Vol 5 Issue 51 by G Plus

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

@guwahatiplus www.guwahatiplus.com

Volume 05 | Issue 51 Oct 13 - Oct 19, 2018 Price `10

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G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

@guwahatiplus www.guwahatiplus.com

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Volume 05 | Issue 51 Oct 13 - Oct 19, 2018 Price `10

Shraddhanjali Kanan no longer an attractive recreation option in city PG 04

Fancy Bazar business takes a hit this puja PG 06

SS Road: The story of a ‘no-vending zone’ PG 10

2 City

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

City Durga Puja preparations in full swing With the city buzzing with puja festivities already, preparations are on in full swing to ensure that the Durga Puja is environment-friendly, safe and peaceful for the devotees Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

s the Durga Puja festivities begin in Guwahati, the city has been witnessing an enthusiastic participation from one and all, be it devotees, pandal hoppers or puja committees. In order to ensure safe and peaceful puja celebrations this year, the district administration is going all out with its preparedness measures. Over the years, Guwahati has seen a considerable rise in the number of puja pandals being built during the festival in various parts of the city. This year, the authorities have issued a set of guidelines for the Durga Puja organising committees. The officials from the district administration,

city police and the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) held a joint meeting with members from various puja organising committees from all over the district this week at the district library. A list of do’s and don’ts to be followed by the puja organisers were discussed during this meeting. The organisers have been asked to ensure complete safety of all temporary structures, electrical fittings and especially fire, among others. The puja committees have been directed to keep a designated area clear for emergency evacuation. Further, officials have directed that a medical team including a doctor must be ready to handle any case of medical emergency in every pandal. Talking about volunteers, police officials appealed to the committees to appoint enough number of male as well as female volunteers to manage the

EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS District administration control room

0361 2733052/1077

Police control room

0361 2464557, 2461556 and dial-100

Fire and emergency services control room

0361 2737680, 2735933/35, 9435960618

GMC control room

8811007000, 7399003001/2/3/4

APDCL control room

7086077374, 9954192104/5

NDRF control room

9435117246

Workers engaged in city beautification work ahead of Durga Puja | G Plus Photo expected crowd of visitors. “The volunteers should be briefed well in advance about their responsibilities and they should also be provided with easily distinguishable identity cards,” informed officials. Stressing on the need to maintain the cleanliness and hygiene in and around puja pandals, GMC commissioner Monalisa Goswami told the organisers to ensure segregation of dry and wet waste generated from the pandals. “Swachh Sarvekshan 2019 is approaching and the city will be evaluated on the basis of various parameters. We have already

started preparing for it well in advance and would request you to help in ‘source segregation of waste’ during the festival,” said Goswami. She further asked the puja committees to put up litter bins near all the pandals. Officials are also keeping a check on forceful collection of cash donations for the Durga Puja. “We get several complaints during the festive season regarding forced collection of money for organising puja. I would like to appeal to all the organisers to not collect money from anyone forcefully as it is an illegal activity,” informed joint commissioner

of police Diganta Barah. He also cautioned the puja organising committees to refrain from using loudspeakers after the designated time at night. “Many households have infants, elderly or someone, who is unwell. We must take care not to disturb anyone and I request you to follow the directions of the court regarding loudspeakers,” he said. Additionally, puja committees have been given strict instructions to ban the use of alcohol or any kind of drugs from the venues. Keeping in mind the safety and security of the pandal, keeping a guard for vigil has also been made mandatory. n

Tobacco-free pandals and environment-friendly puja

n the same vein, the Kamrup (Metro) district administration appealed the Durga Puja celebration committees in Guwahati to make the pandals tobacco-free zones. The district administration has requested puja committees to display at least two hoardings at every Durga Puja pandal with the slogan of “No smoking Area – Smoking here is an offence” and “Saradiya Puja Dhapat Mukta Puja”. Stating tobacco as one of the leading causes of death in the world, the administration urged the puja celebration committees to display hoardings denouncing the use of tobacco and announcing it as a tobacco-free zone. The puja committees have

unanimously agreed to the appeal of the district administration. Additionally, sensitising the organisers about the environmental concerns faced in the aftermath of Durga Puja, GMC commissioner Monalisa Goswami said that whenever they carry out de-siltation drives in the city, plastic is the main substance clogging the drains. “In the pandals and even after the immersion rituals are carried out, items made of plastic are seen in abundance around the ghats,” she informed. Assistant Deputy Commissioner (Kamrup) Pulak Mahanta requested the puja committees to refrain from using plastic in any form such as plastic plates, bottles, glasses or

polythene bags inside the pandals and throwing them in the nearby drains, to prevent water logging in the future. He further added that as plastic does a long-term harm to the environment, they should consider using alternatives for plastic, like paper, during the festival. Officials informed that GMC workers would clean the premises twice everyday during the festival period. Further, appraising the puja celebration committees about fire and emergency preparedness during puja celebrations, deputy director of fire and emergency services Jayshree Khesra told the organisers to keep ample space in all the pandals so that fire services vehicles can enter in

case of an emergency. She also asked the puja committees not to use any synthetic material in the construction of pandals. Further, Khesra also told the committees to save and contact toll-free emergency numbers in case of any fire-related emergency in the pandals. Puja committees have also been told to install sufficient CCTV cameras in and around puja pandals at strategic locations in consultation with the local police station. With a view to provide respite to devotees and visitors at the pandals, commissioner of police Pradip Chandra Saloi asked the committees to ensure a designated parking place for the visitors. He added that the organisers

must construct different entries for ladies and gents at the pandals and said that NSS volunteers will be there to help the office-bearers of the puja committees. Commenting on the need to ensure safe and unadulterated food distributed at the pandals, Saloi requested the committees to take special care of the food stalls and ensure that they sell hygienic and safe food. In order to ease vehicular movement throughout the city during the 10 days of the Durga Puja, authorities informed that they will be making specific plans for traffic routes for puja and immersion. n

Continued ON page » 7

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

4 Concern Snippets Hyundai Unveils ‘The All New SANTRO’

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

Shraddhanjali Kanan no longer an attractive recreation option in city Main attractions of Sradhanjali Kanan have stopped functioning since June this year.

yundai Motor India Ltd on Tuesday unveiled ‘The All New SANTRO’. The World Premiere of The All New SANTRO will be held on October 23, 2018 in New Delhi. The pre-booking for All New SANTRO is 100% online and has started from October 10, 2018, till October 22, 2018. For the first 50,000 customers, as an introductory offer, the booking amount will be Rs. 11,100. The car is equipped with a 4-Cylinder 1.1 Litre petrol engine, and claims low vibrations, superior performance and higher fuel efficiency. The All New SANTRO comes with 3 years/100,000 kms warranty and 3-years road side assistance. It will also offer the lowest cost of maintenance with doorstep service facility. Speaking at the unveiling function, Y K Koo, MD & CEO, HMIL said, “Today is a historic and proud moment for us, as India has unanimously chosen the name of their Favourite Family Car to be called ‘The All New SANTRO’. Since its first launch, SANTRO created history with its numerous segment-first innovations and became the complete family car for millions of Indians. “The All New SANTRO is based on the six key pillars – modern stylish tallboy design, comfortable and premium cabin, new age technology, customer centric safety, all round performance and complete peace of mind, to become a game changer and benchmark product in the Indian auto industry. The All New SANTRO will also debut advanced in-housedeveloped Smart Auto AMT and offer factory fitted CNG option.”

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Irate visitors regularly threaten security personnel of the park. Disappointed visitors demanded refund of entry fees. Loss of over 50 per cent revenue generation from the park. Lone canteen inside the park sees no customers.

The padlock is a stark reflection of the condition of the park | G Plus Photo Hiranya Barman

he reputation of Shraddhanjali Kanan as a family park on RG Baruah road, opposite State Zoo is gradually fading away thanks to the negligence and apathy of Guwahati Metropolitan Development Department (GMDA). Visitors coming to the park leave disappointed and angry. A ground visit by G Plus revealed that the main attractions of the park have stopped working completely since June this year. The attractions mainly included laser and musical fountains, water fountains, four rides and four slides meant for children inside the park which have completely ceased to be operational due to lack of maintenance by the authorities. The park was developed by GMDA way back in 2010 at an expense of Rs. 8.73 crores and it is spread over 23 bighas of land. “The main attractions inside the park are no more available for enjoyment. Mainly, the slides and rides meant for the amusement of children are in a bad shape and have not been repaired or maintained. Visitors who are disappointed with the services have resorted to blaming us for the negligence. We have no way out other than pointing towards GMDA for the resentment among the visitors,” a security personnel posted at the park said. The park sees a massive footfall during the month of July. Summer vacations in schools attract children from different parts of

the city to this park. However, this time, guardians found that the main attractions inside the park were non-functional. They were very unhappy at what was going inside the park. “Parents with their kids throng the park during summer vacations in schools. This time when many of them found that the attractions were not working, they demanded refund of entry fees. When we said that we would not be able to give the money back they engaged in heated arguments with us. This is not our fault and people should report their complaints to GMDA instead,” a cashier at the ticket counter said. Visitors condemned the lopsided work of GMDA and urged the authorities to be more professional. Some even demanded that the park be shut down till the main attractions became functional. “GMDA lacks creativity. In other cities of India there are multiple children and family parks. If some things in a certain park go wrong people go to another park. Dearth of open spaces in Guwahati is another prime concern. Shraddhanjali Kanan in Guwahati is the only park where we can take our children for amusement. The rides and slides have now stopped working. They charge Rs 20 per person at the ticket counter for nothing. So I demanded refund of my money,” a visitor quarrelling at the ticket counter said. “Shraddhanjali Kanan generated around Rs 70,000 per Sunday alone when the main attractions were working. It has been failing to generate even Rs 20,000 per month ever since the attractions

have stopped working,” a source at GMDA said. “Every year in the month of July, Shraddhanjali Kanan witnesses a massive footfall. On Sundays, some 500-700 visitors throng the park with their children. This year we saw a complete reversal of fortunes. Angry visitors threatened us of police action and some even told us that they will complain about this apathy in front of the media. Now we have only a few visitors to the park. Many of them are disappointed

at the present situation,” a lady security personnel said. The downfall of the park has immensely affected the canteen owners and food vendors inside the park. Their business has gone down and they seem to be a worried lot. They are clearly facing the brunt of the lower footfall which is mainly due to the poor maintenance of the park and dysfunction of the main attractions. “For the last 3-4 months we are having very less customers at the canteen. The slides and rides are not working so people have stopped coming to the park. Earlier, customers had to wait for their turn to eat at the canteen,” a waiter said. n

