your home zone, you might be making plans to expand your house or be eager move somewhere that gives you more opportunities. You might even be thinking of buying a property in another country or relocating abroad. Ethnic decor and cuisine could feature in your home, bringing a taste of the exotic your way. This is great, as you’re also in a very positive networking phase. Bringing people together in your home can foster great new relationships.

The week ahead brings many chances to work on some great deals and opportunities. The people you connect with may be very open-minded and willing to consider some fascinating options. The coming weeks are excellent for marketing your business, using social media, and getting your message out to the world. You’ll also be eager to make a fresh start where finances are concerned. Go easy around Thursday, as an impulsive purchase could prove costly. You might quickly lose interest in the item, too.

With lovely Venus, your personal planet, now in your sign, you may feel truly in your element. This upbeat influence could encourage you to smooth over any difficulties as well as reach out to others for friendship and support. This week also brings a new moon in your sign, which can mark the start of a new phase. Whatever ideas or projects you have planned, particularly if they’re exciting, should be started on or shortly after Thursday for the best outcome.

Now that lucky Jupiter is in your sign with chatty Mercury, you might begin to feel more relaxed and confident. If an issue has been bugging you for some time, this fortunate influence can encourage you to have faith that it will all work out well. To reach your fullest potential, the cosmos encourages you to release and heal those issues that have been draining you for some time. You’ll be motivated to start by the end of the week.

With optimistic Jupiter, your personal planet, now in a more secluded sector of your chart, you can learn a lot from your dreams and find success by following your intuition. The coming week, particularly Wednesday, could bring an insight or revelation that helps you move forward with an exciting personal project. Also, the new moon in your social sector brings an opportunity to move in new circles. This is also a good time to connect with someone you sense could become a close friend.

There are plenty of stirrings in your sector of goals and ambitions, especially with delectable Venus encouraging you to lay on the charm. The more gracious and helpful you are to your boss or superior, the more you’ll benefit. And with a new moon in this sector on Thursday, this can be a golden opportunity to take a step toward a career or business dream. Forging new friendships could also be very important, with your social life bringing some key opportunities your way.

The coming weeks and months could be superb for you if you’re willing to put in a bit of extra effort. By doing so, you can take advantage of optimistic Jupiter’s presence in the topmost sector of your chart. Here, it could lead to empowering opportunities and a chance to enhance your reputation. The cosmos also encourages you to take on new ideas and keep on learning and upgrading your skill set. You could benefit very much from doing so.

It wouldn’t be surprising if you felt like setting sail and traveling to someplace exotic to unwind and soak up the vibes. In fact, you might be called to take all kinds of adventures over the coming weeks and months, especially those that encourage you to delve into the mysteries of life and better understand your true nature. Change is also in the cards. It could be the reason you decide this week to drop the past and embrace the future.

By what name is Marshall M. Mathers III famous in the world of entertainment?

The 1989 Steven Soderbergh movie Sex, lies and videotapes was banned in India for not its sexual content but for showing something fundamentally wrong. What? If you go to Mumbai, and someone points to a person and says he is from Alibaug, what does it mean?

What is the most famous book written in a dialect called Awadhi, spoken in parts of North India, very much in news these days?

Identify the district depicted in this map of Assam? Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Dilbert by Scott Adams

last week solution 8 7 3 9 1 45 98 63 22 74 54 11 29 65 86 77 32 56 18 21 18 47 82 76 53 21 66 95 47 39 63 89 14 31 45 36 53 77 84 92 99 25 48 53 67 Daily 2Sudoku: 4 Tue117-Oct-2017 9 8

4 57 33 99 64 82 28 11 76 5

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

5 93 29 36

6 68 87 54

52 13 41 35 77 29 84 92 18 41 6 7hard

Daily Sudoku: Thu 12-Oct-2017

hard

Word of the week Pestiferous adjective [pe-stif-er-uh s] Bringing or bearing disease.

curio-city

Daily Sudoku: Thu 12-Oct-2017

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

1. Bhoot jolokia, the raja or naga chilli 2. Eminem. 3. It had a scene where in the map of India, Jammu and Kashmir was shown as part of Pakistan. 4. He means the other person is a country bumpkin. 5. Malik Mohammed Jayasi’s Padmavat. 6. Karbi Anglong

The Kukis call it malcha phoh, in Manipur they call it Umoorok, but what do we call it more commonly?

