Vol 5 Issue 50 by G Plus

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018 @guwahatiplus www.guwahatiplus.com

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Volume 05 | Issue 50 Oct 06 - Oct 12, 2018 Price `10

Human trafficking cases show rising trend PG 02

PG 06

Fancy Bazar residents call for jail bharo Residents and traders have demanded that the administration should open the old central jail premises to solve the parking woes of the entire area

Businessmen and residents of Fancy Bazar appealing the authority to open the old jail premises at Fancy Bazar for parking | G Plus Photo

Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

arassed by the parking troubles in and around Fancy Bazar, the residents as well as traders have begun a campaign to demand better parking facilities in the market area. They have demanded the district administration to open up the existing old jail central campus and to utilise it for parking purpose. The shop-owners informed that with the festive season being around the corner, Fancy Bazar and nearby areas remain heavily congested due to the shoppers thronging the markets. Sanjay Kumar Sureka, a lawyer from Fancy Bazar informed G Plus that their major demand is that the government should

Zoo Road Water Supply Scheme on death-bed?

make the old central jail premise an authorised parking zone for easing the traffic snarls. Local traders informed that the old central jail premises constitute around 80 bighas of land. From that around 20 bighas of land was allotted by the government to different organisations and the rest 60 bighas of land is currently lying vacant. Initially after the shifting of the old jail, a parking facility was created at the jail premise and the locals were allowed to park their vehicle against a fee and it was being operated smoothly for around two years. However, the parking facility which has a capacity to park 1000 cars was stopped suddenly. Residents feel that this step will benefit and develop the entire greater Guwahati area including Athgaon, AT Road, Fan-

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Mahalaya to Dashami: The rituals of Durga Puja PG 11

2 Lead Story Snippets Local women of Rani celebrate Gandhi Jayanti with Swacch Bharat Abhiyan

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Human trafficking cases show rising trend 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. Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

s Swacch Bharat Abhiyan turned four this Gandhi Jayanti, local women of Rani area came out together to celebrate the occasion by participating in various cleanliness activities. Starting from Rani, Surajnagar till Patgaon Village, the women came forward to do their bit towards building a Swacch India. The ladies entered the river side area that was dirty and cleaned it up. Plastic bags, polythene, plastic bottles and other garbage which was found while cleaning up the river side area were burnt. The cleanliness activity continued for the whole day. The women concluded the day with a pledge to keep the area clean and to celebrate the day every year.

Hima Das joins Indian Oil as HR Officer

ssam sprinter, Hima Das, has joined Indian Oil as HR Officer (Grade A). Indian Oil will be providing the salary and other facilities befitting an officer. She will also be provided various benefits to support her talent. “The company is privileged to have Hima Das as one of our family members and it’s a mutually winwin situation for both Indian Oil and the Dhing Express,” said the company in a statement. Indian Oil Corporation Chief General Manager (Indian Oil- AOD) Uttiya Bhattacharyya welcomed Das on Monday. He said that as per the core values of IOC, the company is actively into promotion of sports and sportspersons. “The Corporation provides 250 scholarships for budding sportspersons and has a policy for employing established sportspersons under sports job quota in 16 different sports,” Bhattacharyya said. Bhattacharyya assured Das that she will be able to concentrate fully on her athletic career. All the associated costs of travelling to various locations for attending national and international track and field competitions will also be completely provided for by Indian Oil.

t least five cases of human trafficking have come to the fore from Guwahati in the last four months where police have arrested alleged traffickers from different parts of the city. In a recent case, the Basistha police arrested a female trafficker Jupi Boro last week, on 30th September. Boro lured a 24-year-old girl, Sonam (name changed) to Bengaluru on the pretext of offering her a job, and she was later rescued from Tamil Nadu. The girl was a resident of Beharbari in Guwahati. The victim’s husband and other relatives filed a complaint at the Basistha police station, suspecting foul play after Sonam did not return home one day. The police acted on a tip-off and nabbed the trafficker from Bakrapara, Guwahati. The police suspects that Boro is possibly part of a wider human trafficking racket that operates with the help of others and has lured many women out of the state. “Later during the investigation, we came to know that Jupi Boro’s brother-in-law is also involved in the trafficking racket and there could be several other women who have possibly been taken to different cities,” said the officer-incharge of Basistha police station Nabajit Das Baghri. He added that the girl had not been sold off till her rescue, and maybe, a deal would have taken place later between Boro and others. “We are now planning to interrogate Jupi Boro’s husband in or-

der to get further clues about their racket, so that we can nab more culprits,” said Baghri. The recent arrests and cases of trafficking have once again shifted the spotlight to the issue of human and child trafficking in Assam. However, experts working in this field say that this is only the tip of the iceberg as there are many cases which go unreported and hence are not registered. The available data on child trafficking, too, paints a grim picture. According to recent data 8,443 children went missing from the state during the last five years. The number of missing children from Assam has seen a rise from the previous year when 1,839 cases were registered in 2017. Further, merely 4,377 missing children were recovered in the last five years. This was informed by parliamentary affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary in an

assembly reply. Additionally, as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, in 2015, Assam topped the list of states with the highest number of child trafficking cases with a total of 1317 registered cases. The state contributed the highest percent contribution at 37.7 percent to the all India total. Further, as per the data of Guwahati Childline – a programme under the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) meant for the safeguard of children in need of care and protection — a total of 73 cases were reported under “missing children” in 2017. Another agency for child protection under the state government has been receiving around 15 cases of missing children on an average, every month, and many of these later turn out to be trafficking cases. Experts believe that it is be-

cause of the socio-economic and political realities, such as conflict and marginalisation of communities in hill areas, agricultural crisis and displacement; there are a lot of people – mainly women and children – who are deceitfully trafficked or they go out looking for alternative occupations which finally becomes unsafe migration and they get stuck in this vicious cycle of exploitation. 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. Abani Haloi, coordinator of the Guwahati unit of Railway Childline, which works to provide emergency rescue and protection services to children at railway stations, told G Plus that areas with railway connectivity are highly prone to trafficking. n

Most child protection agencies starved for resources

any of the child protection agencies in the state are under-resourced, say authorities. They feel that the shortage of manpower and resources prevent them from fully utilising their potential. “Anti-human trafficking units do not have adequate manpower and resources. On the other hand, the police have a long way to go to become child-friendly since people are scared to respond in police cases and children are scared to approach the police. So, this is

a combination of factors which leads to the breakdown of child protection system of the state, which is why children are very vulnerable,” said an official. Further, authorities say that the number of cases registered in the city against trafficking of children reflects only a small percentage of the total cases. “It is difficult to get a fair idea about the nature and extent of trafficking by looking at the number of registered cases since it is carried out mostly in a concealed manner, especially

in the remote areas and villages,” said former secretary of the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR), Anuja Bhuyan. According to child protection experts, children who are trafficked or kidnapped, already suffer a vulnerability which might be economic as well as social. Further, children living in tea garden areas, hill areas, conflict areas and places which are prone to floods are more vulnerable to get trafficked since the continued deprivation in these zones makes

them hot spots for trafficking. The state government on its part has established Anti-human trafficking units (AHTU) in all districts of Assam in order to combat human trafficking, especially of women and children. For this, the district superintendents of police have been assigned the task to monitor these units. Officials informed that the SPs work in collaboration with the civil society, NGOs working in the field, panchayat members and government agencies to identify vulnerable areas for human trafficking. n

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

4 Concern Snippets IIT Guwahati bags second prize in Swachh Ranking Awards 2018

IT Guwahati bagged the second rank in a national level Swachh Campus Ranking 2018 conducted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) in New Delhi on Monday. The best 51 higher educational institutions have been selected for Swachhata Ranking Awards in 8 different categories. The category of cleanest technical institutions is topped by Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham in Coimbatore with IIT-G in the second spot and Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University in Bhubhaneshwar in the third spot. It is to be mentioned that it was only last year that the rankings were introduced by MHRD in order to encourage the educational institutions towards cleanliness. Salient features of Swachhata Ranking Awards– 1. The Swachhata Rankings exercise has been initiated by Department of Higher Education to generate healthy peer pressure among higher educational institutions for keeping and maintaining hygienic campuses so that the environment for student learning becomes clean and leads to higher thinking. 2. Department has recognised that educational institutions should play the lead role in not only their in-campus hygiene but also by adopting villages around their area for promoting hygiene through awareness creation and other assistance. 3. This year’s rankings have received more than double the response from educational institutions compared to last year. More than 6000 institutions have participated. The parameters have been made more scientific to include aspects like rain water harvesting, solar power, quality of hostel kitchen apparatus, water supply system quality, maintenance method sophistication etc. 4. This year’s Rankings have brought out some very significant and interesting features of our higher educational institutions in the area of Swachhata and the way they are managing their campus environment.

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Assam flooded with ‘Made in Arunachal Pradesh’ liquor As per government records almost 33,958 cartons of liquor made in Arunachal have been seized so far from various parts of the state. The total value of the seized liquor would be Rs. 5,07,62,691. Chetan Bhattarai

he smuggling of illegal liquor from nearby state of Arunachal Pradesh is getting worrisome as per Assam State Excise Minister, Parimal Suklabaidya. The excise department has conducted multiple raids and operations that has resulted in seizure of thousands of bottles of liquor and a large number of vehicles. Massive amount of this illegal liquor from Arunachal Pradesh has been seized from places like Tinsukia, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Kamrup, Kokrajhar, Udalguri, Cachar, Golaghat, Karbi Anglong, Nagaon, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji and Sonitpur. The minister recently acknowledged in the Autumn Session of the Assam Assembly that an illegal trade of liquor made in Arunachal Pradesh does exist. This has also resulted in loss to a lot of revenue to the state. As per government records almost 33,958 cartons of liquor made in Arunachal have been seized so far from various parts of the state. The total value of the seized liquor would be Rs. 5,07,62,691. The state government has tried all means to restrict this illegal trade but to no avail. Regular operations have been undertaken to capture the vehicles carrying illegal liquor. The Assam excise department has blamed the Arunachal excise department for showing a lackadaisical attitude towards the traders. Many of the seized trucks had transit passes and it was surprising that they passed right under the nose of the excise department. Inter-departmental coordination among the excise, police and administration is the need of the hour to restrict this illegal trade. Interestingly, the state government has no data on

Excise minister Parimal Suklabaidya inspecting seized illegal liquor bottles | G Plus Photo how much revenue the state of Assam is losing due to this illegal liquor trade. Even the minister has agreed to not knowing on what exactly is the impact that this trade is having on the state exchequer. There have been serious allegations that a nexus exists between highlevel excise department officials and the police department who are patronising this business. Without the help of the police and the excise department this trade cannot flourish and there are also allegations that trade partnership goes all the way to Arunachal Pradesh from where the liquor comes. As per reports, most of the liquor is consumed in parts of upper Assam which has a robust demand for liquor from Arunachal Pradesh. Liquor is also sold in black and peddled by numerous dhabas and eateries on the highways of Assam. These dhabas charge a little bit extra on the price and sell it to their customers. The preferred bottles sold in dhabas are the 180 ml ones

as it is easier to carry and conceal them. The rate of liquor made in Arunachal Pradesh is lower than in Assam due to tax relaxations and other factors which make it a viable proposition for illegal liquor smugglers. For the low rung customers, getting alcohol at a lower price is always a preferable option.

Plastic bottles and fake labels

There is a practice of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) being packed in plastic bottles in Arunachal Pradesh. The durability of a plastic container makes them a good choice for smuggling through inter-states. The excise department in its raids have recovered a lot of fake labels, bottles and caps. This points towards illegal re-packaging, relabelling and selling the liquor being brought from Arunachal Pradesh here in the state.

