Vol 6 Issue 15 by G Plus

@guwahatiplus | /c/gplusguwahati www.guwahatiplus.com

INSIDE

Volume 06 | Issue 15 Feb 02 - Feb 09, 2019 Price `10

JICA assisted water supply project commissioning delayed again

CAB row: 1st time city voters weigh

Understanding LEADER MINDSET in Assam’s critical times

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voting options PG 12-13

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Interim budget Daimary should be

BJP govt’s hanged: Kin of Brahmashtra blast victims before LS polls Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

The budget however lacks specific measures to control inflation which might lead to unprecedented price rise G Plus News @guwahatiplus The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Narendra Modi government has not left any stone unturned to woo the voters ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and the interim budget which was presented by interim Finance Minister Piyush Goyal looks like the BJP’s Brahmashtra. However, the budget lacks specific measures to control inflation. A Guwahati-based chartered accountant, Manoj Nahata said, “Though the interim budget will woo many sections of people, the government will lose a huge amount of money. The budget fails to explain how that loss will be recovered by the government.” He explained that with decisions like Rs 6,000 annual dole to farmers, income tax rebate up to income of Rs 5 lakhs per annum and tax deduction at source (TDS) exemption the government will have to invest a huge amount of money which will affect the inflation and there would be an unprecedented price rise in the market. Asserting that inflation is a hidden and unfair tax on the poor and middle class, Piyush Goyal said during budget presentation that the government has restrained the “back-breaking” inflation and brought it down to an average of 4.6 per cent. The average rate of inflation during 2009-2014 was a back-breaking 10.1 per cent, Goyal claimed, while presenting the budget for 2019-20 in the Lok Sab-

Piyush Goyal presenting the budget

ha. Though the inflation control mechanism was not explained well the middle class and rural citizens were happy with the interim budget. A city-based private sector employee said, “I am happy that I will not have to pay any income tax as I earn less than Rs 5 lakhs per annum.” A farmer based in Silchar, talking to G Plus said, “Many times because of floods I am unable to grow any crop but now I can expect getting Rs 6,000 from the government every year which never happened earlier.” Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, talking to G Plus expressed that it is a gimmick as he doesn’t know how the government will pay the first instalment of Rs 2,000 before 31st March 2019 as the budget is for the next financial year. n Related Stories on Pg 5

n January 30 last, a special court in Guwahati sentenced National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) chief Ranjan Daimary along with nine other accused in the serial bomb blasts in Assam that claimed 88 lives and left around 500 injured on October 30, 2008 to life imprisonment. However, as goes the adage, “Justice delayed is justice denied,” a majority of the family members of the bomb blast victims felt that the judgement has come too late and that justice has been denied to them. Speaking to G Plus, one of the victim’s kin, Kamala Choudhary, wife of Rajesh Choudhary who was killed in the blast at Ganeshguri, said that she is not satisfied

with the judgment given to Ranjan Daimary, as the “resourceful” Anjali Daimary (his sister) can file a case and he will walk out a free man after a year or so.

should be given capital punishment or should rot forever in jail,” added Kamala whose husband was an auto-driver. She further mentioned that

Ranjan Daimary at CBI court premises after the verdict “We don’t want to see Ranjan Daimary ever again. They are wealthy people and are well-connected. So it might be easy for them to come out of jail. He

although she has been working with the Guwahati Municipal

CONTINUED ON Page 9

TECH CITY: NE’s largest tech park to generate employment for 8,000 youth Chandrika Das @chandrikadas89

he largest tech park of northeast India, “Tech City” has been set up at Bongora, Kamrup (M). This is the first ever tech park of the region, which will house global companies. The tech part is a joint initiative of Government of India (GoI) and Government of Assam (GoA).