5 6 1 1 3 6 8 5 4 7 3 5 2 9 3 4 5 7 6 47 3 2 1 9 1 1 5 5 9 6 5 7 9 9 1 6 2 1 99 2 Daily 2Sudoku: Tue117-Oct-2017 5 3 63 22 7 1 29

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

curio-city 1

Sudoku

With a lovely focus enhancing your relationships, you may find that this very positive blend of energies helps smooth over problems, as well as create opportunities you’ll relish. Meanwhile, lifestyle issues could be very much in the fore, and you may be aware of what needs to be done to get yourself in tiptop shape. This week can be a good time to gather with friends and support each other on a wellness journey. You’ll soon feel motivated to look your best.

The week ahead could encourage you to look deep into aspects of your life to find answers to some of your bigger questions. With expansive Jupiter now in your sector of transformation, you might enjoy this process. At the same time, the presence of lovely Venus in your sector of relating encourages you to listen to others and pay attention to their needs as well as your own. The new moon in this same zone could ring in changes regarding a key connection.

Crossword Across

Down

1 Monkey puzzle tree (9) 8 Robbery (5) 9 Apportion (4,3) 10 Ability to read and write (8) 11 Beatle — singer with Peter and Mary (4) 13 Persist (4,2) 14 Patience, for example? (6) 16 Given the chop (4) 17 Earthenware (8) 19 Childish fit of anger (7) 20 Ancient Greek assembly place (5) 21 Go ashore (9)

1 Small celestial body moving around the sun (8) 2 Criminally remove to an undisclosed location (6) 3 Obtain from a variety of sources (4) 4 1957 John Braine novel (4,2,3,3) 5 Gunner (12) 6 Zealous and sincere (12) 7 Buckinghamshire new town (6,6) 12 Showy but cheap or badly made (8) 15 Black Sea peninsula (6) 18 Neat — prune (4)

Last week’s solution

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Lifestyle

You are Pure Electricity

esires for sensory pleasure are electric in nature. They get neutralized as they move toward the objects of the senses. If by your skill you could move desires within you – toward the center of your existence – another dimension of everlasting pleasure, thrill, bliss, and undying love will all be yours. Lust, greed, and jealousy are powerful because they are nothing but energy – and you are the source of it, pure electricity. Dedication and devotion keep your electricity pure and move you upward. When you realize you yourself are the electricity of pleasure, your cravings subside and serenity dawns. Also, remembering that you will die makes you alive now, free from cravings and aversions. The wise ones are always careful not to get their minds entangled and dizzy. All desires have got one goal, and that is happiness. If a desire brings unhappiness, it has not reached its goal. The goal of desires is to bring happiness. So, that is the purpose. Desire comes when you are not aware of your Being, your Self. Desire is your wanting to stay in the moment. Desire is to experience joy. Joy is only in the moment. And when you are in the moment, there is no desire. Have you noticed when you are joyful and satisfied; there is no burning desire at that time. When you know you are electricity (vibration/energy), then craving, greed, lust, and anger disappear. Then you become a true celebration.

shri shri ravi shankar Founder- Art of Living Foundation.

As I Drove On Darkness fell as I left off, On a vehicle two wheeled and a road long,

Rain fell gently with a breeze, Tickling leaves of thousand trees Dampening the road and finally me With memories of places I have never been. Its embraces were cold and its kisses fast Riding my cheeks, I knew it wouldn’t last I didn’t want it gone but the time was past. Who can avoid what the dices cast? The gentle drops became only one As my friend ended its short run Gone beyond. I drove on. To my sides familiar ghosts danced I didn’t look either way lest I be tranced Lives of people shifting in a glance Without a penny or dime, Lost in the land. Going through these familiar lanes Shades of light changing in the way Ending up together despite the change.

ver the last couple of years, Indians’ favourite saving avenue - ‘Savings Account’ has not been able to offer the kind of returns they once did. This development has escalated difficulties for savers who used to retain some excess cash into these avenues for unpredictable occurrences. Keeping up to six times the monthly expenses, as a predicament fund, is always financially recommended. But, as the savings interest rates are going down, the emergency fund will fetch lesser now. This particularly applies to the traditional savers, who enjoy flexible withdrawal facilities from their Savings Accounts. Now with Diwali around the corner, many of us earn an additional Diwali Bonus from our employer

Remedies For 10 Different Problems

Towards home I drove on.