‘Banderdewa Check Gate’

The trade route for the transport of illegal liquor is via Banderdewa in Lakhimpur

District of Assam from where the consignments get entry. Banderdewa which is the gateway to Arunachal Pradesh has become the main nerve centre from where the trucks laden with illegal liquor make their way to different parts of the state and also to other states of northeast. There have been instances where police in states like Bihar and Punjab have confiscated liquor stamped ‘to be sold in Arunachal Pradesh only’ in their respective states. Also known popularly as the ‘check gate’, Banderdewa is the place from where this illegal liquor trade can be restricted if the Assam government is willing. Though the state government has set up enforcement points at several places like Banderdawa, Orang, Kaliabor Tinali and Numaligarh Tinali, but the flow of liquor has not stopped. Right now, it seems the government is presenting a helpless attitude and hence there is no guarantee that this illegal trade is going to stop any time soon. n

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Mostly Sunny

Partly Cloudy

Mostly Sunny

Rain

31°/22° C

30°/21° C

30°/22° C

28°/22° C

SATURDAY Partly Cloudy

32°/22° C

In The News

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Assam bags Swacch Sarvekshan Gramin award state has changed significantly in the past two years. As compared to an approximate amount of 6 lakh toilets provided in 201416, a total of nearly 20,87,012 toilets have been provided to the public between May 2016 to June 2018. Irrespective of social and economic standings, the mission has been successful in shaping the aspirations of the people to live in a

G Plus News

ssam has bagged a special award in the recently concluded Swacch Sarvekshan Grameen 2018 conducted throughout the entire country by the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin. Assam received this award for its standout performance in the Northeast region. The award was presented by Shri Uma Bharti, Union Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation during an event held on the occasion of Rashtriya Swachhata Divas held at Pravasi Bharti Kendra, New Delhi on 2nd October’2018. ‘Swachh Survekshan Grameen’ is a survey conducted for rural cleanliness in order to rank all districts and states on the basis of qualitative and quantitative evaluation. The ranking is based on a comprehensive set of cleanliness parameters, survey of public places, citizens’ perception of ‘swachhta’ (cleanliness) and their recommendations for the improvement of the programme, and data from the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ in rural areas. In its 4 year journey, Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), Assam has been massively successful in the construction of toilets across the state. Though the pace of the mission was a little slow in the initial stages, since 2016 the mo-

SBI lowers ATM Cash withdrawal limit

tate Bank of India has halved the daily withdrawal limit on its ATM cards to Rs. 20,000. The new threshold will be applicable from October 31 for the bank’s Classic and Maestro debit cards. The move aims to curb fraudulent ATM dealings and may encourage digital transactions. “Our internal analysis shows most actual withdrawals are of smaller amounts. We are trying to see whether smaller withdrawals could minimise frauds,” said PK Gupta, MD of SBI. The bank had uncovered 981 instances of fraud during FY18, up from 794 a year earlier.

mentum and scale of the mission has grown exponentially. Like the rest of the country, sanitation became the top most priority of the government in Assam. Comparing the physical progress of the state, only 172 villages were open defecation free till mid 2016 while at present, 20324 Villages have been declared open defecation free and the mission has reached out to 51.38 Lakhs rural families with toilet facilities. Moreover, 24 districts at present are 100% ODF and the state seems to be just a few months away from becoming an Open Defecation Free state. Much of this success can be attributed to the efforts made by the DWSCs and Mission Directorate along with meticulous planning. So far, the state has initiated a number of innovative ideas which have contributed to the

mission’s success. Some of the notable milestones of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) Assam have been the Cleanest Village Award, Daan Toilet, Mission Sambhav which covered 33 districts reaching out to one lakh families and initiated the construction of 1,12,748 numbers of toilets on a single day, out of which 994 number of toilets were donated. Some of the other initiatives include ‘Ascosan’- the first ever state level conference on sanitation which was organised in February 2017 and ‘Ajanite Mone Mone’- the first ever regional movie on sanitation. The sanitation picture of the

clean and sensitized environment. The approaches undertaken by the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), Assam were more focused on social behavioural change communication rather than just the construction of toilets. As per an independent survey conducted by the Government of India, the usage of toilet stands more than 95%. n

6 Concern Snippets NorthEast FC wins against 10men ATK

orthEast United FC’s Rowllin Borges made ATK bear their second loss in a week at home on Thursday. Borges got off a defender to head a corner kick into the far post in the 88th minute and score the game’s only goal. The home team regretted that they played with one man less for over an hour after Sena Ralte was shown his second yellow card for an aggressive tackle on Nikhil Kadam in the 31st minute. ATK now have suffered losses in their first two opening games, both at their home stadium while NorthEast United FC move to the top of the table, for now.

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Zoo Road Water Supply Scheme on deathbed? Hiranya Barman

he Zoo Road water supply scheme under Guwahati Jal Board is said to be on death bed and sources cited negligence on part of the Jal

Board as the prime reason for its dysfunction. Out of the total 22,000 water supply connections in Assam, 9000 connections are being provided by Zoo Road Water Supply scheme. The Zoo Road Water Supply Scheme (ZRWSS) had been integrated with Guwahati Jal Board in 2015. In

the same year, about 50 per cent of the total revenue generated by the Assam Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board (AUWSSB) was from the ZRWSS. There are around 108 permanent employees and 28 non-permanent staff in AUWSSB. Sources said that for about 4 months now, employees have

Scarcity of Potable water

Petrol, diesel prices reduced by Rs 2.50

Employees deprived of their salary for 4 months Zoo Road Water Supply Scheme which generated around rupees 50 lakh per month earlier fails to generate even rupees 30 lakh now

he Centre on Thursday announced a cut of Rs 2.50 per litre on petrol and diesel prices with immediate effect. Addressing a press conference, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley appealed to the states to match the centre’s effort by reducing value-added tax or VAT by Rs. 2.50 so that the total benefit to citizens is at least Rs. 5 The reduced prices shall be effective from midnight. State minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took to Twitter to announce that following the announcement made by Arun Jaitley, Assam Govt has also decided to reduce Rs 2.50 on both petrol and diesel per litre.

Gauhati HC wants to know if it is Guwahati or Gauhati

cting on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Arup Borbora, the Gauhati High Court on Wednesday sent a notice to the Assam government to clarify its stand on how the city name should be spelt – Gauhati or Guwahati? Many institutions use the older Gauhati, as they had been set up during the British period or a few years later. But newer establishments are using Guwahati as the spelling. Some of the popular institutions like Gauhati University, Gauhati High Court, Gauhati Commerce College use the older spelling.

Government agencies catering to around 25 per cent of water demand in the city (50.25 MLD), catering to the need of only three lakh consumers in the city Zoo road water Supply Scheme has not been maintained for 3 years

Members of Mahanagar Unnayan Samiti, Guwahati staging protest demonstration in front of GMDA office against water scarcity in the city | G Plus Photo

uwahati has a population of around 12 lakh people needing 200 MLD (millions of litre per day) of water. At present, government agencies are able to cater to around 25 per cent of the total demand for water in the city (50.25 MLD). This water caters to the need of only three lakh consumers in the city. Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has three water supply treatment plants, one each at Panbazar, Satpukhuri and Kamakhya.

However, against its capacity of supplying 45 MLD of water, the water treatment plant at Panbazar supplies only 22.50 MLD. The condition of the plant at Satpukhuri is no better. It supplies only 15.75 MLD against the capacity of 22.50 MLD. The plant located at Kamakhya supplies only 3 MLD against the capacity of 4.50 MLD. Apart from these three water treatment plants, GMC has eight functioning deep tube wells that together supply 1.50 MLD against their total capacity of 2 MLD. The total supply capacity

Lighter and faster

of GMC plants, including deep tube wells, is 74 MLD. However, they are currently supplying just 42.75 MLD. Apart from the GMC, the GMDW & SB (Guwahati Metropolitan Drinking Water & Sewerage Board) is also supplying 7.50 MLD water against its capacity of 12 MLD. The Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) also runs four water supply projects that supply water to their full capacity of over 23 MLD. However, the water being supplied by the PHED is not

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been deprived of their salaries. The ZRWSS, which generated around rupees 50 lakh earlier, has been failing to generate even rupees 30 lakh per month now. Sources further informed G Plus that ZRWSS has not been maintained properly for the past 3 years. n going to the general public as the department is busy catering to the water demands of government offices, Gauhati University (GU), Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Assam Agriculture University (AAU), Assam Engineering College (AEC), National Games Village, State Zoo-cum-Botanical Garden, Administrative Staff College, Janata Bhawan etc. One of the reasons behind the below par supply of water by the three GMC plants is that their old machines have to be repaired frequently. While the Satpukhuri plant was set up in 1930, the one at Panbazar was set up in 1963 and the plant at Kamakhya was set up in 1992. The eight old deep tube wells also go out of order frequently. Of late, Dispur has released Rs 9 crore for the repair of the three GMC water supply plants. Renovation work has started at the plant at Kamakhya. In order to provide affordable, reliable, safe and continuous (24×7) supply of potable water to the Guwahati Metropolitan Area, the Government of Assam had taken up four major water supply projects with funding from Government of India (JNNURM) for the South West region, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the North and South Central regions and ADB for the South East region. Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) is implementing these projects, but nobody, including GMDA, knows when these projects will be completed. The Guwahati Jal Board will be responsible for operation and maintenance of these facilities upon their completion. n

In The News

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

‘The Underworld’ hits screens statewide

he much awaited movie ‘The Underworld’ has finally hit the silver screens on Friday, October 5th. The movie, which is the first of its kind action packed film in Assamese film industry, stars Zubeen and Parineeta Borthakur in the lead roles. Director Rajesh Jaspal, who dreams of taking Assamese film industry to new heights has

brilliantly shown the dark secrets of the underworld through this movie. The movie is Director Rajesh Jaspal’s second Assamese art work after ‘Gaane Ki Aane.’ The movie has been produced by Sahir Hamid and Najim Hamid. Gautam Chakraborty has worked as the

Assistant Director of the movie. Ibson Lal Baruah has worked on the dialogues of the movie, whereas the music has been done by Zubeen Garg. The cast of the movie includes Late Biju Phukan, Nipon Goswami, Utpal Das, Baharul Islam, Pabitra Rabha, Diganta Hazarika and Kingkini in other significant characters. Major parts of the film has been shot in Mumbai, and rest in Guwahati. Rajesh Jaspal, while speaking to G Plus said, “This film is an effort to provide healthy entertainment to the people of Assam. Also, this film is a tribute to Late Biju Phukan, who has dedicated a significant time of his life for Assamese films.” n

Rotary Club organises project to honour workers who keep the environment clean

otary club of Guwahati Luit on Sunday organised an event Sanman in the premises of Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital of the city, which is the flagship project of Rotary Club of Guwahati Luit, right from its inception two years ago. It may be mentioned here that keeping in line with this year’s theme for Rotary International ‘be the inspiration,’ Rotary club of Guwahati Luit conceptualised and executed this project to honour the silent workers of our society who keeps our environment clean and hygienic through their 24×7 work schedule, and project Sanman is thus a project for recognising the untiring efforts of these honest and hard working section of our society by honouring them for their efforts in the maintenance of a clean and hygienic environment. This project was the third project of Rotary club of Guwahati Luit in the series of Project Sanman. Earlier the cleaners of the

Guwahati Municipal Corporation were honoured in such a manner under the series project Sanman. Today similarly all the cleaners and helpers of Mohendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital in the city were honoured at a simple function being presided by the Chief Superintendent of the

hospital Dr Madhab Chandra Rajbongshi. The function was a huge success and popular actor Kapil Bora attended and presented the workers of the hospital with a gift, a certificate, a gamocha and a food packet being provided by the Rotary club of Guwahati Luit. The function was addressed by the chief Guest Dr MC Rajbongshi, Actor Kapil Bora, president of the club Pawan Golcha, project chairman Bedadyuti Chowdhury and club secretary Pranjal Kumar Mena. n

8 In The News Snippets Third tallest National Flag graces Guwahati sky this Gandhi Jayanti

n the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal hoisted India’s 3rd tallest National Flag and offered tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his birth anniversary. It is touted to be one of the tallest National Flags in the country if measured from Mean Sea Level. The National Flag atop a 319.5feet mast made of galvanized steel on Sarania hills near Gandhi Mandap was earlier proposed to be unfurled on the occasion of the country’s 72nd Independence Day. The Assam Government has spent Rs 2.58 crores to set up the high-mast National Flag in Guwahati as part of the Smart City project at Gandhi Mandap on Sarania Hilltop.

Son of former Congress minister granted bail in connection with APSC Scam

ajarshi Sen Deka, son of former Congress minister, Nilamani Sen Deka, has been granted bail by the Gauhati High Court on 5th October. The bail was granted by Justice Rumi Kumari Phukan. It is to be mentioned that along with Rajarshi Sen Deka, Amarjit Das and Harsha Jyoti Bora have also been granted bail by Justice Rumi Kumari Phukan. On 4th October, the Gauhati High Court granted bail to nine arrested ACS-APS officials involved in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) scam. Till now a total of 12 officers who had been booked for APSC cash-for-job-scam have been granted bail.

Guwahati-Patna direct flight from October 10

he daily non-stop flight services on the GuwahatiPatna-Guwahati route would commence from October 10. The announcement of the new flight by Spicejet was made in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in a programme held at the secretariat, a government release said. Spice Je t will be the first airline to operate on these routes from Patna’s Jaya Prakash Narayan International Airport.

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Guwahati’s Binita Jain becomes first to win Rs. 1 crore in KBC season 10 The tenth season of Amitabh Bachchan hosted quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati got its first crorepati in Binita Jain. She won the hearts of all Axomiyas with the poise she represented the state with and emerged as an inspiration for many. Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

Upon winning Rs. 1 crore, Binita was also presented with a Mahindra Marazzo car by Amitabh Bachchan. She then honoured Amitabh with the Assamese gamosa, winning the hearts of the Assamese people.

inita Jain, a resident of Athgaon, Guwahati has become the first winner to take home Rs. 100,00,000 (1 crore) in this season of Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC). Contestant Binita and her family’s happiness saw no bounds during the winning moment which was telecasted on Sony Television on October 2.

The episode starring Binita started airing on October 1, where Binita was seen gifting a pack of the world’s most expensive tea grown in Assam to host Amitabh Bachchan. Binita took the ‘hot seat’ after answering the ‘fastest finger first’ question. Questions were asked from varied fields of interest including sports, entertainment and history and Binita kept answering them all with great confidence and conviction. The question which made Binita a crorepati was, “In India, which case was heard by the

A screenshot from the KBC show largest ever Constitution bench of 13 judges?” Just like the other questions, Binita knew the answer to this question as well, however, she couldn’t muster the courage to say it due to the thought of losing the huge amount she had won so far. Instead, she said, “The winning amount is the culprit”. After giving it some thought, Binita finally answered the question

Binita Jain and her inspiring journey to KBC: Here’s all you need to know

inita’s journey to the hot seat wasn’t easy. Born and brought up in Dibrugarh, Binita got married to a businessman in Guwahati. They lived happily in their residence in Athgaon, with two children – Kavya and Rohit. Everything was going well until one day in 2003 when her husband, who had gone on a business trip to Shillong, got kidnapped and never returned. It was later found that he had been held captive by extremists and even as the family tried their best to bring him back, their efforts were in vain. During the episode, Binita narrated her heartwrenching life story. “After waiting for him to return for over a year, I decided to start afresh because I believe that ‘Life must go on’. Apart from waiting and hoping for his return, I started tuition classes so that it would occupy my thoughts and at the same time I’d be at home taking care of my children,” informed Binita.

