Vol 5 Issue 46 by G Plus

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018 @guwahatiplus www.guwahatiplus.com

Inside

Volume 05 | Issue 46 Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018 Price `10

City LGBTQ community elated as SC decriminalises homosexuality PG 06

Thunderous reception to the Dhing Express; Hima lands in Guwahati to royal welcome PG 11

Centre Spread

THE EVER

IMMINENT DISASTER IS A REALITY TODAY

Lead Story

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

IWT dept solely responsible for Brahmaputra bhutbhuti mishap of Ashwaklanta Temple. In this situation the helmsman usually casts the anchor and anchors the boat.” Choudhury revealed that it is yet to be ascertained whether the boat had any anchor or not. Similarly, the officials placed at the IWT ghats had the responsibility to check the boat’s motor and engine on an everyday basis, which did not happen. Also, the country boat which capsized had the capacity of carrying only 15 persons, but the initial investigation report said that there were 24 passengers, 3 IWT staff, 2 crew members, 7 motor bikes and 2 bicycles, of which 20 persons were safe, 3 dead bodies recovered and 1 yet to be traced. The IWT staff and crew members are also safe. Transport Minister, Chandra

G Plus News

oor scrutiny by the government is directly responsible for the bhutbhuti (local nomenclature for the privately owned motorized boats that ferry passengers between Guwahati and North Guwahati) accident which led to the death of three persons (according to government reports) with one is still missing. Director of Inland Water Transport (IWT), BB Dev Choudhury, talking to G Plus said, “The officials responsible for inspecting the boats plying between Guwahati and North Guwahati did not do their work sincerely.” According to a preliminary investigation report conducted by the IWT after the accident, it was found that the appointed driver and helmsman of the boat, Lakhan Das and Arup Das, were not on the boat during the mishap; some other persons were operating the boat.

Survivors holding on to dear life just after the capsize | G Plus Photo Sources revealed that the police have arrested the appointed driver and helmsman and are investigating who were the people operating the boat.

Choudhury further said, “According to the initial inquiry reports we received, the engine of the boat stopped suddenly when it reached near the ghat (bank)

3,000 passengers to be affected after boat mishap

fter the bhutbhuti mishap, the state government has decided to bar the country boats from plying between Guwahati and North Guwahati. The move will directly affect 3,000 passengers who use the service everyday. A source in the Inland Water Transport department (IWT) said, “All the bhutbhutis are barred from plying in Brahmaputra between Guwahati and North Guwahati.”

There are 100 bhutbhutis operated by private owners and 6 vessels operated by IWT plying between Guwahati and North Guwahati. 3,000 passengers use these boats daily. After the accident, the bhutbhutis are now barred from plying as none of the boats and vessels can be considered safe to ply on Brahmaputra. The transport department claimed that they have introduced

10 Assam State Transport Corporation buses, but the residents of North Guwahati are not content with the initiative. A resident of North Guwahati who comes to Fancy Bazar everyday said, “We are facing a lot of problems. The buses do not ply on time and if the boats are not there we will waste a lot of time. The government should introduce new safe boats.” n

Govt’s Ola river taxi dream shattered

he government might have claimed that Ola river taxis will be plying in Guwahati in various routes but the dream has shattered as the app-based river taxi service will not be introduced in Guwahati. A source in Inland Water Transport IWT) department said, “The company is not launching the river taxis in Guwahati.” A source also revealed that Ola was “pressurising” the state government for sailing permission to operate the river

taxis on Brahmaputra “without” Indian Register for Shipping (IRS) certification. To start the river taxi services in Guwahati safety certificates from the IRS is required. After Advantage Assam, Ola did apply for sailing permission, the source said, but the company was asked to provide all the safety certificates for sailing permission in Guwahati. IRS is the recognised agency which provides safety certificates to vessels after thorough investigation. To ply on the Brahmaputra

River a special certificate has to be availed mentioning that the vessels can “ply during monsoon and floods” on Brahmaputra. “The company has not responded after it was asked to provide the IRS certificate,” revealed the source and it seems the company will not respond any further. Also, after the recent boat mishap the safety criterion is expected to increase drastically and if the IRS certificate is taking so long, the launch of the taxis is questionable, the source said. n

Mohan Patowary, has announced the suspension of four officials of the Inland Water Transport (IWT) Department, namely – Vikramaditya Choudhury, Executive Engineer; Purnananda Das, Guwahati Ferry Ghat incharge; and two Section Officers – Dharmeswar Baishya and Jagadish Das. “None of the boats and vessels is safe to ply on the Brahmaputra,” revealed a source as the officials hardly inspect the boats. ITW also failed to implement mandating wearing of life jackets. According to the regulations of the IWT, passengers are mandated to wear life jackets while travelling on the boats, but a source revealed that the rule has never been enforced by the IWT. n

Capsized Boat Factsheet Name

SB Brahmaputra

Year of Construction 2012

Name of the owner Kamal Das

Life saving equipment Life buoys, life jackets (investigation on to find if it was there during accident)

(RC No 1149)

Name of the operator Lakhan Das (Not on boat during accident) Dimension Length: 16 M, Breadth: 2.85 M, Depth: 0.85 M, Draft: 0.25 M Capacity of Boat

3 MT, 15 passengers

Mooring materials required in the boat Nylon rope and anchor (investigation ongoing to find out if it was there during mishap) Insurance cover required for 15 passengers but the insurance expired on

22 December 2017

No new vessel from govt in last 15 years

t is shocking to know that the state government in Assam did not introduce any new vessel in Guwahati over the last 15 years. A source in Inland Water Transport (IWT) department said, “3 vessels were procured by the government in 2003 and after that no other vessel has been introduced till date.”

The source revealed that all the vessels plying in Guwahati including the bhutbhutis are in deplorable condition. The bhutbhutis are allowed to ply because the 6 IWT vessels cannot meet the demand of the passengers. Also the IWT officials fail to inspect the vessels regularly. n

Continued ON page » 4

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

Lead Story

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

North Guwahatians call for total ban on country boats on Brahmaputra Hiranya Barman

“L

et there be a complete ban on country boats,” said locals of North Guwahati in unison while blaming Inland Water Transport for the capsized overloaded country boat on September 5. As many as two persons died while several others are feared drowned after the private country-made engine boat they were travelling on capsized in the Brahmaputra River that fateful afternoon. Authorities have not been able to confirm the exact number of persons missing. The senior citizen forum took out a silent protest against authorities failing to provide

security to its denizens. People in thousands came out on the streets to join the protest. “I commute daily but with a fear in my heart to Guwahati on these country boats. While there are no regulations in providing tickets to the commuters, overloading has become the norm for the “bhut-bhutis” (country boats),” Hirok Nath, who works for a company in Guwahati, told G Plus. “There should be time bound ferry services from North Guwahati. Country boats should be completely banned,” Nayan Deka of North Guwahati said. The country boat that capsized on September 5 was allegedly carrying more than 40 passengers according to locals, in addition to motorcycles and cycles. Authorities claimed tickets were issued to 23 individuals. n

People watch as NDRF carries out search operation at Brahmaputra | G Plus Photo

Overloading a rule rather an exception

“P An overloaded boat carrying passengers from Guwahati to North-Guwahati | G Plus Photo

eople themselves want to travel beyond capacity on these boats risking their own lives. Even if tickets are not issued beyond capacity people prefer to commute without tickets. Eventually it became a regular practice to ply overloaded,” a driver of a country boat said.

Lighter and faster Govt to formulate New IWT Bill Continued from page » 2

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the Legislative Assembly.” The source revealed that the bill is mainly getting formulated to make all the rules and regulations of IWT stringent. The bill will mandate wearing of life jackets when on boat, the source revealed. Also there will be rules and regulations for private parties without following which they cannot ply boats on the river. The source revealed only after the bill is passed it will be decided whether the bhutbhuti will be able to ply on the river or not. n

Locals slamming IWT condemned the discrepancy in regulating professionalism of drivers and of the country boats as well as their maintenance. They complained that drivers usually remain under the influence of liquor while on duty. “These boats stop working while plying on water for at least 2 times a day. The drivers somehow

Insurance of capsized boat expired

t is more shocking to further know that the insurance of the capsized boat - SB Brahmaputra (RC No 1149) – had expired when the boat met with the accident. According to the initial investigation conducted by the Inland Water Transport (IWT) department, it was found that the capsized boat had the insurance valid till 22nd December 2017 and it was not renewed after that. A source in IWT said, “All the

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acing the heat from all corners after the bhutbhuti carrying around 30 persons capsized in Brahmaputra River, the state government has decided to do some rework on the Inland Water Transport regulations. A source in Dispur said, “Assam Inland Water Transport Reorganisation Bill will be placed in the next session of

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make them work while floating idle on the river. Commuters depend on God to commute safely from one bank to the other,” Anjali Kalita, a commuter said. When contacted, IWT Director Bharat Bhusan Dev Choudhury, said that something positive would come up in two days in terms of better and safer travelling options. n

boats plying on the river need to have insurance for the hull of the boat and the number of passengers which it is permitted to ferry.” The capsized boat had a capacity of 15 people and the insurance for these 15 people was valid only till 22nd December 2017. The insurance for the hull was also valid till the same date. The people deceased because of the accident will not get any insurance money. n

Poll

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

Fancy Bazar should be made a full walking-zone market: Poll Should Fancy Bazar be made a full walking zone market with no vehicles allowed?

Yes

80% Votes

2.3K No

20% Chetan Bhattarai

ancy Bazar had been in news for the highly-touted plans of the government to convert the old central jail premises into a botanical garden and a total revamp of Fancy Bazar. The timeframe for these plans has not been announced yet and what we are still facing are traffic snarls and lack of basic facilities for shoppers in this business hub of northeast India. The traffic problem in Fancy Bazar is not new, but at present it has reached such a stage where it can be called nothing but chaos. Though the administration has been trying to keep things under control, the shoppers, residents and the businesses feel that the market needs to do away with vehicles entering it and thereby further choking the already choked roads. A recent poll by G Plus revealed that people are actually in favour of turning the whole market into a vehicle-free zone where shopping and walking experiences could be enjoyed. Of the total 2,300 respondents, 80% were in support of a walking zone. They cited examples from other popular markets of the country that have been successfully turned into pedestrian areas. Majority of the respondents questioned why the authorities werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t building a multi-level

parking area in the old central jail premises. They felt that by turning the premises into a parking lot much of the traffic congestion can be eased, thereby making shopping a better experience at Fancy Bazar. Almost all wanted the jail premises to be turned into a parking lot for shoppers and people visiting Fancy Bazar. Lack of car parking was a major concern for everyone as there is no dedicated parking in Fancy Bazar. The multi-level car parking behind the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital has not been opened yet and there is no confirmation as to when it is going to become functional. Respondents said that the planned botanical garden and the multi-level parking at the jail premises can actually co-exist given the vast 56 bighas of land inside the jail campus. The 20% respondents who were not in favour of making Fancy Bazar a pedestrian zone felt that making the market vehicle-

Hawkers have not only occupied the pavements but have also occupied most of the roads in the market.

free is not a good idea. It will create problems for those who are residing and having businesses in Fancy Bazar. If the parking comes up in one area, it will not be beneficial for those living in other parts of the market. Some suggested that the main shopping areas of Fancy Bazar should be made open for vehicles and a few areas can be made vehicle-free zones within the market. Also, Fancy Bazar being the business hub of the northeast India witnesses a large number of goods carrying vehicles arriving

from all over the country. Making it vehicle-free would mean that an alternative business hub or a site has to be developed first, opined many. Some respondents who are also residents of Fancy Bazar suggested that hawkers should be provided designated spaces within Fancy Bazar and it should be organised. This would sort out a lot of problems as hawkers have not only occupied the pavements but have also occupied most of the roads in the market. Shifting all the hawkers to some other place

- most probably a building - will bring out more space which can be used for parking the vehicles, opined many. Restricting vehicles completely is not a good idea said many, as most of the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s markets are crowded and lack parking space. Some respondents were of the opinion that the movement of vehicles should be allowed, but parking on the roads should not be. Parking should be done only at designated parking spaces within the periphery of the market. n

In The News Snippets

Is Guwahati facing a twowheeler parking crisis? Who is responsible?