Contract with the maintenance company turned sour

ources in the GMDA said that GMDA’s contract with a company engaged at Shraddhanjali Kanan didn’t go well this year. The company was mainly associated with overall maintenance of the park. “Due to some disagreement during financial negotiations the company associated with the park withdrew from the contract. Till now no fresh tender has been called for maintenance of the park. This would take some more time. The park would be fully functional from

next financial year,” the source said. Blurb “Parents with their kids throng the park during summer vacations in schools. This time when many of them found that the attractions were not working, they demanded refund of entry fees. When we said that we would not be able to give the money back they engaged in heated arguments with us. This is not our fault and people should report their complaints to GMDA instead,” a cashier at the ticket counter said. n

In The News

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

‘I Love Guwahati’ Campaign held at Cotton Collegiate

n awareness event on municipal solid waste management was held at Cotton Collegiate School, Panbazar by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC). The event was named “I Love Guwahati” and was held under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India. Commissioner, GMC Monalisa Goswami, and Additional Commissioner GMC Deba Kumar Mishra, were present at the event. “We should not litter and keep our surroundings clean to make our city beautiful,” said Goswami during her address to the students. She also explained the necessity of cleanliness and how students can be an integral part of a cleaner city. The main agenda of the “I Love Guwahati” event was to generate awareness regarding cleanliness under the Swachta Sarvekshan Campaign of the Government of India. Last year around 4,000 cities from all across the country were part of the campaign including Guwahati. In the present year the number has increased

many folds as all the cities in the country are under the Swachta Sarvekshan. The resource people for the event were Dr PradeepBaishya and Diganta Kumar Das. The students were also shown a presentation regarding municipal solid waste management by Diganta Kumar Das. Various ways of solid waste management like Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recovery were also explained to the students. Along with this, the different works of GMC in the city like collection of garbage, city beautification projects and making fertilizers from wastes, were also discussed among others. The students also had an interaction with the resource person regarding the subject. “I have learned about solid waste management and cleanliness today and I will practice cleanliness from now on,” said a student. Different methods of solid waste collection and recycle methods were discussed during the event. The students were asked to recycle products in their households and to be active in the society. n

Vivanta Guwahati to serve exclusive Bengal cuisine this Durga Puja

o celebrate and add on to this spirit of gaiety of Puja – Vivanta by Taj, Guwahati, is gearing up once again to celebrate the Durga Puja in its premises from the 13th to 20th October for lunch sessions from 12:30 – 3 PM and buffet dinner from 7:30 PM onwards. Piquant, flavourful, comforting and authentic is what best describes Bengali cuisine and the Taj team is here to take its loyal patrons, Guwahati city and the Northeast on a tour of Bengal. Chefcurated special menus will be available during lunch and dinner – along with a

special lunch and dinner buffet. The items for this special occasion will include: Mochar Chop ‘Behala Chowrasta’; Betki Macher Orly ‘Oly Pub’, Muglai Parantha ‘Anadi Cabin’; Dak Bunglow Roast Chicken ‘Anglo Indians of Camac Street’; Chitol Macher Jhol, Shorshe Bata Ilish ‘Bhojo Hori Manna, Icharer Tarkari; Basanti Pulao ‘Mothers Recipe Potol Sandesh’, Vim Nag, Rasmalai Chocolate. Representing regional Bengal flavours, Vivanta Guwahati has promised real value for money with great service and a perfect ambience. n

6 In The News Snippets Patanjali yoga instructor who commented on Sankaradeva arrested

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

Fancy Bazar business takes a hit this puja

Guwahati Municipal Corporation following a High Court order. The High Court orders which was against them left them high and dry. They now set up their stock on roadside only to immediately wrap up and flee when the GMC officials and the police come to

Shopkeepers complain of dip in sales this puja, some have experienced a decline in the profit of around 15-20% while some reported their sales went down by 30-40% this year

atanjali yoga instructor, Satinath Barale, who made a controversial statement on Assamese saint-scholar Mahapurush Srimanta Sankaradev has been arrested by Darrang police in Kolkata on 11th October. Several complaints against Barale have been lodged at different police stations of Assam for making derogatory comments on saint-scholar, Mahapurush Srimanta Sankaradev. Arrested Barale was brought to Mangaldai and was later produced before the court. Satinath Barale, on September 28, in a yoga camp at Darang district, Duni village, said that Mahapurush Srimanta Sankaradev 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 a protest against the yoga preacher and Patanjali after Barale’s disgraceful comments.

Mid-air medical crisis in Delhibound Guwahati flight averted

serious mid-air medical crisis was averted in a Delhi-Guwahati Air India flight on Sunday. Just after the flight took off, a female passenger who hailed from Assam, fell unconscious in the flight. The patient was given first aid by the crew members, but nothing worked on their favour. Luckily, a doctor was available in the flight among the passengers, who had to give the patient Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

We have been facing a lot of trouble as the officials come to chase us often. We don’t know where to go and have been suffering losses

Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

ith the Durga Puja spirit already consuming the city and right ahead of the last weekend before the end of puja, Fancy Bazar- the city’s central trade hub - has been witnessing a slump in the sales this year. Although the market was seen to be packed with customers a few days before the puja, the shop owners and traders have claimed that they are not making as much profit this year as compared to the previous years. So much so, that some of the traders have informed that their profits have declined by around 20% and in some cases, even by 40%. Nirmal Dudhoria, a businessowner at Fancy Bazar, informed G Plus that his sales went down by 15-20% this year as compared to the last few years. “The footfall of customers has decreased and the sales have also been hit drastically in some cases,” he said adding that a lot of shoppers also look for products within a low budget and as a result,

Vimal Deb, Vendor

Bustling Fancy Bazar not doing great business this year | G Plus Photo they end up not buying anything. Further, some traders also feel that online shopping and the increasing mall culture in the city, has had its role to play in the lower sales. In addition to this, almost all major e-commerce websites offer heavy discounts during the festive season. “People love shopping online sitting in the comforts of their own homes as it is very convenient for them and they also get a wide variety of products to choose from. Also, the malls in the city are witnessing consistent profit and sales,” said a shoe shop owner

at Fancy Bazar whose profits have gone down by 15% this year. Some traders claimed that rain also played spoilsport in the run up to the puja as the city experienced continuous drizzle on Thursday and Friday much to the discomfort of shoppers and traders alike. Further, the traders at SS Road which is packed with roadside vendors, complained that their profits, too, have been grim this year. In April this year, the hawkers on the stretch of the SS Road at the market were asked to vacate by the

chase them away, only to resume their shops a few minutes later. “We have been facing a lot of trouble as the officials come to chase us often. We don’t know where to go and have been suffering losses,” Vimal Deb, a vendor selling women’s clothes told G Plus. On the other hand, vendors selling snacks seem to be among the few whose business is flourishing during the puja time. A vendor selling eatables such as chowmein, dahi vada and chaat mentioned that he does brisk business this time of the year. “I invest around Rs 15,000 in the business and get an overall sale of around Rs 25000. Puja, Diwali, Christmas and New Year time is usually a good period when the customers almost double for me,” said Vimal Sahu, who has been putting up the stall in the market for the past 20 years. n

Congested roads deter shoppers from entering Fancy Bazar

arassed by parking constraints in and around Fancy Bazar, the residents as well as traders had carried out a campaign to demand better parking facilities in the market area for the convenience of the shoppers as well as traders. They had demanded the district administration to open up the existing old central jail campus and to utilise it for

parking purpose. The shopowners informed that with the ongoing festive season, Fancy Bazar and nearby areas remain heavily congested due to the shoppers thronging the markets. Further, after the campaign, the district administration opened up the jail premises to allow parking till Kali Puja. However, even after the old central jail premises have been opened up, the customers still

do not seem keen to enter the congested lanes of the Fancy Bazar to complete their puja shopping. “Even though the jail premise has been opened up, the vendors and carts selling eateries clog the entire stretch of road across the Fancy Bazar. This leads to a very narrow space being left for the people to navigate in,” said Dudhoria. He added that many

customers say that they are scared of even entering the Bazar area for the fear of huge crowds in cramped spaces. “These carts and tempos are parked on the roads for loading stock, and they occupy a lot of space, giving customers a harrowing experience. The same is the case with footpaths where small carts end up taking the majority of the space,” said Dudhoria. n

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Showers

Sunny

Mostly Sunny

Partly Cloudy

Mostly Sunny

29°/21° C

30°/21° C

SATURDAY Storm

27°/22° C

In The News

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

Puja committees asked to register themselves with police Continued from page » 2

ith the Durga Puja just a few days away, city police officials have asked all the puja organising committees to register themselves with the police. Police officials informed the organisers that as per the rules, they are required to register their names with the police and obtain formal permission to set up a pandal and organise Durga Puja and urged them to submit their applications and provide NOCs timely. Deputy commissioner of police (Guwahati West) Bhanwar Lal Meena on Monday said that out of the 175 puja committees which celebrate Durga Puja in Guwahati West district every year, only 71 puja celebration committees have obtained permission and have registered themselves till now. In the same vein, deputy

We get several complaints during the festive season regarding forced collection of money for organising puja. I would like to appeal to all the organisers to not collect money from anyone forcefully as it is an illegal activity Diganta Barah Joint commissioner of police

commissioner of police (Guwahati Central) Ranjan Bhuyan informed that from Guwahati Central, while 169 puja committees had registered themselves last year, only

110 have obtained formal permission this year so far. Regarding the immersion, the authorities mentioned that some of the designated places for idol immersion include Pandu port, Fancy Bazar Ghat, Jyotikuchi, Sunsali Ghat, Sonapur and Dharapur. They also appealed to the puja committees to take out their respective processions for idol immersion by latest 11 AM on the day of visarjan in order to prevent any untoward incident. Additionally, officials informed that a cricket match which will be organised in the city on October 21 – only a day after the end of Durga Puja. Therefore, keeping in mind the cricket match to be played between India and West Indies, authorities informed puja committees that they should dismantle all temporary gates constructed on the main roads, as they may create traffic problems. Further, assistant deputy

commissioner of police (Kamrup) Pulak Mahanta requested the organisers to inform the local police station well in advance in case they have invited any VIP for their puja celebrations or to visit the pandal. “We need to ensure proper arrangements for the VIPs and to adhere to security

guidelines,” he said. For the convenience of the visitors, district administration officials have asked all the office bearers of the puja organising committees to set up a ‘help desk’ for visitors which shall be manned 24X7 by the members or volunteers of the puja committees. n

8 Concern Snippets Guwahati guy wins applause from Amitabh Bachchan on the sets of NDTV

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

GMC dumping ground is a threat to Deepor Beel

uwahati guy, Santanu Hazarika, has won applause from Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan on the sets of NDTV, during a program to promote Swachh India Agenda. During the program, Santanu made a painting reflecting the thoughts of children in connection with positive changes of society. He wanted to convey how students learn what we teach them through positive initiatives. Santanu shared the stage with several celebrities like Arjun Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Tanmay Bhatt, Sonu Nigam and many more. He made the painting for 10 hours at a stretch, which was later given out for auction. Santanu is a Guwahatibased doodle artist who has won international fame with his incredible and creative doodles.

