G Plus Vol 5 issue 30 by G Plus

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018 @guwahatiplus www.guwahatiplus.com

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Volume 05 | Issue 30 May 19 - May 25, 2018 Price `10

Chick PG 24

It was a family trip to Macau, check forex reports: Rockybul PG 06

Only 914 out of 93,000 ‘declared foreigners’ in detention camps Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

ut of around 93,000 declared foreigners only 914 are in detention camps; so where are the rest

of them? Special Director General of Police (Border), RM Singh said, “There are two parts to these 93,000 declared foreigners. First are the ones who came between 1966 and 1971 – these are around 40,000 in numbers. The rest are of post 25th March 1971 - around

50,000.” He said that the names of the 40,000 persons from pre-1971 will get deleted from the voters’ list for 10 years. They can apply for National Register of Citizen (NRC) thereafter. Explaining further, Singh said that these persons have to register their names in the voters’ list. According to Singh more than 50% of these pre1971 “declared foreigners” have not registered their names. From the date of their registration, their names will not be included in the voters’ list for 10 years thereafter. On completion of the 10 years, they will be

Continued ON page » 2

Zoo Tinali: unique problems in one of the city’s most developed localities PG 12-13

on the block

Guwahati slums: The dark reality PG 16

Lead Story

Continued from page » 1 eligible to vote. Talking about the post-1971 declared foreigners, Singh said, “They will be apprehended and deported to Bangladesh. The figure is around 50,000.” He said that to identify these 50,000 declared foreigners, there have been 500 task forces operating across Assam since the last three years.

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

The task forces are apprehending 20-25 such foreigners every month. The task forces are facing problems in searching out such foreigners as most of them keep shifting their locations, said Singh. By bribing some people they get new documents and manage to hide their past identities. There are also allegations against the border police of delayed referral of cases to the foreigners’ tribunal.

In one such case reported where the border police made a reference (filing a case against someone doubted to be a foreigner) in 1998, the case was forwarded to foreigners’ tribunal in 2016. The foreigners’ tribunal passed the order that the person is a foreigner in 2017 and the person filed a writ petition against the order before the Gauhati High Court in 2018. So why does the border police take so long to refer a case to a foreigners’ tribunal?

Singh said that three years ago, there were only 36 foreigners’ tribunals (FT) in Assam and now there are 100. An FT is supposed to dispose a case within 60 days. Earlier, as there were lesser numbers of FTs, there were delays in registration and trials of cases, he claimed. Singh however claimed that Border Police send cases to the FT within a month. Regarding some instances where some cases were slightly

delayed in being sent to the FT, he explained that those are mostly cases of ‘D’ (doubtful) voters. He explained that in 1997, 2.30 lakh people were identified as D voters and the district administration asked the police to verify the same. This process took some time and the cases were sent to FTs a bit late, Singh claimed. But the cases referred to by border police reach the FTs within one month, he said. n

Clueless border police raise doubts on NRC being free of illegal foreigners The whole gamut of shortcomings that are surfacing even as the state is fast progressing towards having an error-free NRC

hile the state awaits publication of the second National Register of Citizenship (NRC) draft list, the big question that is surfacing is whether it will be possible for the authorities to publish an NRC that is free of illegal foreigners. In a petition dubbed as “astonishing” (wherein a previously declared foreigner’s name was found included in the part draft NRC that was published on 31st December 2017), the Gauhati High Court had observed that there appeared to be lack of coordination between the different agencies that are engaged in helping the state coordinator of the NRC, Prateek Hajela, in identifying “illegal foreigners” residing in Assam. In a peculiar incident, the name of one Ali Ahmed, who had earlier been declared a foreigner by a foreigners’ tribunal, was found to be enlisted in the part draft of the NRC published by

the government of Assam on 31st December 2017. Ahmed was declared an illegal immigrant by a foreigners’ tribunal in Sivasagar District in 2011- a verdict which was also later upheld by the Gauhati High Court. Ali Ahmed, in a bid to shed his Field Level Officers (FLO )of National Register of “declared foreigner” Citizens (NRC) are verifying documents for the tag, filed a review up-gradation of NRC | G Plus Photo petition in 2018 mentioning that his that his name was enlisted in the name appeared from Lahorighat first draft list and accordingly the constituency in the part draft of matter came to the notice of the the NRC that was published on authorities. But what if there are 31st December 2017. other declared foreigners whose Though Hajela had blamed names are on the list and who the border police for the lapse, have not approached the court? this kind of development raises Recently talking to a local news questions of whether the NRC will portal, Prateek Hajela revealed free of foreigners’ names. Ahmed that they had detected and is the only declared foreigner successfully foiled the attempts of who went to the court saying

Foreigners absconding with help of various nexuses

t is clear that a huge number of declared foreigners are untraceable. This raises the question as to why the border police did not keep a check on these declared foreigners. A senior level police officer, under condition of anonymity said, “There are many nexuses involved in helping the foreigners to remain absconding.” He said that as soon as the foreigners’ tribunal declares someone as a foreigner, the border police are expected to restrain the free movement of the foreigner. But it does not happen that way because the police fail to locate the foreigner in the first place. He explained that as soon as the police doubt an individual to be a foreigner, the papers are checked, and if found doubtful, a case is registered. He said that many lawyers help the doubtful foreigners to procure documents illegally.

Also, when the case is forwarded to the foreigners’ tribunal, the tribunal sends notices to the doubtful foreigner. In such instances, the lawyers immediately ask their “clients” (doubtful foreigners) to change their addresses. Later, when the tribunal, after having sent notices repeatedly, declares the person as a foreigner, the police are unable to find them. He revealed that in some cases, even police officials are corrupt and after taking huge amounts as bribes, they let the foreigner go. The foreigners keep shifting to different locations and with illegal means, procure various documents and even register their names in the voters’ list. Many of them even have the voters’ card. The problem has occurred as previously there was no proper database. n

Anita Verma

Standing Counsel for NRC “During the course of hearings it is found that once a foreigner is served the notice of the tribunal, he does a vanishing act and only after an ex-parte order is passed against him, he resurfaces and approaches the High Court. Had the border police kept the complete data of the foreigner at the time of reference, there would have been little scope of him to vanish. There has to be a mechanism to keep a tab on the suspected foreigners. The whole exercise of detecting and proving a suspect to be a foreigner is not only time consuming but takes a lot of patience and time of many agencies. It’s high time that all agencies come together and make it possible to have a complete database which would be there for all times to come. We have various orders from the high court which are glorified and very effective on paper. If 50% of all these orders are also implemented by the police and the district administration, the number of suspected foreigners in the detention camp would run into thousands, maybe even lakhs.” around 4,288 illegal migrants who were trying to include their names in the first draft NRC through various fraudulent means. There are many other declared foreigners in Assam who are missing and no one knows where they are. Once a person is

Police to share foreigners’ database with all agencies

he Assam Police border department has claimed that within the next month they will share a database of all the declared foreigners with all the agencies. Special Director General of Police (Border), RM Singh said, “We are preparing a database of the declared foreigners and it will be shared by all the agencies of the state and central government by next month.” He said that after the database is prepared and shared with all the agencies, the foreigners will not be able to enrol their names anywhere because the government departments will check the database

declared foreigner by the foreigners’ tribunal, the border police are expected to put them in the designated detention centres. “The border police are clueless about the whereabouts of many declared foreigners,” said a senior level police officer in Assam Police. n

before providing any document. Interestingly, after the Ali Ahmed case surfaced, the Gauhati High Court asked the chief secretary to the government of Assam to convene a meeting. The Director General of Police, Assam, Special Director General of Police (Border), Assam, state coordinator for NRC, Assam chief electoral officer, principal secretary to the government of Assam, (home and political) and additional chief secretary to the government of Assam, (in-charge home and political department) were asked to discuss the issues and find a solution. Sources revealed that the meeting was convened but there was no representation from the police. Sources also revealed that after the meeting it was decided that the state coordinator for NRC will also maintain such a database. The meeting finally decided that a central database will be developed by state coordinator for NRC where all agencies would keep updating the data. The NRC process is in its final stage and the confusion regarding who is a declared foreigner and who is not still requires scrutiny. n

City

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

BSNL losing landline and internet users Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

he number of users of the services of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) from Guwahati has reduced drastically in the last five years. They have shifted to other mobile, landline as well as internet service providers. An RTI (Right to Information) request filed in this connection revealed a drop of more than 14,600 BSNL landline users while more than 5,500 internet users have switched their service

company also took a hit over the years. In the past five years, BSNL’s profits in the GSM section saw a steep decline from Rs 43.75 crores in 2013-14 to Rs 13.08 crores in 2017-18. On the other hand, the Wimax sector or the internet service of the company is the only segment which saw an increase in its profits during the past five years. Wimax services registered a profit of Rs 18.5 lakhs in 2013-14 which increased to Rs 26.8 lakhs in 201718. However, the profits of the CDMA service saw the most exponential decline from Rs 2.2 crores to Rs 29 lakhs.

People inside a BSNL customer service centre in Guwahati | G Plus Photo providers in the last five years in Guwahati. There were a total of 53,536 BSNL landline users in Guwahati in 2013-14 whereas this number saw a steep decline to 38,872 in 2017-18. Further, there were 16,378 internet users in 2013-14 which became 10,865 in 2017-18. The data shows a continuous decline in the number of users opting for BSNL’s services over the years. Additionally, the rate of decline of the users has been almost consistent through the years. There was an initial decline of 3,000 customers from 2013-14 to 2014-15. The next year saw a decline of 5000 users, then 1000 users and finally 6000 users left the services in 2016-17. Further, the profits of the

I was facing a lot of call drop issues and the network connectivity was also consistently poor and I was left with no other option but to switch” A former BSNL mobile service user

Irked by the services, a former BSNL mobile service user informed G Plus, “I was facing a lot of call drop issues and the network connectivity was also consistently poor and I was left with no other option but to switch,” said Vedant Kalita, a student, who switched from BSNL to a private service provider a few months ago. Another irked customer, Brajesh Talukdar, said that he had to connect one number repeatedly to get through to the other side. “The call mostly did not get connected in the first attempt and I had to dial a number at least twice or thrice before I could connect my call due to network congestion,” he informed. A senior BSNL official said that they are focussing on bettering the network services in order to bring back the customers from these domains. A few months ago, Reliance customers were left stranded after Reliance Communication terminated its services and two lakh customers in Guwahati shifted to different networks. Following Reliance Communication’s debacle, Aircel customers started experiencing network congestion and started opting for different networks. Close to five lakh Aircel customers were stranded with no network. n

One held with drugs worth Rs. 50 lakhs in Guwahati

he city has turned into the drugs transit capital of the northeast. The quantity and frequency of narcotics hauls and offenders arrested is on an upward spike. In a recent incident, the Garchuk Police arrested one Daulat Khan, with heroin worth Rs 50 lakhs in Katabari. The culprit was staying in a rented house near the

Bethany School here. The police were successful in

recovering a large number of soap cases, empty containers, 55 containers filled with heroin, two laptops and one Bajaj Pulsar motorcycle from the spot. Daulat had admitted to operating in the GuwahatiBarpeta sector for a long time now. One Saiful Khan from Palhaji, Barpeta had been supplying the drugs to Daulat. n

City

SNIPPETS Himanta Biswa Sarma elected as Vice-President of Badminton Asia Confederation

r Himanta Biswa Sarma, the President of Badminton Association of India, has been elected unanimously as the Vice-President of Badminton Asia Confederation (BAC) during the Annual General Meeting of the body at Bangkok, Thailand on Thursday morning. Indian badminton has been on the rise after Dr Sarma became the President of BAI and his appointment as the VicePresident of the BAC will not only see India being represented once again at the continental federation but also poise India as one of the significant member nation of the region. Under his leadership badminton is expected to reach glorious heights not only in Asia but globally. “I would like to thank all the member bodies of BAC for instilling their faith in me. It is an honour and responsibility that I would like to deliver to the best of my capacities. I shall contribute my best to strengthen the sport in the region and bring in better coordination among Asian countries,” Dr Sarma said after the AGM. “This appointment is yet another proof of how India is perceived globally when it comes to growth of the sport and providing visionary leadership; I promise to ensure that India will be recognised as a force to reckon with in the region,” the newly appointed Vice-President of BAC further said. Along with Dr Sarma, Devender Singh, Senior VicePresident of BAI and Omar Rashid, Honourable Secretary (Events) of BAI also attended the AGM. Congratulating the BAI President’s entry into the BAC, General Secretary BAI, Ajay Kumar Singhania said, “It is an extremely proud moment for all of us. This appointment will be a huge boost for Indian badminton as well in making BAI stronger than ever in Asia and help in further developing the sport in the country going forward. Dr Sarma, who is also the chairman of Para Badminton Committee, will take over the post of Vice-President with immediate effect. n

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

The British-Muslim love story: Parted in death by encroachment at Dighalipukhuri graveyard Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

either religious nor ideological differences posed much of a barrier for British Major General, Francis Jenkins (1793 – 1866) and Moni Phutuki, until death did them apart and quite literally so. Currently, Jenkins’s grave is near the Guwahati railway station, about half a kilometre away from the Dighalipukhuri graveyard where his wife Phutuki was buried along with her freedom fighter brother Mohammad Tayabullah and their parents. The legend of their love – a Christian British major general marrying an Assamese Muslim freedom fighter’s sister – were still alive among those who lived in and around the Tayabullah Road until 2015 when Jenkins’s grandchildren wanted to visit their grandmother and could not find the grave among rubbles of half constructed buildings. A major part of the Shekhawati Kabarstan, named after its founder Shekhawat Hussain, is

Dighalipukhuri graveyard, Francis Jenkins (inset) currently being encroached upon by one of the successors of the family. “It was very shameful for us that Jenkins’s family members had come all the way from the United Kingdom to visit their grandfather and grandmother and left just visiting the former’s grave. They had plans to make documentaries and provide an

aid for beautification of both Phutuki’s and Jenkins’s graves,” Sajjad Zaheer Hussain, one of the kins of Shekhawat said. Jenkins, who sailed from Europe was appointed by East India Company in 1810 and appointed as the fifth chief commissioner of Assam in 1828. He is credited as the discoverer of Assam tea industry according to