Binita started her journey as a teacher with just a couple of students, teaching at the dining hall of her apartment. However, as the years passed, so did her courage and the strength of her class. A tutor and teacher by profession, Binita now teaches English and Social Studies to over 125 students at Namann Educations in Athgaon, Guwahati. Binita is a mother of two her son Rohit Jain is currently studying dentistry in Bangalore while daughter Kavya Jain is pursuing English Honors from the University of Delhi. With the KBC winnings, Binita wants to open her son's dental clinic and pay for her daughter's higher education. Binita also wants to open up a coaching centre for the underprivileged. Impressed with the manner in which she conducted her life and took charge of it, host Amitabh Bachchan called her an inspiration. He said it was people like her that inspire him to keep going every day. n

and won Rs. 1 crore. The sixteenth question “Who invented the first stock ticker in 1867?” which was worth Rs. 7 crore, troubled the confident Binita and she decided to quit the game and take home Rs. 1 crore. However, the answer she gave after quitting the game was also correct and it would have made her win Rs. 7 crore.

Upon winning Rs. 1 crore, Binita was also presented with a Mahindra Marazzo car by Amitabh Bachchan. She then honoured Amitabh with the Assamese gamosa, winning the hearts of the Assamese people. Her family members who accompanied her to the show, too, were elated with n immense pride.

How it feels to be on the hot seat: Binita shares her experience

small programme was organized on the 2nd of October at the terrace of Binita’s residence by her family and close friends. There, she revealed the experience of actually being on Kaun Banega Crorepati and meeting the heartthrob of millions of Guwahatians, Amitabh Bachchan. “It’s not at all like how it is presented in the television screens – in TV, you see things in 2D but when you’re there, everything’s magnified. When I saw Amitabh Bachchan walk into the studio, I got numb and I couldn’t feel my hands and legs. It made me very nervous, making it difficult to concentrate in the beginning,” told Binita. She further added that the hot seat has been very aptly named so. When you sit there, right opposite to someone you’ve always seen on TV and newspapers, you

feel like it’s a dream. But, you need to constantly remind yourself to keep calm and play with all you’ve got because opportunities like these do not come very often. The episode, which saw Binita become the first crorepati of the season, was aired on Tuesday. However, this was not the first time Binita tried to be a contestant on the quiz show. “I had been trying since the first season. I have always been into quizzes and general knowledge shows. Fortunately, I got lucky this time and got selected,” Binita told the media. Not many know that Binita had been a very bright student since her school days and she had secured good rankings throughout her academic career. “Kaun Banega Crorepati is not just about knowledge and education, it’s also about overcoming your fear,” Binita informed. n

Campus

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Over 70% students fail to clear GU semester examinations Therefore, there is nothing unusual in the results declared recently,” Pranab Kumar Das, deputy controller of examinations of Gauhati University told G Plus.

Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

ver 70% students of BA (General) course at the Gauhati University (GU) could not pass the second semester examinations which were held in May 2018. According to the GU results which were declared on Monday October 1, out of a total of 30715 students who had appeared, only 9561 or 31.13% candidates managed to pass the examinations successfully. However, GU officials informed that this was not the first time that the university has witnessed such a low pass percentage. A new rule regarding examinations came into force

Total candidates enrolled: 30722 Total candidates appeared: 30715 Total candidates absent: 36 Total candidates passed: 9561 Pass percentage: 31.13

Gauhati University main entrance since 2016 which mandates that candidates need to pass their theory and internal examinations separately, which were earlier combined.

List of Aadhaar Enrolment Centres in Kamrup Metro

ffective 6th October, an individual can visit any of the below mentioned Aadhaar card offices in greater Guwahati to apply for his or her Aadhaar card. Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification number allotted to residents of India by the Government of India. In order to enrol for Aadhar, one has to visit the enrolment centres authorised by the government. The biometric and demographic details are then captured, and the applicant has to fill an enrolment form and submit other identity proofs to complete the process. Below is the address list of Aadhaar card enrolment centres in Kamrup (M), Assam. 1. O/o the SubDivisional Welfare Officer, Hatigaon 2. O/o the Civil Defence, Beltola 3. O/o the Asstt. Director of Sericulture, Khanapara 4. O/o the Superintendent of Town Milk Supply, Khanapara 5. O/o the Director General of Police, Ulubari 6. Headquater of CID, Ulubari 7. O/o the DFO, Genetic Cell Division, Basistha 8. O/o the Executive Engineer, Hydraulic Research Centre-1 NH37, Basistha 9. O/o the Executive Engineer, Hydraulic Research Centre-2 NH-

37, Basistha 10. O/o the Directorate of Forensic Science, Kahilipara. 11. O/o the Employee Provident Fund, Bhangagarh, GS Road 12. The Executive Engineer, PWD (B), Divn-2, Dispur, Ghy 13. Assam Engineering College, Jalukbari 14. Police Reserve, Paltan

Bazar 15. O/o the Superintendent Engineer, PWD(B) Circle-2, Chandmari 16. O/o the Executive Engineer, Water Resource West Divn., Bharalumukh 17. O/o the Inspector of Schools, Panbazar 18. O/o the Asstt. Director, Handloom & Textiles, Ambari 19. O/o the Principal, Assam Survey & Settlement Training Centre, Dakhingaon 20. O/o the AGM, T&C, APDCL, Ulubari n

“Many students are able to pass the internal examinations but fail to get the passing marks in the term papers, hence automatically reducing the pass percentage.

Students allege anomalies in GU results

Students of other courses of the university have also alleged anomalies in the result declaration process by the university administration. They said that many students have faced issues with their results.

A fifth semester student of BA Geography (Honours) at GU told G Plus on the condition of anonymity that several students of her batch had faced some or the other issue with their results. “Many students of my batch have faced trouble as the results which were declared online reflected different marks than the offline results. Also, when we approached the department in our college, they asked to get it clarified from the university’s office and the university officials displayed a very careless attitude,” she informed. She added that many students had to run from pillar to post to get their corrected results. Further, another student pursuing BA (General) course from the university said that he and some of his classmates have found discrepancies in their marksheets as well. n

10 City Snippets School bus conductor held for sexual offence

cting on a complaint file d by the school management at Basistha Police Station, the conductor of a school bus of Kendriya Vidyalaya, CRPF, 9th Mile has been arrested by Basistha police for allegedly sexually assaulting students inside the bus. The accused has been identified as Manoj Kalita. He was booked and arrested from the school gate on Wednesday. Following complaints by guardians of several students, the police registered an FIR under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. According to sources, the accused had been sexually harassing students for a long time.

Nine ACS, APS officers granted bail

he Gauhati High Court on Thursday granted bail to nine arrested ACS-APS officials involved in the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) scam. The ACS-APS officials were booked for APSC cash-for-jobscam. The bailed ACS-APS officials are Sunaina Aideu, Sabira Imran, Sudipta Goswami, Kunal Das, Gitali Doley, Rumi Saikia, Dipak Khanikar, Dilip Kumar Kalita and Badrul Islam. Nine of the officials we re arrested by the investigating team on November 8, 2017. The bailed officials however cannot leave the state without prior information and have been asked to co-operate with the police during the investigation procedure.

Guwahati gets new venue for holding protests

he Gauhati High Court, in a new decision, announced that Chachal will be the new destination for holding major protests in Guwahati. According to the orders, the exact location will be near All Assam Tennis Association court. Dighalipukhuri will no longer be the official venue for holding protests in the city. The Court has taken the decision after several reports were filed regarding the massive traffic congestion in and around Dighalipukhuri due to protests.

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Guwahati turning into entrepreneurship hub Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

he state capital is slowly turning into a hub for entrepreneurs with young minds wanting to return to their home state and contribute to its development. Entrepreneurs say there is ample scope to explore the field of start-ups here as it still remains one of the relatively unexplored avenues in Guwahati and the entire Northeast. In a recent example, Guwahati-lad Pranab Talukdar started a first-of-its kind manufacturing unit of undergarments at Boragaon. It is a franchise unit of Delhi-based TT Limited which produces men’s undergarments for supply in the entire Northeast region. “There is a huge market for hosiery products and undergarments in the Northeast and our factory is the first one in the region as usually these products used to come here from Kolkata,” informed Talukdar. He added that it is a very labour-intensive sector and the market for undergarments here is close to worth Rs. 500 crores with a huge employment potential. The manufacturing unit was initiated with an initial capital of around Rs. 70 lakhs. The 33-year-old entrepreneur told G Plus that the factory, which

Pranab Talukdar, Entrepreneur

The undergarments factory at Boragaon | G Plus Photo he has taken on lease, was set up as a result of an MoU (memorandum of understanding) which was signed between the state government and TT Limited in February 2018, during the Advantage Assam – Global Investors’ Summit in the state. Currently, his priority is to advertise aggressively for TT in the region, to make the brand popular among people. “We are also looking for distributors to expand the market in and around Northeast, since this is the only factory which is producing undergarments here, we can provide them at much better rates than what they are receiving from outside, that’s our USP,” he said. Born and brought up in Guwahati, like many other students from the state Talukdar, too,

Learnings and experiences in entrepreneurship

alukdar says that it is definitely challenging to leave a corporate job and set up a business from scratch, especially when one is not very familiar in that field. “One needs a lot of passion and a little bit of madness to make it in entrepreneurship,” laughed Talukdar. He added that even though bosses have earned a bad reputation in the corporate world, at least employees have someone to refer to whenever faced with any problem. But when one manages a business, one needs to do all the crisis management on their own. Giving an example he said, recently he sent some stock to a dealer in Fancy Bazar who refused to take it saying he wanted something else. “Now I will only be able to send what the company has sent me,

“There is a huge market for hosiery products and undergarments in the Northeast and our factory is the first one in the region as usually these products used to come here from Kolkata,”

now I have to solve the situation on my own and have no one to guide me. It’s very different from the world I have come from,” he told G Plus. Further, giving a word of advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, he mentioned that since this road is filled with uncertainties and unexpected hurdles, one must always be ready with a couple of alternative plans and back-ups, in case something does not work out. Additionally, if someone plans to set up their own business, they must be ready to face several things which will not work out, forcing them to adapt or come up with something new to deal with the situation at hand, say experts. “Initially the business plan was that the unit would become profitable in three to four months of its operation. But now I feel like we might not be able to break even till the completion of one year,” said Talukdar. n

moved out to pursue engineering in 2003 from National Institute of Technology (NIT) Trichy. He then worked for Maruti Suzuki for a year before completing his MBA degree from IIM Shillong. This was followed by a brief stint in Hindustan Petroleum after which he got selected in a leading multinational electronics and engineering company- Robert Bosch where he spent seven years and was serving as the deputy general manager. However, entrepreneurship had always been at the back of his mind, said Talkudar. Thus, with nine years of corporate experience, he decided to quit his cushy job and position in the MNC and decided to return to Guwahati. He says it is imperative for bright young minds to return to Assam and in order to change and

develop the entrepreneurial scenario here and create more opportunities for others. “Family reasons also had a role to play in my decision to return as my mother was alone here. But I have always believed that if everyone moves out of the state in pursuit of their careers and nobody returns, then how will the state grow?,” said Talkudar. He added that among his friends and colleagues from the Northeast, too, he saw a lack of interest in deciding to move back to their home states. “Then I thought let me break this jinx and let me be among the first few to return to the state and start doing some productive work,” he mentioned adding that a supportive and understanding family makes the transition journey easier for anyone who wants to delve into entrepreneurship. Talukdar said that his wife, whom he met in engineering college, has been a constant support throughout. “She is the one supporting the family currently while I am trying to sort out things here.” n

Government support and challenges

alukdar said that the state government is willing to support people who want to start-up a business in

Assam. The government encourages entrepreneurs and is also receptive to them provided there is a good business plan, he informed. However, starting up a business in this region comes with its own set of challenges like the supply chain issue. “We have to get raw materials and other things from outside, as they are not available here. This takes 10-15 days to reach here and I need to keep at least one month of raw material in stock, which is an issue,” said Talukdar.

He further added that there is a huge gap in the skilled manpower sector, since there are no textile industries here. Also, he said that the working culture in the state is still not adept for industrial sector due to the lack of industries here. The manufacturing unit currently produces vests and men’s underwear, producing 2000 units per day. Talukdar said that he is hoping to double their production and by the end of October and are also planning to expand their workings into making t-shirts in the future. “We have a team of 30 people here currently and all are local residents. If all goes well then we can provide more local employment,” he said. n

Feature

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Mahalaya to Dashami: The rituals of Durga Puja Goddess Durga. The Goddess is worshipped with the chanting of hymns from sacred texts.

Maha Ashtami

On Ashtami or the eighth day, the Goddess is worshipped in her childhood form in Kumari Puja. Adolescent girls are dressed up as the Goddess and worshipped. As per the legends, Maha Ashtami is the day when Maa Durga slew the buffalo

G Plus News

he fanfare with which Durga Puja is celebrated with an increasing budget every year seems to have relegated the actual significance of the event to the background. The rituals of Durga Puja are a set of customs elaborated in religious texts hundreds of years ago that are supposed to be followed during the entire nine days beginning from Mahalaya to Dashami with each day holding a special significance when it comes to the rituals of worship.