India – West Indies ODI tickets available on BMS

ickets for the first One-Day International (ODI) cricket match between India and West Indies has been on sale from October 11. Assam Cricket Association (ACA) will host the match at the Barsapara cricket stadium and the teams will arrive in Guwahati on October 17 to play the first match of the series. The tickets have been made available starting October 11 on Book My Show. The minimum price of a ticket starts at Rs. 500 and is limited for students only. Other prices are Rs. 1250, Rs. 1750, Rs. 2000, Rs. 2500, Rs. 4000 and Rs. 4500 respectively. Additionally, 33 corporate boxes, 24 at the South Stand and 9 at the North Stand will be available. The price for the corporate box at the South Stand starts at Rs. 5.5 lakhs and the North Stand at Rs. 6.5 lakhs. As per the new BCCI constitution, 90 per cent tickets of the total capacity of the stadium should be put on public sale. The total capacity of ACA stadium at Barsapara is 36,495.

Pristine Deepor Beel offers various tourism options | G Plus Photo Hiranya Barman

eepor Beel is home to many endangered species of birds and water body species. But, continuous exposure to water body pollutants and other harmful chemicals has now put the lives of many endangered species under threat. The GMC dumping ground at Boragaon is playing an active role in polluting the environment in the adjacent areas and mainly the world of the amphibians of Deepor Beel. GMC has been using a remote area of Boragaon to dump waste including industrial, medical, household waste since 2004. “The dumping ground is causing a problem for

both humans and different amphibians in Deepor Beel. The waste comprises junks and waste of industries and medicals including syringes, heavy metals, plastics, aluminum cans etc. These wastes, in turn, come into contact with the water of the Beel contaminating it and thereby infecting a wide variety of underwater flora and fauna. The flora including the planktons and algae are food for fishes which, in turn, affect the fishes in a big way. Fishes are again consumed by humans and birds. The different species of migratory birds which visit the Beel in large numbers feed on fishes and face the danger of getting infected. As a whole the total food chain is getting affected,” said Suresh Deka, Professor of Microbiology, Institute of Advanced Study in Science & Technology.

Locals still happy with quality of fish

espite rumours of Deepor Beel fish being infected with pollutants, locals negated the idea and revealed their love for the fish from the Beel. “My father was engaged in fishing in this Beel before me. Fishing and selling is the only way of living that we know. It is nearly impossible for the government to stop us from fishing in the Beel. In the ‘Beel Mara’ festival thousands of people engage in fishing. How many will government engage? 1000 men or 2000 to stop us from fishing,” fisherman and trader, Jugal Das laughed. Das made it clear that fish

from Deepor Beel is fit for consumption till now and no one has complained of anything. “The media makes a ruckus of everything. My elders have been fishing at Deepor Beel since I was born and we are consuming these fishes till date,” a local said. “We don’t fish towards the eastern side of the Beel as the GMC dumping ground comes in touch with the Beel that side. No fisherman goes there neither the migratory birds. For now we are fishing on the banks of the Beel. Forest officials don’t allow people to go further inside the Beel to fish in the current month,” a fisherman near Deepor Beel said. n

“Segregation plays a major role in maintaining the ecology of the surrounding environment of a dumping zone. The non biodegradable waste could be burnt to use the heat to convert it into energy and the degradable items could be used to make fertilizers by using the process of vermicomposting. But due to lack of such processes, the entire area has now turned into a mountain of garbage,” he added. Raising serious concern, Arundhati Devi, Associate Professor of Bio-Chemistry, said, “From a recent survey of the Beel we got to know that that the carcinogenic level in the water is over permissible mark caused by industrial waste mainly batteries. The toxic level is gradually increasing, destroying the vital flora and fauna underwater. Deepor Beel would no longer be a Ramsar site as migratory birds would cease to come here.” It may be noted that the dumping ground was supposed to be shifted to Chandrapur area way back in November 2015, but till now no initiative has been witnessed on ground. The locals, fearing adverse effects, keep windows shut during the monsoon season as the foul smell continues to be a serious health threat. n

Alternative livelihood and sustainable development for fishing community

onservationists are of the view that alternate livelihood for the fishing community is another way for longer viability of the Depoor Beel. “People beside Deepor Beel traditionally engage themselves in ‘Beel Mara’ festival a week before Magh Bihu. Local people catch fishes in huge quantity from the Beel during that period. Many are also of the opinion that the fish catching festival should be scrapped once for all to help migratory birds take the huge share. Moreover, the Beel serves its purpose of existence by providing the locals with abundance of fish. If someday, fishes start getting extinct from the Beel and the migratory birds stop coming, encroachment will erase Deepor Beel from the map,” a conservationist said. “An attempt should be made to engage the fishing community in the tourism sector rather than fishing. These people have their own boats and Boat Safaris on the Beel can really boost tourism. The state government has a bigger role to play in this. Officials engaged in development of the Beel should talk to the communities residing locally.

The government should have done more to boost tourism relating to Deepor Beel. There is not even a single hoarding or banner advertising the presence of a Ramsar site on the outskirts of the city,” conservationist Jayaditya Purkhayastha said. A multi-stakeholder council is in the pipeline on the government’s side to restore and revive Deepor Beel. Representatives from different departments - Forest, GMC, GMDA, GDD, PCBA, Revenue and Tourism will constitute the council which would be personally supervised by the Chief Minister, a source in the Forest Department said. “The Deepor Beel has become like a tank now with all sides closed. The outlets which earlier connected Bahini and Brahmaputra are being encroached upon. Fishes from Brahmaputra would come to Deepor Beel through these channels earlier as there was abundance of fish then. Now the fishes that are available in Deepor Beel cannot move out of the Beel. It is their permanent home now. Tourism and research and coordination with local communities are three ways that can save Deepor Beel,” added Purkhayastha. n

In The News

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

Biggest rescue in Ghy, 11 child labourers rescued

n a joint operation undertaken by the district task force under Kamrup (Metro) district administration, district child protection officer, officials from the labour department and NGO Childline, 11 child labourers were rescued from Athgaon area in Guwahati on Monday. This was by far the largest number of child labourers rescued in a joint operation in Guwahati. All the rescued children were minor boys. The matter came to light after the district task force received a tip-off from NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan. Acting on the information, the nodal officer of the task force asked all the concerned members to rescue the children in a joint operation. Nirmal Deka, coordinator of Guwahati Childline - a programme under the ministry

of women and child development meant for the safeguard of children in need of care and protection - informed that the child labourers were rescued from Athgaon from different establishments including small eateries and restaurants, garages and servicing centres. All the rescued children have currently been kept in Snehalaya Centre for Child Rights. Officials informed that the district child welfare committee is carrying out further proceedings. According to official data, Childline received 210 “protection from abuse” cases between April and September last year. Childline authorities said that around 80% of these were related to child labour. The labour department has lodged a formal FIR against the employers at the Bharalumukh police station. Further, Childline officials informed that they keep conducting regular drives to weed out child labour. n

Stress on making police stations child-friendly

uthorities told G Plus that they are stressing on making the police stations of the state child-friendly. “Often the police are the first to come to know about such cases in which children are the victims of trafficking or child labour. We are focussing on sensitising the police and on child-friendly police stations everywhere,” informed Indrani Tahbildar, member of Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR). She added that the first such police station was formed recently in Barpeta under the initiative of the district’s superintendent of police.

a crucial aspect will be the certification of apartment blocks in the city, which is a firstof-its-kind initiative in the country.

In child-friendly police stations, a corner of the police station is made child-friendly by colouring it with bright colours in order to make the child feel at ease. “He or she should not fear the police and should not feel a sense of discomfort,” said an official. Further, the Kamrup (Metro) district administration in collaboration with UTSAH - a city-based child rights NGO, the national child labour project and UNICEF Assam kicked off a ward-level anti-child labour campaign in June this year. Officials informed that under the project, a crucial aspect will be the certification of apartment blocks in the city, which is a firstof-its-kind initiative in the country. Authorities also informed that under the project they will conduct child labour workshops and also get apartment blocks to register in a process through which the district administration, after due diligence by the child labour task force Kamrup (M), will give certification of an apartment block being anti-child labour or child labour free. The deputy commissioner will give out the certificates. n

Children working for a living is not an uncommon sight in Guwahati | G Plus Photo

This Navratri we �� you food wor� wai� for!

0361 2731222|8486618600 Hotel D River View, Ganpati Plaza, 1st Floor, SRCB Road, Behind Fancy Bazar Police Outpost, Fancy Bazar, Guwahati-781001

CREATIVE BY VC DESIGNS

Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

10 City

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

SS Road: The story of a ‘no-vending zone’ The famous SS Road street market will have to go, it’s a court order. G Plus tries to throw light on what has happened in the past six months Chetan Bhattarai

or 36-year-old Rajat Das (name changed), the SS Market in Fancy of Market is his world. It has been the place where he grew up and learnt the art of trading in goods. Puja and Bihu seasons are his favourites; the rush of people allows him to make decent money – but that was till last year. This April, just after the Bihu season, he and around 200 other hawkers were forcibly shifted from this famous vending area of SS Road. There was a Gauhati High Court order and Rajat and the other 200 hawkers could not do much. The authorities have given them space in the next lane at the Guwahati Municipality Market, but the hawkers are not keen on shifting.

story is for another day. “This shows that the administration, by taking the cases to court, has been trying to ruin lives. Why give a spot to someone that will lead to losses and kill his livelihood? Who is going to pay for all this?” said a hawker. “If the police or the municipality administration has to shift hawkers, they will have to shift everyone. The whole Guwahati

earners, we earn and spend every day,” said Rajat. “The place that has been given to us is not ample. If the hawkers shift there it will take four such areas. It is already crowded on all sides. Customers don’t want to go to such places. This is a regular connection to other clothes and apparel stores to fancy bazaar. It has been here for a long time now,” he added.