Dr SK Bhuyan’s book “Early British Relations with Assam.” During his tenure in Guwahati, according to Ismat Alam (great neice of Moni Phutuki), it was “love at first sight” for his granduncle (Jenkins) when he saw Phutuki (grandaunt). “I heard the story from my mother. She told me that Moni Phutuki was a very beautiful woman and Jenkins got mesmerised by her beauty. Initially, her family members were not ready when he asked for her hand in marriage. But eventually, after several pleas by Jenkins, they agreed. After the marriage, she was called Phutuki Mem (short for madam, a title associated with British employees’ wives in India),” Alam said. He added, “Since then, they were inseparable until 1866 when Jenkins died. He was not buried at the family graveyard as he had never converted to Islam. A few years later, Phutuki too died and was buried alongside her parents.” After Jenkins’s family left empty handed, the Dighalipukhuri Kabarstan Suraksha Committee (DKSC) was formed by the kin of the same family to protect the graveyard. n

The encroachment and the legal battle

A plan for the dead lovers to meet again

he Shekhawati Kabarstan, set on a patta land of 1 bigha, 1 katha and 3 lechas, contains the graves of some prominent figures of Assam such as freedom fighter Tayabullah, Mani Phutuki and many other eminent personalities of Dighalipukhuri area. But it is in dire straits today due to encroachment. The land was earlier a private graveyard for Shekhawat’s family members since 1843 but later, after 1900, public burials were also conducted here which gave it a public graveyard status in 1992. “After the Curzon Hall (presently the Nabin Chandra Bordoloi (NCB) Hall and Library) was built in 1900 to honour the visit of Lord George Curzon, the then Viceroy of British India, the Muslim people who were on the Dighalipukhuri side of the Hall started burial activities in this graveyard. Due to this reason, the circle office of the Kamrup (Metro) district administration recognised this grave as a public graveyard,” Zaheer Hussain, VicePresident of DKSC said. Hussain said that the first signs of land grabbing began in 2006 by one of the family members. The locals tried to protect the land when the land grabbers filed a

case in the Court of the District & Sessions Judge, Kamrup and the committee responded through an appeal. According to the Appeal, “… since the year 2006, land mafias have been continuously trying to grab the land of the Kabarstan. The local residents as well as other locality people had been consistently trying to protect the Kabarstan….on failing to take possession, the mafias have very recently filed a Land Grabbing Case (7/2016) under the Land Grabbing Act before the Court of the District & Sessions Judge, Kamrup against the committee (DKSC).” Hussain said, “One of the grandsons of Shekhawat Hussain actually tried to grab the land. He is one of the patta holders by virtue of heredity. But since the land is now a public graveyard, he does not have any claim over it. Thus, his charges against us for claiming the land hold no ground. Still, he had put his claim over half the land and has constructed an establishment.” However, last year, all the surviving family members of the Shekhawat family have signed a No Objection Certificate for this land to be converted into a public graveyard. n

eautifying Moni Phutuki’s grave and building a memorial for Major General Francis Jenkins is among the priorities for the Dighalipukhuri Kabarastan Suraksha Committee (DKSC) once the disputes are settled in the Shekhawati Kabarstan. The committee has decided to stop burial activities and convert this place into a symbol of love and as a recreational site. “The Sarania Kabarstan in Ulubari is in the vicinity and one can bury there. This area will be developed into a memorial and recreational site,” Zakir Hussain, general secretary of the committee said. He added, “Moreover, people do not know the history of this region (Dighalipukhuri area) and its contribution to the Indian freedom struggle and in building today’s Assam. Mohammad Tayabullah’s grave is also here. But besides the road that is named after him, people hardly know much about the man,” Hussain added. Tayabullah was the person mainly responsible for organizing the annual general meeting of the Indian National Congress that was

A tomb at the Dighalipukhuri graveyard | G Plus Photo held in 1939 at Gauhati University here under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi. “Due to a thunderstorm, the tents at the venue got destroyed. So, Tayabullah sold a part of his land at Tayabullah Road to SK Bhuyan (author of “Early British Relations with Assam”) to get money for arranging the meeting and make it a success. We still have a letter of condolence on Tayabullah’s wife’s demise from Bapu. We will make all of these public in the graveyard after the renovation,” Sajjad Zaheer Hussain, Vice-President of DKSC said. n

Crime

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

Finger of suspicion at home guard–police nexus after Borjhar extortion incident Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

police constable, Jakir Hussain and 3 home guards - Sharif Ali, Nayan Das and Bijit Das, were arrested for extorting money from vehicles in mafia-style at Borjhar. There have been numerous allegations against the Borjhar police outpost for unwanted harassment and extortion in the name of vehicle checking. It has been alleged by some vehicle drivers that in the past, the Borjhar police outpost officials had remained mum to all these allegations. But this time, bowing to pressure from superiors, the outpost officials had to file an FIR, acting on which, Azara Police Station arrested the accused on 14th May. After this incident, it has come to light that home guard personnel are supposed to be attached to one police station for only six months. But there are some police stations in Guwahati where the same home guard personnel have remained attached beyond this specified period.

There have been numerous allegations against the Borjhar police outpost for unwanted harassment and extortion in the name of vehicle checking.

SNIPPETS Preparedness meeting held in Guwahati to tackle upcoming monsoon

Police constable Jakir Hussain and home guards Sharif Ali, Nayan Das and Bijit Das after being arrested | G Plus Photo A senior police official talking to G Plus said, “In the Jorabat police outpost there is one home guard personnel who remains in office even when he is not on duty.” The police official explained that there are nexuses between local police officers, constables and the home guards. Some home guards are close to the constables and the lower level police officers in the police stations and so, remain in office even when they are not on duty. A home guard personnel,

according to the Assam Home Guards Act, can be attached to a particular place for only 6 months. After 6 months he gets reappointed again at a different place after a break, said Director General of Assam Home Guards, AP Rout. But even after 6 months, the particular home guard personnel at Jorabat has remained attached to the outpost as he has a uniform and the local police want him to be there because of his “competence” in extorting money from the vehicles and

shops located around Jorabat. All the dhabas there sell liquor without a license. Whenever there is an imminent excise raid, the local police inform the shops accordingly. Similarly, in many police stations in Guwahati, home guard personnel remain attached for a long time and along with it their nexus with the local police continue, said the senior official. He also said that the senior police officers in the city have no knowledge about all this. n

Best performing personnel are reinstated: City police

Poor wages compel home guards to adopt illegal techniques

hough home guard personnel need to be changed every 6 months, the city police, defending the home guard personnel, said that the best performing personnel are reinstated. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) – Administration, Brajenjit Singha said, “Some home guard personnel are involved in very important works with the city police and we reinstate them after 6 months.” He said that after six months, the personnel who are reinstated remain without pay for around 2-3 days. The city police officials request the home guard department to reattach the same per-

sonnel in the same place. But only the best performing personnel get reinstated, the DCP said. There are around 1,400 home guard personnel deployed in Guwahati who are engaged in various works with the city police. Personnel who are technically savvy are involved in computer related works. Anyone with the knowledge of driving is used as driver. The home guards also serve as electricians, plumbers and are engaged in other works they are skilled at. After six months, when their tenures end, it becomes difficult for the local police to function without them if they are good performers and hence they are reinstated. n

he home guard personnel are blamed for taking bribes and extorting from vehicles and other sources but the personnel blame the government for the scenario. A home guard personnel working in a city police station said, “We get just around Rs 7,000 per month and it is very difficult to survive on that money; therefore we are compelled to earn some extra bucks.” He also revealed that they do not keep everything for themselves. The earnings are deposited with the constable they are working under, who further gives it to the police officer. Home guards only get small cuts from the entire collection. DGP of Assam Home Guards,

AP Rout said, “They earn very less and we are planning to increase the wages soon.” He also said that home guards are only trained for 3 months and then they are like volunteers who get hired whenever there is a requirement. 30% of the home guards are always without any work. Therefore, the 6 months formula is adopted so that everyone gets a chance to earn. Another home guard said that even to get a chance to work with city police, senior officials have to be bribed. Without bribing them a good location attachment is impossible. A good location is where there are possibilities of extra income or is close to a personnel’s home. n

hief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal directed the water resources department and other line departments to remain fully prepared to tackle the onslaught of seasonal floods as Assam has a record of experiencing floods due to torrential rains in the state. Reviewing the flood preparedness of the water resources department in presence of its minister Keshab Mahanta, Sonowal took stock of the strength of the embankments that were essentially created to serve as a deterrent against floods. The thrust of the meeting was flood management as the chief minister took note of the breaches on embankments caused by multiple waves of floods last year. A total of 12.02 kms of embankments were constructed as against only 0.60 km during the last two years by the previous government in the state. Moreover, the state government in the past two years raised and strengthened 103 kms of embankments and in the same period; 44 anti-erosion and town protection works were completed. To enable the state government’s preparedness for floods and to minimise the loss caused by it, a total of 168 schemes worth Rs 345 crores was taken up including plugging of the breaches, and 158 schemes have been completed so far. Sonowal asked the water resources department to complete the remaining the schemes on a war footing. Sonowal has emphasised that during the flood season food civil supplies and consumer affairs department along with other line departments and district administrations should keep the essential items ready to meet any exigency. n

Guwahati gets two new roads

midst the unpredictable weather between heavy rains and the harsh sun, Guwahati gets two new roads. East Gauhati MLA Siddhartha Bhattacharya inaugurated the newly reconstructed “Nayanpur-Jonaki Path” which falls under EastGuwahati LAC. Additionally, the MLA also laid the foundation stone for Bylane no. 5 (Sree Nagar Path) in the city. n

In The News

SNIPPETS Local BJP youth leaders arrested for gold smuggling

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

It was a family trip to Macau, check forex reports: Rockybul Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

alukbari Police, on Sunday, arrested four youths and seized two gold biscuits worth approximately Rs 10 lakhs from their possession. The youths have been identified as Joydeep Haldar, Uttam Haldar, Rajesh Madal, and Rajiv Dhar. Allegedly, the youths have been involved in gold smuggling for a long time. The gold biscuits were recovered near Saraighat Bridge from a Wagon-R bearing registration number AS-01BQ-0694. According to sources in the police, the gang used to procure stolen jewelleries from Guwahati through various channels and take the same to Hauli and convert it into gold biscuits. The biscuits were later brought to Guwahati and sold off. Police has also recovered cash worth Rs 51,800 from the vehicle. According to sources, Rajiv Dhar is the former President of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha. Reportedly, the other two apprehended are also BJP members. Police suspect a bigger nexus in the entire process. Speaking to G Plus, Ponjit Dowarah, ACP, Jalukbari said, “The youths were caught during checking at Jalukbari. We have seized 2 gold biscuits from their possession. When we investigated, we found that the gold biscuits were authentic and weighed around 300 grams. We are investigating the matter to trace the kingpin associated with the incident.” n

Prime accused in Sweta Agarwal murder case granted bail

he Gauhati High Court, on Thursday, granted bail to Govind Singhal, the prime accused in the sensational Sweta Agarwal murder case. Sweta (20), a state topper from the commerce stream in the 2015 HS exam, was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend (Govind) at his residence located in the Bharalumukh area in December last year. Her charred body was found inside the bathroom in Singhal’s residence. n

he rift in the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has further widened even as the ongoing tussle between its four-term MLA and former cabinet minister, Rockybul Hussain, and the party’s former general secretary, Anil Raja, thickens. A day after Raja alleged that Hussain had recently gone to Macau in China to convert his black money into white; the latter today held a press conference to come clean. “It was a family trip that was arranged through an agency. For a foreign trip, one has to first convert the money to the respective country’s currency. I am ready to show my foreign exchange records and my passport records. One must not bring baseless allegations without evidences,” Hussain told the media here. Raja had earlier alleged, “Hussain stayed in a luxurious hotel with a casino that day. The hotel issues certificates to legalise any requested amount of money in return for a fixed percentage. A citizen belonging to any country can produce that particular certificate before the revenue and income tax officials who will deduct a tax from the amount and the rest can be taken into the country as white money.” Raja has been a motor-mouth since last month levying several allegations of corruption against Hussain which brought the latter onto the radar of the chief minister’s vigilance cell. On April 20, a 10-member team of the chief minister’s

Anil Raja vigilance cell, headed by superintendent of police, Pranab Jyoti Goswami, started a probe into property-related allegations against Hussain. Hussain further alleged Raja of “managing” the vigilance cell’s proceedings as, according to him, Raja had threatened him with a document from the department regarding various “doubtful properties” belonging to Hussain and his family members. “My first question is how Raja got access to the vigilance cell’s documents. Those are confidential documents of an ongoing investigation. The only probability is that he is looking over the investigation. I have no problem being investigated because I am very confident of my stand. But I cannot be part of an investigation in which

Rockybul Hussain a particular person is being baselessly targeted,” Hussain said. Regarding the properties mentioned in the document, Hussain said, “These properties do not belong to me or my immediate family members. By my family members I mean my parents and my wife and son. If they wish to extend my family beyond that, I cannot be held responsible for their properties.” On the April 20 raid, the vigilance officials had questioned officials of the district administration, several revenue department officials of Nagaon Sadar revenue circle, regarding properties of the former minister. Post Raja’s allegations, Hussain had filed a defamation suit against him and had further alleged that the former is being

used by the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party. This has caused a major rift in the opposition Congress party which is already in shambles after its defeat in the 2016 assembly elections. While a section of the party including the incumbent president, Ripun Bora, and most of the senior members are taking Hussain’s side, several members of the Youth Congress and National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) have supported Raja. Echoing Hussain, Bora too said, “The BJP-led government is resorting to witch-hunt by targeting Mr Hussain. If this government is as transparent as it claims to be, it should also probe the benami properties in the names of the BJP and the AGP (Asom Gana Parishad, alliance partner) leaders.” n

Home Department directs agencies to report on Rockybul Hussain’s statewide assets

he state government is coming down heavily on Congress heavyweight Rockybul Hussain. Orders have been issued to find out properties of Hussain and his relatives and figure out if there were any wrongdoings while purchasing these assets. Reports say that after Congressman Anil Raja’s allegations, the vigilance department and anti-corruption department have filed a case and started an investigation. The vigilance department wanted to know about Hussain’s

properties spread all over Assam. They sent a letter to the home department, Assam, to help them with the investigation. The government got active after this letter from the department. According to reports the home department has sent letters to all the revenue circles and even the deputy commissioners have been intimated. The letter directs the circle offices to find out any property in the name of Rockybul Hussain, Naznin Hussain (wife) and Tanzir Hussain and inform about the same to the government.