Mahalaya to Dashami

Mahalaya is observed seven days before Durga Puja marking the arrival of the all pervasive Goddess. In essence, Mahalaya denotes the invocation to the Goddess to descend on earth through the chanting of mantras and singing devotional songs. Prayers are offered on the banks of some rivers (like the Ganga) with a holy dip and blessings sought from the departed ancestors in the household through performance of sradha. This auspicious day is followed by the end of Amabashya on the next day, termed as Pratipada which also marks the beginning of the nine day Navaratri when thousands of devotees throng the Goddess’s shrines in the country. It ends with Dussehra on the tenth day coinciding with the victory of good over evil. During Navratri, the Goddess is worshipped in each of her nine forms, with each day having a different set of rituals. At many places, an earthen pot called ghot is placed at the site of the puja with banana trees draped

in a white sari with a red border. As part of the custom, priests are supposed not only to observe fast during the puja but abstain from non-vegetarian food or any kind of intoxication. Dwitiya is the second day when the goddess is worshipped as Brahmacharini or the unmarried form of the Goddess. Green is the colour to be worn for that day of Navaratri symbolising the penance the Goddess had undergone to marry Lord Shiva. Tritiya is the third day that follows Pratipada and the third Ghot is placed at the Puja site. Similarly, more ghots are placed at the site on the fourth and fifth days called Chaturthi and Panchami.

Maha Sashthi

On Sashthi or the sixth day, the idol of Goddess Durga is placed at the Puja site coinciding with the descent of the divine mother on earth. Adivash Puja is performed in the evening accompanied by devotional hymns at the pandal. Sashthi essentially means that the festivities of Durga Puja have commenced all over. On this day, the face of the goddess is uncovered which is followed by rituals such as Amontron, Bodhon and Adibash with the rhythmic beating of the Dhaak (a kind of drum).

Maha Saptami

On Maha Saptami, which marks the beginning of the puja, a banana tree is immersed in sacred water at dawn and adorned with a sari popularly known as “Kola Bou” or “Nabapatrika”. The Kola Bou is then carried to the stage and placed next to the idol of Ganesha. A total of nine plants are also venerated which represent the different forms of

devil “Mahishasura”. In the olden times, a buffalo was sacrificed to mark the end of wickedness.

Maha Navami

Maha Navami, considered the most auspicious day, begins with the end of the Sandhi Puja and completed with the execution of “Maha Aarti”. There is a “Mahayagna” in the morning after which Anjali is taken. Earlier, Prasad was distributed only on Navami but in recent times the practice has changed and prasad is distributed on Shaptami and Ashtami as well after the respective pujas.

Maha Dashami

Durga Puja ends on Dashami or the tenth day. People splash colours on each other in celebration and after worshipping the deity once more, take her for immersion into the river. The idols of Goddesss Durga and Mahisasura are then immersed in rivers after proper rituals. Dushhera also known as Navratri or Durgotsav is a celebration of the victory of good over evil. Lord Shiva’s consort, Durga represents two forms of female energy. While one is mild and protective, the other is fierce and destructive. n

12 Cover Story Snippets Jurassic Park themed Durga Puja to be organised by college students of Guwahati

tudents of different colleges of Guwahati are organizing a Jurassic Park themed Durga Puja this year at Milonpur, Rehabari. The puja that is organized by Milon Sangha and Club will celebrate its 3rd edition this year. The puja organizers are working on spreading the message of ‘pollution control’ and hence are using recycled materials to build various elements of the pandal. Organizers have used recycled papers, polythene sheets, cardboards, and metals from construction sites to build dinosaurs and other elements of the pre-historic era, inside the pandal. The entire puja is initiated by students of city-based colleges like KC Das Commerce College, Royal Global University etc.

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Fancy Bazar residents call... Continued from page » 1

“Currently the old jail premise is opened up for allowing car parking only on Sundays for the walking zone and remains closed for rest of the week, which seems illogical. The government should open it up on other days as well,” A Resident

cy Bazar, Pan Bazar among others. “As this is a major trade hub, if there will be a designated parking space for parking 1000 cars, it will come as a major relief to the residents, traders and shoppers alike. Since this is a business centre and people from all over the Northeast visit Fancy Bazar, a proper parking place will be in everyone’s interest,” said Sureka. He added that since people often park their cars on roadsides in the absence of a designated space, the roads are also not cleaned properly making the entire stretch of road dirty and filled with garbage. “Currently the old jail premise is opened up for allowing car parking only on Sundays for the walking zone and remains closed for rest of the week, which seems illogical. The government should

that the traffic police personnel often do not pay enough attention or are seen standing huddled in a corner. This leads to vehicles being parked in a haywire manner and creates further problems,” said Siotia. He further added that the having seen the changes over the years, the scenario was completely different around 10 years ago. Earlier there was proper parking facility for all vehicles of shoppers and traders and the road was also two-way. This led to less congestion and

The old Fancy Bazar jail | G Plus Photo

open it up on other days as well,” said another resident of the area. Further, the government

had earlier planned to turn the area into a botanical garden, informed authorities. n

Parking trouble leading to dip in sales

Patanjali apologises for hurting Assamese sentiments

he officials from Patanjali apologized on behalf of yoga instructor Satinath Barale who made a controversial statement on Assamese saint-scholar Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev on 30th September. In a meeting held between Patanjali officials and Srimanta Shankardev Yuva Manch at Patanjali Yoga Training centre located at Mirza on Sunday, Patanjali officials tendered an apology and promised not to hurt the sentiments of Assamese people in future. Satinath Barale, on September 28, in a yoga camp at Darrang district, Duni village, said that Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev isn’t a saint and there is nothing spiritual about the namghars in Assam and the use of mustard oil in the namghars of Assam is sheer stupidity. It is to be mentioned that many organizations staged protest against the yoga preacher and Patanjali after his disgraceful comments.

Residents of Fancy Bazar demand opening of old jail premises for parking

avi Jhunjhunwala, a shop-owner at Fancy Bazar informed G Plus that owing to the traffic and parking menace, his sales in the last few years have seen a tremendous decline as compared to the previous years. “The business has been adversely affected for me and for other shopkeepers. I have seen a dip of at least 50% customers this year as people don’t feel like shopping in a congested space without any parking facility,” he said. He added that apart from the traders and shopkeepers, the common public is also getting harassed every day and hence they, too, are raising their voice for this. Further, the traders have been conducting talks with the government authorities regarding the issue and they held a meeting for the same with deputy commissioner Virendra Mittal

on Friday to discuss possible solutions to traffic congestion around the Fancy Bazar area. Another trader from Fancy Bazar, Anirudh Siotia complained that customers are usually reluctant to enter the market area nowadays since they do not get a parking spot for their vehicles. He added that this has negatively affected his business this year by almost 70% when compared to the previous year. “The government is not utilising the already existing parking complex for the benefit of the locals and customers and it is getting wasted while giving rise to troubles for citizens. People are left wondering the reason behind the government’s decision to not allow the people to use the space for parking,” he added. Siotia also blamed the traffic police officials manning the area for not managing the traffic properly. “A lot of times I have observed

smoother management of traffic. Additionally, there were fewer vehicles plying on the roads. “As the city is growing at a rapid pace over the past few years, the number vehicles have also increased by at least four to five times, resulting in more traffic snarls,” said another trader. Another shopkeeper Nirmal Dudhoria, stressed on the need for the government to prioritise the need and requirements of the residents, rather than converting the jail premises into a botanical garden. n

AIPC lends support to Fancy Bazar campaign

he vice-president of the All India Professional Congress (AIPC) Gauravv Somani on October 4 submitted a memorandum to the leader of the opposition Debabrata Saikia submitted a memorandum in which the AIPC draws the attention on parking issues in Fancy Bazar. The memorandum has also stressed on the need to organise the hawkers in the market and providing them with a designated space, preferably a building. “This would sort out a lot of problems as hawkers have not only occupied pavements but have also occupied most of the roads in the market. Shifting all the hawkers to some other place- most probably a buildingwill bring out more space which

can be used for parking the vehicles,” states the memorandum. Further, the traders of Fancy Bazar in their meeting with the DC and submitted a list of their demands. They asked in the letter to open the multi-level car parking near Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital, Pan Bazar, at the earliest. Additionally, they also brought to the DC’s attention some other plots of land which are not being utilised by the government- some of these include land located in Machkhowa, Fancy Bazar Outpost and near the PWD office area located at MG Road. They mentioned that these plots should be developed by the government which can aid not only in beautifying the city but will also solving parking woes of the citizens. n

City

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Northeast’s lone Women Police Station completes 25 years of service Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

ommemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, the All Women Police Station (AWPS), Panbazar celebrated its 25th Anniversary on Tuesday at its premises. Established on 2nd Oct 1993, the only women police station in the northeastern region was established with a view to address the women from Guwahati and its surrounding areas. Northeast’s lone women police station (WPS), that started with minimal staff of one sub-inspector as the in-charge, one ASI and eight constables (all women force) has been addressing the issues of women in despair diligently for the past 25 years. Presently, the WPS constitutes a total of 23 personnel which includes one inspector, one sub-inspector, 12 constables and eight home guards. However, the PS requires more manpower and the designation of assistant sub-inspector remains unfilled. To commemorate the occasion of the 25th anniversary, a brief function was organised on the premises of the police station on Tuesday. Commissioner of Police PC Saloi and other senior officials of the commissionerate including various DCPs (Deputy Commissioner of Police) and ADCPs (Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police) attended the function. On the occasion, PC Saloi also addressed the women

The All Women Police Station at Panbazar | G Plus Photo who run the police station. He congratulated them for their efforts and extended the support of the commissionerate for the future. A washroom, donated by a young entrepreneur Aditya Vikram Tiwari, was also inaugurated on the occasion. It must be noted that the personnel at the AWPS neither had a washroom nor a changing room in their premises until now. In a city that has witnessed a recent rise in crimes against women; the WPS has been playing a pivotal role. WPS receives numerous cases on a daily basis – ranging from rape, dowry, IT Act, threatening, torture and Protection of Child from Sexual

25 years on, Women Police Station still riddled with problems

ver the years, the police station has lost its charm. Because of shortage of staff, it is not able to deal with the increasing number of cases of crime against women. The number of pending cases till date with the All Women Police Station is 454. But according to the officials, most of these are old pending cases where the complainants after filing the FIR never appeared again. This year, the PS has registered 110 complaints. There are more cases

registered at the All Women Police Station than can be handled by the staff. The functioning and set up of the WPS is very different from that of other police stations in the city. After the creation of the Commissionerate, the post of ACP (women unit) came into being and the person holding the post was tasked to supervise the cases with the police station and other important crimes related to women in the Commissionerate. “Recently, we’ve observed an increase in cases under the IT Act. Cases of boys posting images and videos of girls online and

Offences (POCSO), to name a few. “For a rape victim, it’s not easy to go to a station where so many men in uniform present around her, and open up about the incident. But, in a police station where she knows she’ll be dealing with all ladies, she is a bit more comfortable,” APS Mousumi Kalita, Additional Commissioner of Police (Women Unit) told G Plus. Not only does the All Women Police Station deal with cases, they also provide counselling, when needed. Counselling is formally provided at the women’s cell of Pan Bazaar Police Station. However, WPS officials also provide counselling in petty cases. Additionally, APS Mousumi Kalita along with her team at the

AWPS are also members of the Anti Human Trafficking Unit of Assam police to effectively combat crimes related to trafficking of persons specially women and children. A trusted source in the police also informed G Plus that Kalita has been trusted with the task of preparing a report of all the cases of missing women and children. This report will comprise of details of the location from where the victim went missing, the modus operandi of the kidnappers and traffickers, the areas from which maximum cases have been recorded and the age group most targeted, amongst others. The report will help map the problems and find the solutions. n

blackmailing them have become very common, especially in couples who had been in live-in relationships and drifted apart for some reason,” informed officer incharge Arati Saikia. If irregular staff wasn’t problem enough, a lot of women constables are not willing to work during night shifts so handling cases during night hours becomes a challenge. “We are expected to safeguard women, but we’re ourselves not provided with safety of any sorts,” a woman constable stationed at the WPS informed G Plus. She further added that neither are the female police personnel provided with safe travel during night hours, nor are there any changing rooms or rooms without CCTV cameras for the women to change in and out of their uniform. The infrastructure of the station acts as a major setback since the boundary walls are very low and there was an absence of washroom apart from the one in

lock up. However, the location acts as a plus point with the Panbazar Police Station situated right next door and the Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (MMCH) just across the road for emergencies. As per notification from the Director General of Police (DGP) office, WPS is only allowed to cater to cases from Kamrup (M) but cases come in from all over the state and sometimes, from other parts of the country too. “Women in distress approach us to file their complaints. They expect us to listen to their troubles and guide them instead of denying lodging their complaint. So, we register their complaints at WPS and transfer the case to the concerned police station,” APS Mousumi Kalita informed. To be able to handle the increasing number of complaints being registered at the All Women Police Station, it has become imperative that its limitations and problems are studied and it’s empowered further. n

Snippets Drunk auto driver flees with INSAS rifle near Big Bazar

n auto-rickshaw driver, allegedly in a drunken state fled from a police check point with an INSAS rifle of an on-duty 12th APBN security personnel on Thursday. The auto-rickshaw driver identified as one Kamal Das, was stopped by the police during a routine police check at Rajgarh Road, near Big Bazar. The security personnel Devraj Thakuria placed his service rifle in Das’s auto and started the checking process. According to the police, Kamal Das, who allegedly was in a drunken state, started the auto and fled from the spot with the rifle, which remained inside the auto, entangled in the fare meter. The jawan, Thakuria sustained injuries when he tried to chase the auto to recover the rifle. On a basis of an input provided by one Ranjit from the Rajgarh auto stand, the Bhangagarh police on Friday, recovered the rifle and also apprehended Kamal Das, the auto-rickshaw driver. ADCP East, Amitabh Basumatary is currently investigating the matter.