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

City LGBTQ community elated as SC decriminalises homosexuality Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

orget parking your cars, these days it is getting tough to park your motorcycle or scooter without it getting scratched in Guwahati. Moreover, most of the parking spaces will be almost filled by the time you reach. This has resulted in people parking their twowheelers at places like pavements and restricted areas, at their own risk. The authorities have failed miserably to provide parking for two-wheelers, which at present, is the fastest mode of travel from point A to B within the city. Guwahati has switched to parallel parking on almost all the roads without giving a thought to two-wheelers. Even if there are parking spots in between, the area provided is insufficient. “Their priority is only cars, they will come running to park a car. But when it comes to parking a motorcycle they will try to give as congested a space where you cannot move your body. The first thing I have to do is, adjust bikes on both sides before I park my vehicle. Moreover, most of the twowheelers are so tightly parked that those with guards are bound to leave scratch marks and dents on scooters. Nobody understands the parking issues of a two-wheeler rider,” said Vicky Singha, a resident of Paltan Bazar, who commutes for work every day to Ganeshguri. The motorcyclists have to figure out themselves where to park. So it’s common to see two-wheelers being parked on footpaths which again creates nuisance for pedestrians. “How can somebody park a vehicle at a dedicated walking area? Sometimes cars are halfparked over the footpath. The authorities have to figure out parking spaces for everyone. There is no lack of land for parking but the government seems to be busy with cosmetic affairs rather than actual ones,” said Manorama Gohain, a housewife from Ulubari. A motorcycle parking does not take much space and could be allocated on most of the city roads. But due to the short-sightedness of the traffic department two-wheeler riders have to face difficulties in most parts of the city. Identifying the areas which need dedicated two-wheeler parking space is the first step to move ahead with.

embers of the LGBTQ+ community in Guwahati are elated with the Supreme Court’s verdict on September 6 which struck down the controversial section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), decriminalizing consensual homosexual sex in the country. City-based LGBTQ activists termed the Supreme Court’s verdict as “historic” which would aid in furthering the struggle for equal rights for the entire community. A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday delivered the landmark verdict which, the activists said was a victory after a long struggle. A part of the judgement read, “To deny LGBT community of their right to sexual orientation is a denial of their citizenship and a violation of their privacy. They cannot be pushed into obscurity by an oppressive colonial legislation.” Pragati, an LGBTQ rights activist based in Guwahati told G Plus, “It is one of the biggest days for us who have been fighting for the LGBT rights over the years. Somewhere we knew what the verdict will be, but hearing and reading the judgement by the Supreme Court was a different feeling.” She added that this was merely one strong step towards the long journey ahead. She said, “The SC has only struck down the section 377 but the struggle against the discrimination, stigma, violence and oppression is a long one and we still have to fight against it so the struggle is still on.” However, activists and members of the LGBTQ

Members and supporters of the LGBTQ community celebrates the Supreme Court decision in Guwahati | G Plus Photo community feel that the verdict will definitely add much more ease to their journey as at least the law was in their favour now. Section 377 of the IPC is a colonial-era law which came into effect in 1862 and was struck down by the apex court. It stated, “Whoever voluntarily has carnal inter¬course against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine.” Prakash Das, another LGBTQ rights activist from Guwahati said that they have been fighting this struggle for the past four years in the city when they had organised the first LGBTQ pride parade in the city. Recounting the journey of the community over the years, Das said, “In 2009, we got a

small glimpse of hope when the Delhi High Court said that homosexuality is not illegal in India but when the Supreme Court decriminalised it again, it was a big setback for us. But today the Supreme Court delivered a historic verdict and we are very happy.” He added that this long-drawn struggle has been ongoing since the colonial period when the British imposed this draconian law. Further, adding a word of caution Das said, “People need to be very cautious about it as a lot of people are not getting the entire idea of the verdict properly and might spread misinformation.” On the other hand, Lucky Neog, a budding filmmaker and activist attributed the verdict to the hard work of activists. “My heart is filled with memories of so many others to whom we owe this moment. It happened

because of the hard work of activists. It happened because of the community’s people who have sacrificed their lives while “coming out.” It happened because of the supportive advocates and many others,” he said adding, “Now transgender welfare board is going to be set up in Guwahati soon, we hope we can make Assam a better Assam which is not filled with homophobia, transphobia, sexism and hate.” Additionally, throwing light on the prevailing situation for the LGBTQ community in Guwahati, Shubhajit Dutta, activist and member of Xukia - a queer collective based in the city which fights for the rights of the community of the northeast, said the condition of queer people in Guwahati is a little better than other places in Assam like Silchar and Dhibrugarh as they face relatively less stigma. n

Way forward: Sensitisation, other rights for equality for the LGBTQ community

alking to G Plus, Swati Bidhan Baruah, the first transgender judge of Assam and crusader for LGBTQ community in the state, said that large-scale sensitisation in all sections of society was the need of the hour. “At present, the community faces a lot of stigma and social humiliation from society. The police atrocities and discrimination is very high for

the people of the community. This will be stopped at least for the people of the community with the judgement at present,” said Baruah. She further added that more sensitisation programmes are needed because even several politicians and bureaucrats show a derogatory attitude towards people from the community and especially towards transgender people.

“The LGBTQ people also need to be made aware of their various rights and issues pertaining to the community,” informed Baruah adding that now the onus is on the state government to implement the verdict. She also hopes that harassment of members of the community by the police authorities under this section will now stop. Activists and members of the LGBTQ community feel that the

verdict is just a stepping stone towards equality. They informed that their responsibility has increased as they have to work towards sensitising people and fight for anti- discriminatory laws. “We now need to talk about further rights and protection for the LGBTQ people. Issues like adoption for homosexual couples, their insurance, marriage rights need to be worked on,” said Baruah. n

In The News

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

Role of teachers in nation’s future reiterated; celebrations A mark 57th Teachers’ Day

Snippets

Seven robbers held in city with valuables

philosophers that headed India. “A teacher is like a candle. It would burn to its end to light its surroundings,” Plato once said. However, would parents in modern world want their wards to be school teachers? In a light-hearted interaction with G Plus, parents and guardians revealed that while it is respectful to be school teachers being a doctor or an engineer is more economically attractive. “If my child is good in studies, she is securing good marks in science, I would definitely want my daughter to be an engineer or a doctor,” Naren Kalita, a resident of Beltola said while negating the knowledge that his daughter had also won first prize in inter district drawing competition. “I am a school teacher. I teach from 1st to 6th standard. While it is important to finish the syllabus on time I have also to keep in mind my students’ weaknesses,” a science teacher said. “It is fun to be a teacher,” she added. n

CM Sarbananda Sonowal conferring State Award to the teachers as recognition to their outstanding contribution | G Plus Photo

Hiranya Barman

“E

ven a single word from a teacher cannot be thanked enough with the highest riches in this world,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi on ‘Maan ki Baat’. The 57th Teachers’ Day was celebrated with much vigor in India marking the 126th birth anniversary of former president, philosopher and thinker Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. This day is also the celebration of the spirit of the teachers which is the backbone of the leaders of the modern world and would

continue to be in the coming times. The 57th Teachers’ Day was organized centrally at Srimanta Sankaradeva International Auditorium in the city by the state government on September 5. Speaking on the occasion, professor of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Tezpur University, Alok Kumar Buragohain felt that if India has to embark ahead in the future it needed to take along with it its ancient traditions and philosophy. So it can be said that the future of the society and India at large is in the schools now being molded by teachers. Teachers have a big role to play to make students familiar with the ancient traditions on their way to future.

“While it is an excellent piece of work to make students acquire good grades in academics, teachers should also inculcate humanism in students. Humans would only reduce to rubbles if they depart from humanism. Teachers should also be able to recognize the respective talents in students. A student securing good grades may not want to be a doctor or an engineer and rather would want to pursue sports in life,” Buragohain said. Reflecting Plato’s saying that thinkers and philosophers make good heads of administration, Buragohain hailed former president of India Dr Sarvepali Radhakrishnan saying that he had been one of the modern

Online grievance redress cell to be launched

eeping in view the grievances of teachers related to pay and other matters, state education minister, Siddhartha Bhattacharya, said that the state government would set up an online grievance redress cell. “We have noticed teachers have to come a long way to the secretariat to meet me. The online redress cell would allow teachers to file grievances from their homes instead,” Bhattacharya said.

The grievance redress cell would be divided into four levels - primary, mid, higher and secondary. The minister stated that expenditure of around Rs 4.21 crores is to be incurred to build the partition walls of government schools in Assam and around Rs 96,292 lakhs for infrastructure building of government schools in the state in two financial years. The education minister also stated about setting up

of science departments and polytechnics in government schools. The education minister further stated that the online grievance redress cell would also enable teacher-parent interaction. “Parents would be able to know the strengths and weaknesses of their wards from the teachers and teachers would also be able to suggest ways to mitigate weaknesses of students to parents,” he said. n

Stop mobile phone usage in schools by students: CM

hief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal asked the education minister to make a law to stop usage of mobile phones in schools by students. Sonowal said that while technology is important in the present scenario abuse of technology would lead to doom. The chief minister lamented that while the government is initiating measures like free textbooks and free admissions quality education was still not seen. “We have to shed laziness and embark towards our goals. Education should strive to make better individuals and ward off superstitions from society,” he said. Asking for more time from teachers, Sonowal said that his government is committed towards ending the long standing problems of teachers in the state. “The aim of education is to build a sound society and good human beings. The teachers should be able to inculcate habits in students which would be permanently engraved in their persona,” Sonowal said. n

cting on a tipoff, Basistha police headed by ACP Nandini Kakati, conducted an operation in which a gang of seven robbers were apprehended near Basistha Chariali in Guwahati on late Saturday night. The operation led to a seizure of more than 100 smart phones, TV, cash money, gold ornaments, daggers and sharp weapons along with three scooters. The accused were identified as Abhisek Dey (18) and Nantu Dhar (18), both residents of Bengali Basti in Basistha, Boloram Brahma (18) of Beharbari, Sanjoy Singh (18) of Natun Basti in Basistha, Joon Ali (32) of Bhella in Barpeta district, Ajit Rabha (20) of Lalmati, and Rahul Choudhury (28) of Patarkuchi in Basistha. The accused will be produced at the chief judicial magistrate’s court here on Monday and the police will seek their custody for interrogation. As per reports, one constable of Assam police was injured during the operation.

Ghy Railway Station to have Special Shelter Homes for Vulnerable Children

uwahati is a hub of child trafficking; the number of cases registered in the city against trafficking of children reflects only a small percentage of the total cases. Officials say that Guwahati is fast becoming a “source centre” for trafficking children to other states of the northeast as well as places like Haryana, Delhi, Punjab and Kolkata. Guwahati’s importance as a railway hub has increased over the past few years with the government expanding the network and aiming to connect more places in the northeast. The ministry of railways, considering the rising number of cases of child trafficking in the region, has recommended setting up of “short stay shelters” and “child help desks” to house vulnerable children in and around the railway tracks and platforms. The proposed project is in a very nascent stage right now. According to officials at the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR), the pace where the shelter homes would be built is yet to be finalized. It could be within the premises of the Guwahati Railway Station or maybe a quarter in the vicinity.

City Snippets

Electric buses to ply on Guwahati roads soon

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

LED balloon lights in Ghy – spreading cheer but raising concern G Plus News

he managing director of Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC), Anand Prakash Tiwari, informed that 15 electric buses would run across Guwahati soon. Speaking at a conclave on electric mobility on Friday, he said that the department has plans to include 30 more buses in the second phase under a policy called ‘FAME’. Tiwari further added that the tendering process for procurement of 400 electric buses on contract model would also be floated.