Recently, a land deal was found in the name of Hussain’s wife in Lakhimpur. Earlier, the vigilance and anti-corruption department of the Assam Police had initiated an investigation based on Anil Raja’s allegations and had confiscated important documents from Nagaon, Samaguri and other places for examination. Interestingly, the vigilance department’s findings point out that all the details of Hussain or his relatives’ properties dated between 2002 and 2015 – the duration when Rocky-

bul Hussain was a minister in the Congress Government. Moreover, the allegations by Anil Raja against Hussain might hold some ground if the government agencies are able to find substantial evidence against Rockybul. Raja had alleged that during his tenure as forest minster, Rockybul Hussain had amassed a lot of assets in the name of his near and dear ones. Raja accused Rocky of buying properties in Delhi, Gurgaon, Bangalore, Nagaon, Guwahati and Dubai. n

City

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

xperts working in the field of bioresources and life sciences in Guwahati stressed on the need of better utilisation of renewable energy resources and alternate sources of energy. This was discussed during a symposium on bioresources and renewable energy which was organised by Asian Institute of Management and Technology (AIMT) on May 14. Speaking during the occasion, principal of AIMT, Dr Niren Deka said that utilising alternate sources of energy was a “burning problem” as non-renewable sources of energy have been depleting at a fast pace. “Bioresources is a vast term and encompasses a lot of things.

developing renewable sources of energy,” said Deka. One of the keynote speakers at the event, Dr DK Jha, professor, department of botany at Gauhati University, emphasised that it is the duty of the scientists to think of solutions using alternative sources of energy so that our future generations do not suffer. “It has already been predicted that conventional sources of energy will not last for our entire existence,” informed Jha, adding that the government has already taken a number of steps in this regard. He further said that solar energy is already being used in different parts of Guwahati which needs to be expanded further. Jha stressed on the need for properly exploiting energy from biomass which still remains untapped to a large extent. “Biomass being generated by the agricultural sector in large quantities is not being properly

It includes the agriculture, forests, biowaste and microorganisms among others,” he informed adding that the use of bioresources for renewable energy is another major challenge which needs adequate research. He further added that in the future, products like gasohol and biodiesel, which are currently used in places of petrol and diesel respectively, will be more widely used as their replacements. “All these products are made possible by a new discipline called bio process engineering. This discipline is a combination of mathematics, biology and industrial diesel which has enabled the scientists to produce such things by using biowaste as its source,” said Deka. He said one of the new developments in this field has been the use of algae for production of biodiesel in which research is being conducted. “We are in need of a good number of scientists in bio process engineering. They have to take care of the environment and are playing a crucial role in

utilised. For example, paddy straw generated in the field is used to feed cattle and also for thatching and most of it is burnt which gives rise to pollution like we saw in the case of Delhi where smog was primarily caused by the burning of paddy straw,” he added. Another keynote speaker at the symposium, Dr MR Khan, associate professor, Institute of Advanced Studies in Science & Technology, said that northeast has a lot of potential as it is rich in natural resources, flora and fauna. He referred to a study which mentioned that if biomass from the northeast is converted to ethanol, it can completely replace petroleum. Additionally, Dr Supriyo Sen, assistant professor, Assam Don Bosco University said that Assam is a hub of bioresources and biodiversity. “We have an enormous opportunity in front of us to convert the bioresrources into deliverable technologies and programmes. However, we must be sensitive to the stakeholders who are involved,” said Sen. n

Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

RPF rescues 5 trafficked minor boys from Rangia police station

he northeast has become a popular hub for human traffickers who hunt vulnerable minors and take them to places like Nepal and other parts of India as child labourers. Acting promptly on information, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) rescued 5 minor boys and arrested 2 traffickers from platform number 1 of Rangiya station on 14th May. According to Ashok Das, Inspector RPF, Rangiya, constables deployed in plain clothes as decoys approached

Janasanyog/290/18

Experts want better utilisation of bioresources for renewable energy

the suspects and interacted with them. The minors could not provide necessary answers. Taking that into account the RPF arrested the traffickers. Later, the traffickers along with the rescued

minors were handed over to GRP (Government Railway Police) for further action. Constables Rubul Mahanta, Bhaskar Malakar, Dilip Chakraborty and Manaj Ali were involved in the operation. RPF of Northeast Frontier Railway has been instrumental in rescuing minors from the hands of traffickers. During 2017, RPF had rescued 515 minor children and arrested 11 traffickers. This year, RPF has already rescued nearly 170 children from railway premises all over NF Railway. n

In The News

SNIPPETS Siddhartha Bhattacharya warns water pipeline contractors to speed up or quit

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

IPL betting nexuses under scanner; no arrests however so far G Plus reports on the brisk betting activity that takes place in Guwahati during the IPL season Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

W S

iddhartha Bhattacharya warned water pipeline contractors to shape up or ship out. The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) minister, Siddhartha Bhattacharya, minced no words and lambasted the contractors for the delay in the water pipeline project for Guwahati. Speaking at an event at Bhootnath cremation ground here, the minister said that the work started in 2009. Nine years have gone by and the companies were able to complete only 24% of the job. So it is certain that the work will not get done in the coming eleven months. Bhattacharya further stated that in the name of pipeline laying the contractors have been digging up the city roads left and right, which has become a time-consuming nuisance and nothing else. This un-planned and un-coordinated digging has created trouble for the daily commuters in the form of deposited sludge, dirt, mud and broken dusty roads. They have also been digging newly-layered roads, which is an indicator of bad planning and the minister was unhappy about this whole affair. Warning the firms the minister said that they should be ready to pack their bags if they can’t do the job properly and on time. Blasting the companies, the minister further said that the companies were given the contract to do the job and not harass the common man with their unprofessional work culture of digging everything around and not completing the work on time. The minister said that henceforth, the companies will have to inform the concerned departments in advance, where they will dig and lay pipes. Bhattacharya also inaugurated the newly-constructed Waiting Shed in memory of Late Justice Dr BP Saraf at Bhootnath Crematorium. n

ith the current edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) nearing its end with the finals scheduled for 27th May 2018, the betting business which runs in Guwahati and is connected to other states and countries is under the scanner of the security agencies. A highly-placed source in the criminal investigation department (CID) said, “We can’t reveal everything but they (the nexuses) are under scanner.” He said it is very difficult to get all the evidences against the betters and hence it requires time to take action. If all the evidences are not collected before the operation there are possibilities that the accused might get away very easily. Though the betting phenomenon is not new, security agencies have observed that the bookies have used social media networking sites and WhatsApp this year. Sources said that over 15 apps can be used to place bets. Most of these are easily available as betting is legal in several countries.

Representative Image But it becomes difficult to prove the crime if the evidences are not collected carefully. In August 2017, the CID had arrested four persons from a hotel in Guwahati. Various items

including mobile phones and computers had also been seized. The items were sent for forensic tests but the case is still pending. Sources in the investigating agency said that it is tough to

prove such cases as the modus operandi is a carefully guarded secret and the gangs work in such a way that if a bookie is arrested, the person above him will remain difficult to trace. n

Betting market works in a chain

Bets are mostly placed in evens or odds

he entire betting racket works in a chain and people from the grassroots level to the kingpin sitting and operating from a different country are connected. A person who used to bet earlier talked to G Plus under condition of anonymity and he revealed that the main betting market works in a chain. He said, “When a school kid places a bet, he places it to a small time bookie. This small timer further places the same bet with a bookie that is in better touch with another bookie based outside the state.” Similarly, a chain of bookies are tied from Guwahati to Dubai, who together run the business. The bookies are never in touch with their bosses. Now the process is simple as people just have to call the bookies or even place their bets over the internet as there are some websites, too, where betting happens.

The flow of the money happens between the punter (the person who places the bet with the bookie) and his immediate bookie. The bookie further does the transaction with the bookie based in a different state through hawala. Hawala, also known as hundi, is an informal value transfer system. Hawala is the main form of money laundering – a business running across the country and also outside. A huge amount of black money gets transferred through hawala from small towns to big cities and then outside the country. So, the betting business runs entirely on hawala. The business is entirely illegal and the money earned by the punters or the bookies are totally in black, and gets transferred to different countries. The black money is used for various activities including funding terrorism. n

here are different ways of placing bets for different events and mostly it is in the form of evens or odds. A person who used to bet earlier talked to G Plus under condition of anonymity and said, “There are some bets which are considered as even when the returns are assured for the amount of money invested.” He said that if someone bets Rs 100 on a team and this team wins, then the punter (the person who places the bet) will get double the amount invested, i.e. Rs 200. So, the money received is always even. There is also another way of betting and this process is known as “odds.” The risk of losing money is more in this form as, till the end of the game or the event, the team the punter bets on have a big chance of losing. The returns are huge in the “odds” betting. If someone is investing Rs 100, he/she has the chance of winning Rs 1000 or

even more. The rates are fixed by the bookies and the odd betting rates are fixed outside the country, usually in Dubai or Malaysia. According to betting industry sources, the Indian betting market is mostly dominated by people from south India and Gujarat. According to sources, there are shops where hawala happens in every small town in the entire northeast region and all the towns are linked to Guwahati. The city is now the hub for the northeastern betting racket. Guwahati is further linked with other states in the country. n

Health

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

NHM establishes 613 health and wellness centres Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

SNIPPETS Ola-cab driver turned goon: tries running over customer for opting online payment

ith a view to provide comprehensive healthcare to the residents, the National Health Mission (NHM) has established 613 health and wellness centres till date across the state. Officials at the NHM informed G Plus that the establishment of these health and wellness centres was one of the prime focus areas of the state health & family welfare department since the past one year. Under this initiative, the basic services of the health sub centres will be extended to provide “comprehensive primary health services in the district.” This will include maternal and child health services along with other diagnostic services, informed Debjyoti Deka, state programme manager, NHM. Officials said that in order to improve on the facilities being offered at the health sub centres, community health officers (CHOs) will be engaged in these health and wellness centres. Nilim Borah, consultant, planning at NHM Assam informed that they are also laying emphasis on providing free essential drugs and diagnostic services in every district including X-ray service, CT scan and free laboratory services. Further, under free essential services, prevention and screening of non-communicable diseases for citizens above 30 years of age will also be included from this year onwards. The NHM had carried out this programme as a pilot project in 2017 in a few districts including Kamrup (Rural), Barpeta, Nagaon, Jorhat and Dibrugarh. It will now be further extended to other districts this year. According to experts, the state still lags behind in terms of quality healthcare provided by the government, especially in rural areas. Most of the primary health centres (PHCs) and community health centres (CHCs) are reeling under staff shortage. This results in a high doctorpatient ratio in Assam which is much higher than the national average. Currently, there is one doctor per more than two thousand patients in Assam whereas, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) norms, there should be one doctor per one thousand patients. The scenario is worse in villages and other remote parts of the state as fresh graduates are reluctant to be posted in villages. During his recent visit to As-

NHM office in Guwahati | G Plus Photo sam, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu stressed on the importance of doctors serving in remote areas. Commenting on the unwillingness of doctors to take up service in rural areas, Naidu suggested that for MBBS graduates, it should be made mandatory that the first promotion would be granted only after they have served for some time in a village or rural area. The doctors who serve in rural areas must be given preference to take admission in PG medical courses, he said. Naidu also emphasised on the need to increase the health budget in the centre as well as states and to increase the number of doctors, nurses and technicians in order to eliminate shortage of manpower. Officials hope that these health and wellness centres will also play a crucial role in improving the maternal and child heath indicators of the state. Currently, the state’s child and maternal health indicators also paint a sorry picture. As per the Sample Registration System (SRS) survey, the maternal mortality rate (MMR) in Assam stands at 300, which is the highest in the county, whereas the national average of MMR stands at 167. As per National Family Health Survey (NFHS 4), a total of 30.8 % women are married before 18 years of age in Assam. This, in turn, leads to early pregnancy and contributes to high maternal mortality rate. The SRS also revealed that infant mortality rate in the state

went down from 47 deaths in 2015 to 44 in 2016. However, it is still much higher than the national average of 34. The officials said that they are also emphasising on maximum number of institutional deliveries as it contributes in ensuring safe births. At present, the institutional deliveries stand at 70.6%, while

60% institutional births take place at public facilities. Further, NHM officials said that the special newborn care units (SNCUs) in all district hospitals and medical colleges are playing a major role in newborn care. These are meant to provide intensive care to newborn babies. n

Fake doctor menace in Guwahati

n the past few weeks, two men with fake degrees were arrested on separate occasions for posing as doctors. In one case, a fraudster named Mithun Choudhury was operating in Arya Hospital in the city and was impersonating a senior doctor from Kolkata having the same name. Guwahati Police and Kolkata Police conducted a joint operation and nabbed Choudhury from the hospital. Police officials informed that the matter came to light during his background check when they found that there was a case registered against him by

the doctor in Kolkata. In another case, Fatasil police arrested a fake doctor holding a fraudulent MBBS degree who was treating people

Representative Image in the city. The man, Kapindra Prasad, hailed from Bihar and was arrested from Jyoti Kuchi. Police informed that a case has been registered and investigation is ongoing in the case. n

n the midst of all the hullaballoo and protests by the appbased cab drivers in the city, Aditya Jain, a youth from Guwahati and former MM CEO at OYO Rooms had a harrowing experience when he booked an Ola cab to the airport from Basistha and chose to pay the driver through Ola Money – the online wallet for Ola cabs. “The driver initially refused to drive but after long bout of convincing he obliged. Not even 100 metres had passed that he started threatening and abusing me. He deliberately took detours so that I miss the flight. I had a flight to catch at 8:15 pm,” Jain, who booked the cab at 5:45 pm on May 4, said. Jain said that after the driver, Charifuddin Ali who was driving a white Indica bearing registration number AS 01GC 5263, took a detour, he tried to complain to the traffic police on duty. “When the car stopped at a traffic signal, I got down and asked the traffic police. That is when Charifuddin tried to run me over. On seeing the police, he however stopped. The police asked him to pull over but he fled with my entire luggage. I tried to chase on foot but he steered right in an attempt to run me over again. I quit and booked an auto to chase it, but the driver had already fled the scene. Since I was getting late, I asked a friend and he took me to the airport,” Jain said. His father in the meantime went to the nearest police station, the Basistha Police station and complained. “When I was just about to board the flight, Ali took my call and agreed to drop the luggage at a certain location. I gave him my friend’s address where he sent the luggage by an Uber car. My friend then sent me the luggage through flight,” Jain added. Jain alleged that the Ola customer care support was of no help. “I tried their customer care and got no help from them in recovering my luggage. I asked for a refund and to blacklist the driver. While the first request was honoured after continued pestering, no action against the driver has been taken yet. They consoled me over phone but I found no written affirmation yet,” Jain added. “I felt it is my duty to let people know about this driver which is why I took this issue up on social media,” he added. n