Nationally acclaimed critics in awe of Village Rockstars

illage Rockstars, India’s official entry to the 91st Oscar Awards, is a film showcasing the picturesque beauty of Assam and its simplicity. The movie, since the release, has earned warm reviews from critics across the nation. Nationally acclaimed former Radio personality, Sucharita Tyagi, while reviewing the movie said, “This movie is less story, more heart. In fact, this film is all heart.” Film critic and author Anupama Chopra, has given a 4-star rating to the movie. In her review, she writes, “The beauty is that at no point are we asked to feel sorry for these people. Their poverty is a fact of life. But their resilience is what de fine s the m. The film be gins with the dedication – a tribute to the place, the people, where I come from. Rima celebrates the ferocious spirit of her hometown. The actors in Village Rockstars are non-professionals. The lead Bhanita Das, is Rima’s cousin. She miraculously manages to combine innocence with determination and a quiet wisdom. Dhunu persists without losing her playfulness.”

14 G Talk E

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018 T

The Gau-Guwa confusion

he honourable Gauhati High Court (GHC) has asked a pertinent question and its confusion is justified given that its own nomenclature bearing the word “Gauhati” is in direct conflict with its location which is Guwahati. To answer its question with as much clarity as possible, I would venture to say that Gowhatty (British era) became Gauhati (post British era) and remained like that for a long time – through the mid-1990s if memory serves me right. This was during those times when Kolkata was Calcutta, Mumbai was Bombay and Chennai was Madras. And then, suddenly it became fashionable for respective state governments to shed the British colonial tag and become earthier. From the current point in time, it would not be wrong to say that all these places – Guwahati included – saw their names changed to their local epithet. The point of confusion for the honourable GHC may be quickly cleared by drawing a comparison. The state high court located in Chennai continues to be called Madras High Court and the one in Mumbai remains Bombay High Court. So there you are … The confusion raised by the GHC with regard

to “Gauhati” continuing to feature in the names of institutions is perhaps something of a bureaucratic hassle that most of these institutions haven’t bothered to grapple with. One can never contend with the bureaucratic red tapism that one might have to encounter with a simple application for the change of name of say, Gauhati University. To add to that is the change of the spelling of these various institutions in their various bank accounts, bounced cheques thereafter et al and one could end up confused way beyond the current confusion. While the predicament of these institutions and their inertia to rename themselves is understandable, what is amusing is that of the four political constituencies in the city, two continue to be called Gauhati – Gauhati East and Gauhati West. The change of the city’s spelling was clearly an official decision of the then state government and yet, it is surprising that the same government did not both to complete the task and rename these two constituencies. The GHC’s confusion today is perhaps due to this. But then, what’s in a name as they all say? Swapnil Bharali Editor

Jail Bharo Aandolan

he businessmen in Fancy Bazaar area on Thursday, put up a small demonstration outside their shops in the area ‘requesting’ the administration to open up the old jail complex for parking during the festive season. Well from a market point of view, it is a valid demand because the footfall in Fancy Bazaar is going to peak during the festive season and a part of the chaos can be managed with the parking being made available in the old jail complex. But what I am concerned is with the low intensity in which the shopkeepers put their demands forward. Let’s ask the administration; what is the old jail complex currently being used for? It now lies idle and is being wasted. While there is a proposed botanical garden in the complex, there seems to be no update about the same – or it could just be stuck in a DPR phase. The value of the humungous plot of land has now transcended its allocation as a mere botanical garden and is now seen as a solution to managing the chaos in Fancy Bazaar. For the shopkeepers, it is important to know that the administration is not going to be ruffled with small photo-ops that were carried out. At this point, dwellers and shopkeepers of Fancy Bazaar must send the administration an intense ‘message’. I say, gaadiya bhar do. The administration must be reminded that public has had it when it comes to dealing with commuting woes in the city, whether it is creating senseless two-way routes, illogical partitions/ dividers or barricading space where there could be parallel parking. Let people shove cars in and park their vehicles inside, alteast until the administration speaks up about wasting area. The space is being grossly wasted if this continues. The area must be put to good use, in the appropriate window of time of course. Only with surmounting pressure will they realize what is in the interest of the public and are likely to action accordingly. Sidharth Bedi Varma

Swachhta is more than just toilet construction

Googled “Swachhta in Guwahati” the other day and the results that came in almost made me believe that Guwahati had become as clean as any Japanese city! The first three results: Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurates campaign on Swachhta Hi Sewa (Sept 16, 2018), NFR (Construction) observes Swachhta Hi Sewa Pakhwara (Sept 17, 2018), Tourism Ministry organizes Swachhta Hi Sewa activities across the state (Sept 19, 2018) … the results kept on harping Swachhta Hi Sewa. On close scrutiny, I found that even after four years of the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission on 2nd October, 2014 – that is, in the very first year of the formation of the Narendra Modi government – Swachhta in Guwahati still remains about the spread of awareness without any tangible visual results and with marginal success in terms of statistics. But as the saying goes, “Statistics is like a bikini. What it reveals is suggestive, what it conceals is vital.” Unfortunately, statistics at the moment are only available for the whole of Assam and not for Guwahati alone. The available statistics offer an encouraging picture in terms of figures. For example, 96.91% of the state’s households have Individual Household Latrines (IHHL) as on

After four years of a Mission as serious and massive as Swachh Bharat, launched under the direct supervision of the Prime Minister of India, if it is still about building awareness on cleanliness in Guwahati, I guess somewhere, something is going terribly wrong.

rThe risks posed by

2nd October, 2018 – a quantum jump from 41.28% on the same date four years ago. From this revelation it can be safely inferred that the district administration of Kamrup (Metro) was true to itself and to us residents of Guwahati, when it, on March 7, 2017, having achieved its targets set forth under the Swachh Bharat Mission’s objectives, was set to declare the district as the first open-defecation-free district of the northeast India. But the point of concern starts right here. After four years of a Mission as serious and massive as Swachh Bharat, launched under the direct supervision of the Prime Minister of India, and set

to conclude in one year as a fitting tribute to the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, if it is still about building awareness on cleanliness in Guwahati, I guess somewhere, something is going terribly wrong. And the statistics are painting an unwarranted rosy picture about just one aspect of cleanliness – defecating indoors - and which does not tell the true story in a holistic manner. At G Plus, we get taken quite by surprise at the disdain and angst expressed by our followers whenever we post pictures on our digital channels of drains clogged with plastic bottles or even roadside garbage piled up for days. In fact, one update of ours that went viral with contemptuous comments was a photograph of the paan spit stains on the Maligaon foot over-bridge just days after the structure was spruced up for the inauguration of the newly installed elevators. So, by all stretch of imagination, Guwahati remains a filthy city

O pinion Swapnil Bharali

and despite all the awareness campaigns by the government and administrations, notwithstanding the photos of high officials donning broomsticks and videos of ministers cleaning up already clean toilets with their own hands. It is clear that in four years’ time, the awareness campaigns have not worked in changing people’s attitude and perception towards cleanliness. And it is also clear that this is not going to happen in the next one by whence the Swachh Bharat Mission will come to an end and there will be no fitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary. It will be just an ordinary dry day from the realist’s point of view. There are basically two ways out of this mess. The administration can truly enforce the law with all seriousness. And keep at it with tenacity for as long as it takes till citizens, for sheer fear of the law than any personal realization, stops dirtying the city. As is evident, a bit of enforcement by the police and the city’s traffic is somewhat streamlined today. The citizens – including all those who get moved by our pictures of filth on our digital channels – take it upon ourselves to nudge the other constantly not to litter and beyond that, even go on to admonish strangers who litter, spit, openly urinate and defecate. Four years of plain awareness generation by the various government departments hasn’t been successful in penetrating the thick Guwahatian skull; it may be well inferred that another year of the same is not going to yield any better results. Some (not all) Guwahatians are totally impervious to the concepts of cleanliness and hygiene – especially of their surroundings. The solution revolves around shaming these offenders in public both by the administration and public in tandem. Only then will Guwahati become clean in the true sense. All statistics on cleanliness cannot be only about IHHLs only; the streets of the city are equally important. n

Letter to the Editor

overcrowding of school buses

e often see that school vans and buses carrying children are overcrowded with students being crammed into every inch of their space. This poses a great threat to the lives and security of the innocent children. The school authorities and the children’s parents and guardians must consider the matter very seriously. The Supreme Court has also laid out certain safety norms for school buses. However, school buses and other vehicles in the city are often found violating those norms. The buses and vans should not be allowed to carry more children than their maximum limit. We as adults must take the responsibility of young lives and sure impose strict punishments to the drivers who flout safety norms. Ayushmita Haloi , Guwahati

In Focus

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Tony Deori Basumatary Music producer

ony Deori Basumatary is a film score producer from Assam, settled in Mumbai. Known for his works in Bollywood as well as regional films, Tony made national headlines recently upon winning the ‘Best Background Music Award’ at the Filmfare (Marathi) Awards this year. With this award, Tony has been able to proudly represent Assam nationally and he considers it one of the biggest achievements in his journey as a musician so far. Born and brought up mostly in Guwahati, Tony has lived and studied in various parts of the state due to the transferable nature of his parents’ jobs. While he’s lived in Tezpur, North Lakhimpur, Biswanath Chariali, Tangla and Udalguri, a major part of his schooling was done in Tezpur and North Lakhimpur. For further studies, Tony moved back to Guwahati and then moved to Mumbai where he started working in the film and television industry as a music producer. Tony developed an interest in the field of music during his school days, playing in the school band along with his close friends. Having moved to Mumbai in

2004, Tony started off as a music producer/arranger in the same year, working in collaboration with a friend. “I remember the first gig we got was a 30-second commercial for a toilet cleaner and we were paid 500 rupees. We had to take along our gear to the studio and the rickshaw fare to there was about 100 bucks, which means the two of us ‘earned’ 200 each. It might sound like a story from the 80’s, but no, this is what happened in 2004 but we were still very excited and took over many more projects,” recalled Tony, while speaking to G Plus. In 2008, he started working with Utkarsh, who’s been his partner all these years. Together they’ve worked on quite a few projects for TV as well as films including Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017), Dangal (2016), Bhale Manchi Roju (2015), Baji (2015) and Pune-52 (2013). They’ve also worked with singer and composer Pritam as music arrangers. Speaking to G Plus about his experience of working in the award winning film Lapachhapi, Tony expressed, “Working on Lapachhapi was a great experience, especially because

of the people involved. Director Vishal Furia and producer Jitendra Patil were amazing support systems and like the best people to work with. Since we have worked with Vishal previously as well, we shared a common zeal for the film. He gave us the freedom to do what we wanted to.” He further added that working in the Marathi film industry being a non Marathi was an overwhelming experience because of how welcome the team felt. The support and encouragement was immense, he said. Presently, the team is working on an upcoming project which is Kenny Basumatary’s “Suspended Inspector Boro.” While Utkarsh, along with guitarist Derrick, is working on the music, Tony is working on the sound for Kenny’s next film. He is also working on making music for an album which is still in its initial stages. Tony plans to collaborate with other upcoming artists from Assam and other parts of northeast for this project. Additionally, Tony runs ‘Heavy Budget’ - a comedy YouTube channel that he started

with his cousin Bonny about 4 months ago. Speaking to G Plus about the idea behind the YouTube channel, he said, “We wanted to make short funny sketches that we thought our viewers might enjoy watching and we would enjoy making. So far, the response has been huge and positive, giving us the energy to keep producing content. The name, Heavy Budget, is a sarcastic take on how we barely have any budget to spend on the videos. We do the best we can with what we have and eventually hope to change that.” Tony expressed his excitement about the current scenario of the Assamese music industry. He believes that there’s a lot of

untapped talent in the region, not just in the field of music but in all spheres. He said, “There was a wave of not so good music, to put it mildly, from Assam in the recent years. But I think that is slowly, but definitely fading out. The new generation of musicians is more aware, has a better world view and is up to date, so I believe the Assamese music industry is heading in the right direction.” He believes that with the kind of music being produced in Assam and other Northeastern states, especially the traditional and folk music, we sure have the potential to go global. “People outside India, and in many cases within India, are virtually not well acquainted with our music. Be it dance or soul, there’s potentially a wide range of unheard music that we can offer to worldwide listeners. Not just the folk and traditional music, there’s contemporary modern music too,” Tony told G Plus.

Assam’s Golden Girl Hima Das has joined Indian Oil as HR Officer (Grade A); Indian Oil will be providing the salary and other facilities befitting an officer; G Plus followers have a few observations here Abhishek Sharma Soon she will be given a seat in the Parliament and people will start voting for her. We respect her sporting abilities but she could have refused this as she is not qualified enough for this post. More educated people were waiting for jobs in this field. People who deserve should be given the opportunity.

Suman Agarwal She has just begun her sporting career with hardly two recognitions. This over shower of awards and favours is too much. Let her focus on her sport, let her achieve more for herself and for the country. It’s kind of spoiling a bright child with both the hands. What if she is not able to handle this sudden attention she is getting from all corners? After all she is only 18 years old and she has a long way to go in her career.

Partha Protim Choudhury I don’t care what Hima Das is given or awarded. The only thing that matters is that Hima needs to get the Gold Medal in the Olympics. Or else it will be pity that Hima attended all the 5 star parties and galas and the result is nothing in future. I request the government to give her some time to work on her goals. This is not the end. Olympics are coming and she needs to perform well in that. She will be representing our nation and it’s not a joke. All such limelight will do nothing but make her lose concentration towards her goal.