Business has gone down and is affecting the lives

Ramesh has been a hawker for 40 years now. He is 52 years old and has been continuing his father’s business in the popular

has been in the business for over 20 years. “There is no proper settlement. We feel so cheated. The municipality suddenly told us we have just 15 days to change our location. Nothing could be done. On the day of eviction things were ugly but we had to give up as it was a court order,” said Ramesh. “The last six months have been very tiring for us. We had to let go our spots, we lost our customers due to the uncertainty and now there seems very less hope that anything good might happen. Post Bihu this is the festive season, but we are not getting the kind of response as there is too much

Why the hawkers of SS Road don’t want to shift

The building that has been provided for them by GMC was visited by this reporter and as per the claims of the hawkers it is simply unsuitable for their business. The road leading to the market is already crowded on both sides by fruit sellers. Moreover, it is more attached to the grocery items market and is not a footfall area. The height of the floor is low according to the hawkers. The entry to the passage that leads to the mezzanine floor is entirely occupied by vegetable wholesalers. “It was actually meant for the fish market. They are trying to send us there as they want to tell the court they have given us space. The total number of slots in that building is for 52 shops. We will require four times that area,” said Ramesh who deals in denims. The hawkers were supposed to share the floor with the fish sellers. Interestingly, there were no fish sellers to be found when this reporter visited the spot. The whole floor was empty. A few daily wage labourers were sleeping on the floor. On being enquired where the fish sellers were the other residents said that the fish sellers don’t come here. “Only a single old man used to come and sell his fish. They are fighting a case in the court as they are not happy with their relocation. The fish sellers were not able to clear their stocks on regular basis as they were suddenly moved to this new location. This led to losses and they finally gave up the spot,” explained a vegetable seller. It was learnt that only seven of the fish sellers are paying the fee to the GMC for retention, the rest have not bothered. The fish seller

has to be made clean. Why only this road has been made the target? What about Lakhtokia, Kumarpatty and Athgaon sides? What about Ganeshguri? I am 55 years old and my father died doing this business. This is everything we have. Over a thousand families have been affected,” said another hawker. The SS Road hawker market has divisions within themselves. There are two major groups that operate there. The rest are temporary hawkers from other parts of the city who come and sell their wares only during festive seasons. “There are two parties in this – one from LIC building towards the police point, and other towards the river side. The GMC and police keep on disturbing and coming here during business hours. We display our wares on a bed sheet on the road and at the appropriate moment we just wrap up everything and run. This is such a nonsensical thing. We have lost the case in the court and now we have become like street beggars who are shoved aside by everyone. We don’t have money to fight the case. We are just like daily wage

SS Road market at Fancy Bazar. His whole life has been about selling clothes to people who come from all walks of life. The festive season brings joy and excitement as it is the primary earning season. But this year, after the hawkers were asked to vacate the SS Road by the GMC, things have changed in this stretch of the market. This sudden change has left the hawkers high and dry. They could not do much against the forces working against them. Business has been severely affected due to the court’s decision. “Now we are like peddlers of clothes. We run when the GMC and the police chase us. This is so bad for business. Due to the evictions we have lost area. We sell only in small quantities as we have to be ready to run with our goods when the officials come. There is no variety, we sell less stock. It is the worst puja business in my whole life,” said Hari, who

of uncertainty,” lamented Kishore, who deals in ladies’ items.

Bleak future for many hawkers

Fifty-year-old Pal who deals in kids wear says, “I am getting old and this whole development has brought immense pressure in my life. How am I going to earn my living? I have a family to look after. At this age, I can’t go out and venture into new business. Some of the traders have prospered from this SS Road market and have gone out to newer avenues.

Not everyone is lucky to get out of this.

Syndicate, collection of money, partisanship; allegations follow

“There have been allegations through news in papers and through media that a syndicate is being run at the SS Market in Fancy Bazar. A daily collection of money is the norm here. Somebody has put these allegations in the media that this is all illegal and should be stopped. It is all a ploy to paint us in bad light,” said S Das from the group that is fighting a case in the Gauhati High Court. “According to the National Policy on Urban Street Vendors, 2009 and the Street Vendors Act, 2014, if it is an old market and if the government wants a piece of the area, they will have to provide a vending zone to the hawkers before evicting them. After that, as per the Act we appealed in the Gauhati High Court and the Court instructed GMC that within three months they should provide a vending zone to the sellers. In our earlier report published in this Weekly, the then GMC additional commissioner, Deba Kumar Mishra, had this to say, “We have relocated them to a GMC market where they can continue their business. The third and fourth floors have also been refurbished for the same. GMC is also planning on making parking facilities there as well. If they (vendors) are not satisfied with the arrangement, then nothing can be

done about it. You cannot satisfy everyone.” “We had given three options: Mahavir Park, GMC Parking behind Mahendra Mohan Hospital, Panbazar or inside the Central Jail Campus. They won’t agree with us. We are pursuing our case in the High Court and all these court procedures take time,” said Das. This time, the whole story has been from the perspective of the hawkers. The take of the authorities and other stakeholders on this will be soon followed up. Stay plugged. n

Governance

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

Original documents not to be submitted during admissions: UGC G Plus News

he union minister for Human Resource Development department Prakash Javadekar recently announced that the University Grants Commission (UGC) will issue a notification on refund of fees and non-retention of original certificates by institutions to facilitate students in their admission. This was announced in a press conference held in New Delhi on October 10. The UGC has stated that the notification is an effort to help students who have been facing problems during admissions due to coercive and profiteering institutional practices. This notification will aid the students seeking admission to higher educational institutions in the following manner: The higher education institutions (HEIs) can charge fees

in advance only for the semester or year in which a student wants to engage in academic activities and collecting advance fees for the entire programme of study is strictly prohibited. The institute will be required to refund the fees, in case a student withdraws from the programme, in the following manner: 1. 100%: in case a student decides to withdraw 15 days or more before the formally notified last date of admission. Not more than 5% of the fees paid by the student, subject to a maximum of Rs. 5000, will be deducted as processing charges. 2. 90%: in case a student decides to withdraw within 15 days before the formally notified last date of admission. 3. 80%: in case a student decides to withdraw within 15 days after the formally notified last date of admission. 4. 50%: in case a student decides to withdraw between 16 days and 30 days after the formally notified last date of admission.

5. NIL: in case a student decides to withdraw after 30 days of the formally notified last date of admission. The entire caution money and security deposit, which are not part of the fees chargeable, shall be refunded in full. Further, refund of fees shall be made by the HEIs within 15 days of receipt of a written application from a student. Additionally, no student will be required to submit any original academic and personal certificates like marksheets, school leaving certificates, etc., at the time of submission of admission form. In case required, the institution concerned will only ensure verification of the same with the original certificates and these certificates shall be returned to the students immediately. No

institution can take any original certificate into their custody. No HEI can make it mandatory for applicants to purchase the institutional prospectus at any time during the course of the time of study. All HEIs will be required to disclose on their website and prospectus the information regarding the status of the institutions, its affiliating, accreditation status, physical assets and amenities, course-

wise sanctioned intake of students, various types of fees payable for different programmes, total fees payable for an entire programme, last date of admission, details of faculty, members of Governing Bodies and minutes of the meeting of bodies, sources of income, financial situation and any other information about its functioning, necessary for an applicant to make a fully informed choice. All HEIs will be mandatorily required to have a Grievance Redressal Mechanism (GRM), according to the provisions of the UGC (Grievance Redressal) Regulations, 2012. This GRM shall be available on HEI website and the HEIs will be required to ensure that all grievance received are addressed within 30 days. n

12 G Talk E

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018 T

Denying the digital journo

imanta Biswa Sarma uses it. Sarbananda Sonowal uses it too. In fact, it was started by Narendra Modi in one sense. A national election was won based on its usage. And yet, the state government with its myopic vision just refuses to recognize the importance of digital media in the current context of time. All rhetoric of the Prime Minister in extending digital empowerment to every nook and corner of India stands defeated by the BJP-led government in Assam which is either painfully unaware of Modi’s stance or is deliberately out to gag the digital media in Assam. Given the huge challenges that include poor network etc, the digital media has just started flowering in Assam and in several instances has displayed the power that it can unleash in disseminating information and news rapidly. Yet and very strangely, the Department of Information & Public Relations (DIPR) of Assam has refused to give accreditation to the state’s digital journalists. On September 20 last, the Assam State Press Accreditation Committee, in a meeting presided over by Kumar Sanjay Krishna, Additional Chief Secretary, who is also the chairperson of the commit-

tee, had cleared the names of 160 journalists for recognition/accreditation. Rather strangely, there was not even a single digital media journalist on that list. Accreditation or recognition by the DIPR bears a great deal of importance for any journalist working in Assam as without the press accreditation cards, the corridors of power – the state secretariat - and other high-security zones become restricted. The summary denial of issuing the accreditations to digital journalists is a direct signal of how lightly the state government continues to regard digital media. From what can be inferred, the DIPR continues to cling on to the virtually defunct Assam Press Correspondents (Accreditation/ Recognition) Rules, 1989, which has no provision for digital media simply because it did not exist then. And so, by denying accreditation to digital media journalists, the government may well have been on the right side of the law and yet has only shamelessly exposed itself of its inadequacies in keeping abreast of modern times. The most shocking part is that it has simply refused to toe the line thrown by its supreme leader – the Prime Minister. No wonder Assam continues to lag behind. Swapnil Bharali Editor

New in the market e live in times when fitting into trends is more important than fitting into clothes, when just saying anything is more important than saying something relevant. I think this is why the term ‘me too’ has now become overbearing and is losing its

value. When gold loses its value, it means your return is going to be smaller. But when trends lose value, it is the fear of missing out (FOMO) that hits everyone. Which is why, everyone wants a piece of the pie, while it’s still hot. The worst thing about the ‘me too’ trend is that it talks about sexual harassment long after the death of the incident, sort of like a posthumous recognition and India is such a fan of those – renaming roads, buildings, awards and institutions long after the death of people. I wouldn’t be too surprised if they institute a ‘me too’ awards to recognize the most successful revelations about sexual harassment. These revelations that have surfaced targeting politicos, celebrities, artists and media and advertising professionals are actually more harassing than the actual incident. Because of this, HR ko mail circulate karna pad raha hai about conducting sensitization workshops at offices. If you were sexually harassed and molested 10 years ago, how does a public apology help you now? A question to the women in the workplace with aggressive career plans; you know L&O well, you couldn’t be pushed around by the system like an abla-naari, why did you not approach the courts and police then? Why wait until now? Clearly, these social media sympathy stunts are getting out of hand and I for one have no intention of tolerating this. Also, in the era of FOMO, the value of silence is increasing. Best that some of us use it wisely.