First stoma clinic in northeast to open in Guwahati

f you walk or drive through the Dispur circle, there is no chance that you’d miss the lit up LED bubble balloons illuminating the entire area. These balloons seem to be catching everyone’s attention. The balloons are sold by people who have travelled from Rajasthan and arrived in Guwahati sometime last month. These groups of people have settled below Ganeshguri and Sixmile Flyovers and work on these balloons there. Their materials come from Mumbai. The balloons are tied with LED strips which run on basic AA batteries. A single balloon comes at a cost of Rs 120-Rs 130, but depending on your bargaining skills, you

r B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) Guwahati is set to start the first stoma clinic in the northeast from September 8. Stoma is an artificial opening created surgically for cancer patients to discharge urine and stool. The clinic will start with an intensive day-long workshop for nurses followed by an interactive session for patients having stoma in Guwahati on September 9. Authorities informed that training will be imparted to nurses on recognizing stoma abnormalities, care of the stoma patient in the immediate post operative period and practical demonstration on nutritional requirements among others. Currently at BBCI, permanent stoma is created for around 20 patients on an average. The firstof-its-kind stoma care clinic in the region will be managed by trained nurses under the supervision of surgical oncologists at BBCI.

might

get it for Rs 90. The balloons are being sold at Bhangagarh Bus Stop, ABC Traffic Point, Ganeshguri Bus Stop and Dispur Circle. “We make these balloons during the daytime and sell them after dusk. Each of us gets at least 15-20 customers per day. The balloons are a big hit among the

small children. Even couples buy them. People love this new thing in the city,” said one of the sellers to G Plus. However, for several citizens, the balloons are highly priced. “These people have come from other parts of the country and are simply looting the Guwahati people. I agree the balloons are nice, are a new product in the city and are catching the attention of

many, but Rs 100 for a balloon is too much for the item they are selling. It should have been priced at Rs 60 or so, I feel,” said Chetana Baruah, a resident of Guwahati. There is another side of the story too, which the administration seems to be overlooking. This group of people who have come to the city from the rural areas of Rajasthan have instilled a sense of fear in the minds of people here. Several Guwahatians have raised the concern that such tribes entering the city might increase possibilities of crimes like theft and pick pocketing. They have made the major flyovers their homes and have settled in bag and baggage. They cook, eat, sleep, and litter the place and this has become a concern for the residents and business people in the area. Several citizens have alleged that the administration is not monitoring their activities either. Another citizen has alleged

that these people are adding to the traffic woes during the rush hours. “The sellers, mainly the children, keep banging the car windows at the traffic signals. Sometimes, it becomes very difficult to avoid them; they would come in front of the car. This happens mainly in Beltola and Ganeshguri,” said Prarthana, a concerned citizen. Few others have expressed that selling such products might promote Chinese products and affect our heritage. When the concerns of the public were apprised to the administration, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (M), Virendra Mittal assured to tackle the issue and ensure the safety of the citizens, with the help of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) authorities and the Assam Police. This group of people plans to stay in Guwahati till Diwali and is thinking of getting more such new fancy products to the city. n

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Storm

32°/26° C

29°/25° C

28°/25° C

29°/24° C

30°/25° C

SATURDAY Isolated Storm

33°/26° C

Concern

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

3000 GVK-EMRI staff go on strike, Mrityunjoy 108, 102 services affected

‘Three Guys’ gets clean chit from FSSAI

Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

lose to 3,000 staff of the 108 and 102 ambulance services of the state went on an indefinite strike from September 4 affecting medical emergency services across the city as well as the state. All the field staff, drivers, medical technicians as well as the call takers of the Emergency Management & Research Institute (GVK-EMRI), which manages the 108 and 102 ambulance services, have called a strike in support of their various demands. Officials informed that their major demands included an increment in their salary, leave encashment, reducing their shift duty from 12 hours to 8 hours and implementation of the rules of the labour law. Talking to G Plus, Dhurjyoti Prasad of GVK-EMRI said, “Out of their four major demands, two demands namely reduction of their duty hours from 12 to 8 hours and implementation of service rules, have already been discussed with the labour commissioner and the talks are ongoing. These two matters are under the review of the labour commissioner and are outside our jurisdiction.”

T GVK- EMRI employees protesting at Guwahati Club | G Plus Photo Further, officials informed that as far as leave encashment is concerned the staff members were already given the encashment in their last salary and they were also offered increment with an arrear for the months of July, August and September which they will be paid along with the salary

one of their main grievances included non-implementation of the service rules. “We have approached the labour department as well as the National Health Mission, but still no attention has been paid to our demands,” informed an employee. n

for the month of September. “But they had refused to accept it and were adamant that they will go on strike,” added Prasad. On the other hand, employees of the GVK-EMRI said they had not received any wage revisions and that they had to work for 12 hours every day. They added that

Adarani ambulances being used to handle emergency cases

total of 695 ambulances were operating under GVK-EMRI in the state. Out of these, 380 were running under 108 ambulance service while 315 were operational under the 102 service, informed officials. However, with the ongoing strike, they have arranged for Adarani vehicles in addition to some ambulances provided by the government to carry out the emergency operations. “We had reached out to the government and they have helped us with government ambulance vehicles. We have also outsourced 235 vehicles of Adarani service and have utilised these vehicles for taking the cases. Now people are getting the service through these alternative vehicles,” said Dhurjyoti Prasad. However, officials admitted that due to the fewer number of vehicles available after the strike, the medical emergency services have indeed been affected to some extent.

Alternately, they have arranged for manpower at the call centres to handle the cases. “We faced some trouble on September 4 but from the next day, we have managed to up our call centre through all our administrative department staff and have made the call centres

operational again,” said an official. He added that while there has definitely been an impact on the emergency services, they are trying to minimise the impact. The service providers are also planning to conduct mass recruitments in order to replace

The 108 Mrityunjoy Emergency Response Services was formally inaugurated on 6 November 2008 in Guwahati. They are operational in all the districts of Assam and provide emergency medical service. Each ambulance is manned by a pilot and an emergency medical technician who is a trained paramedic capable of providing pre-hospital care while transporting the patient to the hospital. On the other hand, 102 ambulance services have been operational in the state from September 2013. It primarily helps in shifting a patient from a lower level hospital to a higher level treatment facility. Aimed at increasing the number of institutional deliveries, Adarani project provides for a drop facility to mothers and their newborns from the hospital to their residence after delivery.

those who are not willing to join the duties, with alternative manpower. Sanjay Jha, vice president (operations) at GVK-EMRI said, “In spite of all efforts of the management and satisfying all demands like payment of leave encashment and salary increase, employee union members turned down the management’s proposal and went on strike. The matter is also under conciliation with the labour office as per legal system. We are taking some contingency actions to restore services.” “The district administration is also extending support by providing ambulance, drivers and paramedics to the serve the people of Assam. We have recruited 30 EROs yesterday and will be recruiting the remaining by today and tomorrow. We have placed 78 pilots and EMT in operation and they will resume duty by today. Hiring process for EMT and Pilot have been initiated and will be completed soon,” added Jha. n

he Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have declared food served at Three Guys restaurant as safe for consumption. In a press communiqué, the restaurant owners said that test conducted on the quality of food served in the restaurant yielded positive results. “The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) have taken samples from our kitchen and after a series of tests conducted, have declared our food to be 100 per cent safe. The test result from laboratory mandated by the government has validated our position that our food was and is safe. The health and safety of consumers is and will always remain our highest priority,” the release said. The FSSAI conducted tests on prepared food on Chicken Hot Garlic, Veg Manchurian, Chicken Butter Masala among others from the restaurant. The FSSAI found negative results on ‘Test for Pacticides’, no extraneous harmful matter seen on microscopic examination, negative on ‘test for mineral oil’ and negative on ‘test for added synthetic colour’. In August last, the Jonali-based family restaurant, Three Guys, had allegedly served chicken containing worms to its customers. This snowballed to filing of a complaint at the Geetanagar Police Station and a cross complaint by the restaurant owners against the customer in the same police station. The restaurant made headlines after a customer shared a video in which they confronted the waiters of the restaurant about worms that they allegedly found in the chicken. They had ordered a hot garlic chicken, one of the favourite items on the restaurant’s menu. The restaurant had also filed a defamation case against the customers. Authorities of the Three Guys restaurant had, on August 9, taken to social media platforms asking people not to spread rumours and wait until the report from the food safety authorities came. Based on their complaint, officials of FSAAI had arrived and taken away samples of the food item in question. The restaurant had been asked to shut down for a week by the minister of state for health & family welfare, government of Assam, Pijush Hazarika. n

Governance

Snippets Assam govt issues social media guidelines for its employees

social media policy is soon going to become a reality for Assam government employees. The idea is to restrain government employees from commenting or advocating on political issues on social media. In December 2017, the state of Jammu and Kashmir issued guidelines for its employees that prohibited them from talking against the policies of the government on social media. The Assam government policy is partially borrowed from the 2012 framework and guidelines prepared by the Department of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. The document states that while employees are free to post responses in their personal capacity, it is mandatory that while doing so, they must clearly identify themselves, confidential information must not be divulged and should not be seen to represent “official view” unless authorised to do so. Government employees should be using the social media mainly for official purposes only and should follow some guiding principles for interaction. The policy mentions that an employee should not initiate a conversation, comment or respond to a reaction unless authorised. This must be firmly adhered to, especially in matters that are subjudice, draft legislations or relating to other individuals.

ASDM to serve notices to Kharguli residents to prepare for landslides

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

New two-way route at Paltan Bazar causing major traffic congestion the city, routes in Guwahati were altered in the last week of August to accommodate and ease the burden of traffic on city roads. Speaking exclusively to G Plus, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Amanjeet Kaur said, “Earlier, it used to take 1015 minutes to reach Ulubari from Paltan Bazar. But, to reach AT Road from Ulubari, which is the same distance, it used to take over half an hour. We took the decision to make the road from Paltan Bazar to Ulubari two-way in order to equalise the pressure and congestion on both the roads.” She further added that whenever a change is implemented, it takes some time for people to get accustomed to it. She believes that people will become comfortable with the new route in a few days. n

The new two-way route at Paltan Bazar | G Plus Photo

Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

wo weeks since the Guwahati Traffic Police (GTP) introduced new commuting routes in the city, residents of the city are finding it a problem adapting to the changes. While the Paltan Bazar area has always been reeling under massive traffic jams during the peak hours, the conditions have become more chaotic since the implementation of the new route, feel Guwahatians.