Overview:

The tech park has been set up with an objective to enable suitable environment for Information Technology (IT) and Information Technology Enabled Services (ITeS) industries. The park will not only provide facilities to different industries, but would also generate employment thus contributing to the growth and progress of the state. The tech city has been set up within a state-of-the-art campus of 103.39 acres which is further planned to be expanded by

Entrance of Tech City, Guwahati | G Plus Photo Page 2

2 Lead Story Snippets Bajrang Dal Member threatens Akhil Gogoi for being a ‘Muslim sympathiser’

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

TECH CITY: NE’s largest tech park to generate employment for 8000 youth From Page 1 another 100 acres. The park is well connected by roadways, airways, and waterways and is

tiated in January 2018 following which the foundation stone was laid by Union Minister of Electronics and IT, Ravi Shankar Prasad, along with Chief Minister Sar-

n a viral video, a Bajrang Dal member, Tutu Manta was seen threatening KMSS Leader, Akhil Gogoi for being a ‘Muslim sympathiser.’ The Bajrang Dal Member, identified as Tutu Mantar said, “Akhil Gogoi, I’m giving you first and last warning. You hold onto our ‘Hindugiri’ and don’t fight. You are a Bangladeshi! Don’t try to poison our Hindugiri. We are uniting the Hindus so let us do that.” He then said that Gogoi should stop all these politics, and that he is a farmer’s leader and he should carry on with that. If not, one day “our Assam will move into the hands of the Muslims and start working for the Hindus. Whatever the BJP is doing, they are doing well.” “We are from the Bajrang Dal, we have 630 Hindu bodies in the country and we all are with the BJP, not with you. I’m an Assamese and well understand the Assamese language. You carry out twelve protests in twelve months. Our BTC chief, Hagrama Mohilary is right. If you don’t protest, you suffer from epilepsy. You are burning Assam. Why are you trying to bring scams in the name of Axomiya? What right do you have? Don’t think about how many people you have with you.” Mantar further added that it is only because of the BJP that the country is undergoing progress and it is because of Gogoi that the state will “move into hands of Muslims.” At the end of the video he mentioned, “Throw away the Muslims from our state, they are from Bangladesh. This is the last warning. Either I will die or kill you to make it clear. Let us announce it [Assam] as a Hindu Rashtra and don’t dare to mess with it.”

Protesters march naked in Guwahati city

group of protesters marched naked on the streets of Guwahati near Janata Bhawan against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill on 1 February. Carrying placards and raising slogans, the protesters stripped themselves naked in protest of the controversial bill. It is to be mentioned that previously several organizations have staged naked protests after the bill was passed across the state. This Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8, 2019, and is awaiting contention by the Rajya Sabha.

2018 out of the total sanctioned amount of Rs 50 crores from the Central Government. The finance contribution for the project is shown below:

located 400 meters from National Highway (NH) 37. The nearest railway station from the project is the Kamakhya Railway Station, which is approximately 15 kms from the site. The park is located 4 kms from the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport and 15 kms from the Pandu Port. The institutions of higher learning that lie in close proximi-

bananda Sonowal and IT Minister of Assam, Keshab Mahanta during the Global Investors’ Summit held in Guwahati in February, 2018. According to the department, the major work of the project has already been done. Peripheral roads have been developed and the demarcation boundary has been done. The construction of the approach roads to the park

M/S Amtronics CC (US based) which, for the first time in India, will be manufacturing Quantum Dots Nano Crystals

Particulars

Amount (INR Crores)

Grants from Govt of India

Funding from Govt of Assam

39.89

Contribution from AMTRON and Constituent Units

29.96

Total

119.85

Companies and units in the cluster:

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad addressing at Global Investors’ Summit in 2018

manufacturing and proposed investment of Rs 6.5 crores.

So far, the following companies are confirmed to open their offices in the tech park. The companies include names from IT, electronics and manufacturing industries. The sectors of production include Quantum Dot Nano Crystals, Solar PV, Photonics, Smart Meter, Internet of Things, Robotics, and Artificial Intelligence. JnJ Powercom Systems Ltd. (Hyderabad) having key product line – Smart Grid and Smart Meter manufacturing and proposed investment of

and other downstream products with proposed investment of Rs 104 crores. DS Systems Pvt Ltd (Guwahati) having key product line - Power Conditioning Equipment and Solar Products manufacturing with proposed investment of Rs 6 crores. M/S Rashmi Smart Meters Pvt Ltd and Reach Seamless Ltd (Kolkata) which will be setting up electronic manufacturing service unit for PCBA using SMT Technology. Responsible eWaste Management Pvt Ltd (Siliguri) which will be setting up an e-waste management plant.