Sidharth Bedi Varma

Is Durga Puja losing its spiritual essence?

urga Puja, typically celebrated for ten days starting from ‘Mahalaya’ to ‘VijayaDashami,’ is the symbolic representation of victory of good over evil, establishment of peace and prosperity and celebration of women power. Over the years, a lot has already been discussed about how Durga Puja is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm keeping in terms with the spiritual and the mythological aspect. But the sad fact is that very less conversations or deliberations have taken place regarding the ways to maintain the essence of the festival, since the quintessence of the festival has degraded strikingly over the years. And the noticeable fact is that a contrasting scenario can be drawn between Durga Puja celebration of the yesteryears and that of the present era, which directly or indirectly brings a picture in front of our eyes, where as children we were given certain tasks to find out differences between two exactly similar pictures. Hence the main motive of the scrupulous discussion done above is not to draw a word picture regarding the mythological aspects of celebrating the Durga Puja; rather it is to make the learned and the knowledgeable citizens once again realize that it is high time we moved back to our roots, before the roots of essence are completely uprooted for no good. It is a conspicuous fact that whenever we confabulate about

The author explores the modern version of the way Durga Puja is celebrated in the city and wonders if it is more about materialism these days

rA new epidemic

Durga Puja, the first thing that comes to our minds is the expensive idols of Goddess Durga, as well as those over lavishly decorated pandals, that can simply be regarded as profligate consumers of energy. In fact, the astonishing thing that is known to one and all is that resources worth crores of rupees are spent in celebrating this festival, and it seems that there is a sense of competition among the organizers of DurgaPuja to prove their capacity and worth. But the crucial question that arises here is: Is it really necessary to make this sacred festival of significant importance an extravagant jamboree with or without the spiritual vibe and essence? The answer to this question can be directly given by bringing into consideration a logical perspective that was given by Mahapurush Srimanta Sankaradeva. Sankaradeva was of the view that a devotee’s prayer to his or her Lord should be an honest affair from the heart rather than some impractical snobbery. And somewhere down the line, the philosopher’s view was quite relevant, since even in Hindu mythology, it is believed that honest prayer and offering to the Lord is simply enough to satisfy him from every aspect. Added to this, when the festival gets over, these expensive idols are simply immersed in the water, the pandals are broken and that directly or indirectly puts an adverse impact on the economic stability of the state. So the matter of the fact is that rather than spending so much money in making idols every year, permanent idols of Goddess Durga can be erected at all those places, where Durga Puja is organized. Furthermore, the pandals constructed should also try to give a spiritual vibe rather than over usage of electricity and technology. Moreover, because of this reckless spending of money to over decorate the idols and the pandals, the spiritual dynamism of the festival is lost somewhere down the line. Hence some people visit the Pandals only to create nuisance. Therefore, some changes must be brought in at

O pinion Bishaldeep Kakati

the earliest, so as to once again revamp the sacred vibe of the festival among the people. In fact, some of the age-old traditions associated with Durga Puja still put a question mark on the ethical aspect of celebrating the sacred festival. In a few of the most famous Durga temples of the state, a heinous tradition is still being followed, that always shakes the psyche of all the concerned social beings. The tradition of sacrificing hundreds and hundreds of animals in the name of Goddess Durga is a thing that always creates a great deal of hue and cry during the festival. Many a time, experts as well as animal enthusiasts have also shown their disapproval towards this heinous act. However no changes could be descried regarding this atrocious act till date. So, when we speak of celebrating Durga Puja in the righteous way, even the tradition of ‘BoliBidhan’ must be stopped for good. Else it would simply mean the destruction of the main attribute for celebrating this holy festival. The modern era though has unfortunately seen the real essence of celebrating Durga Puja being degraded to quite an extent, however the optimistic still believes that if the people change their attributes and habits a little, think logically and act rationally, the sacred festival of Durga Puja can be revived once again. Hence, it remains the duty of the organizers as well as the people to keep the spiritual factor of the festival intact, especially while celebrating it in a grand way. We just convert the spiritual and the holy festival of Durga Puja into a celebration of materialism! n

Letter to the Editor

new form of epidemic is currently making news in India. The name of the epidemic is ME TOO which has infected quite a few big names in Bollywood as also prominent senior politicians. Versatile actors like Nana Patekar, Alok Nath, senior journalist, author and present Minister of NDA government MJ Akbar, to name a few are already infested by the ME TOO bug virus. I am not questioning the virulence or authenticity of the ME TOO virus. But the only question mark is its incubation period which for me is too long. I sincerely hope that there is no political conspiracy behind ME TOO virus as anything is possible when time is fast approaching for the parliamentary polls. Dr Ashim Chowdhury, Ambari, Guwahati

In Focus

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

Shahnaab Alam Independent movie producer

hahnaab Alam is an individual who wears many hats. An acclaimed independent movie producer today, Shahnaab began his professional career as a journalist and launched into various fields of the media and entertainment industry. He is best known for his works in Yash Raj Films’ Dhoom, Dhoom 2 and Kaabul Express. Shahnaab, who hails from Guwahati, grew up in the national capital where he studied at the Hillgrove School. After completing his schooling, Shahnaab went on to

pursue three-year course in Journalism from Delhi College of Arts & Commerce, University of Delhi and began his journey in the field of media and entertainment. Shahnaab started his journalistic career as a crime reporter with the Mid Day in Delhi. But he soon moved to political journalism and joined The Herald Times, which he left as Associate Editor when he decided to move to Mumbai in 1994. Shahnaab also learnt photography and dabbled with photo-journalism during his tenure at The Herald Times. “During the 1990s, electronic journalism had just begun to take shape and I wanted to explore this new medium. In the case of print medium, an article takes time to get printed and reaches the audience one day after the incident has already occurred but when it comes to electronic media the information is consumed right then and there. This particular characteristic really fascinated me and I decided to give it

a try,” Shahnaab recalled, while speaking to G Plus. In Mumbai, he pursued a filmmaking course at the Xavier Institute of Communication and simultaneously joined Asian Photography, a monthly magazine, as the executive editor. Soon after completing Xavier, Shahnaab ventured into the television industry and joined Hinduja group’s IN Network as the executive producer for non-fiction content. There, he realised that the action was on the other side and the fun lay in actually making content. Over the next few years, Shahnaab produced a lot of television content, music videos and fashion shows. During that period, he worked with the likes of John Abraham, Madhu Sapre and Noyonika Chatterjee to name a few. When Shahnaab got a chance to produce ad commercials, he quickly grabbed the opportunity and did a lot of ad campaigns for renowned companies like Crush Juice, Amul Shrikhand and Timex watches. “The advertising world is very competitive and it’s very difficult for new individuals to independently get work in the pres-

ence of established companies. So once when I lost a very good campaign, a strange thing happened. The agency where I had pitched for the ad-campaign and lost, instead offered me a chance to co-direct the Ad Club Awards in 1997 and that’s how my events career began without me even realising it,” Shahnaab told G Plus. He went on to co-direct the first edition of the Zee Cine Awards, Sansui Movie Awards, Aye Watan Tere Liye (a tribute to the soldiers injured or killed during the Kargil War) and other major events. The highlight of Shahnaab’s event career, however, was ‘United for Gujarat’ - the first ever South Asian concert that got together four of South Asia’s most popular bands belonging to countries like India, Bangladesh and Pakistan under one roof to extend their support towards Gujarat after the earthquake hit and raise funds for the rebuilding of the state. Due to the buzz around the event, Shahnaab was called by the United Nations to curette the UN Foundation Day event - an experience he continues to cherish and considers to be one of his greatest achievements. After returning from USA, Shahnaab was planning to take a break of six months, and head back to journalism in Delhi, where the electronic media had taken roots in form of several television news companies, but he got veered into Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Socha Na Tha’ as an Executive Producer.

His next movies were with Yash Raj Films’ Dhoom, Dhoom 2 and Kaabul Express. Then, he decided to branch out and started as an independent producer with the film Shoonya that got screened at the Museum of Modern Arts (MOMA) and other international film festivals. He also got associated with DAR Motion Pictures as the Commissioning Producer and produced 6 films in a span of thre and a half years – Ugly, Monsoon Shootout, The Lunchbox, D-Day, Mickey Virus and Peddlers. A whopping four out of the six movies got selected at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, with three getting selected in the same year, breaking all records. Shahnaab’s most recent release was the Hindi movie Omerta, directed by Hansal Mehta. He has produced, through his Easterly Entertainment, the much anticipated Assamese film ‘Bhoga Khirikee’ (Broken Window), along with Priyanka Chopra’s Purple Pebble Pictures. Directed by Jahnu Barua, the film stars Zerifa Wahid and Joy Kashyap in lead roles. The ace filmmaker currently has two films in the pipeline in which his Easterly Entertainment has collaborated with Ivanhoe Pictures, a mainstream Hollywood film company. While the first one is set in Assam and New York, the second is set in Rajasthan. Both the movies are still in the pre-production stage.

This is the worst Puja business in my whole life: Fancy Bazar vendor Followers and readers of G Plus comment on the High Court order that evicted the vendors of SS Road making this Durga Puja the worst moment of their lives. Madhu Agarwal Before the eviction the government should have provided some alternative to them. These people work hard to earn a living. And I never find the streets hawkers harmful by as during festive season people usually go to buy things from them only. Point is there are so many things that the government should look into but it’s always the poor section of the society that needs to suffer. It’s sad to see that the people who cannot raise their voice against the government have to always become the victim.

Arunil Goon The government should have provided them a place where vendors can sell their products just as there is place in Kolkata. How would these people run their families? These vendors don’t sell to earn huge profits, but just to run their families and for day to day expenses. The government should think about them. Our city does not comprise rich people only but a majority of the population constitutes middle class and lower class people. So of course the eviction that took place months back will have a major effect on the lives of the people.

Anuj Chakraborty This is something which is very bad. The government should think about them before carrying out evictions. This is certainly going to hamper them in near future election. Do you think these people will ever vote for the current government? Of course not! Taking away the only source of livelihood from someone is the worst thing someone can ever do. Why doesn’t the government look over the parking problems in Fancy Bazar which is a very serious issue? So many VIPs come and double park and no traffic personnel has the courage to tell them anything.

Sanjay Baid 45% of the road is used as temporary godown at day time from Bhartiya Jalpan to Makhan Bhog, that is Rail GateNo 3. District Administration/Guwahati Municipal Corporation and Guwahati Traffic Police should take strict action for unauthorised use of godown at the above mentioned road. And also the hawkers should be allowed to sell their products in the festive season at least. The festive season is not only for us but also for these people and their kids as well.

Basumatry Rishi I do have sympathy for the poor vendors and government must find an alternative but had the vendors been disciplined too it wouldn’t have happened. Somewhere it’s their fault too. One should know what they are doing and where they are doing. They should totally abide by the law.

Sanku Samar Paul Rules & laws are only meant for poor, the hotshots born with silver spoon in their mouths, will never understand the pain of the poor. And this is never going to change as this is what has been happening for so many years. Even the educated youth of today’s generation have become a part of this.