Pujya Talukdar People are trying hard day and night to get a job. And here she has been given a job even without proper qualifications. I wouldn’t be surprised if she is made the CM soon.The government should actually provide her with good practice accessories for the upcoming sports events. Why job? It’s like taking one step down from her goal.

Dolly Sharma India is a country where just by running you can get a HR post. Soon the young generation of our country will stop going to colleges for their education and start running. I feel that it’s a better option. One you get medal for the nation and also a job for future, life is settled! Jintu Choudhury No offence to Hima Das, she has brought laurels to our nation and the state of Assam. She is a great athlete, I’m also a big fan. But, you see, Indian Oil is nothing but a joke. They don’t take even normal HR staff (not officer). All they do is take contractual staff that does not get 1/10th of the facilities and the pay also very low. They have taken this decision so that they can save amounts in crore’s, from where they are earning the real profit I guess. But what happens when they take such non- performing assets on the payroll like this? Do it as a CSR activity (give her some amount in crores again), we don’t mind, but why the job? She is not even qualified to be in IOCL, she needs minimum graduation for entering into IOCL. Other students are struggling with high competition, working hard day and night for a job in IOCL. The govt is there to take care of Hima Das, to get her a job in the Govt. sector. But why in a PSU like IOCL, where the creation of jobs is very less?

16 Feature

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Guwahati’s unique-themed puja pandals this year Puja committees in Guwahati are gearing up for the upcoming Durga Puja celebrations with full gusto Hiranya Barman

Bishnupur Durga Puja Committee

The Bishnupur Durga Puja Committee last year, made the

Bishnupur Durga Puja world’s tallest Durga Idol of 102 feet and drew attention and accolades of Guwahatians. This year, the committee is almost ready with a 75-feet idol of ‘Bharat Mata’ as the main theme. The Durga idol which is symbolizing ‘Bharat Mata’ is attached with India’s map as the background and is about to get the final touch as 90 per cent of the work has been completed. Around 14 locals Jyoti Shankar Bhattacharya, Papul Kalita, Nayan Kalita, Jiten Boro, Monoj Boro, Ajit Boro, Raja Teron, Gokul, Suren, Biren, Pinku and Anupam Boro of Chaygaon under the supervision of Manjit Kalita are leaving no stones unturned to install a 76-feet tall Durga idol at Bishnupur in Guwahati. “The idea was discussed with everyone a year ago. We decided for a theme which is relevant in present times. The 76-feet Durga idol and a map of India attached to the back of the idol together symbolize our motherland India. Four other idols at the foot of the Durga idol depicting terrorism, family-centric politics, corruption and neo-nationalism which are disadvantages and problems that India is facing has been shown.

The idea is to show that these The budget for the Durga four problems are showing India Puja celebrations this year is in bad light,” Manjit Kalita said. around Rs. 30 lakh. The pandal “There are two more idols at would cost around Rs. 8 lakh. The the foot of the Durga Idol that idol costing around Rs. 3 lakh has depict the common man, who been prepared by national award despite all the life’s winning artist Sanatan Rudra hurdles have hope in Paul. His Idols are installed in their heart and are some of the most prestigious holding India from Durga Puja venues in Kolkata. falling down,” Kalita As many as 32 artisans added. from Kolkata have been engaged Pencil sketches in preparing the eco-friendly of martyrs and pandal that would be of 45 feet personalities of in height and 1600 square feet in Indian struggle for area. freedom movement “Tokobari Durga Puja like Mahatma Gandhi, celebration is one of the oldest in Kanaklata, Netaji the city. In 1943, we celebrated the Subhas Chandra first Puja with Bose, Sardar Ballav Bhai Patel and Bhagat Singh would be on display at the front frame of the idol. Kalita is of the view that visitors will be able to have a glimpse of sculpture work of the freedom struggle led by Kanaklata, Azaad Hind Fauz and the sacrifices made by the Indian Army at the borders inside a cave like chamber made at the bottom of the idol. The Bishnupur Durga Puja Committee has set Tokobari Borbari Durga Puja around rupees 35 lakh as this year’s budget. Committee members said that steps have been taken for precautions for just Rs. 140. We have the safety of the idol. come a long way now. We are “Last year, we were harpooned engaged into making eco-friendly by bad weather conditions. We pandals. This pandal is made of were almost finished erecting the Hogla leaf found exclusively in world’s tallest idol of 110 feet. But the coastal areas of Bay of Bengal. due to the absence of precautions The decoration materials have the idol got destroyed by strong also been brought from Kolkata,” winds and we had to struggle a committee member said. erecting it again. The first thing Committee members said we did this year is to attach that the Haren Kalita Path will be the idol with three ropes — at illuminated by magic light made the front, back and sidewise,” a at Chandannagar in West Bengal Committee member said. and three marvellous entrance gates will be erected on both sides of the road. Tokobari Borbari Durga Puja The Tokobari Borbari Durga Puja Committee is gearing up Bishnupur Bimala Nagar for silver jubilee celebrations Sarbajanin Durga Puja this year. To mark the occasion The public, this festive season, the committee is installing an has a unique chance to enliven artwork display of a Buddhist the experience of seeing their Monastery on the premises of the most popular hero Amarendra Tokobari Kali Mandir. Bahubali, though not on screen

Bishnupur Bimala Nagar Sarbajanin Durga Puja

but at a Durga Puja mandap in Bimala Nagar area of the city. The Bishnupur Bimala Nagar Sarbajanin Durga Puja Committee has this time tried to recreate the feel of the very successful Tamil film, Bahubali by giving the puja pandal the shape of the palace of Mahishmati. Constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 18 20 lakhs, this wooden palace stands at a towering height of 80 feet. “Bahubali has been a very popular film among all and we are attempting to recreate the characters and palace depicted in

the movie through our pancakes so that when the public arrive here, they feel thrilled as if they are in the kingdom of Mahishmati amidst the protagonist Bahubali and the villain, Bhallaladeva. In fact, life size figures of Bahubali, Bhallaladeva and palace guards cut out from thermacol will be installed in the pandal,” said Narayana Malakar, secretary of the Bishnupur Bimala Nagar Sarbajanin Durga Puja Committee. Along with local artisans, a few artisans from West Bengal are working round the clock to give this pandal the majestic look it truly deserves.

Dearth of indigenous artistes? Members of Bishnupur Durga Puja committee lamented that indigenous artistes holding expertise of making art work and idols are neglected in their own homeland. “Despite having talents, committees having big budget are hiring people from outside Assam. We have a government-run art school in place. Every year we get fresh batch of talents. If artisans are engaged in making and decorating pandals, employment increases substantially,” a Durga Puja Committee member said. Tokobari, Bimala Nagar and other big budget puja committees have engaged artisans hired from West Bengal. Around 32 artisans from West Bengal are engaged in Tokobari Puja Celebration. As many as 20 artisans are engaged in Bimala Nagar puja celebration. Bishnupur Puja Committee has engaged 14 local artisans for pandal making and decorating.

Unique Durga puja celebration in city Eco-friendly pandals on the rise Artisans from West Bengal hired despite of abundance of talents in the state. Big budget Puja Committees ready to attract crowd.

Trotter

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

A cottage made entirely of chocolate -and you can actually stay in it

iving a whole new meaning to ‘home sweet home’ is a cottage in France that has been made entirely out of edible chocolate. Located in the commune of Sevres in the south-western suburbs of Paris, this chocolate cottage has been designed and manufactured by renowned artisan chocolatier, Jean-Luc Decluzeau. Everything in the cottage from the walls to the roof, the fireplace, clocks, books and even the chan-

delier - has been crafted out of chocolate. In fact, even the flow-

erbeds and the duck pond on the property have been made out of chocolate!

Passenger’s mid-air ‘workout’ forces US plane to land

passenger’s bizarre antics forced American Airlines to divert a flight on 1ST October. The flight from Phoenix to Boston was diverted for landing after the man, allegedly

drunk, grabbed the overhead bins and kept doing pull-ups. Reportedly,the man’s unruly behaviour forced the flight to land in Kansas City, where the man was removed. The unidentified man appeared drunk when he boarded the plane. Once the flight took off, he ordered more alcohol and suddenly started a workout. “He was leaning up against

where you put the bags overhead and a passenger came by and said ‘What are you going to do, some pull-ups?’ and the guy actually grabbed on to it and started doing some pull-ups on the plane in front of everybody,” passenger David Markoski told. “He would not sit down. The flight attendant probably asked him about three or four times to sit down and he refused to sit down and then he really got verbally abusive with her, starting calling her names,” Markoski said.n Though the passenger was thrown out of the flight, no charges were filed against him. The flight moved on to its destination. This is not the first time that passengers have caused chaos in a flight. A few weeks ago, there was panic on a flight when a passenger tried to open the plane’s door midair. (Source: ndtv)

Boy, 10, calls 911 for help with math homework

Colorado police department shared audio from a 911 call placed by a 10-yearold boy who needed help -- with his math homework. The Fort Collins Police Department posted a video to Facebook featuring the audio from a 911 call

from a boy who was stuck on a long division problem.”Hi, this isn’t an emergency, but I’m 10 years old and I’m working on my math homework right now and I can’t figure out what 71 divided by 3,052

is,” the caller says to dispatcher Chris Clow. Clow was able to help the boy find the answer: 42.9. “Disclaimer: Not all dispatchers are as skilled in math and/or readily equipped with calculators as Dispatcher Chris,” the department wrote, reminding residents to only use 911 for real emergencies and to call the police’s non-emergency number for other questions. “Though it should be noted that FCPD is not responsible for incorrect homework answers. If you or your child believe you need police assistance with an assignment, please contact your School Resource Officer during school hours. They love talking to their students about pretty much anything,” the post said. (Source: abcnews)

Sounds wonderful, right? Well, the best part is that you can actually stay in this cottage! According to hotel reservation website Booking.com, people interested in spending a night at this chocolate cottage can book their spots on October 5 and 6. A night at the chocolate cottage comes with a workshop dedicated to the creation of personalised mini chocolate homes and meals served in the cottage’s flower garden. (Source: independent.co.uk)

Book order takes 20 years for delivery

Florida woman who ordered a set of Dr. Seuss books for her

Walker that the box had been found stuckinsideanoldmailbox. Walker said the books arrived

granddaughter said the package finally arrived --20yearslater. Vera Walker of Orlando said her granddaughter was only 4 years old when she orderedthesetof books in 1998. She was an adult with a 5-year-old son of her own by the timethepackagearrivedatWalker’s home.The post office explained to

just in time for her to read them to her great-grandson, who she said is enjoying the classic tomes. (Source: upi)

18 Review

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Starring: Tabu, Ayushmann Khurrana, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan, etc. Director: Sriram Raghavan

B Movie Review

ANDHADHUN

ollywood doesn’t do thrillers well. About the only exception to this rule is one man: Sriram Raghavan. His latest, Andhadhun, based on a French short story, is a glorious keep‘em-guessing thriller, which never loses sight of that most important question: so what happens next? Almost everyone in this enterprise fits this bill of a good thriller perfectly: the blind pianist Aakash (Khurrana) in search of a perfect ‘dhun’, the yesteryear-star Pramod Sinha (Dhawan) married to the foxy, bored Simi (Tabu), a burly cop who specializes in being in the wrong place at the wrong time (Vij), a doctor (Hussain) who promises to do good but has other designs. There’s even a little kid who’s quite a crook. No one is innocent. About the only what-

you-see-is-what-you-get character is the pretty young girl (Apte) who is as intrigued by the visionless musician as we are, but her straight-laced character makes us keep paying attention to her. A murder is committed. Raghavan doesn’t hide the killer from us; nor the motive. What he does, most ingeniously, is to insert an unexpected character into the situation, and have things unravel from there on. The body count goes up, and the game is on. The film flags, just for a little while, post interval and things become a tad heavy-handed and dull. When characters start explaining too much, you start losing interest: this is a problem that pops up quite often in Raghavan’s films. But soon enough, Andhadhun is zippily back on track. n

Starring: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed Director: Ruben Fleischer

hey say superhero movies have a disregard for the laws of physics, but Venom has a disregard for the laws of human behaviour. In any given scene, its characters are prone to making such shoddy decisions that they barely resemble real people at all. Venom tries too hard to be edgy, but ends up feeling rather flat – like a Marvel Cinematic Universe ripoff complete with the same villain tropes and intermittent humour. It’s a classic example of a film’s tone being drastically altered after poor test screenings – by now we’ve seen this happen way too often to not spot the tell-tale signs, the most obvious of which is Hardy’s unhinged performance. He plays Brock like a VICE bro, out to take down evil corporations and expose government scams, like

a mid-2000s version of Shane Smith, all tattoos and aw-shucks. When Brock is given the opportunity to interview billionaire Carlton Drake, accused of shady business, he blows the chance to actually make a difference by making yet another dumb decision and confronting him on camera. Brock ends up losing his job, his apartment, and for some reason, also his girlfriend. Venom has only one character, really; the rest just hover in the background, occasionally making a noise. It’s baffling that even in this era of Logans and Deadpools, they didn’t have the courage to go all-out with a character that positively demands a film as bonkers as Hardy’s performance. But there you have it, in the end he’s the antidote to this poisonously mediocre film. n

Cinepolis Christian Basti 09435025808

Venom

The Underworld 05:35 PM, 08:50 PM Sui Dhaaga - Made in India 06:15 PM, 09:05 PM Venom 06:25 PM Village Rockstars 06:35 PM LoveYatri 08:45 PM Andhadhun 09:00 PM

Sui Dhaaga - Made in India

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Movie Review

VENOM

11:00 AM, 04:00 PM, 08:30 PM LoveYatri 01:15 PM 01:30 PM, 09:00 PM Andhadhun 06:15 PM Village Rockstars 06:30 PM