City

SNIPPETS Free treatment of child cancer patients at B Borooah Cancer Institute

n November last year, Assam Gas Company Limited, Duliajan under its Corporate Social Responsibility had launched a noble scheme “Aparajeeya”, to provide completely free treatment to children afflicted with cancer at Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), Guwahati, irrespective of the family earnings. Mrs Rashmi Das, social worker at BBCI has stated that presently 150 childhood cancer patients are being provided completely free treatment from this scheme. Moreover, the children and their parents are provided free food and lodging facilities by the Deepsikha Cancer Care Foundation and Saint Jude’s Foundation. These facilities are available for all patients from 0 to 18 years irrespective of any financial category, further stated Mrs Das. Earlier, many families had to seek support from various NGOs like, Jiv Daya Foundation, USA , Cankids, Leukemia Crusader from Delhi, Deepsikha Foundation, Nirmal and MP Aggarwal Trust, N Borthakur Memorial Trust from Guwahati , Jaipur Foot (Bhagwan Vahavir Viklang Samiti), Ashray Concept Foods (Nutritional Supplements), KL Group and AlAmeen Welfare Society Guwahati for support for the treatment of children afflicted with cancer. According to Dr Munlima Hazarika, Assistant Professor, Pediatric Division of Medical Oncology, cancer in children is biologically different from adult cancer, because it is curable in most instances. In developed countries 80% of the children with cancer are cured. But, in India the cure rate is less than 25%, mostly due to financial constraints for starting or continuation of the treatment. Before the scheme was launched, many parents could not afford cancer treatment. “It is hoped that with this scheme in place, we will be able to achieve 80% cure rate in treating childhood cancer patients,” said Dr Hazarika. n

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

GMC kicks off cleanliness competition among city wards & NGOs Rahul Chanda rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

he Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) is organizing a cleanliness competition among the 31 Wards, 58 NGOs involved in the door-to-door garbage collection with junior technical officers (JTOs) monitoring the cleanliness of the wards and the sanitary supervisors involved in the cleanliness process in every ward. Geography Information System (GIS) specialist of GMC, Utpal Sarmah Boruah said, “The competition will be judged by a panel comprising eminent personalities of the city on the parameters of regular garbage collection, disposal system/ segregation, innovation carried out for the cleanliness of wards and the percentage of public participation in every ward.” Boruah explained that there will be some indicators under three criteria on which a survey will be conducted to find out the best wards, JTOs, NGOs and sanitary supervisors. The first criterion is the diligence of the primary collection of waste in the wards which will depend on the percentage of household level coverage of sewerage waste management

A GMC worker collecting garbage | G Plus Photo services through door-to-door garbage collection, frequency of door-to-door collection of waste, time of collection of waste from doorstep, efficiency in collecting waste at a fixed time, frequency of street cleaning and time of collection of waste from the streets. The second criterion is the behaviour of citizens of the wards and their concerns regarding storage, segregation and disposal of waste which will be studied by knowing methods

of disposal of waste by the households and establishments, extent of segregation of waste, percentage of segregated waste at source being collected in a segregated manner by the NGOs, satisfaction level of the people with respect to collection of waste from the street in their locality and satisfaction level of the people with respect to street sweeping in their locality. The third indicator is people’s awareness and participation which will be identified by

knowing the percentage of households and establishments participating in any form of awareness program, percentage of different awareness programs in which households and establishments have participated and the level of awareness and interest in participation by households and establishments in improving the solid waste management. There are five members in the panel which will select the best NGO and the ward – GMC Mayor (chairman of the panel), GMC commissioner (member), GMC associate planner (member), GMC conservancy executive engineer (member) and academician Dr Pradip Baishya (guest member). The survey for the competition has started from May 1 and will continue till July end. The results will be declared on 15th August 2018. The winning ward, JTO, NGO and sanitary supervisor will be rewarded and felicitated. The ward with 100% households getting fully covered daily by the NGOs will get 20 marks, 80% to 99% of the households getting covered daily in a ward will get 10 marks, 50-79% of the households of a ward getting covered daily by the NGOs will get 5 marks and below 50% households getting covered daily will get 0 marks. n

Special GMC squad to check littering, urinating, spitting in public places

he Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), in a positive step, is planning to form a special unit Swachh Guwahati Squad - which will act to stop littering, urinating and spitting in public places. This squad will also be

checking on those who throw garbage at public places. “All 58 NGOs who are already working with us will provide 2 persons each for this drive. These 116 personnel will be trained on how to tackle the situation in all the respective wards,”

GMC Commissioner Monalisa Goswami told G Plus. The offenders will be penalised if found guilty. The amount of penalty has not been decided yet. It will be shared between the persons collecting the fine and the GMC.

The Commissioner revealed that the squad will start working from the first week of June 2018. The initiative has been taken after studying many cities of India and the cleanliness strategies adopted by the clean cities in the country, a source revealed. n

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Storm

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32°/24° C

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29°/23° C

28°/23° C

SATURDAY Storm

32°/23° C

Governance

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

The curious case of ‘missing’ beneficiaries The social welfare department recently found six lakh fraudulent or missing names in the list of beneficiaries for Anganwadi centres after a head count Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

he state social welfare department recently detected huge irregularities in the beneficiary list for Anganwadi centres. Following the directions of the central government, the department carried out a head count of the number of beneficiaries recently in Anganwadi centres across the state. It revealed that six lakh fraudulent names were included in the list of beneficiaries in Anganwadi centres. “As per the central guidelines, we directed every Anganwadi centre to conduct a headcount of the number of beneficiaries in February. The results of this came out in March and the new list was brought into effect from April,” said a senior official in the social welfare department, on the condition of anonymity. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal took stock of the

lakh fraudulent names were included in the list of beneficiaries in Anganwadi centres

department and ordered an inquiry into the anomalies found in the number of beneficiaries. The fake names were then deleted from the list. Sources informed that allegations of fraudulently entering names into the beneficiary list which resulted in illegal siphoning of state funds had also emerged. Further, the chief minister

Double registration of names

nother senior official in the social welfare department informed G Plus that the huge discrepancies were due to the fact that some children who are already enrolled in schools, were also registered at the Anganwadi centres. Further, in some places, children who are not enrolled in the Anganwadi centres, come to eat when the meal is served. “Some centres see a surge in the number of children consuming mid-day meals when it is served and we have no option but to serve them,” said an official. He added that according to the guidelines, if a child eats a meal in an Anganwadi centre even for a day, the child automatically becomes a beneficiary. Further, sources in the social welfare department informed that during the summer vacations, the number of children attending the Anganwadi centres increases manifold. “Most of the children who are enrolled in nearby Montessori schools come to the Anganwadi centres during their summer va-

SNIPPETS Assam Baseball Association secretary’s resignation demanded

S CM Sarbananda Sonowal during a review meeting regarding the missing beneficiaries of the Social Welfare Department in Janata Bhawan | G Plus Photo

cations. If the headcount would have been carried out during the summer break, the number of beneficiaries would have been much higher,” said an official highlighting the factors behind the numbers in the beneficiary list. Authorities said that the head count was a necessary step which was conducted for the first time in the state. Prior to this, the beneficiary list was prepared after conducting a survey in each district. According to official figures, there are a total of 61,690 functioning Anganwadi centres in the state while 62,153 have been sanctioned. However, the officials said that they have now become stricter in their approach after the fiasco. “There are monitoring committees at the Anganwadi level called Anganwadi centre managing committee which conduct social audits of the centres and keep track of the workings of the centres. They will be the first ones to become aware of any irregularities and will immediately rectify it,” said an official. n

had also ordered an inquiry into the same and asked the Anganwadi in-charges to remove all the fake names from the list. This will provide a relief of Rs 150 crores to the state exchequer. Anganwadi centres are a part of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme which aims to

combat malnutrition among pregnant women and to provide adequate nutrition to children in rural areas. Officials informed that the state social welfare department sends the funds to the deputy commissioners (DCs) of respective districts every month who then disburse it further to the Anganwadi centres. n

New initiatives in Anganwadi centres

File photo of an Anganwadi centre

uthorities said that from this year onwards, fortified food will be provided in all Anganwadi centres. For this initiative, the government has tied up with NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India). Further, providing gas cylinders to all Anganwadi centres is also on the agenda. Officials informed that Vedanta group will construct 300 Anganwadi centres with proper infrastructural facilities across the state as part of its CSR activities.

“In a new development this year, we have received additional funds for water and sanitation from the central government. Apart from this, funds for Swachhta have also been provided from this year onwards,” informed deputy director of the social welfare department, Bimal Mahanta. The chief minister also conducted a review of the Poshan Abhhiyan and directed the officials to complete the works needed for its implementation. This would initially be started in 24 districts and would later be extended to all districts. n

everal baseball coaches, managers and players of Assam Baseball Association (ABA) today demanded the resignation of ABA Secretary, Dr Ashma Begum. In a press meet held in Guwahati, the coaches, managers, players and parents brought several allegations against her including misappropriation of funds, issuing duplicate certificates, receipts and admission forms as well as a fake team representing Bhutan during the opening ceremony of the Presidential Cup held in the city recently. “We are demanding the resignation of ABA secretary, Dr Ashma Begum. The umpires, coaches as well as parents demand the resignation and we have even contacted the national federation regarding this,” said Kishan Choudhury, coach of the Indian team at the Presidential Cup. Several issues including an international coaching camp, the Presidential Cup, bribes taken as well as complaints from parents were discussed during the meet. However, defending herself on the allegations, Begum stated that the Baseball Presidential Cup was scheduled to take place in November 2017, but the government postponed it to April 2018 because of events such as FIFA World Cup and the T20 match between India and Australia. Due to the delay, most of the international teams weren’t able to take part in the championship. Added to this, the presence of less than 10 international teams made us ineligible for government’s grant of Rs 1 crore which caused a fund crunch for the association. She added, “While the championship was underway, I was 9 months pregnant and hospitalised. I lost my fatherin-law during the same period. Due to my personal problems, I gave money to the coach, Kishan Choudhury and umpire Jun Dutta to smoothly organise the championship but they misused the money.” “I have worked very hard to popularise baseball in Assam. Now that the sport has gained popularity and is also part of Olympics, many people want to take my position. They know of my personal problems so they’re targeting me and coming after my position,” she concluded. n

Ward Survey

G PLUS | May

Zoo Tiniali: unique problems in one of the city’s most developed localities G Plus checks out the unique problems of Zoo Road Tiniali which otherwise, is one of Guwahati’s poshest localities Avishek Sengupta avishek.sengupta@g-plus.in

ater-logging and lack of parking space remains a perennial and the most worrying problem at Zoo Tiniali in Ward No 20. This was revealed in a survey conducted by G Plus in which 50 families of the ward were asked questions on 14 parameters of living standards; all the respondents expressed dissatisfaction regarding the availability of parking facilities while 49 (98 per cent) said that they face water logging problems. Only one respondent said that water logging is confined to a few particular lanes only. Besides being one of the most crowded and developed parts of the city, Zoo Tiniali area (20B) is also in the vicinity of two major meeting points of storm water drains – Jonali and Geetanagar. This has made this area prone to flash floods every monsoon. Last monsoon, Dulal Malakar, 27, a resident of Sugam Path here, died of electrocution from a live electrical wire in the same locality that was submerged in floods.

File photo of the flooded Zoo Road | G Plus Photo “During monsoons, commuting through this area is a nightmare. A smart shower leaves the roads in ankle deep water while a massive downpour, the kind we receive during the monsoons, makes it waist-deep,” Priyanka Kashyap, a resident there said.

“It will take time. But with the joint effort of Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), the flush out time of the water has gone down significantly. When the water comes down from the hills and flows into the drains, these

streams meet here and the drains overflow. We need to pump the water out with motors. The roads are being cleared within hours these days,” Dhiren Baruah, chairperson of GMDA said. Residents however feel that there are lapses in drain

maintenance that lead to the accumulation of garbage thereby clogging the water channels. “Floods can be mitigated to a certain extent if the drains are cleared properly,” said Bikash Deka, a resident. According to the survey, 34 respondents (68 per cent) said that there isn’t any drain maintenance or the drain network here is faulty, while 10 others (20 per cent) expressed that the existing network can be developed further through regular cleaning exercises. Meanwhile, despite having a multi-level car parking facility at Shraddhanjali Kanan, the residents feel that it is hardly used resulting in faulty parking or double parking in the area. “The Tiniali is a bit far from this parking facility. That’s why people tend to park their vehicles on the roadsides. The government should make parking at the Shraddhanjali Kanan facility mandatory and make the entire RG Baruah road a no parking zone,” Kailash Sarma, a resident there said. In the survey, the resident also responded in the negative in six other categories viz regular supply of water, pest control, streetlights, security, public toilets and drainage system. (See chart). n

98% Yes 0% No 2% In some lanes Water Logging issues

0% Smooth 100% Occassionally crowded 0% Pathetic 0% Yes 100% No Public Toilets

0% Yes 100% No Parking Spaces

22% 16% 40% 22% Street Lights

12% Yes 68% No 20% Could be better Drainage system

4% Yes 92% No 4% Sometimes Pest Control Measures

38% Yes 44% No 16% Sometimes Water Supply

Councillor Report

Negative Response

Conc

P W

0% Always 46% Sometimes 54% Never Councillor in

2% Yes 62% No 30% Sometimes 6% Only during e

Councillor Int

Ward Survey

19 - May 25, 2018

A tale of light and shade engulfs Zoo Tiniali at nights

Street lights at Zoo Tiniali | G Plus Photo

striking contrast can be noticed in the Zoo Tiniali area with regard to streetlights. While the RG Baruah Road is not only well lit, but beautified with LED lights on every streetlight post, the by-lanes are mostly dark due to lack of regular repairing. According to the survey, only 11 persons (22 per cent) expressed satisfaction about the streetlights while off the rest 39 (78 per cent), eight (16 per cent) said their lanes are vaguely lit, 20 (40 per cent) said there is insufficient light and 11 others said that there are no streetlights. “Instead of beautifying the major roads where there is already enough light, the government should concentrate on the lanes and how to keep these more illuminated. This beautification

is wastage of money that can be used for better purposes,” Kailash Sarma, a resident said. As part of city beautification, LED lights of two tones were spiralled around the streetlight poles in all the major roads of the city, including the RG Baruah road, prior to Advantage Assam - an investors’ summit which was held here last February. On conclusion of the summit, the then Deputy Commissioner (DC), Dr M Angamuthu, had announced that the move had been accepted by the residents of the city and hence the feature was made permanent. “It is not just wastage but will pose serious threat to human life during the monsoons as this area is flash flood prone. Last year also one person had died of electrocution from a live wire. This is dangerous,” Sarma added.