Recently, the route from Paltan Bazar traffic point via Paltan Bazar Police Station to Godhuli Bazar crossing was changed from one-way road to a two-way road, while the route from Nepali Mandir via SAI Stadium to Godhuli Bazar point remains one-way on which only small vehicles are allowed to commute. However, residents of the area have been complaining of increased traffic congestion caused due to the new routes. “I think this is the worst decision ever taken by the administration. I am a resident

of Paltan Bazar and trust me life has become pathetic ever since the new routes have been put into place. Earlier, it used to take 15 minutes from Pan Bazar flyover to Hotel Amabarish via Nepali Mandir, now it takes over 30 minutes. The situation is same while travelling back as well,” Tushar Jalan, a resident of Paltan Bazar told G Plus. Another resident, Shaikh Shamim Nawaz, opined that it has become a nightmare to commute through the route several times a day. With the surmounting pressure of vehicular traffic in

City buses flouting traffic rules prime reason for traffic at Paltan Bazar

ollowing the massive landslide at Kharguli, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) has decided to serve notices to as many as 300 residences in the area. The notice will be served to warn the residents in advance so that the owners or residents of these houses are ready to face possible calamities. The decision was made on Friday after a massive landslide occurred at Kharguli wherein a house was seen ‘hanging’ from a cliff. A massive land eviction also took place early this week near the Jorabat area.

n Guwahati, buses are the primary means of public conveyance. However, commuters of private vehicles claim that bus drivers lack respect for the traffic rules. The newly introduced route only allows buses and other big vehicles to commute from Ulubari to AT Road via Paltan Bazaar Police Station while restricting the small vehicles to take Nepali Mandir route. “Buses used to block the entire routes of Rehabari, Lokhra Road, and other vicinities in the area. The foremost reason behind the traffic near Nepali Mandir was city buses violating traffic norms and stopping at undesignated spots. With this new route introduced,

buses can take the two-way route, freeing the smaller vehicles to smoothly travel via Nepali Mandir road. The decision has been taken keeping in mind the benefit of all the commuters,” claimed DCP Amanjeet Kaur. Commenting on the decision of the traffic police to change the route, city resident Ranjan Singha said, “The traffic officials are surely trying to find the best solution to decongest the road. Having said that, city buses stopping erratically away from the bus stands and at times in the middle of the narrow roads for passengers has always been a big concern.” In the same vein, Basumatri Rishi, another resident of the

city who commutes via the route everyday for work said, “Earlier, when it was one way had to face problems, now with the two-way, we are facing problems as well. I believe that the administration should first apprise the city bus drivers of the rules of road.” Further, with no major expansion of the roads despite a sharp rise in vehicles, commuting has become one of the biggest problems that the citizens face on a day-to-day basis. Kaur informed G Plus that although the condition of Paltan Bazar road isn’t proper at the moment, the Public Works Department (PWD) has been asked to improve the road condition which will lead to smooth vehicular movement. n

Citizens’ lack of conscience to blame for traffic congestion: DCP (Traffic)

hile the general public keeps finding the fault in the administration and tend to oppose every new move, there isn’t much that they themselves do to better the situations. Speaking to G Plus, DCP (Traffic) Amanjeet Kaur said, “A city is not just run by the administration; the citizens too have a huge role to play.” She elaborated by saying that the residents of the city lack patience and driving ethics. Often, they park their vehicles at ‘no parking’ areas, break traffic rules, and rash drive. One instance that she emphasised on is the constant honking of vehicles at red lights. “In most advanced cities, you will not find traffic police controlling the traffic where there are traffic lights. But in Guwahati, traffic police are present in abundance because the citizens lack conscience and are always in a hurry,” she added. Kaur further added that illegal street vendors block the roads which in turn create trouble for commuters. She said that the new Paltan Bazar route will be implemented permanently and with this, the street vendors will go away. Life will become easier for people commuting from Ulubari to AT Road. n

In The News

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

Thunderous reception to the Dhing Express; Hima lands in Guwahati to royal welcome Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

ima Das, having won three medals at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, including two silvers and a gold, landed at Guwahati’s Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport to a thunderous welcome on September 7. On arrival, Hima was received by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, health, finance and PWD minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP President Ranjit Das,

AGP President Atul Bora, AASU Advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya along with members of various sports organisations. Escorted out of the terminal by 25 Assam Police special women commandos, the ace sprinter from Dhing in Nagaon district, walked on a specially laid out red carpet

designed like a running track with number markings at the Guwahati airport. Her farmer parents, Ronjit and Jonali Das, were also present at the airport, and they enjoyed a well-spread lunch with their champion daughter at the airport. Hima was escorted to a luxury car waiting for her outside the airport, accompanied by the beats of drums and Bihu dancers. The vehicle with a sun roof that had Hima standing out through it wearing a gamocha around her neck was part of a long procession. Hima was felicitated by locals at multiple places including Azara and Dharapur. She reached Dr Bhupen Hazarika Samadhikshetra

Memorial where she paid her respects to the legend. From there, she headed to the track and field area of Sarusujai Stadium after which she addressed a press conference at the office of the Directorate of Sports & Youth Welfare at Dispur. Finally, a state-level felicitation programme was organised at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra where all the dignitaries were present including Arjuna awardee, Bhogeswar Barua, to felicitate and congratulate Hima. It has been a great year for Hima on the track. The rich haul of medals by the “Dhing Express”

(an endearing sobriquet that Hima has earned nowadays) at Asian Games comes after she won the gold medal at the IAAF World U-20 Championships in 2018 over the 400 M distance – the Indian athlete to win a medal at any world event. In Indonesia, she won two silvers and a gold, whilst setting a national record when she clocked 51.00 to qualify for the 400 metre final, which she again bettered to clinch silver with a timing of 50.79. Hima’s second silver came in the mixed team 4x400 M relay event while she clinched gold in the women’s 4x400 M relay event. n

Hima declared brand ambassador of Assam sports

ima Das is now the brand ambassador of Assam sports and has been offered a job in the sports department by the Government of Assam, declared Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal during her felicitation function at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra. Delivering her speech, Hima paid tributes to Bhogeswar Barua and thanked the people of Assam for their enormous support. “I am where I am today because people from all religions, caste and creed united to support me,” she said. “My father always used to say that the day someone is filled with pride, they fall down.

I always keep that in mind and try to stay humble,” Hima said, recalling the words of her father. Hima further emphasised on the efforts of the government of Assam towards bringing out more sports persons and making Guwahati the ‘Sports capital of India’. She recollected memories of the past when she used to be the sole representative from Assam at national levels while there used to be huge teams coming in from other states. While she used to feel elated about her achievements, a part of her felt sad to not see others from her state standing by her side. But that changed when a team six people from Assam represented India at the Asian Games, bringing laurels to the country. n

Centre Spread

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

That yellow rose added to all the vibrance of the evening

Tanushree Hazarika trying her hand at the jackpot

E minence

An evening that was meticu agenda, G Plus teamed up w a memorable occasion of fu Plus inches towards comple mark a commitment towards celebrating with the most p coming together at the â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Bhaskar Dev Konwar, Rajdeep Ojha with Ruben Chaudhury (L-R)

Anamika Chaudhury, Mayuri Bharali and Zerifa Wahid (L-R)

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooking???

For the teams that set it up

To a wonderfully vibrant evening Diganta Hazarika with Roshni Hassan Venue: The Malt, Novotel, Guwahati

Centre Spread

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

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ulously planned with no set with Novotel, Guwahati for un and celebration. As G eting 5 years of work, we s our city of Guwahati - by prominent Guwahatians, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Party of Eminenceâ&#x20AC;?.

Sunit Jain, Siddhartha Bhattacharya, Swapnil Bharali, Harmeet Singh with Anand Prakash Tiwari (L-R)

All smiles - The moment when Rishi Baruah took the prize home

Rachna Powdel, Geetika Das with Drishti Hatimuria from team Novotel (L-R) Harmeet Singh, Karma Paljor with Mrinal Talukdar (L-R)

The Novotel team that set it all up

Sunit Jain, Swapnil Bharali with Rajdeep Ojha (L-R) Stellar Presence - Zerifa Wahid Date: 31st August, 2018

14 E

G Talk D

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

Helmets ( ), Seatbelts ( ), Life Jackets (X)

hat perilous river journey undertaken by hundreds, for work or otherwise, is one massive panga taken with the mighty Brahmaputra River on a daily basis - always ominous of a disaster waiting to happen. It has finally happened! While the big tragedy here is the loss of those “precious” lives with the number of deaths yet to be accounted for, the bigger tragedy is the sheer lack of value that we tend to assign to our own lives which are supposedly precious – leave alone the lives of others. In this country, human life indeed has no value in our eyes, not even our own. The blame game starts right from the bhootbhooti pilot (who are often reportedly drunk on their rickety age-old boats) to the commuters on that ill-fated vessel on to the callousness of the Inland Water Transport personnel manning the ghats to check for the safety parameters that his job entailed and further on to a government that deserves a resounding slap for all its tall promises of providing safer travel modes and never delivering on them. This is another instance of the fondness of the current dispensation going overboard in its fanfare of announcements – Ola river taxis,

signing MoUs, checking and passing viability tests and all – and then brazenly mourning the tragedy that has occurred purely due to its ineptitude. No, this is not fun! When it comes to wearing helmets and fastening seatbelts for surface transport, lakhs of rupees has been raised by way of fines for non-compliance by two-wheeler riders and motorists. The police come down heavily in such cases and Guwahatians have started to comply. Where on earth is the same enforcement on the most dangerous route of the city – Guwahati to North Guwahati by river? Despite clear mandates by the government post the Dhubri boat capsize in 2012 on the same Brahmaputra River, life-jackets have never been enforced on passengers being ferried, boats have always been overloaded and basically, all caution has always been thrown to the winds by each and everyone concerned. Isn’t this a rather well-scripted invitation to the watery grave? Is the government’s role limited to only issuing mandates? The Brahmaputra is not a joke. It is a deadly river. Let’s not ever forget that any more. Swapnil Bharali Editor

Owning up to a disaster

he distance between North Guwahati and Guwahati can either be traversed by a 15 minute ferry ride or a 40 minute drive over the Saraighat. In the peak of the Brahmaputra being swollen up, it took a tragedy involving an unregulated ferry, and several deaths for everyone to say, “Hey, this negligence has gone on for far too long!” It is very evident that the Inland Water Transport Department took travelling over the Brahmaputra too leniently. If all our songs praise that we are a city “luit’or paarote”, why did no one think of the repercussions that come with it? The Assam Government has clearly ignored the perils of water travel for far too long. Unregulated local ferries on Brahmaputra have been traversing the water with no safety or check in place. It is clear that the IWT Department chose to turn a blind eye towards this because someone has been filling their pockets. There are tens of thousands of people who travel to and fro North Guwahati every day, and yet, no one cared for the safety of these people. The incoming and outgoing DCs have never raised this query in the past either; while everyone sitting in their offices at Kachari are too busy enjoying the view. These boats have always been overloaded because for the unregulated ferry, a Rs 10 ticket makes financial sense – after all, they’ve gotta pay it to their bosses ahead. Where have the police been in all of this? How many times has there been a raid to check licences and permissions of the boatmen? Who in the past 6 months has officially ensured that the boats meet the safety standards? The construction of a new bridge over the Brahmaputra is certainly a welcome announcement, but here’s hoping that it doesn’t stay stuck like that ‘one lone pillar’ in the middle of the Brahmaputra saying that it is meant for the ropeway project. Sidharth Bedi Varma

Stricter laws could have prevented the North Guwahati boat tragedy

he September 5 boat tragedy on the banks of North Guwahati was an eye-opener on what the state of our inland water transport was in the city. The accident threw light on the plight of the common Guwahatian travelling in a rickety vessel, putting his life at risk all the time. It also brought back to focus the lack of safety standards in river transport. G Plus did a poll on who was to be held responsible for the accident. To our surprise the majority of respondents - 61% - held the people responsible for the tragedy. Out of the 1900 respondents, 39% believed that the government failed in imparting its duties. The public sentiment of the G Plus poll was skewed because the respondents believed that the tragedy could have been averted by the passengers themselves. Going through the eyewitnesses’ accounts it was evident that the passengers boarded it even after knowing that the boat had engine issues. It failed to start for some time and there was water below the engine area. They should have changed the vessel there and then, felt many of the respondents. It just shows that the people risked their lives willingly. The respondents believed there was nothing that could have stopped the passengers from marching out of that dilapidated, floating, wooden death trap. Respondents who defended the unlucky passengers said that the distance by road would mean taking a long, tiring detour of 17 kms, which by the water channel was only a kilometre and would take a much shorter time. Lack of more boats was the reason people boarded these overcrowded boats. Those who blamed the government said that stricter laws would have avoided the accident. The respondents questioned the role of the Inland Water Transport Department officials who are responsible for the safety of the passengers travelling by the river. There is

rPoor BSNL services

O pinion Chetan Bhattarai

Is the govt solely responsible for the Brahmaputra boat tragedy? Or do you think passengers were equally responsible for boarding an over-crowded boat?