Bright and dark, we’re all the same

Liquid Funds, a smart way to manage Surplus Cash

VAASTU SHASTRA

The loud noises can’t distract me enough Vehicles move away, small or tough. Sharing roads Sanjali Dixit BA Part 3 University of Allahabad

which is a lump sum, yearly income. More often than not, this surplus cash either gets exhausted unknowingly in miscellaneous requirements or lies in the savings account not earning to its full potential. With the emergence of financial markets, smart savers can continue to maintain the liquidity of emergency fund, and at the same time deploy windfall gains or festive bonuses through investments in Liquid Funds; it additionally helps them gain better returns. The returns are better as compared to the savings accounts without much compromise with the liquidity and availability of funds. Liquid funds are a special category of mutual funds that invest in debt and money market securities with a maturity limit of up to 91 days only.

I drove on.

Accordingly, they are not subject to unstable changes due to the interest rate movements in the market. They derive their name from the liquidity they offer for the invested funds, as they provide faster redemption proceeds than regular equity or debt mutual funds. The redemption requests in liquid funds are processed at a faster pace and any request made before 2 PM on a working day gets the amount in your bank the very next working day. While liquid funds do not guarantee fixed returns, we can still have a fair idea of the returns generated through the historical returns of such fund categories. As per the available data for the returns generated, the top 10 liquid funds gave returns ranging from 7.60% to 9.00% over the last

If a business is not doing well, try this simple remedy. Write the name and type of the business with details on a yellow board with red ink and hang it at the south end, i.e. facing north. If a product is not selling for a long time, shift it to the north-west portion of the business establishment and see the difference. . If students are not doing well in studies, ensure that their study room is at north-east, east or north and they are studying facing east or north only. Married couples, wishing to have children, should see that the north-east corner of the house and the plot is kept clean. They should not sleep in the northeastern most room. Keep mirrors and clocks on the eastern or northern walls. This will solve lot of minor Vaastu problems. If the children are not listening to parents and being careless, they should never be allowed to sleep in the rooms at south-west, south or north-west directions. They will start dominating the

2 3 4 5 6

one year. This may be compared with the savings accounts rates of 3.50% prevalent in most of the banks and even the fixed deposits offered a range of 6.50% to 7.00% for one-year horizon. A basic calculation for a person having Rs. 75,000 monthly expenses and keeping 6 months’ funds as an emergency corpus in savings account shows that he could add Rs. 11,250 to his income every year merely opting to invest in a liquid fund providing an average return of 6.0%. Any additional income is indeed welcome. “There is nothing certain in this world, except death and taxes.” This quote by Benjamin Franklin makes it crucial for us to understand the tax implications of the investment made. If withdrawn from 36 months from the date of investment, the returns from

parents at south-west and will hardly stay at home if allowed to stay at north-west. In such cases, the west and the east are the best options. If there is no co-ordination among family members, then a happy family picture with all the members should be kept at the south-west corner. If you need the cooperation and help from certain person(s) at all times, keep a photo of that person(s) in the northwestern corner of your bedroom or living room. If the marriage of your daughter is delayed, let her sleep in the north-western room and keep the north-west corner clean. When there is a strained relationship between the husband and the wife, hang a joint photo of both in the south-west corner of the bedroom.

7 8

9 10

Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

liquid funds are taxed at the same rates as our other incomes like interest on fixed deposits or savings accounts. But considering the better returns, it is indeed desirable to stay invested in liquid funds for better post-tax returns. Further, once the funds remain invested for more than 36 months, liquid funds provide tax-efficient returns with a tax rate of 20% with indexation benefits. Liquid funds garner a special attention as they offer better returns. Unequivocally, it becomes a better option for keeping your surplus cash without compromising with the liquidity of your funds. Pallav Bagaria CEO, Brand New Day – one of Northeast’s leading Mutual Funds Investment Consultancy and Portfolio Management Services pallav@salasarcapital.com

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Buzz

Guwahati girl wins national Tennis title

anisha Kashyap of Assam has clinched the country’s most prestigious National Title by winning the final of Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship, U/16 held from 9 Oct - 14 Oct 2017 at DLTA Complex, New Delhi. Tanisha, in her journey to final, did not lose a single set in any round and defeated all her opponents by dominating scores. In the final, the 15-year-old Tanisha outplayed Jammu and Kashmir’s Prinkle 6-1, 6-4 to win the coveted title. Primarily coached by her father Suresh Kalita, Tanisha is undergoing advanced training under former Davis Cup player and coach Vishal Uppal and is being guided by London 2012 Olympian Rushmi Chakravarthi. She also competed in the Road

to Wimbledon National Finals on grass at Wimbledon in August, 2016, becoming the only Assamese player to make it to Wimbledon at any level. Tanisha, a committed

and hardworking athlete, has brought laurels and pride to the state of Assam and will be inspiring for many upcoming junior players from the state. n