Employment Generation:

The tech park is expected to generate employment for almost 8,000 youth in the state, directly and indirectly. Speaking on this, MK Yadav, Managing Director, AMTRON said, “The Park will generate huge employment opportunities in the region. The skilled youth, unlike before, will not have to go out of the state to make a liveli-

Work in progress as Tech City gains shape | G Plus photo ty of the site are Indian Institute of Information Technology Guwahati, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Gauhati University and Assam Engineering College. The development and design work of the park has been taken up by a Gurgaon based company, M/S Voyants Solutions Pvt Ltd, whereas, overseeing of the marketing and promotion is being done by M/S Honeycomb Global Strategy and Innovations Solutions.

Development of the project so far: The construction of the park is expected to be completed by December, 2019 The infrastructure development process at the site was ini-

is in the developing stage. A site camp and security barrack running on solar power has been set up for continuous supervision and monitoring. The project is being monitored 24X7 through the installed CCTV cameras and the appointed security personnel.

Project Outlay and Finance:

Budget for the total project is Rs 119.85 crores The proposal of the project was given in-principle approval by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEITY) on 20th December 2017, after receiving approval from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was approved on 23rd January 2018. The 1st instalment of Rs 10 crores had been released by MEITY on 7th March,

Road work leading to Tech City in progress and lit up | G Plus photo Rs 50.50 crores. M/S Simoco Telecommunications (Kolkata) Ltd having key product line – LED lights

hood. For the first time, such an opportunity has opened up in the state. The park is expected to boost Assam’s economy to large extent.” n

Concern

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

JICA assisted water supply project commissioning delayed again Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

he Japan International Cooperation Agencyassisted (JICA) water supply project which was supposed to be partially commissioned by the end of January has been delayed again. Officials informed that they are now planning to finish the partial commissioning work within February, i.e. this month. “The work is ongoing in full swing and we are expecting to finish the work by the first half of February,” mentioned deputy chairman of the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) Mukuta Deka. G Plus had previously reported that around 2,000 houses would be benefitted by the first phase of the project and would receive 24X7 water supply. Officials had earlier informed that the project was slated to begin by the end of January and this has again got deferred.

Houses around the Pan Bazar and Fancy Bazar areas of the city were to be benefitted by the first phase of commissioning.

The Northern Guwahati Water Supply Project is slated to provide 38 million litres per day (MLD) of water to North Guwahati, once completed.

JICA is assisting a water supply project in the Northern Guwahati region as well as in South-Central Guwahati. The project was initiated to ensure uninterrupted 24X7 water supply to the respective regions of the city. Officials said that the entire project is expected to be to be completed approximately by 2020. The Northern Guwahati Water

Work continues to be in progress, eternally | G Plus photo Supply Project is slated to provide 38 million litres per day (MLD) of water to North Guwahati, once completed. As per the authorities, the project consists of four major parts of construction. These include, building the intake wells in the Brahmaputra River, construction of the water

treatment plant, building of the reservoirs and finally the supply network. Officials informed that the construction work for the water treatment plant has already been completed and water testing is currently underway at the plant. They further mentioned that construction of the Kamakhya

reservoir is ongoing and will soon be completed. Talking about the reasons for the consecutive delay in the project, authorities said that contractor issues were the main reason behind it. The total project cost is estimated to be around Rs 1,450 crores. Out of this, around Rs 1,300 crores is coming as a loan from JICA and the rest from the state government. Apart from the contractor issues, interference by locals also hindered the smooth functioning of the project. The locals had earlier threatened that if they were not involved in the construction process, they will not let the work be completed. They expressed their demand to supply construction materials to the sites. However, the matter was resolved later. The physical work of the water supply project began during the first half of 2012 and was supposed to be completed in 28 months. The delay has been enormous. n