Water logging management is not in my control: Councillor

The incumbent DC, Virendra Mittal, had last month, announced that the LED lights will be kept switched off when it rains. The lack of streetlights in the by-lanes has affected residents so much that they have expressed insecurity living in the ward. When asked about the law & order condition, 42 respondents (84 per cent) expressed dissatisfaction. Eight (16 per cent) of them said that the ward needs more security while the rest 34 (68 per cent) said that they feel insecure living there. “This area lately has invited a lot of the young crowd who come from different parts of the northeast for education and residence. With the lanes remaining dark, these youths have become more involved in unlawful activities,” Manoranjan Das, a resident said. Apart from these, the ward also has some good sides regarding which the residents say that they are better off than other wards. One such is road condition. A majority of 36 persons (72 per cent) said that the road conditions are average while 13 others (26 per cent) said that the roads are actually good. Only one said that the roads are bad. Similarly, the ward also got the approval of the residents in terms of garbage collection, loadshedding, transport connectivity and availability of health facilities. (See Chart) n

espite being one of the most flash flood prone areas of the city, councillor Anima Deka expressed helplessness at not being able to solve the issue as it is not within her ambit. “Water logging issues are not handled entirely by the GMC. There is a committee that is looking after this menace of which, GMC is just a stakeholder. I cannot interfere in its functioning,” Deka, said. In 2013, the then chief minister, Tarun Gogoi, had formed a committee to address the problem and in 2015, though water logging happened, the magnitude of the floods, according to the city residents, was not as severe. Currently, the public works department (PWD), the GMC and the GMDA are working to mitigate water logging in the city. The councillor said that since this area remains busy and there is a lot of public congregation, the load of garbage on the drains is also high. “There are shops that dispose plastic wastes. Every day the fish, fruit and vegetable markets dispose rotten garbage here. The drains and dustbins are more loaded here than in most parts of the city. But there is no scope of expansion which limits our boundary of activity to a limited area. It is difficult to maintain such a busy area with so much of traffic and population concentration,” Deka said. Regarding parking, she said, “There is no space. Double parking on the roads has been restricted, but nobody follows. They park their vehicles wherever they want. I am

Councillor Anima Deka aware that this causes vehicular congestions and traffic jams are a regular affair here. But if the parking lots are too far from markets, nobody will use them,” she said. She said that most of her funds have been spent in constructing roads. “I am glad that people have noticed that the road conditions are better here. We want to ensure streetlights too, but we don't have much fund to repair once the streetlights get damaged. Without fund, how can these works be done?" asks Deka who is an opposition Congress councillor in the BJP majority council. Deka wishes to provide seamless garbage collection and well lit streets in the entire ward if she wins this year’s GMC council election that is expected to be held in June/July. But, her chances do not look too bright especially after a majority of respondents in the G Plus survey marked her as an underperformer. 30 persons, (60 per cent) said that she is an underperformer while 16 persons (32 per cent) marked her performance poor. Only four persons (8 per cent) expressed satisfaction with her work. n

centrated Area: Zoo Tiniali (20B) Ward No: 20 Population of the Ward: 32,000 Voter Population: 29,000 Population of Zoo Tiniali: 7,500 Ward Councillor: Anima Deka

78% Yes 22% No Community Works

election

teraction

Do you know Councillor?

0% Excellent 8% Satisfactory 60% Under performing 32% Poor Councillor Performance

Positive Response

Survey conducted by Priyanka Baroi

10% Everyday 54% Twice a week 4% Once a week 4% Fortnightly 20% Irregular 8% Never Garbage Collection

26% Good 72% Average 2% Bad 0% Pathetic Road Condition

98% Yes 2% No 0% Needs improvement Ambulance, Health Services

98% Yes 0% No 2% Needs improvement Transport Connectivity

2% Very secured 14% Secured 16% Needs more security 68% No security Law and Order

94% Sometimes 2% Half an hour daily 0% An hour daily 0% More than an hour 4% No load shedding Load shedding

14 E

G Talk D

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

Masking the development

emember how around this date two years ago, we Assamese had voted – for change? Poriborton was the basic operative word. What that change would be was never explicitly spelt out by the harbingers but we were gullible enough to have safely assumed that it meant development. After all, those shrill cries and dramatic fanfare about smart city et al were direct pointers of development. Today, the change seems to mean everything else but development. And I don’t need to be cynical to say this, just observant. The government has successfully masked this lack of development with diversions and deceptions that have totally fractured the Assamese society right through the middle. Take the case of the latest issue that has the whole of educated Assamese discussing it threadbare over coffee and on TV – the Hindu Bangladeshi citizenship and thereafter denouncing the preposterous idea. And this coming at a time and in direct confrontation to the herculean exercise of updating the National Register of Citizens which is just reaching its publication climax! I mean, who are we kidding here? It is a shame that such an issue has become so dominantly topical on media rather than any story of infrastructure

development. Prior to this were those needless events like Namami Brahmaputra, Namami Barak and even that misnomer called Advantage Assam. Effectively, in these two years, the Sarbananda Sonowal’s government has nothing tangible to show by way of development with the most ambitious development programme – Smart City – still remaining on the drawing boards and pending completion of its detailed project report. But what it has successfully done is master the art of deception and diversion of public interest towards issues that are not even remotely connected or indicative of development. And so, for all that huge brouhaha over ushering in poriborton, this isn’t a variety of change we are craving for. The city’s infrastructure today lies in shambles; some of its roads are no different from paddy fields. Why? Because water pipeline works are going on. Isn’t it really a shame that a government which assumed power with so much hopes pinned on it is today unable to even complete schemes that the previous regime had started? Thereafter, masking this failure with diversionary tactics amounts to hoodwinking, nothing more! Swapnil Bharali Editor

GDD’s love affair with DPRs

op headlines in the past three days include ‘Flood preparedness meeting held’ or ‘Sonowal reviews flood preparedness’, written 20 different ways to Sunday. However, it seems like this exercise has done nothing but made the concerned authorities sit in one big hall, run through some documents over some tea and biscuits, and one Sarma or Kalita da being instructed to disseminate a press release for the media. Let me get to the point. These flood preparedness meetings have done nothing but made the concerned departments lazy and laid back about actually dealing with the onset of monsoons. Instead of taking stock of the food and civil supplies in warehouses, the CM should’ve cracked the whip on the delayed drainage project, months ago! The erstwhile GDD minister sat on certain projects which should have been the primary focus for the government which included the improvement of the city’s drainage and the development of the riverfront area. Now we are backed into using last minute third world contingency plans like putting up embankments, sandbags and ‘preparedness’ reviews. Let’s agree that review meetings are necessary, but why turn a blind eye to the projects that have been left for ages. The riverfront beautification project, which boasts of presenting Guwahati as a smart city has been stuck in the DPR stage forever. Now half the year has gone and we are stuck gearing up for floods. Soon enough, there’ll be Ambubachi and then something else and this cycle will be on loop. For Guwahati’s sake, let’s hope the new GDD minster presents something for the public on a war footing.

Sidharth Bedi Varma

The essence of Yoga

bout two years ago when I stepped into my first Yoga class I remember walking in with awe. Straight out of two mammoth tragedies, I was what you would call “a hot mess.” The first few minutes on the mat and I knew I was on a path of healing. There are so many times when I’ve come to my mat with an aching heart only to rise up feeling full again. There is a feeling of completion and wholeness that can only come when you open your heart to the truth of who you really are. No other person can complete you. No matter how dark and twisted the world becomes, no matter how broken your heart may be, there is a sanctuary of deep, imperturbable peace within you. Once you make contact with the true light, it fills you up from the inside out. And you realize this is where you belong, in the arms of spirit, flying on wings of love. My journey of Yoga has taught me how to be strong enough to walk the path to the centre of yourself. And at the end of every practice there's that moment when my body and mind are both at rest and in unity. I often feel a tingling of good vibrations. And there is it, pure joy, and I know that every drop of sweat was worth it. Every time I get off my mat I am just that little bit happier and freer. Beyond all the lingo and the

fancy poses, Yoga is personal practice. There is no substitute for dedicated practice. It’s almost like the deep lessons of Yoga need to steep in your soul. It just can’t be rushed. No matter how naturally flexible or strong you are, the true path of Yoga is one that must be walked over a long time. If you’re ever feeling impatient about how slowly it’s going or you ever wonder whether or not it’s happening for you, remember that Yoga is interested in a slow, method shift towards a more peaceful life. Peace is not something that you can rush. It’s also not something you can turn on and off with a switch. Commit yourself to a consistent daily practice. Don’t judge yourself. Don’t compete with anyone. Just practice. And let your world change. What makes this practice

“There is a candle in your heart, ready to be kindled. There is a void in your soul, ready to be filled. You feel it, don’t you?” Everything in the universe is within you. Ask all from yourself.” Rumi touch the depths of your soul is that it breaks through to the core of your being. There is no veneer over the raw aching centre of your heart. It's all laid bare; all the cracks and wounds and everything normally hidden in the darkness is brought up to the light. I love the fact that Yoga is a global phenomenon today and I

rOpen-air gym step in the right direction

O pinion Arunima Dutta

feel so honoured to be able to see the world through the eyes of Yoga. Representing my country at The World Fitness Convention in Las Vegas in July 2017 was a big high. Whenever I meet a yogi I feel like I meet a brother or sister. It doesn't matter if we don't speak the same language or even practice the same style of Yoga. We share the same language of the body that is the practice. Because we have poured our hearts and souls into the practice we have suffered, cried, laughed and loved together. We understand what it means when we finally do a headstand or stand up a backbend for the first time. We know what it means to put in the work and grow, evolve and expand from the practice. After my first Yoga session I started nurturing a dream of having my own Yoga Center. Two years and the dream is taking form, shaping into reality. My Yoga Studio's doors are open to all now. Dreams really do come true. But they don’t just knock on your door. You have to work for them every day with every fibre of your being. But, you also have to find a good mix of grace and grit so that you’re not blocking yourself. Some things are messy and some things are clean. But all the while the most important thing is that you pick yourself up from where you are and keep moving, keep believing and keep working. And there, on your knees, in humility and surrender, grace comes in and lifts you higher than you ever could’ve flown on your own. Breathe deeply. All is good. If it isn’t just keep practicing. It’s not over yet. n (The author, while being a regular and committed blogger, is the Executive Director, RMD Institute of Education and Founder, The Yoga Studio in Guwahati)

Letter to the Editor

he first-of-its-kind open air gym which was recently inaugurated in the city will serve a very significant purpose. The residents already have very few proper open places for recreation. With a scarcity of public places and playgrounds in the city, it is imperative that such initiatives are taken by the authorities and the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) must be lauded for the move. However, the GMC will also have its task cut out for itself in terms of maintenance of the gym. I believe that it would prove to be helpful in motivating people to become more conscious about their health and fitness. Mridul Saikia

rThe risks posed by overcrowding of school buses

Letter to the Editor

e often see that school vans and buses carrying children are overcrowded with students being crammed into every inch of the space. This poses a great threat to the lives and security of the innocent children. The school authorities and the children’s parents and guardians must consider the matter very seriously. The buses and vans should not be allowed to carry more children than their maximum limit. We as adults must take the responsibility of young lives and ensure strict punishments to the drivers who flout safety norms. Ayushmita Talkudar

In Focus

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

Samir Das Karate instructor

ssam has a rich tradition of sports like Karate and martial arts. The various forms of self defense are reminders of our glorious past. The state has produced top fighters, who have won acclaim for their skills in the field in national as well as international championships. One such fighter is Guwahati’s Samir Das – a 5th Dan Karate black-belt holder. Born in Guwahati to Late Buluram Das (a railway employee) and Kamala Das (a housewife), Samir did his schooling from Railway Higher Secondary School, Pan Bazaar. As a child, Samir had always been inclined more towards sports than studies. He played football and cricket. But he started learning and practicing Karate at the young age of 12. Recalling his initial thrust to learn Karate, Samir told G Plus, “I was around 8 years old when I had gone on a tour with my father and his friends. We faced some problems during the tour and I felt helpless for not being able to help my father. It was then that I decided to learn self defense. But

Samir runs one of the finest institutions in the city imparting training in Karate. Assam Shitu-Ryo KarateDo Association, located at Railway Colony, is one of the pioneering institutions of the region in imparting world-class training

I had only heard about the art form and did not know where it was taught so I started practicing on my own, watching the sport on TV.” During one of his visits to Nehru Stadium for football practice, Samir found out about Karate classes. He decided to get enrolled and got training under his first teacher, Ratul Boro. It has been 25 years since then and the student has now become a teacher himself.

in Karate. Launched in 1992, the institution inculcates the values of self discipline, hard work, courage and punctuality

in the students. At present, over 60 students are training under the guidance of Samir, among which 20 are girls. Over the past two and a half decades, Assam Shitu-Ryo Karate-Do Association has produced several black-belt holders, who have participated in championships worldwide. Samir’s aim is to send his students to the highest sporting event Olympics. In the past decade, many schools have opened their doors to impart training to their students to practice and excel in different forms of martial arts. Samir imparts training and organizes self defense camps in various schools across the city, including private institutions like Don Bosco School and South Point School, as well as many public schools like Railway Higher Secondary School, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Bengali Girls’ School and Ulubari Girls’ Higher Secondary School. “A lot of young boys and girls have started showing interest in the art form recently. Self defense camps have gained massive popularity in Guwahati. But just a 10-days workshop or camp won’t yield desired results. If you learn martial arts or Karate, it becomes much more helpful in difficult times,” says Samir. Samir has participated in and won many state, national as well

as international championships. His professional career began with the 1985 National Games held in Kolkata, where he was selected but couldn’t participate due to financial problems. He achieved his first feat in 1987, by becoming the grand champion of Northeast Open Karate Championship. In the same, he also won the Gold medal at Open Taekwondo Championship that was held in Guwahati. Samir is now 5 times national champion, 8 times state champion and 3 times northeast champion. He has also been a gold medalist at the South Asian Karate Championship and has participated in various world championships. In 2007, Samir became the first person from Assam to get selected in the World Karate Championship as well as the Commonwealth Games. Having been practicing the art for around 3 decades, Samir has seen the art evolve from a traditional art form to a contemporary sport. When he started off in the field, very few people were making a career in such art forms. But now, he says he has seen a huge number of people build their careers in Karate and martial arts, representing the country worldwide. “In Assam, although the sport has started to gain popularity, we need the government to promote it aggressively and provide incentives to the sportspersons. Only then will we be able to produce world class fighters. Assam has a lot of talents waiting to be tapped,” he told G Plus.