PVR Cinemas Dona Planet 08800900009 Sui Dhaaga - Made in India 10:00 AM, 06:25 PM Venom 11:00 AM, 04:20 PM, 08:50 PM LoveYatri 12:40 PM Andhadhun 01:30 PM The Underworld 03:30 PM, 09:05 PM Village Rockstars

The Underworld 11:15 AM, 02:15 PM, 08:15 PM LoveYatri 02:00 PM, 05:15 PM Village Rockstars 05:00 PM

06:50 PM

Grande Cines Paltan Bazar 09854017771 GRANDE CINES

The Underworld

The Underworld 10:30 AM, 03:45 PM

LoveYatri

Galleria Cinemas HUB 09706989143 Venom 09:15 AM, 02:15 PM, 06:20 PM 11:30 AM Village Rockstars 04:30 PM 09:00 PM

The Square – Novotel, Guwahati being outside. We started the evening off with a tall glass of Orange Sangria, refreshing, citrusy with just a hint of white wine. How perfect is that! There

Kashmiri Barkakati Nath

ovotel stepped into Guwahati city a while back, revolutionising the concept of Business Hotel with no stones unturned - smart, chic and modern the hotel is located bang on G.S Road, half a kilometre away from the state Secretariat. ‘The Square’ is Novotel Guwahati’s 24-hour (all day dining) restaurant. Novotel Guwahati has also opened up their Alfresco dining space, which was launched on 5th Oct along with the October special – Oktoberfest which welcomes you to a delectable spread of German fare. The Square is on the first floor of Guwahati’s premium business hotel. Clean line dotted with blue and green seats makes the space look inviting and soothing to the

eyes. On a personal note, I think winter evenings would be absolutely delightful in this palm fringed area, giving one the feeling of

was also Orange Mojito to sip and both the drinks were outstanding. For nibbles we had boneless chicken with orange Chinese style. Delicious, the ginger, soy

sauce and the orange came into a beautiful sweet, savoury dish, ying and yang in sync. Chef then sent us a thin crust pizza topped with mushroom, onion and bell pepper and loads and loads of cheese. Well, it was nice and comforting. The show stopper of the evening arrived quietly “Pork Chops with Orange Sauce” (yes orange again)! I think Chef is secretly in love with orange!! All my reservation melted away much like

the knife that just sank into the meat. The meat was done to undeniable perfection, soft, juicy and succulent and the citrus sauce did some wonders to the meat. The potato mash was creamy, silky and creamy topped with crisp bacon bits. This was heaven indeed. The vegetables complimented and made the dish a wholesome meal. The Chicken Ravioli – although a little chewy, was complimented with a creamy and well balanced sauce. The dessert was a Trio of Mousse Chocolate, Strawberry and Caramel. The Caramel was light, airy and delicately sweet; a perfect way to end an excellent meal. The service was impeccable and the team was courteous, making the evening a delight. The Square, centrally located makes for a perfect place for a quiet meal with some excellent food! n

Entertainment

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

National Award winning film ‘Ishu’ screened at Film Festival in Nagaon

he Assamese feature film by Utpal Borpujari ‘Ishu’ was screened on September 29, Saturday at the film festival held in Nagaon on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The two-day film festival was

organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India in association with the District Administration of Nagaon.

Organised at the Khagen Mahanta Auditorium in Nagaon, the festival kicked off with the Hindi film ‘Making of Mahatma’ (1996) directed by Shyam Benegal at 11 AM on Saturday. Utpal Borpujari’s ‘Ishu’ (2017), an Assamese feature film of 91 minutes, was screened at 2 pm.

‘Ishu’, which has been produced by Children’s Film Society of India, received the Best Assamese Feature Film Award at the 65th National Film Awards. Adapted from Manikuntala

Assam’s Dipannita Sharma signs YRF’s next film, to star against Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff

ctress Dipannita Sharma is on a professional high as she has recently signed Yash Raj Films’ next helmed by Siddharth Anand. The film is headlined by Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff. The film also stars Vaani Kapoor. This is Dipannita’s second as-

commercial film but I think what sealed it was the fact that the role is significant in the film’s proceedings,” says Dipannita. She further said, “I can’t talk much about my role but I’m excited to be on board. My part is significant and I’m just happy about that. Hrithik and Tiger are action-packed talents. I’m glad to be

sociation with YRF after Ladies vs Ricky Bahl, which earned her a best-supporting-actress nomination. This film will see Dipannita in a pivotal role as she prepares to join the cast and crew during the Amalfi coast and Lake Como schedule. Dipannita, who recently also won the Best Actress for her Assamese film Rainbow Fields at Love International film festival (LIFF), says that the importance of the character in the film is what prompted her to sign the YRF project. “It’s great to be part of a big

a part of such a huge commercial film project.” The film is touted to be the biggest action movie Bollywood has ever made. Action directors from outside India have been called to take the action sequences to the highest level. It is said that Andy R Armstrong and Ohm, who had choreographed the action of Avengers and Spiderman movies, will choreograph the action sequences for the upcoming film. The movie will be shot in six countries and is expected to release in October next year.

Bhattacharya’s novel of the same name, ‘Ishu’ has earned wholesome praise from viewers across the globe . The film takes a look at the inhuman practice of ‘Witch hunting’ that is prevalent in parts of Assam as well as some other parts of India, through the eyes of an innocent child whose favourite aunt is branded as a ‘witch’ by the evil village ‘Bej’ (quack) who conspires with another aunt to do so. On the second day, Hindi film ‘Lage Raho Munna Bhai’ (2006) directed by Rajkumar Hirani was screened at 9 am and ‘Swachh Bharat’ film was screened at 12 pm. In the closing ceremony, on September 30, 2018, English film ‘Gandhi’ directed by Richard Attenborough was screened at 3 pm.

Papon releases new Assamese song ‘Eketi Batere’

inger, Angaraag Papon Mahanta’s full song ‘Eketi Batere’ for the forthcoming Assamese movie ‘Raja Returns’ was released recently. Informing his fans about the same, Papon took to the twitter and posted, “The full song for Eketi Batere is out now. Go check it out!”

The lyrics for the song ‘Eketi Batere’ has been written by Ibon Lal Borua and the music has been composed by Poran Borkakoty. The music has been released under the banner of Sony Music India and Dhwani Records. ‘Raja Returns’, the Assamese movie of the romantic comedy genre, is scheduled to hit theatres on

October 26, 2018. The full-length feature film directed by Kishor Das revolves around Raja, who fled from home to Delhi in search of a job when he was 15 years old and returns after 12 years of his stay in the capital city. While the story and screenplay have been prepared by the director himself, the movie has been edited by Sanjib Talukdar. Apart from Papon, heartthrob of younger generation Zubeen Garg has also sung for the film. The lyrics of the other songs have been written by Rajdweep and Manas Das. Recently, ‘Yaadein’ a song for Hindi film ‘Ishqeria’, which has been composed and sung by Bollywood singer Papon, got released. Along with Papon, ‘Bhojpuri Queen’ Kalpana Patowari has also given vocals in the song.

20 Fun

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Horoscope of the week Note that the slow-paced progress will make you restless and frustrated in this week. You will try to make an intelligent move to boost the prospects on occupational and financial fronts. However the ruler of your Sign Mercury traversing in your 5th House in conjunction with debilitated Sun will help your cause to some extent only.

This week, you will remain passionate about personality development and sharpening communication skills in order to reap success in business. You may need a sure-fire plan and strategy for this. Strategizing and planning out may keep you busy for a couple of days. In business, some issues may need your immediate attention.

Some unwarranted and unexpected expenses may become one of the major concerns in this week. You need to plan out the priorities for spending so that it doesn’t get wasted. Some adverse situations may come in your way to keep you in discomfort for one or other reason. However there won’t be seen a proper way out from such situations.

This week, you are more likely to get happy on receiving good returns on your previous investments. You may plan out other such investments in the same manner, in future. Around Wednesday, you may have to spend more money after various expenses which can also lead you to the financial loss.

This week’s planetary position portrays a very good opportunity for the business fellow people. Be happy as there are strong chances that you crack the potential deals. However Saturn of your Sign can bring some minor hindrances in the way, no need to panic. Be patient and stay focused. Nothing can stop you making a huge profit in your business this week.

When even after putting in your best efforts, things do not move favourably, you may feel like banging your head on the wall. Chill, for it will only harm you. This is a planetary tiff, which is happening, as a strong Saturn now views your 9th House, linked with luck and fortune. When Saturn has its way, it can add struggles and delay results, testing your endurance.

You may remain anxious about selfgrowth, as the week begins. Thoughts of honing your communication skills may be on your agenda – and why not, for they can be very helpful in forwarding your prospects. You may also be dreaming of making a handsome gain – from a recent project.

Trouble brews on the relationship front. You may remain anxious and undecided, which will sap your energy and verve. Try to patch up – and if this includes a business/ professional partnership – keep a practical view. Opposition of Mars and malefic Rahu on your 2/8 House axis does not spell well for your financial health and family equations.

Career oriented will think of some intelligent moves to enhance their growth prospects, as the week begins. However, there is no alternative to sustained hard work, reminds Ganesha. Short cuts work for short periods of time! Hurdles in day to day working and activities may frustrate you, making your tasks more challenging. Burn the midnight oil, if need be.

You may be inclined to dispose-off some of your old property, which is not under use. You may be planning to use this money to ease pressure on the financial front. Employed ones must continue to put in improved performance, and also be prepared to work for extended hours.

8 7 1 2 7

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

4 1 6

9 8

4 3

7 1 9 8

Daily Sudoku: Fri 5-Oct-2018

1 3 2 5

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

Daily Sudoku: Fri 28-Sep-2018

‘There is Plenty of Room at the Bottom’ by Richard Feynman in 1959 ushered in the concept of which much in vogue technology?

Visual Analog scale is used to measure what?

1. Nanotechnology 2. Pain 3. Muga silk 4. Irish Car Bomb 5. Stephen Curry 6. Uffizi at Florence

1 3

Antheraea Assamensis, a semi domesticated multi-voltine insect, is the source of which rich Assamese product? What cocktail do you get if you drop a shot glass of Irish Cream with whiskey in a glass of stout?

Who is the first NBA star to be elected MVP, unanimously? Identify this world famous art gallery? Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Garfield Garfield By Jim Davis

curio-city

medium

9 last 4 7week 3 2 solution 1 6 5 8 1 2 8 6 5 7 3 9 4 2 6 7 8 9 4 1 5 3 3 5 6 9 8 4 2 7 1 8 5 1 2 6 3 4 7 9 5 1 2 8 6 9 7 4 3 9 3 4 7 5 1 8 2 6 8 6 3 7 4 5 9 1 2 6 9 2 4 3 8 7 1 5 7 9 4 1 3 2 5 8 6 1 4 3 9 7 5 6 8 2 2 8 5 4 7 3 1 6 9 6 19 28 34 93 45 67 78 15 2 5 81 76 98 32 17 44 32 96 5 3 7 9 1 2 6 5 4 medium 8 Daily Sudoku: Fri 5-Oct-2018

5 1 8 3 4 9 2 6 7 Daily Sudoku: Fri 28-Sep-2018

medium

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

curio-city

Sudoku

You will remain keen to give your family more luxurious lifestyle, which in turn, will make you think about increasing the money inflow anyhow. For achieving this, you have to think about a safe way; don’t take a short cut that may trap you in troubles. This week, you may lend an amount to one of your close relatives, helping that person in his/her new venture.

In the beginning of this week, you are more likely to be concerned about the domestic matters. It seems that your house may need some urgent minor repairs. Parent of the school-going child may remain concerned about child’s academic progress. Your child may require your core attention and special support in order to have a healthy growth.

Across

Word of the week tump noun [tuhmp] a small mound, hill, or rise of ground.

Crossword

1 Related (4) 3 Without vitality (8) 8 Concluded (and dusted?) (4) 9 Transactions in goods and services (8) 11 Gloucestershire racecourse (10) 14 Organism in its earliest stages of development (6) 15 Go to (6) 17 Harmonicas (anag) — cherry liqueur (10) 20 San Diego (anag) — worried intensely (8) 21 Natural talent (4) 22 Cud-chewing animal (8) 23 US TV award (4)

Down

1 Hooked (8) 2 Should it come to that (2,4,2) 4 Prickly plants (6) 5 Sport involving displays of strength, balance and agility (10) 6 4,840 square yards (4) 7 Digits (4) 10 Holiday at home (10) 12 An acutely disturbed state of mind (8) 13 With deftness (8) 16 Enable (anag) — whalebone (6) 18 Reasonable (4) 19 Floating barrier (4)

Last week’s solution

Lifestyle

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Vaastu colours for this Navaratri

avaratri is a Hindu festival of nine days from the first day of the ascending moon in the month of Asvin/Aswin to the ninth day. Navaratri means nine nights. It coincides with the navami (ninth day) of Durga puja. Several pujas, fasts and other rituals are observed by devout Hindus during this period. Navaratras are also observed during the lunar month of Chaitra (March-April) which is known as the Vasant Navaratri. This year, the navaratris are falling from the 10th of October to 18th Octobe r. Nine forms of Goddess Durga will be worshipped during these nine days. Since vaastu pays a lot of importance to colours, various colours are recommended for Navaratri. Wearing these specific colours on these nine days is very auspicious.

is her favourite colour and one should wear white clothes to worship her.