Guwahati to hold Presidential Cup Baseball Tournament

uwahati will be hosting the Presidential Cup Baseball Tournament from 20th April th to 27 April 2018 at Sarusajai Stadium and Nehru Stadium. The tournament will witness the participation of 10 countries from

DPS-Khanapara organises Model United Nations

elhi Public School, Khanapara organised a 3-day Model United Nations from 13th to 15th October, 2017 that brought together over 200

participants. The 3-day long conference was organised by a Delhi-based event management company, Lionise, which consists of personnel from

different parts of the country, all belonging to the age group of 17-20 years. The conference witnessed the participation of students from various schools and colleges of Assam and the Northeast, including National Law University and Judicial Academy, IIM Shillong, DPS Khanapara, and Faculty Higher Secondary School. Dr. Celestine Lyngdoh, Minister of Public Health and Engineering, Meghalaya was the Chief Guest of the closing ceremony held on 15th October. A cultural program was also organised by the faculty members and students of the school and various awards and certificates were presented by the invited dignitaries to the best delegates in the respective committees. n

RG Baruah’s birth anniversary observed

Floral tributes were offered at the statue of RG Baruah on the occasion of his 117th birth anniversary, on the bank of Dighalipukhuri in Guwahati on Tuesday

around the world. Before the mega event, a world class Baseball coaching camp will be held at Sonapur LNIPE stadium from 9th to 12th November with five world class coaches to provide the players with the master training. n

Guwahati lad in Under 19 Indian team for Asia Cup

ixteen year old Guwahati boy Riyan Parag has been selected for the Under 19 Team India to play in the Asia Cup 2017. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday announced the India U-19 squad for the fourth edition of the Under-19 Asia Cup to be played in Malaysia from 9th to

he RG Baruah Smriti Rakhya Committee, Guwahati organised a programme on the occasion of the 117th birth anniversary celebration of Singhapurush Radha Govinda Baruah at Kanaklal Barua auditorium of the Assam State Museum, Guwahati. Dwelling at length on the topics like the origin of the term ‘scientific temper’ and its present status in the society, eminent researcher and author, Dr Dinesh Chandra Goswami said, “From the days of fearing a solar eclipse to the present enthusiasm among the younger generations to witness the awe-inspiring sight, we have come a long way.” But the incidents like Ganesha idols consuming milk or the killings of rationalists like Narendra Dabholkar, MM Kalburgi and Govind Pansare, “Remind us that still a lot

20th November. Son of former Ranji player Parag Das and national record holder swimmer Mithoo Baruah, Riyan is a hard-hitting batsman and a leg break bowler. Riyan has already proved his mettle by scoring three fifties in four innings during the tour of England in July this year. Riyan had already made his debut for the state team in Vijay Hazare Trophy and The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2016-17 sessions. So far, several players from Assam have represented India ‘A’ and other teams but no one has got the India call. But the former players have been expressing hope on the youngster as capable of breaking the jinx. n

has to be done to develop that desired level of scientific temper,” he added. Paying tribute to the Singhapurush, he said that a person with independent thoughts, RG Baruah was a pioneer in every field who had the determination to fulfil his dreams. Violinist Minoti Khaund and sports journalist and organiser Premadhar Sarma were felicitated on the occasion for their contribution in their respective fields. Journalist Jadu Kakati, who could not make it to the event, would be felicitated at his home, stated the organisers. The programme was conducted by Bhuban Lahkar, the General Secretary of the committee. In the same event, prizes were given away to the winners of the RG Baruah Memorial All Assam Drawing and Essay Competition, 2017, organised by the Assam Tribune Sports Club. n

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

Events

Event: Acoustic night with Vibrant Beats Date: October 13, Friday Venue: NYX, Hotel Palacio

The very young and talented Vibrant Beats performing live at NYX on Friday the 13th

ast North E

Diva

e n crowned th ikkim has bee S m o fr u gm Peden On 2017. rth East Diva Winner of No

Date: October 14, Saturday Event: Dog and Horse show Venue: Veterinary Field, Khanapara

The Annual training camp of NCC was organised at the College of Veterinary Science. The camp witnessed two main programs â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the dog show and the horse show. The horse show was performed by NCC Cadets of the college, while the dog show was performed by NDRF members.

G PLUS | OCT 21 - OCT 27, 2017

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