People are Responsible

61%

Votes

1.9K Govt is Responsible

39%

strong resentment among the respondents regarding the lackadaisical attitude of those entrusted to fulfil their duties. Regular checking of the boats and keeping a check on the

overcrowded ones would have saved many lives. Respondents wondered how a boat in such a dilapidated state was even allowed to operate? Moreover, the absence of life jackets and other safety equipment was seen as a

serious lapse on the part of the IWT department. Safety should be the first thing when it comes to travelling through such a strong river current. This clearly shows that the officials were solely responsible for the mishap believed the respondents. Respondents were also sceptical that if such shady operations were allowed in a city like Guwahati what would be the state of other small towns that use similar mode of transport in identical conditions? It seems the government is not taking the lives of the common citizens seriously, felt the respondents. Strict laws should be in place for the offenders as lives of people are at stake. There should be regular technical checks on all passenger carrying, river transport vehicles so that no more lives are lost due to negligence. n

Letter to the Editor

s per a report published by this newspaper a few weeks ago, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) users from Guwahati have reduced drastically in the last five years and have shifted to other mobile, landline as well as internet service providers. In this context, the service and connectivity concerns of BSNL are reaching new lows every day in the city. I have personally experienced call drops and poor connectivity a number of times while trying to connect a call to anyone. Further, the internet connectivity is also in a shambles and it takes several minutes for the pages to load online, defeating the entire purpose of fast connectivity. The telecom company should take some strict measures to ensure that it retains at least some of its customers. Hiten Mahapatra, Panbazar

In Focus

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

Mrinal Talukdar Senior journalist, filmmaker, author

revered senior journalist, award winning documentary filmmaker, author and a farmer at heart, Mrinal Talukdar is regarded as one of the most trusted faces on northeast television. Son of eminent researcher and litterateur Nanda Talukdar, Mrinal describes himself as a 100% Guwahatian having been born, brought up and now working here. Mrinal, after pursuing higher secondary from Cotton College and graduating from Arya Vidyapeeth College, began his journalistic career as a sub-editor of the English daily, The

Sentinel, in 1989. Later, Mrinal opted for a degree in post graduation in Mass Communication through Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). Following a brief stint at The Sentinel, Mrinal moved to the GL Publication group to initially launch The Meghalaya Guardian and The North East Times as a staff reporter in 1990-91. In 1992, Mrinal moved to The Assam Tribune as a staff reporter; it was a brief stint as he got selected in the United News of India (UNI) news agency and joined the Guwahati Bureau as

principal correspondent. In this capacity, he covered the whole of northeast India and was elevated to the post of Chief of Bureau (NE). He then moved to Patna to head the Bihar region. After working with the UNI for a few years, Mrinal left the agency to pursue his own career in television and writing. “When I came back to Guwahati in 2010, I reluctantly joined the industry as a TV anchor. But by 2015, I deviated into academics and research and indulged in the longer form of journalism, that is, books,” Mrinal told G Plus. Presently, he is working as senior journalist of the Assamese news channel, Pratidin Time. Mrinal has been writing books on contemporary social history of Assam for over a decade now. Majority of his books are best sellers and he has been hailed for initiating a new genre of literature in Assamese by mixing history and geography. “Assam is very good at producing fiction stories and poems, but it is notoriously bad at documenting history. With the help of the huge library of books that my father left be-

hind, I like to document the history of Assam so that more people are apprised of it,” says Mrinal. Some of his highly acclaimed books are ‘Mautam’ that deals with the history of insurgency in the Northeast, ‘1962’ which is an in-depth look into the Indo-China war busting the long held contention that it was China’s aggression, ‘ULFA’ that documents the growth and history of the ULFA in Assam and ‘Assam After Independence’ which, in English, is a complete political history of Assam since 1945. Mrinal’s latest book ‘Mandalay’ was released on September 4 last. Speaking to G Plus about the book, he said, “Mandalay is an account of the rhino horn poaching trail in South East Asia from Kaziranga (Assam) to Kunming (China). In this book, I have explored how poaching in Kaziranga National Park can be curbed but not finished due to the rising demands in China and the complex poaching syndicate that is controlled from Myanmar.” He is currently researching and working on two new books – one on the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the other on the underbelly of tea industry. Mrinal is also a documentary filmmaker with over 20 documentaries to his credit including ‘In Search of Job’, ‘No Body’s Man’ and ‘Road to China’. ‘1962 Tezpur’ - a documentary directed by Samujjal Kashyap and based on a book by Mrinal – won the National

Award for Best Investigative Film/ Documentary. Additionally, Mrinal’s ‘In search of Job’ has been awarded best film in the South Asia Documentary Film festival, his one-minute film ‘Majuli’ has been awarded the Osian Talent in the Osian Cine Fan Film Festival. Mrinal has attended the prestigious Hollywood Silver Lake Film Festival held in 2006. Mrinal has given shape to the Nanda Talukdar Foundation that is considered the treasure house of Assamese literature. The foundation specializes in early nineteenth century to twentieth century literature of Assam and boasts of a collection of nearly 11,000 books. The foundation that started in 1996 has now grown into an institution specializing in doing social audit on the micro credit and rural economy of the corporate and public sector besides being a major publication house. Mrinal is passionate about cricket and considers all his cricket coverage, especially the World Cup 2007 in West Indies, amongst his exceptional reportage. “I did play serious cricket as a middle order batsmen up to a certain level but could not crack the Ranji team,” he said. Mrinal is very passionate about farming and fishing too and considers farming as his primary occupation. He owns a plantation at Pabhoi, 14 kms north of Biswanath Chariali; it’s a place where he is most at peace.

The Brahmaputra boat tragedy drew a lot of comments from followers of G Plus with many having wide ranging views on what triggered the accident and who was to blame for it. Some comments: Pradeep Upadhyaya From my point of view people are not responsible for such an incident. I mean why wait for a cause? If strict laws had been enforced regarding the carrying capacity and if bigger ships were deployed, then do you think this incident would have taken place? Of course not! Prevention is always better than cure, therefore strict rules should have been imposed beforehand and then people would have been bound to follow. Similar incidents are seen on the streets where potholes are filled only after someone dies because of some incident during monsoon season. Anurag Sen It is not only the government that is responsible in allowing locally made boats to operate on the mighty Brahmaputra but also equally the passengers who board these kinds of boats. After a situation occurs, these passengers are the ones who solely blame the government of Assam for the disaster. Not only overloaded ferries but also buses which are stopped by passenger in the mid-way just so that they don’t have to walk the distance till the bus stop. Everyone should understand and take up the responsibility to be a better citizen of the nation by abiding the rules & regulations of the Indian government. Rinti Saikia We’re responsible and it’s our fault. When you travel on the same route daily, we as humans get so used to it that we start taking things casually, we don’t fear such things. But we don’t have ferries all the time which are only available at certain specific times. The small motorised boats are available every 15 to 30 minutes. The government has now decided to complete the foot bridge by 2022 so why are they providing direct buses now? Anyway there is no point pointing these things right now but it is the government’s fault at large and ours too.

Phukan Rajbongshi How do these unfit boats get permit to ply on such a busy route and attached to the big city like Guwahati? The government is more responsible than the passengers. The government has duties to perform because of which people have voted for them. It’s clearly the negligence from the authority that this happened. Anis Zaman To begin with, nobody can be blamed for the mishap wholly. When one boards a vehicle or any other mode of transport, he/she should ensure that it is not over boarded. Secondly, many drivers and boatmen, out of sheer greed, take more passengers than the capacity of the vehicle. And the government should also spread certain awareness messages to educate people about safety measures like wearing life jackets etc. Blaming a particular side is illogical and that changes nothing. Instead we need to learn from such a terrible disaster. Pankaj Lunia India is a “RAM BHAROSE” country, whatever happens here is not because of any government’s fault because no government exists in India. It is all because of the lakhs of prayers & agarbathis that we are able to live. Otherwise we would have seen this on a daily basis. Government has been non-existent since independence. It’s God’s anger that these things are happening. Pankaj Surana Firstly, when the water level is so high such boats should not be allowed. So in this case the government is responsible. Secondly, people should have seen the capacity of the boat and then should have boarded along with their bikes. So here the fault is of the passengers. In short, both are equally responsible for this tragic incident.

Feature

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

A week-long celebration; NYX Lounge and Deck turns two

uwahati’s favourite restro-lounge NYX Lounge and Deck has turned two years old. It has been two whole years of NYX bringing one of the best artists to Guwahati and organis-

ing the hottest parties in town. The lounge is now inviting all the party goers to a grand anniversary celebration. The weeklong celebration is being held at the lounge from September 8 to 15th with some of the best

performances from across the country, along with the local heroes. So drop all other plans for the week and read on below to find out what’s going to be trending in the city for the next week!

September 12 – Ladies Night featuring G City Boys

September 8 – Launch Party featuring Kohra Arpan

Kicking off the mega celebration, the first night will witness the versatile DJ Kohra expressing his visual and aural sensibilities via Qilla. Kohra will take the guests through a journey of galactic sounds, promoting a wide range of underground music from India and across the world. Joining him will be Shillong boy Arpan who shall set the vibe for the night. Arpan's style usually varies from groovy house music to super pounding techno, teamed up with immense hypnotic groove and pack a punch in every single set that he seems to deliver so effortlessly. The party is expected to be nothing short of spot on!

This ladies night, get ready to witness some fantastic acts by our local heroes - DJ Jupiter, DJ Laksh, DJ Tony, DJ CYCO and Roy - only at NYX Lounge and Deck. If you have been to NYX on one of their Wednesday night parties, you know how it goes. But if you haven’t, what are you waiting for? Get ready to witness one hell of a night! Oh, and there’s good news for all the ladies. Not only do you get free entry, you also get complimentary cocktails and there’s a special prize for the ‘Lady of the Night’. Free entry for couples until 9PM too. Select ladies will also be given exclusive vouchers from B Blunt.

We are super excited to celebrate our 2nd Anniversary. It really means a lot to the whole team who has worked very hard to always give Guwahati a different experience. Our 1st Anniversary Celebration were a huge success and we are looking forward to making it even bigger this year with a wide range of activities and events planned for the whole week, Varun Vohra, head of PR and Marketing, NYX.

September 9 – Sundowner featuring G Glock

NYX Lounge and Deck seems to be having the best of Sundowner edition curated just for this weekend special party. DJ G-Glock, the tremendously talented hip hop DJ from Mumbai, is all set to perform in the city. He specializes in gangsta hip hop and has already worked with the likes of DJ Saa, DJ Shameless Mani, etc. There will be supporting acts by some of the finest artists from Guwahati including DJ Cyco, DJ Roy, DJ Tony, Lost Punks, DJ Rawat and DJ Nixquil as well.

September 14 – Acoustic Night featuring Suraj Verma

Guwahati, get ready to witness Suraj Verma of Indian Idol fame once again perform in Guwahati. The singing sensation would be coming all the way from the national capital to be a part of the grand Anniversary celebration. Suraj Verma, who is the lead vocalist of Delhi-based band Indo Fuzon, specialises in Sufi Rock and Indie Pop. So gear up for an exciting live performance teamed good food and booze.

September 15 - Club Night featuring Major C

The man behind the beret and gnome-like beard, Major C has been around spinning the hottest tunes on the coolest decks for over two decades now. One of Mumbai’s premier DJ’s and the main man behind the acclaimed hip hop act ‘Bombay Bassment’, Major C has been conceived by the system way before anyone even knew the scene. He has performed at illustrious music festivals, sharing the stage with the likes of Coldplay, Adele and LCD Sound System.

In 2017, the first anniversary celebration of NYX featured some of the most acclaimed artists including Dualist enquiry who performed at the launch party, Rudra from Kolkata who performed at Sundowner and Fakhri, the famed Sufi band from Delhi. Nearly 1500 people played part of the celebration, celebrating the success of NYX in establishing itself as the most preferred party place of Guwahati!