Water scarcity - a major issue for Guwahatians

ater scarcity has been a major issue for the residents of the city. G Plus conducted a survey “Let’s Talk Guwahati” earlier this year which revealed that four out of every ten houses in the city do not have a water connection, while half of those who have water connection do not receive sufficient water supply from different government agencies. In the survey, more than 10,000 people from over 100 locations in the city were asked about the various issues they face in the city. While 40 per cent of the respondents said that they did not have a water connection in their house, 48.3 per cent of the participants said that they receive insufficient water supply from the various government agencies

The water scarcity problem becomes worse during the winters; residents of various areas of the city like the RG Baruah Road and Christian Basti have to depend on private water suppliers to fulfil their daily water requirements.

responsible for supplying water namely Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), Guwahati

Metropolitan Drinking Water & Sewage Board (GMDW&SB) and Public Health Engineering department. The water scarcity problem becomes worse during the winters; residents of various areas of the city like the RG Baruah Road (commonly known as Zoo

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Road) and Christian Basti have to depend entirely on private water suppliers to fulfil their daily water requirements. Experts say that the main cause for concern is the depleting underground water level which is decreasing day by day. “Metropolitan cities such as

Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai, also face water crisis but there the governments are actively involved in providing relief to the residents,” Debajit Borah, a Guwahati-based builder informed G Plus. He added that the Assam government, too, should follow their footsteps and provide water facility to areas with low levels of ground water. “The city needs to be properly planned and developed by the authorities so that the increasing number of housing complexes can be sustained in a proper manner. The government should think of building some infrastructure for water related projects,” said Borah. Another city-based builder mentioned that the average individual requirement of water is 150 litres on a daily basis. n

4 Governance

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

Police to bolster up security for political events Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

events and meetings called by different parties to ensure that no such untoward incident is

such incident. “Fortunately, such an incident has not taken place in Guwahati

BJP leaders have strongly condemned the attack on Moran and other such incidents carried

aking precautionary measures after the Tinsukia incident where the district BJP president Lankeshwar Moran was attacked by protestors on January 30, the police are all set to beef up security measures for political events in Guwahati as well as the entire state. Moran was on his way to attend a programme organised by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) when the attack took place. A mob of agitators, who were protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, waved black flags in front of Moran. However, they suddenly turned violent and started thrashing him. Following this, Moran had to be taken to the civil hospital for treatment. The Guwahati commissioner of police, Deepak Kumar, told G Plus that the overall security arrangement is going to be beefed up across the state. “We will not be increasing the security of each political leader but safety measures on the whole will be improved in the coming days especially for political events,” said Kumar. He added that even though the district and state party presidents are already given personal security, police will be specifically alert during political

president Ranjit Dass. Further, addressing a press conference on Thursday, the party vice president Pradip Thakuria and MLA Nomal Momin said that no one should be allowed to take law in their hands and that all protests should be carried out in a democratic manner.

“Even though the district and state party presidents already get security, police will be specifically alert during political events and meetings called by different parties to ensure that no such untoward incident is repeated anywhere.”- Guwahati commissioner of police, Deepak Kumar

Flie photo of Commissioner of Police, Kamrup (M), Deepak Kumar repeated anywhere. Speaking about the measures undertaken by the police to control black flag protests in Guwahati, the commissioner said that police personnel in the city are on alert for curbing any

till now. However, we are always on the alert now and we also try talking to the protestors during any agitation to prevent it from turning violent,” Kumar told G Plus. On the other hand, the state

out by different organisations. “We strongly condemn this act, these miscreants want to create disturbance in the state in the name of protests. This is total hooliganism in the name of democracy,” stated BJP state

“We request the state government to thoroughly investigate the matter and identify the culprits at the earliest. We will also be submitting a letter to the chief minister requesting him to set up an enquiry into the matter,” said Thakuria. n