The third day:

Goddess Chandraghanta is worshipped on the third day of Navratri. She is also known as

fourth form of the Hindu goddess Durga is worshipped on the fourth day of Navratri. Ku means little, Ushma means energy and Anda means cosmic egg. It is believed that the darkness in the universe ended with her divine smile and then there

She is also regarded as The Goddess of Fire. It is recommended to wear yellow while on this day while offering prayers and performing rituals.

The sixth day:

Katyayani is the sixth form of

The eighth day:

Mahagauri, the eighth avatar of Goddess Durga is known as a ray of lightning. According to mythology, she performed rigid tapas (limbs of Yoga) without moving her body. Due to which heavy amount of soil and dust got collected on her body and Lord Shiva cleaned her with water from the river Ganga. Therefore, purity is depicted in this form of Durga. She should be worshipped wearing purple clothes.

The ninth day:

The first day:

Goddess Parvati or Shailyaputri is worshipped on the first day. She is also known as Sati, the daughter of king Daksha or Ma Bhabani. She should be worshipped by wearing saffron or orange coloured clothes.

The second day:

Goddess Brahmacharini is worshipped on the second day of Navratri festival. This is the second form of Durga who took various births to attain Lord Shiva as her husband. Brahmacharini is also known as Tapashcharini, Aparna and Uma. She symbolizes spirituality and meditation. White

ignorance and removing darkness from the universe. Kalaratri or Shubhamkari – is the violent form of Goddess Durga. It is said that she licked the blood of demon Rakta Beeja, who had the potential to create demons from his blood. This form of the goddess depicts the darker side of life. Grey colour is advised for this day.

Chandrakhanda, Chandika or Ramchandi. Her name resembles crescent moon which is worn by her on the head. Devotees believe that the goddess blesses them with a lot of courage and bravery. Red- coloured clothes should be worn while worshiping on the third day of navaratri.

The fourth day: Goddess

Kushmanda

the

was the beautiful beginning of creation. Blue-coloured clothes should be worn on this day while worshiping the goddess.

The fifth day:

Goddess Skanda Mata is the fifth form of Goddess Durga and Skanda means Kartikeya and Mata means mother. She grants her devotees with wisdom, power and prosperity.

Goddess Durga and is also known as the Warrior Goddess. It is said that on this day she eventually led to slaying the demon, Mahishasura and then mounted the lion given to her by Goddess Gauri. She should be worshipped wearing greencoloured clothes.

The seventh day:

Kalaratri, the seventh form of Durga is known for destroying

Siddhidatri is the ninth avatar of Mother Goddess who provides knowledge to her devotees. The knowledge that she provides makes one realise that it is only she who exists. In, short she is the supreme power of all perfect things. Kumari puja (worshipping a minor girl who is yet to attain pube rty) is done on this day. Green is the recommended colour for this day while worshipping the goddess. Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

Children and family conflict

t is essential for children to know that conflict is a part of life, and that conflict can be mutually resolved or managed. Children are not born with conflict resolution skills. When parents disagree on something and then work their way through the disagreement to resolve it, they are role-modelling conflict resolution skills to their children.

own needs to avoid causing issues. So, children spend a lot of energy being peacemakers rather than spending it on the every important tasks of childhood – playing, learning, and growing. They develop emotional, social and behavioural issues. It also impacts their brain development and leads to poor academic outcomes.

When is conflict bad

70% of the issues that couples fight about are due to incompatibilities that are internal to their nature, e.g. one partner may be an early riser and the other a late riser (i.e. difference in body clocks). Or one partne r thinks strict schedule and discipline builds character in children, whereas the other partner thinks that strict discipline prevents creativity (i.e. value difference). The trick is to come to a middle ground on these differences.

Conflict is bad when it is ongoing and unresolved. Arguing, shouting and fighting or even treating each other with cold silence – all create an environment where children don’t feel physically and psychologically safe. It is a myth that children are too young to understand. Too young to understand concepts of incompatibility, yes, but they can always sense the tension and unhappiness.

Perpetual issues

What goes on in a child’s world

Children may feel responsible for their parents’ fights. Often children get dragged into the conflict, e.g. they become

messengers between the warring parents, or one parent makes demeaning comments about the other parent in front of the children. Children in these situations tend to suppress their

What to do

Take a good hard look at your own behaviour and contribution to the conflict. Be mindful of how you behave in a conflict - an angry parent can be very distressing to children. Avoid arguing about the children, in front of the children. If you are caught up in an argument in front of the children, pause and excuse yourself saying you need to think about this issue and deal with later when you are calm. If you are not able to resolve the differences yourself, consult a counsellor or psychologist who specialises in family conflicts.

Bornali Borah Family Counsellor, Parent Coach and Mediator.

22 Buzz

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Asom Sahitya Sabha and USTM sign MoU

ith the objective to work together in the field of literature, culture, heritage, diversity and ethnicity in the north-eastern region and to carry out documentation and research work on indigenous languages, the Asom Sahitya Sabha – the apex literary body of Assam – signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Science & Technology, Meghalaya (USTM) on Friday, September 28. The MoU was signed by Dr Paramananda Rajbongshi, President of Asom Sahitya Sabha and Mahbubul Hoque, Chancellor of USTM. According to the MoU, the Sabha and USTM will jointly organise workshops, seminars, symposia on language, literature and culture on mutual consultation and will honour literary stalwarts and achievers from time to time to encourage and inculcate literary culture among the future generations. Moreover, USTM will offer two fel-

I lowships for researchers at the initial stage to carry out research on the life of two literary stalwarts of Assam—Dr Maheswar Neog and Syed Abdul Malik. According to the MoU, special importance will be given to Char areas, the Barak Valley and other economically underdeveloped areas, including some areas of Meghalaya where the two organizations will take up developmental activities within their capacity. A host of literary and academ-

ic personalities, including former Asom Sahitya Sabha president Dr Dhruba Jyoti Borah, Prof Nirmal Kumar Choudhury, former Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University, RS Mooshahary, former Governor of Meghalaya and prominent litterateurs and members of Sabha, as well as academicians from USTM were present on the occasion. During the event, 100 USTM employees enrolled as lifetime members of the Asom Sahitya Sabha. n

300 volunteers take part in NSS mega camp at Gauhati University

mega, special camp-cum-orientation programme organized by the National Service Scheme (NSS) cell of Gauhati University at the university campusconcludedonSunday,September 30.Thethree-daycampwasattended by around 300 NSS volunteers and programme officers from different affiliated colleges under Gauhati University. Dr. Ranjan Kumar Kakati, Director, Students’ Welfare, GU and Program Coordinator, GU NSS cell welcomedtheparticipantsanddignitariesandexplainedtheactionplanto beadoptedintheprogramme. Among the events organized during the camp were yoga sessions, differenttechnicalsessionsonNSSac-

IIT Guwahati bags second prize in national Swachh Campus Ranking Awards 2018

tivities, village adoptions, sanitation driveandOpenDefecationFree(ODF). Other events included: national integration, life skills, soft skills, awarenessprogrammeondisastermanagementandmitigation,firesafetydrillby AssamCivilDefenceandFireBrigade, GovernmentofAssamandculturalex-

changeprogrammes. Addressing the closing ceremony chief guest, Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University, Dr. Mridul HazarikathankedtheNSSvolunteersand programme officers for their contribution towards the society and nation building. n

Guwahati Boy to lead India team at PUBG Mobile Tournament

IT Guwahati bagged the second rank in a national level Swachh Campus Ranking Awards 2018 conducted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) in New Delhi on Monday. Best 51 higher educational institutions have been selected for Swachhata Ranking Awards in 8 different categories. The category of cleanest technical institutions is topped by Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham in Coimbatore with IIT-G in the second spot and Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University in Bhubaneswar in the third spot. It is to be mentioned that, it was only last year that the rankings were introduced by MHRD in order to encourage the educational institutions towards cleanliness. Salient features of Swachhata Ranking Awards – 1. The Swachhata Rankings exercise has been initiated by Department of Higher Education to generate healthy peer pressure among higher educational institutions for keeping and maintaining hygienic campuses so that the environment for student learning becomes clean and leads to higher thinking. 2. Department has recognised

that educational institutions should play the lead role in not only their in-campus hygiene but also by adopting villages around their area for promoting hygiene through awareness creation and other assistance. 3. This year’s rankings have received more than double

the response from educational institutions compared to last year. More than 6000 institutions have participated. The parameters have been made more scientific to include aspects like rain water harvesting, solar power, quality of hostel kitchen apparatus, water supply system quality, maintenance method sophistication etc. 4. This year’s rankings have brought out some very significant and interesting features of our higher educational institutions in the area of Swachhata and the way they are managing their campus environment. n

Pulin Das memorial sports quiz contest held on Oct 2

he second Pulin Das Memorial Open Prize-Money Sports Quiz Competition 2018, organised by the Guwahati Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA), was held on October 2, 2018 at Kumar Bhaskar Natya Mandir, Uzanbazar, Guwahati. Mridul Ram Kalita and Kamal Medhi of Guwahati won the com-

The competition was conducted by well-known quiz masters Dipankar Koushik and Dilip Kumar Sarma. Sayantan Saikia compèred the event with wit and aplomb. A total of 37 teams participated in the first stage of the competition held as preliminary screening round from where six teams were selected for the final round. The final round was an eight-

petition. Bishwajeet Sarma and Raktim Ranjan Baishya of Guwahati bagged the second prize while Dipjyoti Deka and Chandan Duwarah won the third prize. The top three winning teams were presented cash awards of Rs. 10,000, Rs. 7,000 and Rs. 5,000 along with trophies respectively. The fourth, fifth and sixth teams were also awarded with a cash prize of Rs. 1,000.

round affair comprising three dry rounds, two video rounds, one clue round and three buzzer rounds. Earlier, the competition was declared open by Kalyan Kumar Das, president, GLTA by lighting the traditional lamp amid an august gathering. In the inaugural function, floral tributes were offered to the eminent sports organiser late Pulin Das by the sports enthusiasts. n

layerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, popularly known as PUBG, an online multiplayer game has taken the gaming community by storm. One-upping this, Tencent Gaming, the creators of the game organized the PUBG Star Challenge 2018, which is the biggest PUBG Mobile tournament. After gruelling qualifiers, 20 teams from across Asia qualified for the Asia Finals. Out of those twenty teams, two teams from India have made it and will battle it out to be crowned as the Asian PUBG Champions. 8bit and Team IND are the two teams that will represent India in Thailand. One of the teams, 8bit, a PUBG Mobile Team consists of 4 players with the team leader being Animesh Agarwal, who hails

from Guwahati. Animesh is the Team Leader and the owner of 8bit. The team has been playing the mobile game since its Global Release and the players have regularly outperformed most professional teams in India and in Asia as a whole. The team is scheduled to leave for Thailand on 11th of October 2018 till 15th of October 2018 for

the Live event. 8bit Team Members are - Animesh Agarwal (Team Leader), Mukul Anchal, Swapnil Ganguly and Akshay Taneja. Team IND also qualified on popular voting. They will represent India alongside Team 8bit. Members of Team IND are - Tanmay Singh (Team Leader), Rohan Chanana, Rahul Dhankhar and Shekhar. n

Events

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

Event: Pinkathon Guwahati 2018 Date: September 30, Sunday Venue; Khanapara Veterinary Ground

September 6, Saturday SHRI (Live Set) NYX Lounge & Deck 7PM onwards

A visually impaired runner with Shyamali Singh, the winner

her ally

September 6,

of 21km run

Saturday Hip Hop Ryde Club V 7PM onwards

Pinkathon founder Milind Soman pose with the runners

Pinkathon Guwahati 2018

September 6,

participants The fourth edition of Pinkathon Guwahati was flagged off from the Khanapara Veterinary Ground on 30th September. The run, created with the objective of spreading awareness about women’s health related issues (breast cancer in particular), aimed to encourage women to adopt health and fitness in their daily lifestyles by means of running. Regarded as India’s biggest women’s run, this year’s edition of Pinkathon Guwahati witnessed participation of over 4300 women in the multi-category run. Milind Soman, the founder of Pinkathon was present in Guwahati for the run along with his wife Ankita Konwar who happens to be from Assam. Among the highlights of the show were mother’s running 3KM carrying their children, visually impaired girls running 3KM with their allies, a three-month pregnant woman who covered the 3KM stretch and a lady who ran 21KM barefeet! The run was organized in four categories – 3KM, 5KM, 10KM and 21KM. The winners in each of the categories were Marqueenless Ramsiej, Lyntijingkyrmen Kharjahrin, Dateibankynmaw Marwein and Shyamali Singh respectively.

Saturday Revolutionoize (Live Set) Irina, the lady who ran 21km barefeet

Retro Town 7:30PM onwards

September 6, Saturday Street Jammers (Live) The Underdoggs 7:30PM onwards

September 6, Milind Soman with the mothers who ran with

Saturday

their babies

Valley Magic Club XS 8PM onwards

September 6, Saturday GenNext Club Nights Terra Mayaa 7PM onwards

Mon BG, an upcoming magician of Assam, has been celebrating Magician’s Day to mark the death anniversary of late M. Hussain every year since 2014 on the 9th of September. This year, he collaborated with Mihir Phukan AKA Mr Wizard to make the celebration bigger and better. The show that combined music with magic received an overwhelming response from the audience. The show was graced by many eminent magicians of the state including Altaf Hussain, Rajen Burman and Shankar Bora from APDCL, John, Lewis and Plilip from Shillong, Rupa Chaliha from Tinkusia and Priyam Sarma from Jorhat. Event: Magicians Day 2018 Date: September 9, Sunday Venue: Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra

September 6, Saturday Superstar Saturday ft. Groovedev Dunkin Oza 7PM onwards

G PLUS | oct 06 - oct 12, 2018

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