14 Feature

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

Guwahati gets ready for Durga Puja Geetanagar Puja mandap modelled after Belur Math, Howrah

Navaratri Puja at American Colony Durgotsav in Pandu

Illuminated Durga Puja gate at Fatasil Ambari The Waterfall at Beltola Lakhi Mandir Puja

Shree Nagar Puja and its unique theme

Bishnupur Sarbajanin Durga Puja and its Nationalistic theme Heavy flower decoration at Kamakhya Temple for Navaratri

Latasil mandap modelled after Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir

The Finishing Touch

Trotter

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

UK couple gets drunk on honeymoon, Driver suspended for buys hotel in Sri Lanka letting monkey steer bus

British couple got drunk on their honeymoon and bought an entire hotel in Sri Lanka. Sounds like the plot of a Hollywood romcom? Well, it happened in real life to Gina Lyons and Mark Lee. The London couple, who got married in June last year, were on a honeymoon to Sri Lanka when they decided to purchase the hotel they were staying at. On their first night at the hotel, after drinking 12 glasses of rum, Gina and Mark decided it would be a great idea to take up the lease of the rustic hotel they were staying at, which was soon set to expire. The decision would set them back about 30,000 pounds or over Rs 29 lakhs. “When we were on the beach drinking rum, we were told that the lease was almost up for the hotel. After finding out that it was 10,000 pounds a year, myself and Mark thought that it would be a brilliant idea to buy it - because we were so drunk,” Gina explained. The discussions that took place to finalise the deal also happened while the couple was tipsy. “The next day we went and met an old couple who we had

to speak to about renewing the lease ourselves. Because we didn’t understand most of the

conversation, Mark and I just sat drinking more rum and slowly getting drunk again.” “After some bartering, we finally agreed that we would pay 30,000 pounds for the three-year lease and pay 15,000 pounds in the first year and the other half by March 2019.” Mark and Gina became official owners of the hotel on July 1 this year, and they renamed it Lucky Beach Tangalle. Though their business venture has luckily paid off, and a regular inflow of customers is now seen at their hotel, the couple

Google Maps causes divorce after husband spots ‘cheating’ wife cuddling another man

husband divorced his wife after discovering intimate photos of her with another man on Google Maps.The man was planning a route ahead of a drive when he spotted an image of his wife sitting on a bench stroking the hair of another man with his head in her lap.

Taken by a Google camera car in the Peruvian capital city of Lima, the shocked husband said the photo caught his attention after the woman pictured appeared to be wearing the exact same clothes his wife owned. It dates back to 2013, but the man angrily confronted his wife with the evidence of her past infidelity. And the couple, whose names

have not been revealed, later divorced after the woman admitted to having had an affair. Ironically, she was photographed with her lover on a bench by the city’s Puente de losSuspiros de Barranco (Bridge of Sighs of the Ravine). The man recently shared the photographs on Facebook where they made a big impression on users. One social media user, San Pateste, said, “What a small world it is... It would have been enough if she said to her husband that she did not love him anymore.” While cynic ‘Guillermo Sanchez’ added, “Out of 100 women, 90 per cent are not loyal, the rest are loyal and only have one eye (hahaha) or are immortal (hahaha).” The photograph is one of a long line of bizarre images taken for the Google Maps and Google Street View online resources. They include people dressed as pigeons, an escaped convict, a couple having sex by their car and a woman giving birth. (Source: mirror.co)

says that their friends and family think they are idiots. In a recent Facebook post

referring to their drunken purchase, they joked: “People can’t get enough of our drunken antics. What should we buy next?” (Source: foxnews)

bus driver in India has been suspended after a video emerged of him letting a monkey sit on the vehicle’s steering wheel and help steer. The video, which went viral on social media, shows the man holding onto the wheel of the bus with one hand while the langur monkey perches on the wheel and steers the vehicle on a road in Karnataka, Bangalore. The Karnataka State Road Transport Corp said the driver has been suspended from his duties while officials investigate the incident. Officials said the monkey

was a pet belonging to one of the passengers on the bus. (Source: upi)

16 Review

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

Starring: Kajol, Riddhi Sen, Tota Roy Chowdhury, Neha Dhupia Director: Pradeep Sarkar

T Movie Review

Helicopter Eela

he movie Helicopter Eela is about an aspiring playback singer Eela who is also a single mother. She has given up all her dreams to raise her only son Vivan. But now her baby son ‘Vivan’ is all grown up and being a typical young millennial, doesn’t want his mother’s life to revolve around him. Interestingly, the name Helicopter Eela for the movie has been chosen to showcase what it means to be a helicopter parent. Parents who pay extra close attention to their children’s lives and experiences are helicopter parents. And that is exactly what Kajol’s role is in the film. But being an over protective mother, Eela has other ideas and joins her son’s college to spend more time with him. Unfortunately, her plans backfire and she suffers a backlash from

Vivan for invading his privacy. Helicopter Eela is based on the Gujarati play Beta Kaagdo by Anand Gandhi who joins Mitesh Shah in scripting the film. It is good to see Kajol make a comeback on the screen after 2015’s Dilwale. For those who grew up in the nineties, the movie has many nostalgic moments to offer as Eela is seen struggling with her music career. It even has the launch of 1996 MTV India recreated in the scenes. Eela’s journey as a singer is short-lived but not without the cameos by Amitabh Bachchan, Mahesh Bhatt, Ila Arun, Baba Sehgal, Shaan, Anu Malik, Ganesh Acharya who add to the star value. Though the story is not very strong and has many loose ends, the movie does make you think about single parenting and the fun and struggle involved in it.

excellent work in the movie. In the movie, we can see that Mother Goddess have cursed one of her child name ‘Hastar’ for being greedy. Mother Goddess has cursed him saying that he will not be worshipped by any person and his name will not be jotted down in any scriptures. But the curse of ‘Hastar’ brings havoc to the life of the young lad who tries to find the treasure. Again the movie also comes with some amazing visual effects (VFX). Usually, Bollywood does not relay much on VFX and animation. But this movie has done some amazing job in this part. With a brilliant and unique story, the movie is a perfect getaway for the people who are seeking a different story for the weekend.

Honor 8X

he Honor 8X is all set to become the Huawei sub-brand’s latest mid-range smartphone when it launches in India on October 16.

The new phone also uses Huawei’s latest in-house SoC, the octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 710. Honor India claims that the smartphone will take on the likes of the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro Rs. 12,242 and Nokia 6.1 Plus Rs. 14,999, which leads us to believe the Honor 8X price in India will be between Rs. 15,000 and Rs. 20,000.

Design

Right out of the box, the Honor 8X feels extremely solid and premium. Based solely on design, it does not look like a phone priced below Rs. 20,000. The back of the Honor 8X has a dual-tone color scheme which the company says is an evolution of the Honor 10’s rear gradient design. On the front is a massive 6.5-inch IPS LCD with a resolution of 1080x2340 pixels,

Screen

Honor is very proud of the screen on the 8X, and rightly so. It’s a 6.5-inch, and what Honor calls ‘FullView’, aka the trendy bezel-less thing everyone’s doing now. This means there’s a notch, of course, but it also means the

First Man 10:00 AM, 03:40 PM, 08:55 PM Jalebi 12:15 PM, 08:25 PM

The Underworld 12:30 PM

Tumbbad 01:05 PM, 06:20 PM

Ek Je Chhilo Raja Bengali

06:00 PM Village Rockstars

Assamese 06:45 PM

Anuradha Cineplex Noonmati 0361 2656968 Village Rockstars

Assamese, 10:30 AM, 08:15 PM Jalebi

Movie Review

12:15 PM

First Man English 02:45 PM

Tumbbad Thummbad front of the phone is a whopping 91 percent screen. That’s impressive, especially in the budget arena, and means the handset is the size of a tradi-

an aspect ratio of 19.5:9, and a pixel density of 397ppi. Much like other current Honor smartphones, there is a notch, but it looks relatively small in proportion to the large display. One interesting feature of the Honor 8X is that this display has a minimum brightness of just 2 nits, which should make it extremely comfortable to use in the dark.

Andhadhun 09:30 AM, 12:10 PM, 05:25 PM, 09:00 PM Venom 09:40 AM, 02:50 PM

Sui Dhaaga - Made in India 03:35 PM

Starring: Sohum Shah, Harish Khanna, Anita Date Director: Rahi Anil Barve e have all come across the story of ‘Treasure Island’ where a little boy takes risks to find the treasure hidden in a distant Island. ‘Tummbad’ the new movie directed by Rahil Anil Barve, revolves around a treasure kept by the cursed child of Mother Goddess. The mythological, horror and daunting story is the new talk in the film industry. The story revolves around a Brahmin family in a small imaginary village of Pune. Tumbbad, the village has a large mansion where it is believed that the treasure is hidden. In the film, we can see Sohum Shah and Harish Khanna in the lead role, who look for that hidden treasure and face the curse of Hastar. These debut actors have shown

Cinepolis Christian Basti 09435025808 Helicopter Eela 09:20 AM, 03:10 PM, 09:10 PM

05:30 PM

tional 5.5in smartphone. The display has a somewhat idiosyncratic aspect ratio of 19.5:9 and a resolution of 1080x2340, which works out to about 397 pixels per inch. As you’d expect, then, the screen looks bright and beautiful, and will more than satisfy your HD Netflix needs. However, buy a case and treat your 8X with extra care if you do spring for one.

Hardware and software

The hardware specs on the Honor 8X are very good for the price. You get 64GB of storage (though there is a 128GB model globally), 4GB of RAM (the 128GB model has 6GB, but it doesn’t look like we’re getting that in the UK), a Kirin 710 octa-core chipset (4 x 2.2 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4 x 1.7 GHz Cortex-A53)

Gold Cinema Paltan Bazaar 09854066166 Helicopter Eela 11:00 AM, 03:45 PM, 06:15 PM, 08:45 PM Jalebi 11:00 AM, 08:15 PM Andhadhun 01:15 PM

FryDay

01:30 PM Village Rockstars

Assamese 04:00 PM

Tumbbad 06:00 PM

Grande Cines Paltan Bazar 09854017771 First Man English, 10:30 AM Venom

English, 3D 11:00 AM, 03:15 PM Jalebi 01:00 PM

Tumbbad 01:15 PM

Aravindha Sametha Telugu 03:30 PM, 08:15 PM Helicopter Eela 05:30 PM Village Rockstars Assamese, 06:30 PM Andhadhun 08:00 PM

with the Mali G51 GPU, a microSD slot that takes up to 400GB, and a whopping 3750mAh battery.

Cameras

On the back, you get to see the vertically stacked dual camera setup that consists of a 20-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel depth sensor, both with f/1.8 apertures. The single selfie camera has a 16-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture. As with previous models, the Honor 8X has AI enhancements for both the rear and front cameras. Users can turn off the AI features when shooting if they prefer.