BJP to step up security of leaders outside Guwahati

n the other hand, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) members informed G Plus that they will step up security for their party leaders and members in far flung areas and districts. “The party is planning to increase security of our party leaders in other districts and remote areas in light of the recent events where black flags were waved by protestors,” informed a party member. He added that even though BJP leaders in the state are mostly all members of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) and they usually do not require security and are capable of protecting themselves, additional safety measures are being planned for areas outside Guwahati. Various indigenous organisations have been protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 for the past

several days. The BJP-led state government has faced flak over its decision to pass the Bill which

“BJP is also planning to step up security for its leaders and members in far flung districts.”

was passed by the Lok Sabha on January 8 and is waiting to be passed by the Rajya Sabha. The Bill has seen various protests from across the state over the past few months which intensified since it was passed by the Lok Sabha. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 seeks to amend the

Citizenship Act 1955 by making Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan to become eligible for Indian citizenship. The Bill proposes to relax the norms of a person to apply for citizenship by relaxing the 11year requirement for residing in India to six years for people belonging to the earlier mentioned BJP activists in a procession in Guwahati condemning the assault on BJP workers | | G Plus photo six religious communities. the BJP carried out a state-wide part of the protests, a march was Following the attack on Moran, protest on Friday, February 1. As also carried out in Guwahati. n

Governance

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

10 NE political parties, JD(U) unite to protest against CAB Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

en political parties of the northeastern region, including the current and former allies of BJP, along with the JD(U) have unanimously decided to oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 (CAB). The parties came together for a meeting at hotel Vivanta by Taj in Guwahati on January 29, Tuesday to clarify their stand on the CAB and to appeal to the central government to scrap the legislation. At the meeting convened by Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma and AGP president Atul Bora, the parties resolved to oppose the bill together “in the interest of the people of northeast.” “We are happy that instead of opposing the bill separately, we have come together for a common cause,” said Atul Bora, president of AGP. The northeast political parties that participated in the meeting

are Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), National People’s Party (NPP), Indigenous People’s Front of Tripura (IPFT), Naga People’s Front (NPF), Mizo National Front (MNF), United Democratic Party (UDP), Hill State People’s

Conrad Sangma, Zoramthanga, Atul Bora addressing the media | G Plus photo Democratic Party (HSPDP), People’s Democratic Front (PDF), National Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), and the Khnam. As many as 25 leaders attended the meeting on January 29, 2019 including Meghalaya CM and NPP President, Conrad Sangma,

Tax relief but no change in slab

hough the individual tax payers who earn up to Rs 5 lakhs per year will get a bit of relief with the tax rebate announced by the government, the government has not tweaked the income tax slab. A city-based chartered accountant said, “Those who are earning more than Rs 5 lakhs will

Atul Bora, AGP President, Keshab Mahanta, Working President of AGP, Mizoram CM Zoramthanga among others. “This meeting is the outcome of a natural process as we felt we must come together and oppose

have to shell out the tax at the same rate as they were paying before.” The current tax slabs of 20 percent tax on income between Rs 5 lakhs to Rs 10 lakhs and 30 percent tax on earnings of over Rs 10 lakhs would continue in the next fiscal year beginning 1st April 2019. Even for people earning

the bill in one voice,” said NPP president and Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma. He further added that the meeting was a natural process, considering the opposition of the northeast states to the bill and it’s not politically motivated.

From Page 1 between Rs 2.5 lakhs to Rs 5 lakhs, it is not a direct exemption. Instead of giving straight exemption on income up to Rs 5 lakhs, the finance minister twisted the situation by giving rebate under section 87A of Income Tax Act. Thus if income is more than Rs 5 lakh, the tax payer cannot claim rebate under section 87A. n

Major budget announcements Individuals earning taxable income up to Rs 5 lakhs will be exempted from paying income tax

In the same vein, AGP President Atul Bora said that the meeting was “historic” as political parties have unanimously decided to oppose the bill and ensure that it is not passed in the Rajya Sabha. “We took a strong resolution to condemn and totally oppose the