Ola cab-driver-turned-goon: Tries running over customer who opted for online payment. The news brought in a lot of reactions on the digital channels of G Plus Sanjeet Pandit Appropriate action should be taken by police authorities with regard to the problem of online payment. Now about Ola, it seems that in terms of engagement with cab owner or driver, there is not much profit to the drivers when money does not get paid in cash. The cab driver needs this company to pool customer for them, but for a penny. Alas,the customer is the bigger loser in the one upmanship in such a model of business.

Pallab Kumar Dehingia These kinds of incidents are happening regularly and the administration is not taking strict action against it. Uber and Ola should be concerned about their customers’ complaints. And they should give proper education to the drivers in terms of behaviour. Otherwise we will have to boycott Uber and Ola in the city.

Nabajit Hazarika This is quite common as the drivers owe their share to the companies. And if we pay online the company can directly deduct the amount, which is not possible if we pay in cash. The owners should take a serious note before some real untoward incident happens.

Trideeb Arandhara The same thing happened with me last year during my visit to Guwahati. I had to book a cab from Guwahati airport to GS Road. After booking a cab I called the driver. The driver asked me for my drop off location and mode of payment. When I told him that my mode of payment is Ola Money, he asked me to cancel the trip as he wanted cash. I didn’t cancel the trip but rather booked a private taxi. The driver had to cancel the trip from his end later. It’s really a serious issue and matter to be looked upon.

Debojit Paul This is a very serious problem in Guwahati. Not only Ola but also Uber drivers in Guwahati disrespect customers and cancel cabs when they opt for online payment. I was forced to cancel the cab many times whenever I opted for online payment. They used to give false excuses for not accepting online payment. They even don’t know how to behave with customers. I have been using Ola and Uber in Bangalore frequently and I hardly face any such issue. Here, Ola and Uber drivers happily accept online payment and their behaviour with customers is very cordial. Ola and Uber in Guwahati should take serious action on these drivers and should educate them about digital payment and how to behave with customers. If they still continue their harsh behaviour with customers and don’t accept online payments, they should be kicked out from the job.

Binayak D. Purkayastha Thanks a lot for sharing such an incident. The local transport authorities must take cognizance of such incidents which is a regular affair now. Both Ola and Uber drivers are resorting to such practices on a regular basis. When booked, firstly they won’t like to go, a) they will ask for the destination first which they can’t, b) they will say I am far away from your location, c) I am locked in traffic jam, d) my vehicle is giving some problems - you cancel and book another cab but he won’t cancel it, so on and so forth. There should be dedicated helpline of the transport department to book the offenders of Ola, Uber. Really these cabbies are worse than the autowallas here in Guwahati.

Feature

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

Guwahati slums: The dark reality Definition of a slum: Residential areas where dwellings are unfit for human habitation for several reasons like overcrowding, lack of sanitation, lack of drinking water etc. Chandrika Das

n swanky Guwahati, there are sections of citizens who are residing in some of the most inhuman conditions in the world. The slums of Guwahati seem indispensable but are areas that we can never be proud of. G Plus presents some real stories from these underbellies of the city.

‘My alcoholic husband is lusty for female flesh’

45 year old Hamida (name changed) has more scars in her mind than on her body. A major portion of her life has been a dim set of alternatives; to stay with an abusive and alcoholic husband or to raise her 5 children as a single mother. Married at a very young age, Hamida hardly has any trace of a healthy marriage. By the day, she’d go out to procure food and earn a living while her husband would ensure his subsistence through alcohol. By evening, she’d return home to bare her body to his atrocities. “This is not just my scenario. There are hundreds of women like me,” she says. Violence against women is a significant problem prevailing in the slums. The craving for sex, alcoholism and desire for a male child are the prime reasons for this “horrendous truth.” Hamida has been prey to many forms of violence: sexual, physical and emotional. Her body has been subjected to punches, hits, kicks, battery, strangles and more. Her feet bear a deep scar of a machete. “This is how we grow up in slums. We face this every day and night.

If we are to rely on a Guwahati Municipal Corporation data of 2014, Guwahati city has around 217 slum areas, with approximately 26,000 households. Even if each household has 2 children (UN standard replacement level fertility rate), as many as 50,000 children are residing in the slum areas of Guwahati. Continued deprivation and isolation of these areas will only give rise to more crime in the city.

This scar that you see on my feet is from an evening when I refused to give money to my husband to buy liquor. In anger he threw the machete at me,” said Hamida.

Drugs make the children ‘happy’

Slum children face violence, sexual exploitation and physical abuse from their own peers. Indulging in drugs and other addictives is a common culture of escapism for them; they find solace in the “high.” They are deprived of any motivation in life and indulging in substance abuse is the only way they opt to channelize their energies. For the children in the slums, drugs are not a recreational thing but a refuge. These children are often abused not by just criminals, but also by those who are supposedly their protectors. “We have been into drugs for many

File photo of a Guwahati slum we get a whole syringe of drugs. Sometimes, we use code words to buy ghutkas from shops; if we need Shikhar, we would say ‘Kharshi’ ” Rasheed said to G Plus. When asked how he manages to get the money to buy such substance, he replied without a tinge of remorse, “Ami sur koru gharar pora poisa” (We steal money from home). Rasheed is just one example of the lot who has no idea why he is on drugs. He simply said, “Bhal lage drugs khai, tension nathake eku” (We feel good taking drugs; there is no tension after that). Drugs act as a way for these children to get through their daily routine of hardship and abuse. These children are not exposed to education; even if any of them go to school, there is no counselling for them, just the easy way of punishment. City-based child rights activist, Miguel Das Queah said that slum children lack any form of knowledge. Many of them earn but fail to utilize the money. Rather than spending the money on food, they prefer to spend on drugs. As their addiction becomes stronger, everything else takes a backseat.

Rape is ‘okay’ here

Hafiznagar slum in Guwahati | G Plus Photo years now. There is a shopkeeper who runs a CD shop. He gets drugs in small containers for us,” said 17 year old Rasheed (name changed). Rasheed has been indulging in drugs since he was 6-7 years old. Drugs to these children come at a

cost of Rs 100 - Rs 300 per small container. “We have our own code words for drugs. We use words like ‘point’ and ‘paao’ to ask for a certain amount of brown sugar. We get 3.5 points of addictive substance for Rs 300. For Rs 1,500,

Of late, “rape” and “molestation” have made the headlines every second day on the regional media. Most of the accused are slum residents. These culprits are often from these communities that promote gender-based violence. 17 year old Anwara (name changed) and her friends have been facing the same concern. As soon as they step out of the house,

they are objectified by the boys of the slums, men on the streets and in several cases, by patrolling police teams. In daylight, women are objectified with various names, and in the evening, under dim streetlights and large swathes of darkness, rape and molestation happen. The boys and girls in slums grow up seeing their mothers raped by their fathers, their sisters being molested by men in the vicinity, their fathers involved in sexual activities with other women; it’s total chaos. “It is institutionalised rape such that the society sees nothing wrong with it. Those who face it are often threatened. Many a time, we are objectified by the police themselves,” says Anwara. Sex is a dirty business in slums. For males who live in slums, rape is just another easy activity. It is almost an inheritance. Children in slums grow up in houses with single rooms where they witness their parents engaging in sexual activities. Often, the dark side of the activity where fathers rape mothers is deemed “okay.” And they grow up believing rape is okay and go on to exhibit the same mentality and behaviour in front of their own children years later. Guwahati isn’t all that we deem it to be; it’s appalling that such hard hitting realities exist within the periphery of our “fast developing city.” Garbage and filth, miserable toilets, deplorable living conditions, hovels, abuse and violence have plagued the lifestyle of these communities somehow pulling down the growth of the city. Who is to blame? Where lies the solution? n

Trotter

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

Woman fired for bringing laxative-laced brownies to co-worker's farewell

he office going away party is normally a harmless ritual, but one employee leaving a US firm got an unwelcome surprise from a less than friendly colleague. The unidentified 47-year-old woman allegedly baked brownies laced with laxatives meant for a departing coworker with whom she had had a previous spat. Another employee at MMI Engineered Solutions, an automotive technologies firm in the small town of Saline, Michigan, tipped off the company and the brownies were intercepted before

anyone consumed them during the farewell party. The company called the police. After initially denying that the perilous confections were tainted, the woman confessed once the

$300,000 ‘breakup fee’ rejected by girlfriend as ‘not enough’

nyone who’s been in a relationship knows it’s hard work and breakups are particularly bad. Add money to the picture and things are bound to get complicated. A man in China reportedly left his ex-girlfriend 2 million yuan in cash (nearly $300,000) as ‘breakup fee’. His former companion, though, left it all behind in a bar because she thought it was not enough, Chinese media said. Employees at a bar in China’s Hangzhou city discovered a suitcase loaded with cash. The staff members were closing for the day when they found the unclaimed suitcase. The suitcase was being taken to a storage area for lost items when one of the latches accidentally opened, revealing bundles of 100 yuan notes, Shanghaiist quoted bar employees.

Police estimated that the cash was worth around 2 million yuan or $314,000. The suitcase reportedly belonged to a young IT professional who was seen in the bar the night before with two women, one of them reportedly his ex-girlfriend, South China Morning Post quoted ‘The Paper’. According to the newspaper, bar workers saw the man leaving

police warned they would test the brownies' contents, according to a daily. "A lot of times you see it in movies or TV shows where someone tries to do this or play a joke, but it's very serious," Police Chief Jerrod Hart said. "There's just so much going on in the world, to create a problem like this is unnecessary and it's criminal." The woman reportedly was not charged with a crime because no one ate the brownies. But, she did not escape unpunished. Her company fired her. (Source: ndtv) abruptly, without the suitcase, after an argument with the women. Soon after, the women too were seen exiting the bar without the suitcase. The man, the newspaper said, came back after a few hours to claim the suitcase. He revealed to cops that the cash was requested by his ex-girlfriend as ‘breakup fee’. He added that the woman had asked for 10 million yuan and left the suitcase behind as the amount wasn’t enough. The woman reportedly left a message saying she was leaving without the money which is why the man came back to retrieve the sum. “I didn’t take it and left. I then called him and told him that I didn’t take the money. I told him to get it himself. That was it,” said the ex beau. As bizarre as it may sound, breakup fees or fenshoufei is a practice not unheard of in urban China, Forbes reported in 2008. Although not legally binding, jilted lovers ask for a parting fee after a long-term relationship comes to an end. (Source: cnbcnews)

Boy, 13, married off by dying mum who didn’t trust husband to look after him

terminally ill mum has married off her 13-yearold son to a much older woman because she does not trust her husband to look after him. The woman fears her husband will neglect the child and his younger siblings and so found him a wife who is said be at least 30-years-old. The couple got married in secret in the village of Kowthalam, Kurnool District, in Andhra Pradesh state of India. The boy has three siblings and the mum hopes that his new wife will also care for them and do chores around the house if her husband abandons them. A neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “As the woman’s husband is

an alcoholic, she was worried that nobody would be there to take care of the family after her death.” The unnamed family live a hand-to-mouth existence with both parents and their son working as labourers on a farm. The mum, who is dying from an unknown condition, heard about a couple who were looking for a husband for their adult daughter and arranged the marriage in April. After local media reported the wedding, the family went on the run and are now being hunted by police. A source close to the investigation said, “We conducted a search in the village, but we could not find the family. Fearing

legal action, they must have fled. Though media reports are saying that the bride is 23 years old, it looks like she is much older, probably 30 or more.” (Source: metro.co)

Zoo in trouble after taking bear out for ice cream, filming it

zoo in the Canadian province of Alberta has been charged for taking a bear to a drive-thru restaurant where it was hand-fed ice cream. Reportedly, news of this unauthorised outing came to light after Discovery Wildlife Park posted a video of a bear named Berkerly in January. The video showed the one-yearold Kodiak bear leaning out of a truck as the owner of a local Dairy Queen outlet feeds it ice cream from a cone. The video, shared on Facebook and Twitter, was later taken down after it attracted widespread criticism. Wildlife officials in Alberta said that the zoo and its owners are now facing two charges. "Under the terms and conditions of the zoo's permit, the charges are directly related to the alleged failure of the park to notify the provincial government prior to

the bear leaving the zoo," Alberta Fish and Wildlife said in a statement. "We made a mistake. I'm embarrassed about it," said the zoo's owner, Doug Bos. He had earlier said that the drive-thru video was supposed to be about safety. "The message was: Don't feed the bears. Don't stop on the side of the road. If everybody would listen to the video that's what the message was, don't do this," he said. The private zoo's permit has now been revised to impose new conditions. (Source: theguardian)

Couple earned money on YouTube by skinning endangered animals and eating them

woman has been arrested after she filmed herself skinning, cooking and eating endangered animals so that she could earn money on YouTube. Dressed in hot pants and crop tops, Ah Lin Tuch sparked outrage at her choice of food as she presented a ‘survivalist’ life. She ate an endangered fishing cat, a large lizard, several protected species of birds, a king cobra and Shark Stingrays Frogs. However viewers reported her when they realised that many of the animals she was eating near her home in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, were actually protected species. She and her husband Phoun Raty were tracked down by the country’s ministry of environment and have publicly apologised for “destroying our wildlife.” Chea Sam Arng, head of the Environment Ministry’s General Directorate for Administration of Nature Conservation and Protection, said, “We are now in the process of taking legal action against them while the working group is preparing a report on the matter. The animals that were

cooked were mostly not on the endangered list, but are protected. Only one species was in danger of extinction.” The endangered animal is the fishing cat (Prionailurusviverrinus), while the lizard, a large heron and other species of birds are protected. The couple have removed the clips of Ah Lin eating those animals but still have footage of her eating frogs, the cobra, shark and a stingray. The couple claimed that they bought the wildlife “from a local market” then cooked it. Environment officials are now investigating whether the animals were killed in the wild or bought from illegal stalls while they prepare the prosecution. Ah Lin said, “I don’t even know what kind of animals or birds we used or their impact on wildlife conservation. I bought the wildlife at Preak Phnov and we started filming our videos since December. Now I have already admitted my mistake.” Ah Lin’s husband, Phoun, said they had intended to earn a living from the social media channel which had so far earned them $500. (Source: metro.co)

Review

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Brolin, Julian Dennison, Zazie Beetz Director: David Leitch

D e w Movi vie Re

Deadpool 2

eadpool 2 is more violent than the first movie. It’s also way filthier, magnificently tonedeaf and utterly relentless in the sodden path that it has chosen to walk. But Deadpool 2 is more than just a rushed sequel. It’s a rushed sequel that wants to be good. It’s a movie with surprising depth and, especially in how it handles the story of a certain teenage character, devastating darkness. It catches up with Wade Wilson, Mr Pool to the rest of us, a few years after the events of the first movie. He still looks like a hard boiled Voldemort, and he’s still running that mouth like there’s no Deadpool 3.