Trotter

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

Cambodian reptile café offers company of pythons, pet iguanas to patrons

or anyone terrified of an albino python, an orange corn snake or a scaly, bearded iguana, Chea Raty says getting up close and personal at Phnom Penh's first reptile-themed cafe is the only remedy. Taking off from the cat cafes already popular in the Cambodian capital, Chea Raty launched his business to revamp the skincrawling reputation of lizards and snakes and convince haters that they are simply misunderstood. As customers sip on their lattes and hang out with the reptiles, "they will love them like I do," the 32-year-old said while stroking the scaly neck wattle of an iguana. The walls of his cafe are lined with lit-up glass tanks containing snakes of various lengths and colours, while a bright macaw screeches in the

corner. Some visitors look hesitantly at the cages; others are bolder in their embrace of the creatures. There's no entry fee, so visitors can order a coffee and request a sit-down with a serpentine friend from one of the tanks. An iced tea for a young customer instantly becomes a cool object for a yellow-and-

cream-coloured ball python to twist its body around. A woman giggles as an albino python creeps from her shoulder and wraps behind her head. "This cafe is quite unique," the 22-year-old woman said. "I've never seen some of these reptiles before. They are beautiful and scary." To critics who say the animals should be left alone in the wild, Chea Raty says his human-bred creatures "cannot survive there." All of his cafe creatures are imported from Thailand. Business is still slow-going due to the common fears of snakes and lizards. But women, Chea Raty says, are providing an unexpected boost. "They put the pythons around their neck, take selfies and they are happy." (Source: ndtv)

Robot dinosaurs serve guests at Japanese hotel

he reception at the Henn na Hotel, east of Tokyo, is eerily quiet until customers approach the robot dinosaurs manning the front desk. Their sensors detect the motion and they bellow "Welcome." It might be about the weirdest check-in experience possible, but that's exactly the point at the Henn na (whose name means 'weird') chain, which bills itself as offering the world's first hotels staffed by robots. The front desk staff are a pair of giant dinosaurs that look like cast members of the Jurassic Park movies, except for the tiny bellboy hats perched on their heads. The robo-dinos process checkins through a tablet system that also allows customers to choose which language - Japanese, English, Chinese or Korean - they want to use to communicate with the multilingual robots. The effect is bizarre, with the large dinosaurs gesticulating with their long arms and issuing tinny set phrases. Yukio Nagai, manager at the Henn na Hotel Maihama Tokyo Bay, admits some customers

find it slightly unnerving. "We haven't quite figured out when exactly the guests want to be served by people and when it's okay to be served by robots," he said. But for other guests the novelty is the charm: each room is staffed with mini-robots that look a bit like spherical Star Wars droid BB-8, and help guests with everything from changing channels to playing music. Even the fish swimming in the lobby run on batteries, with electric lights in their articulated bodies flickering on and off as they work their way around giant tanks. "The dinosaurs looked intriguing, and I thought my son would love it," said Chigusa Hosoi, who was at the hotel with her three-year-old. "My son is really happy. There's an egg-shaped robot inside the room. He was playing with it a lot." The first Henn na Hotel opened in Nagasaki in 2015 and was certified the following year by Guinness World Records as the world's first hotel with robots on its staff. The travel agency group that operates the chain now runs eight

hotels across the country, all with robots on the staff, some of them dinosaurs, but others taking a more humanoid shape. Some humans are also on call to intervene in case of glitches, which customer reviews online suggest are a not infrequent problem at check-in. But Nagai said relying on robots for everything from front desk duty to cleaning had proved an efficient choice in a country with a shrinking labour market. "It's becoming difficult to secure enough labour at hotels. To solve that problem, we have robots serving guests." (Source: dailymail)

Plane drops thousands of fish into a Utah lake with good reason

ho cares about snakes on a plane? A video of thousands of fish being dropped from a plane is far more interesting. Recently, the video shared by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources on Facebook, shows a plane dropping thousands of fish into a lake in Utah. In case you’re wondering why, this is how wildlife officials “stock fish into high-mountain lakes.” “If you see flying fish at Utah’s remote lakes, don’t be alarmed!” says the caption posted along with the video on August 24. The video shows the fish being dropping from a hole in the bottom of the plane as it flies over the lake. The video, complete with captions playing along with the footage, explains that since the fish are small, most of them aren’t

hurt in this process.”The fish are tiny - anywhere from 1-3 inches long - which allows more than 95 percent of them to survive the fall,” Utah Division of Wildlife Resources explained in a tweet. According to LiveScience. com, this is how over 200 of Utah’s remote mountain lakes are stocked each year since they are usually far from roads and may take longer to reach by land. If it wasn’t for this method, many of Utah’s lakes would be fishless. “I had no idea this is how they refill,” said one Facebook user. “This is interesting,” said another. “Give us a heads up before transplanting any moose or antelope,” joked a commenter. “Can I get the scheduled drops. So I can be ready with a net. Probably the only way I might catch a fish,” quipped another. (Source: news18)

Disneyland to soon sell alcohol (adults only) for the first time

Life begins at 80 for new world record breakers

trapeze artist and DJ have proved that age is just a number by becoming Guinness World Record holders in their 80s. The two octogenarians join a host of achievers in the latest catalogue of extreme feats. Betty Goedhart, 85, soared to the top of the list to become the oldest performing female flying trapeze artist. Betty, from California, USA, was 84 years and 249 days when she broke the record, despite only starting lessons when she was 78.

Chef-turned-DJ SumikoIwamura, 83, leaves the restaurant she owns after her shift each night to be

the oldest professional club DJ. Sumiko, from Tokyo, Japan, makes her way to Decabar Z for her DJ slot and said it keeps her young. “Doing something totally different is energising,” she said. Sumiko never imagined becoming a DJ at her age but urged others to follow her lead and said, “Try something and don’t give up. There are opportunities lying around every corner.” Their achievements can all be found in the 2019 Guinness Book of World Records. (Source: metro.co)

his is a first for Disneyland, said to be one of the happiest places on earth in its 63-year history! Adults visiting the Disneyland Park will finally be able to enjoy an alcoholic drink through a Star Warsthemed Oga's Cantina, which is scheduled to open next year. The menu will offer beer, wine and outer space theme cocktails. Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, announced the news in a blog post. "Patrons will

come from across the galaxy to sample the famous concoctions created with exotic ingredients using 'otherworldly' methods. These beverages will be served in unique vessels," a statement on the Disney Parks blog explained. Drinks can only be consumed inside the cantina. Walt Disney had opposed the sale of alcohol in his parks as he wanted it to be a wholesome, family-friendly experience. (Source: ndtv)

Review

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

Starring: Demian Bichir, Taissa Farmiga, Jonas Bloquet Director: Corin Hardy

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The Nun

n a secluded convent in the mountains of Romania, we see two nuns make their way to a room, the door to which bears the legend “God ends here”. The nuns are terrified, but the older one boldly pushes forward; they must find a way to end the evil that resides beyond the door, she reminds her younger colleague. Soon enough, amid unearthly wails and howls, she reemerges, bloody and in the maws of a demon, flinging an ancient key at the younger nun, before being pulled back inside to her death. The young nun grabs the key and runs to her room, takes hold of a prepared noose tied to her bedpost. Then, just as the room’s door is flung open and the cross above her bedstead turns upside down, she pulls

the rope tight around her neck and leaps out the window. So begins The Nun — and those first few minutes are about the spookiest you’ll encounter in its entire hour-and-a-half runtime. The rest of the film — the fifth in the Conjuring universe, and perhaps ranked in that spot too in terms of its quality — is a formulaic tale that employs all the clichés of the horror genre to very little affect. The Nun for all its graveyards and sundry crosses, ancient stone castle and sinister sarcophagi, topped off with lots of ritualistic mumbo-jumbo - feels mostly like a farce. Not all horror films need to be a nuanced examination of the human condition of course, but even as a simple good-vs-evil story, The Nun falls firmly on the bad end of the spectrum. n

he Oppo F9 Pro is a phone for those who want to be noticed. In a world of increasingly generic-looking phones, and manufacturers all racing to copy the same design cues, Oppo has decided to be a little different. The F9 Pro is instantly noticeable and recognisable, no matter which of its three very different finishes you choose - and no, there is no sober, low-key option. If you want something that will work unobtrusively in a corporate environment, or if you don't like getting curious glances when you're out in public, there are plenty of other smartphones that will suit you better.

the jawans lacks emotional depth and conviction. All of this collectively blunts much of the desired impact of what could have been a riveting war film. The director has put together a team of dapper young and experienced actors to portray real characters from this important yet much lesser known slice of history. Arjun Rampal as Lt Col. Rai Singh and Sonu Sood as Major Bishen Singh respectively lead the pack not only as top ranking officers but also in performances. Among the younger lot, Harshvardhan Rane stands out as a passionate soldier while Gurmeet Singh Choudhary goes overboard, especially with an accent that oscillates between Jatt Haryanvi and Rajasthani. Luv Sinha as the amiable Attar Singh gives his cheerful best while Siddhant Kapoor is easily forgotten. n

OPPO F9 PRO

Oppo has come up with three extremely eye-catching finishes for the F9 Pro, all of which are multi-coloured, patterned, and shimmery. The Sunrise Red finish has a gradient of rich, deep crimson and violet, with a swirly diamond pattern. The Twilight Blue option has a similar pattern but the col-

our runs from dark navy to light blue - it's amusing to think that this is the most low-key. Finally, Starry Purple has a mangenta-indigo gradient with light speckles scattered randomly across it. Oppo includes a completely

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Paltan 08:55 AM, 11:55 AM, 08:00 PM

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The Nun, English 09:10

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AM, 01:15 PM, 03:30 PM,

Stree 09:35 AM, 12:25 PM, 03:15 PM, 06:05 PM, 09:00 PM Gold 02:55 PM

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The Nun, English

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The Nun, Hindi 10:30 AM

Paltan 03:05 PM, 08:40 PM

Stree 12:30 PM Paltan 05:30 PM

Galleria Cinemas HUB

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Paltan transparent rubber case in the retail box, so you can show your F9 Pro off even if you like having some extra protection. The frame of the Oppo F9 Pro isn't metal, and the company hasn't specified whether it has used reinforced glass for the front and rear, which is quite disappointing at this price level. There's no dust or splash resistance. The power button on the right and volume buttons on the left are within easy reach, as is the fingerprint sensor on the rear.

Specifications and display:

Design:

PM, 05:15 PM

Gali Guleiyan 08:40 PM

Starring: Arjun Rampal, Sonu Sood, Sonal Chauhan, Luv Sinha, Harshvardhan Rane Director: JP Dutta P Dutta is synonymous with war dramas, which means that you expect a lot from him when you buy the ticket to watch his directorial. With Paltan, he promises to recreate the tension between India and China by retelling the story of the Indo-Sino war. Interestingly, that war is referred to as skirmish between both sides, but what follows are more squabbles. This time, to save Sikkim from the Chinese army who is treacherously inching toward the Indian side. Shot in real locations, Paltan recreates the 1965 setting, but not the corresponding tension. Director JP Dutta who is also the screenplay and story writer, stays quite rooted to his original style of storytelling. But he uses repetitive conflicts and half-baked back stories that add more to the runtime than the narrative. Bromance between

Cinepolis

Oppo F9 Pro comes with an octa-core MediaTek Helio P60 processor. Oppo sells only one version of the F9 Pro, with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. However, the company has taken the unusual step of also announcing the Oppo F9, which is identical in every way other than having 4GB of RAM instead of 6GB. This model isn't available in stores yet, and the company has not said when it will be. We're quite surprised that

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Stree 11:00 AM, 08:00 PM

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there's a Rs. 4,000 price difference between these two models. One of the F9 Pro's headlining features is its 3500mAh battery and support for Oppo's VOOC rapid charging standard. Oppo claims that being plugged in for five minutes will give you two hours' worth of talk time. Oppo has also used an LTPS (low-temperature polysilicon) LCD panel, which consumes less power but is expensive to manufacture. The panel measures 6.3 inches and has 19.5:9 aspect ratio with a resolution of 1080x2340. The rest of the F9 Pro's specifications are pretty standard: Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, and VoLTE. Oppo's ColorOS skin is now at version 5.2, and is based on Android 8.1.

Cameras:

Oppo's camera app is somewhat like the iOS app, just with a lot more going on. The main mode ribbon at the bottom includes Timelapse, Slo-mo, Portrait, Stick-

er, Pano, and Expert modes along with the standard Photo and Video. It houses 16-megapixel + 2-megapixel dual camera setup and a 25-megapixel camera. You have a choice between 720p and 1080p for video recording with the rear cameras, and there are no settings to play with.