List of political leaders who attended bill intended to be passed by the central government,” Mizoram chief minister and MNF president Zoramthanga said, addressing the media. Earlier, Mizoram had witnessed a boycott of Republic Day functions following a call by the

NGO Coordination Committee, an organisation of civil society groups and student bodies, to protest the bill and the state chief minister addressed an almost-empty ground on the 70th Republic Day. The CAB, which seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan has led to fears in the northeast about an influx of illegal immigrants to the region. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill which has evoked massive protests across the northeastern states was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8 and is expected to come up for voting in the Rajya Sabha in the budget session beginning January 31. The opposition parties, students’ bodies and the civil society across Assam are protesting against the Bill claiming it will nullify the historic 1985 Assam Accord and harm the demographics of the region. It may be mentioned that the BJP is trying to convince the constituents as most of these political parties are constituents of the North Eastern Democratic Alliance (NEDA). n

No specific budget announcement for northeast

n the interim budget presented on 1st February in the Lok Sabha, there were no specific announcements on northeast other than a proposal to increase the allocation to the region by 21 per cent to Rs 58,166 crores in the interim budget for 2019-20. But it was not specific

the northeastern areas is being proposed to be increased by 21 per cent to Rs 58,166 crores in 2019-20 budget estimates over 2018-19.” Later he only narrated what all has happened in northeast. Goyal said Arunachal Pradesh has come on the air map recently and Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram

that which states will get it and when. Assam Congress leader Debabrata Saikia questioned when will the allocation be made and where. Interim finance minister Piyush Goyal, during the budget session said, “The allocation for

have come on India’s rail map for the first time. The finance minister said the government will introduce container cargo movement to the northeast by improving the navigation capacity of the Brahmaputra River, but he did not announce any specific project. n

Exemption limit for tax deducted at source in bank interest and post office savings has been raised to Rs 40,000 from Rs 10,000 Farmers owning land less than two hectares will get Rs 6,000 per annum in their bank accounts by direct benefit transfer Pension scheme targeted to benefit workers in the unorganised sector with income of up to Rs 15,000 per month It will provide monthly pension of Rs 3,000 to unorganised sector workers after they reach 60 years of age All farmers affected by natural disaster will get an interest subvention of up to 2%, and adding to that a 3% interest subvention will also be given for timely loan repayment Grant worth Rs 60,000 crores has been given to Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA). Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog to be set up to enhance productivity of cows Gratuity limit increased from Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 30 lakhs Allocation for the northeast was proposed to be increased by 21% from the previous year

6 Poll Snippets PM Modi likely to Inaugurate GuwahatiNorth Guwahati Ropeway

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

Life Imprisonment is an appropriate punishment for the convicted NDFB (R) chief, Ranjan Daimary: G Plus poll Harshita Himatsingka @HHimatsingka

mid raging protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the northeastern states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Assam on February 9 and inaugurate Guwahati-North Guwahati Ropeway. The total length of the ropeway is 2 kilometers and will be India’s longest ropeway on river. The cable car will have a capacity to carry 30 passengers and will take 8 mins of travel time across river Brahmaputra. It will not only help boost tourism but essentially will help people reach Guwahati or North Guwahati in just 8 mins. The operating deck will be on the south bank and security and safety has been given utmost priority with an extra reserved line for the car in case of technical issue. The passengers will not be stranded mid-way. The lower terminal of the ropeway will be at Panbazar Guwahati, in front of Nehru Park, while the upper terminal will be at Rajadwar village behind the Dol Govinda Temple in North Guwahati.