One of those deaths brings Deadpool to a pre-teen called Russell (Dennison) with superpowers of his own but who finds himself trapped in an orphanage run by the kind of pasty-faced, white-overall-clad men (including Eddie Marsen) who don’t require a Deadpool to figure them out. Bonding with Russell gets Deadpool, in turn, to Cable (Brolin), a very angry, no-explanationsoffered kind of man from the future. The three stage their fights at a lot of places, starting with a high-security prison with secrets of own. It is all too confusing in the beginning, and much too smart at times — again — for its own good. But as Reynolds gets other people to match his wits against, Deadpool 2 starts hitting the spots it wants too, much more effortlessly than its prequel. n

Gadget Review

Oppo Realme 1

n the sea of smartphones where almost every phone looks alike, Oppo had done something novel. The firstever smartphone in its budget yet youth-centric sub-brand, Realme, has a unique diamond cut 3D design at the rear. Embedded within the real glass, it reflects light in the same way a diamond does and looks different from every angle. Realme smartphones will be sold exclusively online (and only via Amazon India as of now) and will be priced between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 20,000. The Realme 1 price in India starts at Rs. 8,990 for the 3GB RAM/ 32GB storage variant,

the best out of their time in the big city which include shopping sprees and trips to the parlour by the women in the family, while the younger men trek out to take in the sinful nightlife that Mumbai has to offer. Harsh Chhaya, in his directorial debut, has presented a dark yet hilarious portrayal of a family in crisis, which may seem over the top, yet is totally relatable. Performances by the entire ensemble cast, mainly Manoj and Seema Pahwa, are topnotch, and are the strength of the film along with the dialogues. While not all sub-plots are that interesting, with some even being a tad clichéd, there are several moments when the story takes over and you find yourself giggling at the goofiness unfolding on screen. n and goes up to Rs. 10,990 for the 4GB RAM/ 64GB storage variant, and the top-model 6GB RAM/ 128GB storage variant has been priced at Rs. 13,990.

Display

The Realme 1 has a fibreglass body with a glossy diamond-cut effect on the back. Oppo says that there are 15 tangent planes carved onto the back panel to reflect light in different ways and make the smartphone "look like a diamond". With the 84.75 percent screen-to-body ratio, the Realme 1 is very compact and pocketable. The screen is not exactly borderless but the front of this phone does look sleek and modern. Despite the frame being made of plastic, the build quality is top-notch. A fingerprint sensor is conspicuous by its

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Cast: Manoj Pahwa,Vinay Pathak, Dolly Ahluwalia, Seema Pahwa Director: Harsh Chhaya s Devinder Sharma’s life hangs in the balance in an ICU in a Mumbai hospital, his close family have no choice but to travel to the city to be with him in the time of crisis. The only thing is that Devinder isn’t blessed with the perfect family; they’re all perfectly dysfunctional instead. And perfectly middle class, too. As the eldest brother Jeetendar (Manoj Pahwa) pays double for air tickets for his entire family against the wishes of his wife, the younger one, Ravinder (Vinay Pathak) pinches pennies instead, hoping to get a cheaper deal to fly to Mumbai. They’re not being awkward here. This is how middle-class families operate. As days go by and Devinder does not show any signs of improving, his extended brood try to make

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Khajoor Pe Atke absence. Instead, the Realme 1 relies on facial recognition for security, plus of course the usual passcode options. Face recognition works quite well for the most part, but struggles in direct sunlight and when

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lighting is not favorable. The setup process is also a bit slow, and not the most intuitive.

Specifications

The Realme 1 has extremely impressive specifications for the price. It's powered by the octa-core MediaTek Helio P60 processor clocked at 2.0GHz. MediaTek's flagship processor is fabricated using a 12nm process and features NeuroPilot AI technology which can handle deep learning for facial detection as well photo and video enhancement. The Realme 1 features a 6-inch full-HD+ (1080x2160 pixels) display with an aspect ratio of 18:9. The display is very reflective and viewing angles are disappointing. The Realme 1 has a nonremovable 3410mAh battery and runs Color OS 5.0 on top of Android 8.1 Oreo. Connectivity options include 4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. You also get FM radio and GPS/ A-GPS. At a time when the industry is

moving towards USB Type-C, this smartphone uses the age-old Micro-USB port for charging and data transfers. Only one SIM at a time can run at 4G speeds - the other is limited to 3G.

Camera

On the imaging front, the Realme 1 has a 13-megapixel rear camera with a single-LED flash, and an 8-megapixel front camera. The company claims that it can recognize 296 facial points, and that artificial intelligence features are baked in. The iOS-like camera app is easy to use and offers a wide variety of modes such as Panorama, Time-lapse, and AR sticker. There is a fully featured Pro mode as well, which allows you to alter the shutter speed, ISO, exposure, aperture, and white balance. The AI based selfie camera automatically detects skin tone, skin type, age, and gender, and optimizes image settings accordingly. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

Dr Mausumi Saharia’s new venture ‘Fagun Aahe’ Kalyan Kumar Kalita

opular Assamese singer Mausumi Saharia has released her new album ‘Fagun Aahe’. This popular and talented singer had not had a new release of late. But now, she is back with her new venture. The song in both audio and video format was already released on social networking sites like Facebook, YouTube etc. The song’s lyrics were penned by journalist-cumlyricist-cum-story teller Rajdweep, expressing the various shades of love and relation, whereas music was scored by Sibabrata Sarma (Bablu). The song was beautifully rendered by Dr Mausumi Saharia. The song’s video was directed by Bhupesh Saikia, cinematographed by Prabin Basumatary, edited by Mrinmoy Ammik Phukan. Costume was designed by Kunal Kaushik, graphics by Jatin Das and make-up by Binita.

Mausumi Saharia is a popular name among the Assamese music lovers. Her soulful voice has captured the heart beats of many. She started her musical career at the early age of five at Mangaldoi, Assam. Her first commercial release was an audio album titled ‘Fagunor Sesate’ in 1990 which received overwhelming response from all. In 1995, her second solo album titled ‘Tumi Mausumi’ sold more than 100,000 copies. ‘Moi Mausumi’, ‘Moromi Mausumi’, ‘Joubon’, ‘Mon Nache Ulahot’ are some of her super hit albums released in the subsequent years. From 1998 to 2001, she had five super hit albums released, namely ‘Rongmon’, ‘Nache Nache Laage Mon’, ‘Kokalore Gagori’, ‘Hiyar Morom’ and ‘Devi Mantra’, with co-singers like Udit Narayan, Kumar Sanu, Sadananda Gogoi and Zubeen Garg. Besides these, Mausumi Saharia also recorded 24 popular numbers by Dr Bhupen Hazarika in

Music composer Axl Hazarika felicitated in Guwahati

‘Tandab of Pandab’ hits theatres

he much awaited Assamese film, Tandab of Pandab, hit theatres on May 18. A comedy film filled with action, thrill and romance, the story of Tandab of Pandab revolves around five friends and the happenings in their lives. Directed by Priyam Nirmal, the film features Jayanta Das and Barsha Rani Bishaya as lead characters. Among other members in the cast are Bikram Rajkhowa (Biki), Jayanta Bhagawati, Akashi Tora Dutta, Suramoni Hazarika, Apurba Malakar and Rupam Kalita. While the movie has been produced by Ankitaa Choudhury, its

screenplay, story and dialogues have been penned by Baidurrya Baruah. The cinematographer is Papu Deka and music has been scored by Ahir Bhairab. Playback singers for the songs of the feature film are Zubeen Garg, Na-

Rongali – A fusion of Assamese music with electronic elements

usic director and producer Axl Hazarika was felicitated by Brihattar Kahilipara Kabi Sanmilan on Tuesday, May 15 for the global response to his experimental music video, Goru Bihu Song. The felicitation event was attended by the president of Kabi Sanmilan, Atul Chandra Thakuria, secretary Gajendra Kumar Bordoloi, organizing secretary Bitumoni Goswami, vedic scholar Dr Bimal Krishna Bhattacharya, eminent writer Prafulla Barua, poet Prabin Kumar Bhattacharya, music artiste Robin Bora and other literary and cultural activists. The video is based on the futuristic imagination of the Goru Bihu celebrations, away from the homeland, and in the absence of cows amidst a generation of technology-based live music

three of her albums titled ‘Akashi Ganga’ (2003), ‘Manuhe Manuhor Babe’ (2004) and ‘Buku Hom Hom Korey’. Apart from stage performance, hers is also an oftlistened to voice in Assamese television soaps and popular musical serials like ‘Jhankar’, ‘Sangeet Sagar’, ‘Lohor’ and ‘Geeti Malika’. Mausumi is not just an ace musician; she has excelled in academics as well. Mausumi graduated from Cotton College (under Gauhati University) in 2001 and secured 1st class 1st position with distinction in Education. In 2004, she completed her post graduation in Education from Gauhati University and secured 1st class 2nd position. Mausumi performed in London on the occasion of the birth centenary celebration of Jyoti Prasad Agarwala in 2003, organized by Assam Sahitya Sabha, UK Chapter. Besides, she has also performed in different parts of India.

performance. It was screened at the 47th Sehsüchte which took place at the Film University Babelsberg Kanrad Wolf housed at Babelsberg Film Studio from April 25 to 29. Axl, currently the technical head of Jyoti Chitrabon, is also playing a lead role in developing northeast India’s largest government-run digital archive – Jyoti Chitrabon Digital Archive. Earlier this year, he became the only Indian to rank in SoundCloud Top 10 Global Trance music chart.

chiketa, Neel Akash, Subasana and Rajesh Roy. The multi talented Zubeen Garg’s song ‘Boroxha Jetiya Naame’ has received positive response on social media. The premiere show of Tandab of Pandab was organized at Anuradha Cineplex on May 17. The movie received much acclamation from the distinguished guests. The performances of Jayanta Das and Barsha Rani Bishaya were highly appreciated. The makers of the film are very hopeful of the success of the movie and they’re expecting a positive response from the Assamese cine-goers.

bhishek Kashyap, more popularly known as ABXTRX, has come up with a new song ‘Rongali’. The song is a fusion of Baahi (Bamboo Flute) and Dhul (a folk percussion) with electronic elements. Inspired by the authentic spirit of the festival of Bihu, Rongali will indulge the listeners in the flowing cocktail river of soft subtle beats of the Dhul and the enticing melody of the Baahi, mixed in flavour with an ethnic yet powerful vibe. It enchants you in the soothing melody of the valleys and the hills and the music gives an ethnic yet powerful balance of vibe and energy. Assam’s Abhishek Kashyap is a DJ and music producer based in Pune. He has studied sound design from Saemedu School of Sound & Music and has produced various tracks in the past, including Trance Heaven.

Fun

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

Horoscope of the week With a new moon in your spiritual sector on Tuesday, you have an opportunity to begin a practice that can help you live to your full potential. However, limiting ideas could be shattered by the movement of electric Uranus into this same zone on the same day. It could bring original insights and ideas that alter your perspective on life.

New influences could give extra sizzle to your social life from this week on. The new moon in this sector on Tuesday can be a great opportunity to make changes that bring more satisfaction in this area. However, with lively Uranus moving into this same zone on the same day for a long stay of many years, your taste in friends and groups could alter dramatically.

With a new moon on Tuesday paving the way for fresh developments, the entrance of rebellious Uranus into your sector of goals could inspire a more independent approach to goals and plans. And with chatty Mercury accompanying eccentric Uranus, you could receive some interesting news or even an unexpected offer.

If you’ve been dreaming of taking a new path and enjoying fresh adventures, this week can be the start of a very interesting phase. Also on the same day, persistent Mars moves into Aquarius and your wellness sector, encouraging you to be proactive about work and health matters.

There will be a lot of new activity in an intense sector of your chart, which could have quite an impact over the months and years ahead. On the same day, dynamic Mars enters Aquarius and your leisure and romance zone, which can bring extra sizzle to your love life and recreational activities.

Your sector of relating looks busy for some time to come. With a new moon in this zone on Tuesday, the coming days could be your opportunity to take a relationship to a new level. In addition, fiery Mars moves into Aquarius later that same day, encouraging you to be proactive, especially when it comes to removing clutter and completing household projects.

Your work and lifestyle zone may be about to undergo a change. The new moon in this sector on Tuesday brings the opportunity for a fresh start. Also on Tuesday, progressive Mars moves into Aquarius and your communication zone, which could see you putting a lot of effort into marketing your work and making valuable connections.

The new moon in your relationship sector on Tuesday paves the way for a fresh start. However, lively Uranus enters this zone later the same day, and its presence here until 2026 could bring about a whole new mindset. Your understanding of what it means to be authentic and true to yourself could be revolutionized.

The new moon in your home zone on Tuesday prepares the way for revolutionary ideas and possibilities. With restless Uranus moving into this zone later in the day, you may find over time that you’re eager to relinquish past conditioning in order to discover and free your authentic self.

Starting this week, the cosmos is encouraging you to revolutionize your mindset. To help you with this major task, innovative Uranus moves into your sector of talk and thought on Tuesday, where it will remain until 2026. At the same time, positive Mars moves into Aquarius and your spiritual sector, stirring up your psyche and bringing powerful and vivid dreams your way.

PH Newby’s “Something to Answer For” became the first recipient of which prestigious award in 1969?

Dhunu is the lead protagonist of which coming of age Indian film of 2018?