Verdict:

The Oppo F9 Pro reminds us of the early 2000s when Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and others used to come up with wildly imaginative designs all the time. Oppo obviously knows that the F9 Pro's aesthetic won't be for everyone, but that's okay. People who are most concerned with practicality have plenty of other choices anyway. If a bright red and purple phone makes you happy, then by all means, go for it. However, the Oppo F9 priced at Rs. 4,000 less comes across as much better value for money. Most people can live quite happily with 4GB of RAM rather than 6GB. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

Guwahati audience mesmerized Adil Hussain starrer by Alobo Naga & the Band ‘What Will People Say’ selected by Norway for Oscars

opular Indian rock outfit from Dimapur, Alobo Naga & the Band (ANTB) performed at the Great Northeastern Momo Fest at Khanapara Veterinary ground, Guwahati on Saturday, September 1. Thousands of people came out to support them as they took the stage. Apart from performing their newly released songs, ANTB also performed a few covers and some of their earlier hits like ‘Painted Dreams’ and ‘Come Back Home’. ANTB are currently on their pre-album promotional tour across the country. After performing in Guwahati, the band headed to Delhi for NEST Fest at Talkatora Stadium followed by shows in various locations in South India including Chennai and Vellore. The band rose to fame in 2011 with their video single ‘Painted Dreams’ that became an instant hit; it was premiered in August 2011

N at VH1. The popularity of the video also helped the band to earn them MTV Europe Music Awards 2012 Best Indian Act award and later was nominated for Worldwide Act. The Great Northeastern Momo Festival 2018 celebrated at the Khanapara Veterinary College Field from August 31-September

'Bonxomorjyada' for Srimanta Sankardev Theatre. All the plays deal with

Directed by Imran Haq, the movie is set in Pakistan and Norway and traces how a Pakistani immigrant family deals with their teenage daughter’s affair with a local boy in Norway. Adil Hussain has time and again proved his talent in the

Tuesday evening. Quoting Hussain verbatim from his post, “Our film ‘What Will People Say’ is just been declared as the Norwegian official entry into Oscar 2019. Big Congratulations to Iram Haq, Maria Mozhdah, Ekavali Khanna and cast and Crew members! We hope that our film will finally be one of the films to be Nominated in Foreign Film Category at the Oscars in 2019.”

film industry, be it with roles of any genre or language. Hussain has earlier worked for commercial films like ‘Life of Pi’, ‘English Vinglish’, ‘Hotel Salvation,’ ‘Parched’ etc. Hussain, who hails from Goalpara, recently bagged the best actor award for his role in the film at the Amanda Awards 2018 - the Scandinavian country’s top national film honour.

2 saw around 35 different momo stalls. In addition to good food, performance by different bands from the northeast and other parts of the country entertained the crowd on all days of the fest. Artists included the likes of Suraj Mani, Prabh Deep, Arogya, Moksh and Orko.

Rajdweep’s latest plays well-received by theatre lovers

amed playwright Rajdweep’s plays were recently staged across the state in places like Azara, Mariani, Sivasagar and Pathshala and were well received by theatre lovers. Storytellercum-lyricist-cum-journalist from Assam, Rajdweep is considered one of the playwrights who has brought freshness to the mobile theatre industry of the state. Among his most noted plays are 'Bauli Mur Priya' and 'Bandookor Kobita'. His play 'Boliya Krishna,' which was first staged in 2015-16, proved to be a highlight in the theatre industry of the state through he was already a popular name in the film industry as a lyricist. In 2018, he has written six plays namely 'Bauli Mur Priya' for Rajmukut Theatre, 'Bandookor Kobita' for Hengool Theatre, 'Beporuwa Prem' for Kahinoor Theatre, 'Barnali Barua Premot Porise' for Chiranjeev Theatre, 'Bapukon Zindabad' and

orway has officially selected the Adil Hussain and Ekavali Khanna starrer “What Will People Say” for the Foreign Language Film category to be sent to the Oscars. Hussain broke the news on his Facebook account on

different themes and belong to different genres. Rajdweep began his career as playwright in the mobile theatre industry in 2014 with his maiden play 'Akou Edin' at Hengool Theatre, which was based on the story of a guy suffering from short term memory loss. All his plays have been received well by the audience. The playwright told G Plus that he is happy with this success. “I love to write and I love to learn, so mobile theatre has given me both these opportunities. I'm writing and I'm learning new things here,” he informed. Recently Rajdweep was also awarded the State Film Award for best lyricist for the film 'Dooronir Nirola Poja'. He says that for him, film and theatre are both very special as both provide different work experience. Rajdweep said he wants to carry forward both these journeys.

Documentary on beggars released

n the occasion of the 6th death anniversary of renowned Ayurveda specialist, Dr Manik Chandra Dutta, a documentary, ‘Podopathar Thikana Bisari,’ made on the plight of beggars, was released at a function held at the Guwahati Press Club on September 3, Monday. The function was addressed by Dr Hitesh Barua, artiste and managing director of Nemcare Hospital; physician and artiste Dr Anjanjyoti Choudhury;

Geetashree Sarma, Joint Director, State’s Planning & Development Department and Kamini Mohan Sinha, Member, Gauhati University Executive Council, among others. The film is produced by Dr Dutta’s son and social worker, Bhrigu Kumar Dutta, and is directed by journalist and writer, Parijat Handique. The nearly 15-minute film describes the day-to-day life of the pavement dwellers of Guwahati and other metropolises of the world, said the press release.

Fun

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

Horoscope of the week At the onset of the week, two major things are likely to be on your agenda – self-growth and personality development. However, things may be moving at a snail’s pace – anxiety, impatience, and unrest are what you may be left with. But, you refuse to give up on your dreams and goals.

This week you are likely to get an opportunity to exhibit your fine skills – on professional as well as personal front. And this, by all means, will get you due credit and applause from the social circle. On the work front, you may rub shoulders with the high and mighty of the industry.

A Good Samaritan – may be a friend or an acquaintance is likely to run into you, and give you a career-related advice, just right for you. Besides boosting your confidence, the tip will enhance your prospects on the occupational front. Apart from career, your main concern is about making money. Although you are well-equipped with financial resources at this juncture, you yearn for more.

You may wish to do a path-breaking work at the occupational front, and that will keep you occupied, this week. Besides being the ruler of your Sign, Mercury holds an important portfolio in the 10th House, linked with occupation. Viewing this, you may have to wait a little longer before triumphing over competitors.

Work and work till you succeed at last; the adage that you learnt in school will come in handy now! The direct influence of retrograde Saturn and Mars over your 9th House may not allow a smooth sailing on the occupational front. Although, you may plan to make a strategic move to make your task easier, there is no escape from the hard work.

At the beginning of the week, you are going to face the ire of two major malefic namely retrograde Saturn and exalted Mars, which view your 9th House – that is linked with luck and fortune. Hence, your luck as of now is likely to be on a downward spiral. As a result, you may be facing a lot of issues and troubles in achieving your objectives.

Domestic matters and personal relationships require more attention. The troughs and crests in your equation with a close one is likely to continue this week too. Avoid stretching things too far for your own good. You, being the peaceful one, try to put the illfeelings to rest to maintain equilibrium and harmony at home.

Life is like a roller-coaster ride; sometimes you are up and sometimes down. This week you may experience something similar. Animosity between you and your life-partner will leave you upset and disturbed. The presence of retrograde Saturn and exalted Mars is to be blamed for this.

There may be times when things to not happen the way you want them to. This, eventually, may leave you upset and demotivated. Career-oriented may encounter something similar this week. You may expect a promotion at the workplace. However, you may feel underpaid and overqualified for the job, when you are denied a better position.

As the week begins you may be bubbling with ideas and shall be keen on applying for a friendly loan. You have plans to use this money in a productive way. However, refrain from experimenting new ways to make quick bucks, or it may not work well. Around midweek, wily Saturn becomes direct in motion.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles was the first adventure story of which Belgian born detective?

The Good Friday agreement led to the resolution of which country’s long time sectarian problems?

Which popular destination of the northeast was earlier |known as Lewduh?

curio-city

Richard Sears was the first man to win which coveted sports title?

Which iconic Delhi restaurant is credited to have invented the three Indian delicacies - Tandoori Chicken, Butter Chicken and Dal Makhani?

Identify this traditional wrestling like sport from central Asia, quite popular at the recent Jakarta Asian Games. Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Pickles By Brian Crane

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1. Agatha Christie’s Hercules Poirot 2. Northern Ireland 3. Shillong 4. The US Open Tennis Men’s singles title in 1881. 5. Moti Mahal 6. Kurash, India also won a few medals in this sport at the recently held Jakarta Asian Games

curio-city

Sudoku

Increasing your financial resources is likely to top your to-do list, this week. As a result, you may plan a strategic move to achieve your monetary goals. Ruler of your 2nd House, the zone governing finances, Mercury is exchanging Signs with the Sun. You will feel blessed as this phase is highly supportive for enhancing financial prospects.

Ruler of your Sign has become direct in motion at the beginning of the week. This is likely to get you respite in more ways than one, compared to the week gone by. Exalted Mars in the 10th House will energise you making you active, personally as well as professionally. You are well-prepared to take the challenges head-on and put in more efforts to succeed.

Across

Word of the week nepenthe noun [ni-pen-thee] anything inducing a pleasurable sensation of forgetfulness, especially of sorrow or trouble.

Crossword

1 Lily-livered (9) 8 Veracious (4) 9 American frontiersman — is on track (anag) (3,6) 10 Floppy (4) 13 Relinquished (5) 15 Looking glass (6) 16 Long heavy wave approaching the shore (6) 17 Large sea bird (6) 19 Revered (6) 20 Joan’s old man? (5) 21 Common sense (4) 24 Needful (9) 25 Rove (4) 26 Existing state of affairs (6,3)

Down

2 Bodily suffering (4) 3 Adam’s apple location (4) 4 Bigger (6) 5 Brief period of rain (6) 6 Ordnance (9) 7 Bandit (9) 11 Illusory (9) 12 Long-armed ape (5-4) 13 Intimidated (5) 14 Drab (5) 18 Special aptitude (6) 19 Most proficient (6) 22 Venomous snakes (4) 23 Mrs in Germany (4)

Last week’s solution

Lifestyle

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

Simple Vaastu remedies to combat negative energy

n our ancient scriptures, several Vaastu tips have been recommended to remove negative energy from the house and bring in fresh vitalising energy. This results in peace, prosperity and good health for those living in the house. We have ignored our traditions and ways of living in this present day of scientific advances and hi-tech life. We should just look back a little and try to implement these simple methods. 1. The main door is the entry point of energy into the house and ideally it should be at Northeast, North or East. If it is not so, keep a swastika made of gold, silver or copper over the main door. Swastikas drawn on both sides of the main door also works wonders. It is found by bio-energy meters that swastikas have highest positive vibrations. 2. Care should be taken to let out the water out of the house through drains. It should be directed towards Northeast. In South and West facing houses this is not possible, so it should be directed towards North or East at first and then turned towards West or South along the Northern or

Eastern boundary. 3. Ideally it is best to have the main entrance from the Eastern side of Northeast. When this is not possible, then the Eastern side should be made a little lower and balconies and windows should be provided at East. 4. The kitchen, prayer room and the toilet should not be placed next to each other. If it is already made like that, then stop using one of them for that purpose by converting it into a study or store. 5. It is an everyday ritual to dispose the garbage outside. Never place the garbage bin in front of the main entrance. 6. While constructing a new house, never use old or reused materials. Always use fresh building materials. 10 Vaastu remedies 1. If a business is not doing well, try this simple remedy. Write the name and type of the business with details on a yellow board with red ink and hang it at South, i.e. facing North. 2. If a product is not selling for a long time, shift it to the Northwest portion of the business establishment and see the difference.