Verdict:

With the latest in-house SoC, the octa-core HiSilicon Kirin 710, Honor 8X will be the is the most affordable smartphone from Huawei to rock, which makes for good overall value. It has a sleek and elegant design with a vibrant display which may be a deal breaker for some. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

Official music launch of Bhoga Khirikee held at Cotton University

he official music launch of Bhoga Khirikee, starring Zerifa Wahid and Joy Kashyap and directed by Jahnu Baruah was held at Cotton University on Wednesday last. The movie has been co-produced by Madhu Chopra, Priyanka Chopra and Shahnab Alam. The movie revolves around the life of a woman, her struggles and the choices she makes in the course of her life. Zerifa is the protagonist of the movie and plays the character of Tagar. The song ‘Mur Bhoga Kihirikee’ the title track and the summation of the protagonist’s journey has been brought to life through the voice of Anindita Paul. The lyrics of the song has been written by Ibson Lal Baruah. The official music release was held with an interactive session between the team and the students of the university. The team of Bhoga Khirikee also held an open

Kenny Basumatary’s third venture ‘Suspended Inspector Boro’

fter the grand success and huge box office collections of ‘Local Kung Fu’ and ‘Local Kung Fu 2’, popular actor-director Kenny Basumatary and his local kung fu team are back with their third venture – ‘Suspended Inspector Boro’ which is a crime thriller. The film has been directed by Kenny Basumatary, produced by Bhishan Rai and Priyama Goswami under the banner of ‘B R Productions’. The film’s story-screenplay and dialogues have been penned by the director himself. The film’s story revolves around Inspector Boro, an incorruptible; take no-nonsense cop highly skilled at martial arts. He gets suspended for bashing up a well-connected gang of traffickers. A superintendent of police asks him to unofficially track down a girl named ‘Sabrina Rai’ who’s gone missing. The title role of the film is being played by Utkal Hazowari, who is famous for playing the villain in Local Kung Fu and then one of the hero twins in Local Kung Fu 2, most of the cast of Local Kung Fu 2 have returned in ‘Suspended Inspector Boro’. Eepsita Hazarika, Sarmistha Chakravorty, Mrigendra Konwar, Montu Deuri and Suneet Bora continue in this venture. The new addition is Mumbai-based actress Poonam Gurung, who has worked in Bengali film ‘Khoj’ and the upcoming Nagamese film ‘Uribo’, whereas Kenny Basumatary will be playing the main villain, Inspector Lokkhi Modon Jwala.

Sailadhar Baruah Film Awards ceremony to be held in January

T discussion event where students of the institution spoke about their Bhoga Khirikee (Broken Window) moment of life, how they broke social barriers to become what they are today. Bhoga Khirike e is the first Assamese film which has been assisted by Bollywood superstar

The film has been shot by Suruj Deka around some beautiful locations of Guwahati and Udalguri. It is edited by Kenny and the music has been scored by Utkarsh Dho-

tekar and Derrick Correia. The film’s sound designers are Tony Basumatary and Bonny Deori, colorist is Dhruva J Bordoloi, line producer is Anupam Baishya, actions by Utkal Hazowari and Montu Deuri and associate producer is B P Deori. According to the producer, the film will hit the movie theatres on December 7, 2018, across Assam.

Priyanka Chopra’s Purple Pebble Production house. The movie is all set to hit the theatres on October 26 across Assam.

he Sailadhar Baruah Memorial Trust is gearing up for the third edition of the Sailadhar Baruah Film Awards ceremony which will be held on January 13 next year. The trust invited several interested filmmakers to collect forms from their office located at Assam Institute of Mass Communication and Media Research, Uzan Bazar and then submit their films in Bluray or DVD format. The trust has mentioned that the forms have to be submitted on or before November 20 and films made in any local language of Assam will be accepted.

However, only the films that have been censored between January 1 and December 31, 2017 will be accepted, stated a press release. There will be several categories under which the awards will be presented. These include, award for best actor, best actress, best director, best film, best sound, best editing and best cinematography categories. The trust is also planning to hold the award ceremony at the northeast level from its fourth edition and accepting films of many north-eastern languages and is contemplating inclusion of best art direction and best script in its categories.

18 Fun

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

Horoscope of the week This week, a good opportunity of high monetary gain is foreseen. This gain will enliven the spirits and keep you motivated to perform in the best way. Good news for entrepreneurs as they may meet potential business fellows and convert them into leads. It seems that job holders may have to face some challenges during this time.

You may remain restless and not in a good mood in the beginning of this week. This may be because of the last days of waning Moon and influence of wily Saturn over the same. This effect may be more serious for you as the Moon is ruler of your Sign. From Wednesday, New Moon will start evolving which will have a rejuvenating effect on your soul.

Due to rising prices of commodities, you may need to earn more for the bread and butter of your family. This may lead you to try various ways of increasing the inflow of money. But, the ruler of your Sign Sun is now in debilitation, as it moves through your 3rd House. The strong Saturn in your 6th House views the debilitated Sun. This entire planetary cluster seems not to support you.

This week, you will run after achieving perfection in whatever you do. However being a perfectionist is good, don’t be crazy. Having a pragmatic approach may help at times. Over Wednesday, New Moon starts evolving which is known as good time to plan out your goals and long-term activities for this month (Lunar month).

In the beginning of this week, you will carry a restless mood. As Tuesday is the last day of waning Moon and as debilitated Sun and waning Moon are under view of wily Saturn, you may be in a mellow and gloomy mood. Over midweek, New Moon will start evolving, which will have a refreshing effect on you. You will remain joyful, albeit a bit low-profile, but bold and confident.

You may be keen to earn a fast buck, on the side, as the week begins. However, the current planetary positions do not seem supportive, so go slow, and certainly stay away from anything unethical. A New Moon starts evolving on Wednesday. It brings new hope and energy, owing to which you will get fresh ideas.

You are likely to come across a good opportunity for monetary gains. Is this the one, you had been waiting for? Be quick in responding to it, or it may pass! But, for some reason, if you cannot really take it up at the first go – if luck has it, stars may send it across your way – just once more, later in the week. Just keep your antennae up, says Ganesha.

Sun and Mercury moving through your 10th House may provide you with necessary expression and intellectual input – which will be useful in enhancing your prospects on the occupational front. Some new opportunity is also likely to come up. Things may move slowly in this regard, though, due to the retrogression of Venus.

Influence of Saturn over Moon and debilitated Sun shall keep you in a subdued mood, early this week. Sometimes, this attitude of acceptance is the best course to follow – as when struggling fails, flowing with the tide helps. Over Wednesday, a New Moon starts evolving. This is sure to have a refreshing effect on your psyche.

Ones in love relationship shall be dismayed by the strange behavior or unexpected conduct of their beloved. Manage your reactions to this. Do not get angry or blame anyone – even yourself. The best way to deal with this would be to wait for the other person to explain their stance – once they return to their senses, says Ganesha.

What started as a result of 12 friends in Guptipara, Hooghly in the then Bengal province, being stopped from attending a Durga Puja in 1790 AD? 2 This place is located in Ward No. 9 of Kolkata Municipal Corporation, mostly between Rabindra Sarani and the Hooghly River. A place of importance for the Durga puja. 3 What unique distinction is held by the Gauripur Rajbari’s Durga puja celebrations? 4 An authentic Bengali dish made with a host of vegetables like pumpkin, potato, brinjal and radish and local spices. Often served as a side dish with khichuri as bhog. 5 Ballygunge Cultural Association’s Dashami celebrations was used in the climax scene of this Bollywood Hit? 6 Identify this famous Durga Puja, the oldest in Kolkata, held continuously since 1610 AD? Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Garfield By Jim Davis

curio-city

3 6 2 9 2 7 7 3 1

6 8 6 7 5 6 8 1 1

4 5 3 8 8 1 5 7 7 3 4 8 1 8 2 9 3 7 4 8 6 5 9 2 7 1 6 1 8 3 7 1 9 4 Daily Sudoku: Fri 12-Oct-2018 hard 5 6 8 Daily Sudoku: Fri 5-Oct-2018

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1 last 9 7week 3 4 solution 6 8 2 5 8 4 5 9 2 1 7 6 3 9 4 7 3 2 1 6 5 8 3 6 2 7 8 5 1 9 4 1 2 8 6 5 7 3 9 4 6 7 9 5 1 8 3 4 2 3 5 6 9 8 4 2 7 1 4 8 1 6 3 2 5 7 9 5 1 2 8 6 9 7 4 3 5 2 3 4 9 7 6 8 1 8 6 3 7 4 5 9 1 2 9 5 8 1 7 4 2 3 6 1 35 29 54 81 68 77 39 64 2 4 76 33 19 65 97 22 18 45 8 6 7 1 2 9 8 4 3 5hard Daily Sudoku: Fri 12-Oct-2018

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

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http://www.dailysudoku.com/

1. The first Barowari Durga Puja. 2. Kumartuli, the place where the artisans reside and make the Durga idols. 3. Record for celebrating the oldest Durga puja in Assam. 4. Labra. 5. Kahaani. 6. Sabarna Roychowdhury’s Durga puja at Atchala in Behala.

curio-city

Sudoku

In the beginning, you may carry a kind of subdued mood but later on the New Moon starts evolving on the second day of week. Arising of New Moon will bring fresh aura and positive energy for you. This week, you will keep an agenda in your mind for meeting potential customers for the financial gain but benefices do not seem in right position to help you with this.

Monday is the last day of waning Moon, and Tuesday sees a New Moon evolving. Decide your goals for this month (Lunar Month) and plan out the activities accordingly. Such already planned activities may help you stay focused and encouraged. You can also consider aiming high and developing a methodical approach but the planetary position doesn’t seem here to support.

Word of the week ineluctable adjective [in-i-luhk-tuh-buh l] incapable of being evaded; inescapable: an ineluctable destiny.

Crossword Across

Down

1 Falling down (10) 7 Page(s) produced from a computer (8) 8 Mob violence (4) 9 Thread (4) 10 Apollo’s twin sister (7) 12 Impartial (3-8) 14 Mind-boggling (7) 16 Magician’s rod (4) 19 Dirty — dirt (4) 20 Steal (rhyming slang) (4-4) 21 Certainly (2,3,5)

1 Not original (5) 2 Period of time sufficient for things to work themselves out (4,3) 3 Some time soon (4) 4 Soak (8) 5 Tend — care for (5) 6 Movement (6) 11 Mausoleum at Agra (3,5) 12 SI unit of force (6) 13 Endurance (7) 15 Retort — Gracie Fields song (5) 17 Evades (5) 18 Pudding fruit (4)

Last week’s solution

Lifestyle

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

Significance of directions and planets in Durga Puja

t is extremely beneficial to worship the nine forms of Goddess Durga during this Navratri. The nine deities rule different directions which are governed by certain planets. So when these goddesses are worshipped, the malefic effects of the nine planets are nullified and as a result the vaastu defects of those directions are rectified.