Which popular footballer of the 60s and 70s was known as the “Fifth Beatle” because of his stylish looks?

What was the US army slang, in the yesteryears, for any new recruit or vehicle?

It is a cheese dessert from the state of Odisha in eastern India. It literally means Roasted Cheese and is the only well known Indian dessert whose flavor is predominantly derived from the caramelization of sugar. It is made of well-kneaded homemade fresh cottage cheese, sugar, cashew nuts and raisins, and is baked for several hours until it browns. Identify it?

Name this cricket ground, very much in news recently. Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Garfield By Jim Davis

curio-city

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6 8 2 1 93 7 4 3 3 6 8

2 6 5 46 3 8 Sudoku: Thu 1 17-May-2018 Daily 5 7 9

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Daily Sudoku: Wed 9-May-2018

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1. The Booker Prize 2. Rima Das’ Village Rockstars, shot in Kamrup which is making waves all across the world 3. George Best 4. Jeep 5. Chhena Poda 6. Malahide Cricket Ground, the venue of the first test being played by Ireland against Pakistan

curio-city

Sudoku

With a new moon in your sign on Tuesday kicking off a dynamic new phase, you might be ready to set out on a new path. This could turn out to be a very memorable new moon for you. Fiery Mars moves into Aquarius and your sector of goals and career, also on Tuesday, which could encourage you to pursue your ambitions more assertively.

This week will see a lot of activity in your personal financial zone, with new possibilities opening up for you. On Tuesday, the new moon in this zone heralds a new beginning, and it’s accompanied by lively Uranus moving into this same sector. Values could change as a result, as could the way you earn your money.

Word of the week Minnie noun [min-ee] mother; mom.

Crossword Across

Down

1 Calmly independent (4-9) 8 Greek cheese (4) 9 Walked roughly on (8) 10 Poor unhappy girl who meets her Prince Charming (10) 12 Cutting tool (6) 14 Fortified wine (6) 15 Literary pirate (10) 19 Cooked covered with cheese (2,6) 20 Great merriment (4) 21 Illusory state of wellbeing (5,8)

2 Vision (8) 3 Criminal deception (5) 4 Monster (anag) — level in score (2,5) 5 Large net used for fishing (5) 6 Pelican (anag) — established (2,5) 7 Ogled (4) 11 Seat of the European Commission (8) 13 Dress (7) 14 Type of bowler (7) 16 Behave badly (3,2) 17 Spoke loudly and angrily (5) 18 Martial art — Olympic sport (4)

Last week’s solution

Lifestyle

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

Chicken

Procedure

Peshawari

Take 500 grams of chicken and wash it properly. Then marinate the chicken with salt and lemon juice and keep the marinated chicken aside and untouched for 5-10 minutes.

Heat oil in a pan and then fry the previously marinated chicken till the chicken turns slightly golden brown. After the chicken is properly fried, keep the chicken aside on a plate.

In the same heated pan, put some oil and then put 1 Tbsp of ginger garlic paste. Fry the ginger garlic paste and then put the chopped onions. Stir the mixture well till the onions turn golden brown.

Now put the spices. 1 Tbsp of red chili powder, 1 Tbsp of black pepper powder and mix it well. Then put the chopped coriander leaves and the slit green chilies. Stir it for a couple of minutes. TIP

yoga is formed when the Pushya Nakshatra coincides with a Sunday. It occurs only a very few times in a year but is considered one of the best times to buy a new car, marriage functions and even to shop for upcoming festivals. 5. Businessmen are advised to apply a swastika with turmeric washed in Gangajal for 7 consecutive Thursdays and perform puja for better sales.

1. Putting a swastika made of the five metals (i.e. gold, silver, copper, iron and zinc) over the main door brings excellent

results. Brass and aluminium are also used in lieu of some metals. 2. A swastika of size “9 X 9” drawn with red vermillion (sindoor) can negate Vaastu defects. 3. For spiritual purposes the swastika is drawn with turmeric powder and sindoor. Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

4. A swastika made on Guru Pushya or Ravi Pushya brings peace in the house. Guru Pushya Yoga, also called Guru Pushya Amrit yoga is an auspicious time formed when the pushya nakshtara falls on a Thursday. A rare muhurat, the auspicious Ravi Pushya

Then in the mixture, put the chopped tomatoes and fry it well, till the tomatoes get properly mixed in the mixture.

After making the mixture smooth, put in the previously fried chicken and mix it well. Stir the entire thing for 2-3 minutes.

Then put half a cup of water to the chicken and mix it well. After that cover the frying pan and let the chicken steam for 5 minutes.

After 5minutes, when the water put has vaporized, put 1 Tbsp of garam masala powder and 1Tbsp of lemon juice. Stir the entire thing again for 2-3 minutes. Put salt according to taste and then mix it again.

Bishaldeep Kakati

Writer, poet, debater and a passionate cook

Turn down the flame. And then garnish the chicken with chopped coriander leaves. Chicken Peshawari is ready to be served.

Ingredients Required 1. Chicken - 500 grams 2. Chopped Onions - 3 nos. 3. Chopped Tomatoes - 3 nos. 4. Slit Green Chilies - 3 nos. 5. Red Chili Powder - 1 Tbsp 6. Black Pepper Powder - 1 Tbsp 7. Garam Masala Powder - 1 Tbsp 8. Lemon Juice - 2-3 Tbsp 9. Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tbsp 10. Chopped Coriander leaves 11. Salt to taste

Chicken Peshawari is best served with Roti/Chappati or Jeera Rice.

The Swastika for success

he swastika is a very sacred and important Hindu symbol. It stands for peace and prosperity. The Bovis scale measured 1,000,000 Bovis units for the swastika. The Bovis scale is a form of measurement of spiritual vibration of the etheric energy of a person, place or object. The ringing of church bells has a Bovis scale of 11,000 units. Vibrations which are lower than 6,500 Bovis have negative aspects and are detrimental to the health of people. Generally, the swastika is drawn or fixed on both sides of the main entrance at homes and business establishments. It should always be drawn clockwise.

6. It is said that if a God or Goddess is worshipped by keeping the idol or photo over a swastika, better results are obtained. 7. A Beesa Yantra or locket made of the swastika and worn around the neck or as a ring on the finger can protect one from difficulties. (Image ) 8. For rectification of Vaastu defects, a swastika made of pyramids is of great help. 9. A combination of the Trishul, Aum and swastika is used on both sides of the main door for auspicious results. 10. People make reverse images of swastika with cow dung and kumkum powder in temples (made of dried turmeric or saffron) for getting their wishes to come true. 11. A green swastika drawn in the Southwest of the bedroom can improve relationships.

Flowers In Rain Stop running your cold fingers Over the skin of my back These harsh embraces, I fear Won’t make up for the things I lack Your blue lips remind me Of some flowers I saw in rain Recalling your glassy eyes I wonder how I’ll ease the pain Maybe when I take a walk I’ll hear the melody of your steps When I come across familiar lanes I’ll know the love for me you kept The stones at my feet remind me Of the stillness of your arms Smotheing me in the sweetest embrace When has love not brought us harm? And yet I’ll walk I’ll walk till I reach your tender love Together again maybe we can watch Some shooting stars above Sanjali Dixit

Buzz

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

Workshop on tobacco control held

capacity development workshop of District Nodal Officers under the National Tobacco Control Program (NTCP) was held at Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), Guwahati on May 16. Jointly organized by the BBCI and State Tobacco Control Cell (STCC), the workshop began with a welcome address by Dr Amal Chandra Kataki, Director of BBCI. Dr Kataki spoke about the burden of tobacco consumption in the state and its impact on health of the vulnerable population of the region. As per the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2016-17, nationally there is a decline in tobacco consumption, but there is a rise in smokeless tobacco consumption in the state of Assam. “Tobacco control is a Herculean task, and all the stake holders and tobacco control activists should work together to complement each other in the effort. The targets set for tobacco control should be realistic, measurable and time bound. Tobacco control activists

must also actively engage with the policy makers to bring in the necessary change,” said Dr Kataki while speaking at the workshop. The faculties for the day long workshop were Dr Arundhati Deka, Nodal Officer, STCC, Ms Arzoo Dutta, Senior Consultant, NTCP, Dr Ashok Kumar Das, Associate Professor of Head & Neck Oncology and Dr Srabana Misra Bhagabaty, Associate

Professor of Preventive Oncology both from the BBCI, Dr Bhaktimoye Bhattacharyya, District Nodal Officer, Jorhat, Dr Maithali Hazarika, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Gauhati Medical College & Hospital, and Pratul C Phukan, Former DIG, Assam Police. During the day long program, the delegates of the workshop also interacted with cancer patients of the institute. n

Home Science department of Handique Girls’ College organizes alumni meet

Other speakers included Nirmali Medhi, Vice Principal of the college, Dr Alaka Bhattacharya, former head of the Department of Home Science and an alumna of the first batch, and Rabia Huq Ahmed, alumna of the second batch of the department. The meet was attended by the past pupils of the department in large numbers. They opined that home science has played a key role in their professional as well as personal lives. A demand was raised unanimously by all alumni to petition the government to include the subject of home science in the civil services examination of APSC. n

he first alumni meet of the Department of Home Science, Handique Girls’ College was observed on Sunday, May 13. Addressing the meet, Manoj Kumar Das, Director of the Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship emphasized the importance of being innovative and taking calculated risks to succeed in life. “Efforts should be made to produce skilled manpower and to promote entrepreneurship so that Assam generates more job givers than job seekers. The central government has set a target of producing 500 million skilled persons in the next 10 years,” he said.

Bhutan college team visits GU

team of 16 students and three teachers from Sherubtse College under the Royal University of Bhutan (RUB) visited Gauhati University (GU) from May 9 to 11. The team led by Dr Yezer, Dean of Student Affairs and senior faculty member of the geography department, Sherubtse College, arrived at the GU on May 9 with a mission to establish lasting

Assam and the Gauhati University and spoke about the academic dimensions of the university including its potential in teaching and research. He called upon them to send deserving students from Bhutan to GU for masters degree and doctoral programmes in various subjects. A Terms of Reference (ToR) was signed at the end of the meeting between the Gauhati

friendship between Bhutan and Assam, and sign academic collaboration and sports-cultural exchange pacts between these two institutes. The team was accompanied by two more teachers - Dr Jas Raj Subba of the physical science department, and Pema Tshering of the computer science and mathematics department. During their stay in the University, the team visited various departments and interacted with faculties and students about the educational systems and other issues related to Bhutan and India in general and the institutions in particular. Gauhati University Vice Chancellor, Dr Mridul Hazarika, formally welcomed them to

University and Sherubtse College, RUB, for undertaking collaborative academic activities in the areas of mutual interest and sports and cultural exchange between the students of both the institutions. A cultural evening was also organised during the visit of the Bhutanese team. The members of the Bhutanese team presented seven items, including a mask dance while the Gauhati University student team presented four items, which included a Bihu dance performance. On May 11, the team was taken out for a tour of Guwahati city under the guidance of Koncheng Buragohain and Krishna Das, research scholars of the geography department, Gauhati University. n

Swachata Bharat Abhiyan organized by city students

Gamers Connect 2018 to take place in Guwahati

VIDIA, the US-based tech company that designs graphics processing units (GPUs), is all set to organize the Gamer Connect 2018 in Guwahati on May 20, Sunday. One of the biggest gaming events in Guwahati, the Gamer Connect will take place at Maniram Dewan Trade Centre from 9 AM to 6 PM. Spread across 10,000+ Sq Ft with 50+ gaming stations for 2,000 avid gamers, the gamers will witness an action-packed weekend of high-end gaming experiences and challenges. In partnership with Dell, LG & Zotac, Gamer Connect will bring the best technologies in Gaming under one roof, including the 4K, High Fidelity VR &

Showcases of some of the most anticipated games of 2018; Final

Fantasy XV, Player unknowns Battlegrounds, Fortnite & WWE 2k18.

Participants will get a chance to meet fellow gamers, compete for exciting wins and explore the wide range of powerful gaming machines. Apart from gaming, one can also participate in Mini E-Sport Tournaments and Quiz competitions to stand a chance to win lots of giveaways. Gamer Connect promises to be an experience of a lifetime. “It is a platform for the Indian gaming community to explore new avenues in gaming and experience the latest technologies in PC gaming area,” a NVIDIA executive said. The firm has already conducted Gamer Connect events in various other cities like Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Kochi and Lucknow and Hyderabad. n

wachata Bharat Abhiyan was collaboratively organized by the NSS unit, NCC unit, Scouts & Guides unit, 60 Assam Girls Battalion, 50 Assam Air Squadron and Cotton University Students’ Union on May 15, Tuesday in and around the Gauhati University campus. This was followed by a street play which emphasized on the importance of cleanliness in our surroundings. n

Events

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018

May 19, Saturday Strictly Hip Hop ft. DJ Xavier Club XS 7PM onwards

Sunday Club Night ft. DJ Rik May 13, Sunday Dunkin Oza

May 19, Saturday In the loop ft. Color Ray Nishant Terra Mayaa 7PM onwards

Akanksha Bhandari Live

May 19, Saturday

May 9, Wednesday Vivanta by Taj

Bollywood Night ft. Snea Madiza Ultra Lounge 7PM onwards

Indian playback singer Akansha Bhandari performed at Vivanta by Taj, Guwahati on Wednesday. She enthralled the audience with her voice, singing her famous tracks ‘Peh Gaya Khalara’ (Fukrey Returns) and ‘Na Kasoor’ (Veere di wedding), apart from covers of ‘Mai Kaun Hoon’ and ‘Roke Na Ruke Naina’ to name a few.

May 19, Saturday DJ Akansha Live Underdoggs Sports Bar 8PM onwards May 19, Saturday Time Lapse ft. Vedant Club V 7PM onwards May 19, Saturday Who’s in the House ft. Rohan Kapoor NYX, Hotel Palacio 7PM onwards May 19, Saturday Guwahati Frantel

An ode to the beautiful souls

Franchise Show Vivanta by Taj

May 13, Sunday 11th Avenue

10AM onwards May 25, Friday

MUSART of Mother's Day, On the occasion Avenue, l mothers at 11th paid an ode to al sion fu a ey performed Rajgarh Road. Th Art. d an sic t forms- Mu between two ar

Maadhyam Live May 9, Wednesday Hotel Radisson Blu

Wacken Metal Battle India: Guwahati Leg Club V 6PM onwards

Catching Up

G PLUS | May 19 - May 25, 2018