3. If students are not doing well in studies, ensure that their study room is at Northeast, East or North and they are studying facing East or North only. 4. The married couples, wishing to have children, should see that the Northeast corner of the house and the plot is kept clean. They should not sleep in the Northeastern most room. 5. Keep mirrors and clocks on the Eastern or Northern walls. This will solve lot of minor Vaastu problems. 6. If the children are not listening to parents and being careless, they should not be allowed to sleep in the rooms at Southwest, South or Northwest. They will start dominating the parents at Southwest and will hardly stay at home if allowed to stay at Northwest. In such cases, the West and the East are the best options. 7. If there is no co-ordination among family members, then a happy family picture with all the members should be kept at Southwest. 8. If you need the cooperation and help from certain persons all the time, keep a photo of the person/ persons in the Northwestern corner of your bedroom or living room. 9. If the marriage of your daughter is delayed, let her sleep in the Northwestern room and keep the Northwest corner clean. 10. When there is a strained relationship between the husband and the wife, hang a joint photo of both in the Southwest corner of the bedroom. Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

Teens and the Anxiety Cycle

uicide rates among school students in India are alarming. Recent reports put it at one suicide every hour. Our young people are under immense stress. Stress is a normal part of life. But teenagers don’t respond to stress as well as adults do. And there is a biologi-

ure – ‘Last time it was a disaster, people laughed at me’. You feel scared and worried. You take sick leave on the day to avoid it altogether. The cycle is complete. Secondly, use reality testing to break this unhelpful pattern. For example, what is the evidence that your voice is not strong? If it is an issue what can

cal reason behind this. There is a hormone that creates a calming affect when we are faced with a stressful situation. In adults this hormone works within half-anhour after the stressful event occurs. However, in teens this hormone does not work. This can cause additional anxiety on top of the original anxious feelings. To deal with anxiety we need to understand the Anxiety Cycle and how to break it. When do you know it is an issue? It is normal to feel some anxiety. It is a problem when feelings of anxiety are frequent and intense, they are about a lot of different things, and they impact your daily life. What can you do as teenager? Firstly, understand that a cycle is in operation behind anxiety. This is a cycle of ‘Situation>Thoughts>Feelings>Actions’. For example, you don’t like public speaking but need to speak in front of the class. Your minds files with thoughts of fail-

you do to help yourself? Thirdly, change the action to a helpful one. For example, get more practice or some voice training. Other things you can do Exercise is a mood elevator, so stay active. Plan pleasant activities with people you like, or to do alone. Talk to an adult who can guide you. Be bold, seek help From time to time we all feel anxious or depressed. Learning how to deal with worries and sadness builds resilience. However, if you find that you have tried but are unable to cope, you need to seek professional help. Speak to a counsellor or a psychologist who works with teenagers and families. Seeking help is not a sign of weakness. It means you are bold enough to do what you need to. Bornali Borah Family Counsellor, Parent Coach and Mediator. Email: bornali.borah@ gmail.com

Wardrobe essentials for women 1

White t-shirt: One of the most versatile pieces of clothing that is an absolute essential for every woman to have in her

wardrobe. A basic white t-shirt can be worn in a number of different ways, under a blazer, with a denim shirt, with blue jeans for the classic look or can even be paired with a skirt. Little black dress: The little black dress can never go out of style. It is your trusted companion and you will always have something to fall back

on when you can’t think of anything to wear. One can choose from any form and style and length which goes with your personal style. Solid blazer: A well-fitting blazer in any solid colour can add a lot of drama to your look instantly. You can team it with a formal shirt for a formal look, or a t-shirt for a casual look. One can wear it to the office or even a Sunday brunch. Well-fitted blue jeans: A well-fitted blue jeans either skinny or straight or even flared at the end is a great investment for your wardrobe. A pair which is comfortable yet flattering can be dressed up or down depending on the event and finding a good pair of jeans in your budget is no longer a pain with tons of options available.

Denim jacket: This timeless fashion essential has proved its worth over the ages. It is a classic, comfortable piece and can also be used to layer your outfits and is great to wear while travelling too.

Buzz

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

Dog shelter set up at city school

aculty Higher Secondary School has established a shelter for dogs, man’s best friend, at the school premises. At the shelter, 24 plates of food are laid out

every day for the street dogs. The dogs can access this food through low openings to the room at any time. Additionally, water for drinking and mats for them to rest

on, especially during the rains or very cold nights, have been arranged there. Members of the Faculty Environmental Club of the school maintain the dog shelter. n

Mofizuddin Ahmed Hazarika literary awards competition organised by city school

he 18th Mofizuddin Ahmed Hazarika Literary Awards competition – organised every year to provide a platform to young minds to showcase their literary and linguistic talent – was held at the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra recently. This year’s competition was organised by Maria’s Public School from August 14 to 18, with altogether 20 schools taking part. Competitions in Assamese and English creative writing and elocution, debate, quiz and storytelling were held among students to commemorate the birth anniversary of ‘Gyanmalini Kabi’ Late Mofizuddin Ahmed Hazarika. DGP Kuladhar Saikia, Cotton University’s former Principal Dr

Anil Kumar Goswami, actress Dr Malaya Goswami, litterateureducationist Phanindra Deva Choudhury, President of the

Mofizuddin Ahmed Hazarika Memorial Trust Anis Uz Zaman, the poet’s grandson Asad Zaman, and Nellie Ahmed Tanweer, founder and managing trustee of Maria’s Public School and the granddaughter of the poet were among the distinguished guests at the event. DGP Saikia, in his address, spoke about the importance of promotion of creative work among school children. The students of Maria’s Public School presented a cultural programme. The prizes were distributed after the cultural presentation. Following the speeches, the students of Maria’s Public School presented an enthralling cultural programme based on the indigenous song and dances of Assam. n

NLUJA best team in moot court competition

he National Law University & Judicial Academy (NLUJA) was adjudged the best team in the moot court competition which was held by the Justice Nishitendu Chaudhary Memorial Trust at Gauhati High Court on Saturday. The competition was inaugurated by Chief justice of Gauhati High Court, Ajit Singh, and wife of late Justice Nishitendu Chaudhury with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp. A total of nine teams comprising law students took part in the moot court competition. These universities and colleges included National Law University & Judicial Academy (NLUJA),Guwahati Law College, National Education Foundation Law College, Dispur Law College, University Law College (ULC)

(Gauhati University), North East Regional Institute of Management, Tezpur Law College, University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya and North East Hill University. Moot court is a form of educational learning in which law students present their arguments for mock cases in front of a judge as well as an opposing counsel. In the finals, teams from ULC and NLUJA presented their arguments in a case related to property. Speaking during the programme, Justice Ujjal Bhuyan said, “Mooting is one of the measures to enhance the quality of legal education. Legal education itself has been enhanced in recent times. Setting up of the 22 national law universities across the country has increased the number

‘Inspire’ teacher training program organised

‘I

nspire’, a two-day teacher training programme was organised by the Heartfulness Education Trust at Sri Digambar Jain Vidyalaya, Guwahati this week. The programme dealt with various activity-oriented interactive sessions designed around inquiry-based heartcentred pedagogy. The importance of effective and psychomotor domains was emphasised, which are often neglected in the current curriculums which mostly deal with cognitive domain. The organisers hoped that such training would make education holistic and help in all-round development of the students. Different learning styles, methods of teaching, leadership skills, communication skills, classroom dynamics, whole brain

development, imparting value education to the students through the lesson plans designed by the global Heartfulness team were discussed during the event. Designed to offer selfdevelopment tools to inspire and enable teachers towards achieving holistic growth in students, the objective of such programmes by Heartfulness is to create a conscious learning environment in schools through teachers with an approach of self, students and schools. Dr Vibin Ramakrishnan, Associate Professor, Dept of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Guwahati, joined the occasion and handed over certificates to the participants along with Pramod Kumar Jain, academic head and member of the managing committee of the school. n

NCC Air Wing gets city youth to fly high

he Indian Air Force (IAF) station at Borjhar is buzzing with takeoff and landing of the latest micro light aircraft as

cadets from National Cadet Corps (NCC) are getting trained on the techniques of flying. The flight training which started on 20th August is for NCC’s Air Wing

senior cadets flying squad. The objective of the training is to get qualified and interested youth selected in various services of the IAF. Interested students from class 10 onwards can get this flying training through their NCC official at the school or from 50 Assam Air Squadron Flying NCC Unit. Two micro light trainers have been sourced from NCC Directorate, New Delhi. The twin-seater ‘Virus SW 80’ built in Slovenia by Pipistrel Sinus is used for this training. Students from various institutes are getting trained under the leadership of Wing Commander V Ganesh Narayan who is the Commanding Officer of 50 Assam Air Squadron Flying NCC Unit. Narayan is a trained pilot of the Indian Air Force. n

Mamoni Raisom Goswami quiz held in city

T of students. A performance audit of the NLUs should be done.” The award for the best researcher was given to Krishna Singh of NLUJA along with a cash prize of Rs 10,000 while Yash Kothari bagged the best speaker award with Rs 5,000. Further, the NLUJA team was awarded the best team award - a running trophy and Rs 10,000 in cash. n

he South East Asia Ramayana Research Centre organised a quiz competition on Mamoni Raisom Goswami and Ramayan literature on September 2 in the city. The quiz contest was organised at the Pandit Tirthanath Sarma auditorium in Chandmari in which city students of classes VIII to XII participated. The quiz was conducted by Nabakanta Baishya. The competition consisted of a preliminary round which was a written quiz. This was followed by a final round. A total of 12 teams took part in the quiz contest, out of which seven teams were

shortlisted for the finals. Students of Cotton University, Ankurjyoti Sarma and Madhurjya Goswami, bagged the first prize of Rs 5,000. Further, Bornil Medhi, Devanit Dutta and Animesh Deka of Assam Jatiya Bidyalay received the second prize of Rs 3,000, while the third prize of Rs 2,000 was won by Sanjib Kumar Das, Niyor Pratim Kalita and Partha Pratim Sarma again from Cotton University. The winners were also given certificates and books. Speaking on the occasion, noted writer Phanindra Kumar Deb Choudhury stressed on the need for more research on various aspects of the Ramayana. n

Events

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

September 8-15 Second Anniversary Celebration NYX Lounge and Deck September 8, Saturday Strictly Hip Hop Terra Mayaa 7PM onwards Guwahati’s Daljeet Kaur launched the crown of ‘IAWA Mrs Mr Miss India 2018’ this week in the presence of the winners of last year’s IAWA - Dolly Sohi, Silviya Adrapho and Palak Ravesia to name a few, along with upcoming talents Dilprit Kaur, Saniya Sharma and Tripti Rajput.

September 8, Saturday DJ Veronica Live Retro Town 8PM onwards September 8, Saturday Big Bollywood Night ft. Koyel XS the place to be 6PM onwards

Bringing cheers to the entire nation, Dipankar Talukdar from Guwahati, who represented India in the Mister Model of the World pageant held at Myanmar, bagged the title of Mister Model of the World Star in the Grand Finale of the pageant on Wednesday evening. The 25-year-old youth also bagged the subtitle of Mister Photogenic in the pageant.

September 8, Saturday Bolly Night Madiza Ultra Lounge 6PM onwards September 8, Saturday EDM Night ft. Distort The Socialite 8PM onwards

Event:

Unplugged Night ft. Swaran Dhaliwal Date: August 31, Friday Venue: The Underdoggs

September 9, Sunday Temple to Temple Run Navagraha temple to Kamakhya Temple 5:30AM onwards September 9, Sunday Encounter Torque, Encounter Magic Terra Mayaa 7PM onwards

Event:

Social Saturday ft. DJ Evan Date: September 1, Saturday Venue: The Socialite

Event: Wednesday Club Night ft. DJ Rik and DJ Blame Date: September 5, Wednesday Venue: Dunkin Oza

September 9, Sunday Bollywood Acoustic Night ft. Amaan Shah The Socialite 8PM onwards

Catching Up

G PLUS | Sep 08 - Sep 14, 2018

Nilakshi Deka