Tip: Navratri is the best time to install the Sriyantra and the Durga Beej Yantra Few Do’s and Don’ts during Navratri 1. As Goddess Durga represents all the women on earth, special respect must be paid to the ladies. Goddess Lakshmi does not like them who do not treat women

Navarati special Nidhuboni Paneer Ingredients

Method

Paneer - 200 gms

Heat kadhai, add ghee, add sugar till it melts. Add cube cut paneer, fry for 2 minutes and take it out keeping it aside

Milk -100 ml Green capsicum - 2 nos cube cut Tomato - 2 nos cube cut Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Ghee - 2 tbsp Butter - 1 tbsp Sugar - 1 tsp Green chilly - 1 chopped

On the same kadhai add cube capsicum and fry for 2 minutes; keep aside

Now add kalongi and chopped green chilly, mix well and add milk to boil Add turmeric powder, stir properly and add capsicum and tomato Now mix and cover into for flame for 2 to 3 minutes Add salt and paneer mix and give some time so that it becomes a thick curry. Add the butter and serve.

Kalongi - 1/2 tsp Salt to taste

By worshipping Devi Shailputri, the sun is pacified which rules the East. By worshipping Devi Brahmacharini, the Planet Saturn is pleased which rules the West. By worshipping Devi Chandraghanta, you will be able to pacify Planet Moon, the ruler of the Northwest. By worshipping Devi Kushmanda, the Planet Jupiter is pleased which rules the Northeast. By worshipping Devi Skandamata, the ruler of the South, Planet Mars is pacifie d. By worshipping Devi Katyayani, the Planet Venus is pacified at Southeast. By worshipping Devi Kalratri, the Southwest is rectified by pleasing Planet Rahu By worshipping Devi Maha Gauri, ruler of the North Planet Mercury is pleased. By worshipping Devi Siddhi Datri, malefic effects of Planet Ketu at Northeast occurs. The following idols of Durga should be immersed in flowing water to get rid of various problems. Idols of different substances have different significances. 1. Immerse gold-coated Durga idol in the river to calm down Jupiter and Mercury. 2. Immerse Silver idol of Durga to pacify Moon and Venus. 3. Immerse earthen idol of Durga to solve the adverse effect of Mars. 4. The iron idol should be immersed to negate the bad effects of Saturn, Rahu and Ketu. 5. The Durga mantra to please all these planets is: “Om Hreem Dum Durgayei Namah”

properly and Goddess Bhagawati gets displeased. 2. Both males and females should practice Brahmacharya during Navratri and abstain from non vegetarian food and sex. 3. Do not leave the house vacant after establishing the ceremonial earth pot (Ghot) for puja till the ninth day. 4. Do not sleep during daytime in Navratri 5. One should refrain from alte rcations and fights in the se nine days of Navratri. The Devi refuses to enter a house which is having an unruly atmosphere. 6. As these nine days are very auspicious, do not waste them by sleeping late. Get up early and worship Mata Devi to reap maximum benefits. 7. It is advised to give up even onions and garlic during Navratri let alone non-vegetarian! 8. It is said that Goddess Durga may come in any form during Navratri. So do not refuse and guests or beggars without food or water. Even birds and animals should be offered food. 9. Avoid haircuts during Navratri. 10. Do not wear black and leather dresses/shoes/belts. 11. In India, lot of tantrik methods and black magic are practised during Navratri. The practitioners get extra power and boost in this period. So, do not accept any food or gifts from unknown people during these nine days. Warn other people also from doing it. Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

Sandeep Das

20 Buzz

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

Mental health awareness programme GU team visits Bhutan organized at Cotton University for cultural exchange

he Department of Psychology, Cotton University, in collaboration with the North East Indian Association of Applied Psychology, organized a mental health awareness programme on the occasion of World Mental Health Day. This year the theme was ‘Young People and Mental Health in the Changing World’. The Department took an initiative of addressing various mental health related issues faced by the younger generation. Hon’ble Registrar of Cotton University, Prof DK Das, in his inaugural speech, congratulated the various novel initiatives taken by the department since its inception

in 2015. He laid emphasis on the importance of sound psychological health of the younger generation and the various challenges faced by them in the present times.

The convener of the programme and the founding head of the Psychology Department, Dr Dimpy Mahanta, emphasized

on the various psychological issues faced by the adolescents and the young adults in today’s times, which if not recognized and managed, can lead to mental illness. She focused on prevention which begins with being aware of and understanding the early warning signs and symptoms of mental illness. Parents and teachers can help build life skills of children and adolescents to help them cope with everyday challenges at home and at school. Dr Mahanta also carried out a workshop on ‘Stress Management and Resilience Building’ where students from several schools and colleges across the city had participated. n

Rotaract and Rotary Club of Guwahati Luit execute Padhega India, Badhega India

s part of Padhega India, Badhega India campaign, Rotaract Club of Guwahati Luit and Rotary Club of Guwahati Luit handed over hand wash basin, water purifier and sports equipment under the Rotary India Literacy Mission initiative of Happy Schools to Shankardev Shishu Niketan School, Adingiri, Guwahati. A new hand washing basin, UV+MF water purifier with modern technology and sports goods like carom boards, chess boards and badminton sets were handed over during the event. The project aims to promote basic hygiene and physical activity. Ayush Baid, Vibhat Choudhary and Amrit Rathi were the conveners of the project, “This project

would help us convert the school

taract President, Saurav Jhunjhun-

14-member cultural team of the Gauhati University comprising of students and faculty members, recently visited Bhutan to participate in a three-day long cultural exchange programme

held at the Sherubtse College and the Royal University of Bhutan. The programme was organized to mark 50 years of Indo-Bhutan ties and focused on strengthening the relationship between the people of both countries through exchange of

wala presided over the ceremony with Himanta Dhing Mazumdar as the Chief Guest and District Literacy Committee Chairman, Tushar Jalan as the guest of honour. n

During the programme, the team performed folk dances like Satriya and Bihu, gurubandana, tokari geet, folk orchestra, patriotic songs, solo songs and many more that aptly mirrored the rich Assamese culture and heritage. The cultural team was lead by Ranjan Kr. Kakati, director, Students’ Welfare of the university and Jayashree Devi, assistant professor of the department of performing arts. The students comprised of Hirak Jyoti Sarma, Madhusmita Mahanta, Swarika Singha, Jayashree Sarma, Nipamoni Deka, Biswashi Mahanta, Biplob Gogoi, Anurag K Borgohain, Himangshu Rajbongshi, Arup Jyoti Kalita, Champak Bordoloi and Jitumoni Das. n

World Sight Day: Over 300 take part in Blind Walk Guwahati 2018

I into a partial happy school. In near future, we are going to raise funds and make the school a 100% happy school,” said Ayush Baid, Convener. Rotary President, Pawan Golchha; Secretary Pranjal Mena; Ro-

cultural elements that signified the rich cultural heritage of both the countries.

t was a sight to behold - an unending line of people in blindfolds walking shoulder to shoulder down the usually busy stretch of road from Food Villa to Don Bosco School, Panbazar. The Project Vision North East, in association with along with a host of other social bodies organized the ‘World Blind

This event was simultaneously held in 100 cities across six countries on the same day. The occasion saw more than 80 people pledging to donate their eyes and each was given a certificate acknowledging the same. Fr Joseph Mappilaparambil, Chairman, Project Vision North East, in his address, referred to the

Walk 2018’ at Food Villa, Don Bosco School,Panbazar on Thursday. The walk was flagged off by The Deputy Commissioner of Kamprup (M), Shri Virendra Mittal. In the event, 50 visually-impaired children led 250 blindfolded adults on a 1.5 kilometre walk starting from Food Villa to Don Bosco School. It was the 3rd edition where people experienced for the blindfolded people to experience the challenges faced by visually impaired people. The walk ende with Eye Donation pledge & performance by visually impaired children from Monfort & Jyoti Niketan School.

shortage of cornea that India was facing and exhorted all to stand up to the cause of eye donation so that “we can ensure that every Indian is able to see.” A network of organisations namely Rotary International, Lions Club of Gauhati, Rotaract Club of Guwahati Luit, NavJan, FaSce, Marwari Yuva Manch – Guwahati Greater, Monfort & Jyoti Niketan, WDC of the city and the north-eastern region supported the event. The walk ended with people taking a pledge to donate their eyes and body organs after death. n

Arjuna Awardee Hima Das at Royal Global University

rjuna Awardee, Hima Das interacted with students of Royal Global University (RGU) on Thursday. Chancellor, Ashok Kumar Pansari and Pro Chancellor Anil Kumar Modi welcomed the ‘Dhing Express’ with an Axomiya phulam gamusa and a xorai. Sushil Kr Pansari, Senior Director, Royal Estates Developers, felicitated her with a bouquet and announced their decision to gift a 3-bedded flat in ‘Royal Aawas’, Nagoan – an upcoming project under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana to be officially launched on 11 November, 2018. The ‘Mon Jai’ wonder girl, Hima, stated that through her life journey, she remained an inquisitive child, wanting to know through books what lies beyond the mighty seas. She is a voracious

reader of Assamese books, especially those by ‘Bhupen Mama’ and urged all the students to read and study well. Hima emphasized on the importance of sports, for everyone,

through which she herself found her calling in life. Through sports along with the blessings of the people of Assam, she has had an unbelievable journey from Dhing, Nagaon to the world sports arena. Her humility drew huge

rounds of applause when she stated how her father, even today, goes to the village market to sell vegetables. She admitted that she has imbibed his perseverance, strength and love for sports. Her joint family taught her the importance of team work and also take life’s challenges as they come. Hima during her interactive session with students motivated them to believe in their dreams and stressed that if one is passionate, dreams can be achieved. Hima has been an inspirational figure for the students since her unforgettable win at the women’s 400m final race in the IAAF World Under-20 Athletics Championship (junior level) in Tampere, Finland. n

Events

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 2018

Event: Hip Hop Night Date: October 7 Venue: Club V

Event : Sunday Club Night Date: October 7 Venue: Dunkin Oza

Event: Weekends at Underdoggs Date: October 5 Venue: Underdoggs

Event: Psytrance Night Date: October 6 Venue: Retro Town

Event : Acoustic night with Risky Biscuit Date: October 5 Venue: Nyx Lounge and Deck

G PLUS | oct 13 - oct 19, 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