Old Saraighat Bridge in Ghy to be closed from February 10

he Kamrup district administration has decided to close down the old Saraighat Bridge in order to carry out a massive repair of the road deck portion of Saraighat Bridge from February 10. It is to be mentioned that as many as 80 identified deck slabs of Saraighat bridge are going to be replaced in the maintenance work. Also after completing the slab, Asphalt layer will be provided over the entire bridge after replacing all expansion joints. Over 100 steel barricades will be placed to deal with traffic problems post the closure of the old Saraighat bridge.

special court in Guwahati delivered the verdict of life imprisonment to National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) chief, Ranjan Daimary on January 30 in connection with the 2008 Assam serial bombings in various locations across the state including 3 locations in the city. This verdict comes ten years after the incident occurred. Nine others were also sentenced to life imprisonment for the same crime. On 30th October 2008, the NDBF triggered a series of blasts in Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Barpeta. The blasts killed 88 people and left more than 500 people injured. Earlier, the special court had convicted the chief of the NDFB, Ranjan Daimary and 14 others. It requires mention that Daimary was on interim bail since June 2013. However, on January 28 of this year, his bail plea was rejected and he was rearrested with charges of the serial bomb blasts in Assam. NS Yadav, CBI’s investigating officer for the case, told the media that they had demanded death penalty for the culprits. The poll conducted by G Plus had over 1,700 participants and opinions and comments started flowing in on all our social media channels. Of the 1,700 participants, 66.67% people said that it was appropriate punishment, while 30% disagreed and said that life imprisonment was inappropriate. 3.33% percent people said they weren’t sure and opted for a “Maybe” in the poll conducted. The majority of the people (66.67%) were of the belief that life imprisonment was an appropriate punishment for Ranjan Daimary as he had committed a heinous crime against the people of Assam. Many were killed and so many more were injured. Numerous people were happy that he had got life imprisonment. However, some people were also of the belief that this punishment was not harsh enough. He was compared to Kasab who was responsible for the Mumbai terror attacks and people said that Daimary should be hanged just like Kasab. They also opined that since Daimary

File photo of the 30th Oct 2008 bomb blasts in Guwahati comes from a powerful and wealthy family, jailing him might not be the solution as he might get

and just life imprisonment? He should be hanged,” commented a resident of Guwahati Ashapurna

Do you think Life Imprisonment is an appropriate punishment for the NDFB (R) chief, Ranjan Daimary as conviction for the 2008 serial bomb blasts in Guwahati? May be

3.3%

30.0%

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1.7K Yes

66.7%

Get the G Plus app out, one way or the other. The final consensus suggested that the best solution would be to hang him. “He killed so many innocent people

Saikia. Respondents (30%) disagreed with the imprisonment verdict

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who life were

mainly supporters and sympathizers of the National Democratic Front Bodoland (NDFB) and did not want their leader to go to jail. Their thought was that Daimary was only using a means to an end. They believed in his cause and methods. These respondents do not think he did anything “so” wrong. Their belief lies in the fact that there is always collateral damage and it is not a big deal if it was done for the greater good of the community. “Assam government wants to punish the NDFB leader, Ranjan Daimary only because he is a Bodo and Assam government never wants to punish bloody ULFA terrorists because they are Assamese. We Bodo must be united,” commented another follower, Barhungkha Brahma. The remaining respondents (3.33%) decided that they were not sure if the life imprisonment sentence was fair or not. It’s true that Daimary had committed a major crime, but there was reason behind it as he said he was doing it to prove a point for his community members. “Good, law should be equal for all,” said Atikur Raja Khan who neither asked for Daimary to be hanged nor said that what he did was right. n

In The News

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

Senior Congressman Mallikarjun Kharge apologises for remarks on Bhupen Hazarika The conferring of Bharat Ratna on Dr Bhupen Hazarika is a recognition of his unmatched ability to bind together people across physical, language and emotional barriers: Kharge Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

enior Congress leader Mallikarjun Khaerge has been in the news for his remarks on the conferring of Bharat Ratna to Assam’s legend, singercomposer Dr Bhupen Hazarika. Kharge had slammed the Narendra Modi government for not conferring the Bharat Ratna on Lingayat seer Shivakumara Swami and instead choosing “a singer” (Bhupen Hazarika) and a “man who propagated their RSS ideology” (Nanaji Deshmukh). Consequently, a case had been filed against him with the Assam police. Going back on his words, however, Kharge has now called it a matter of delight that the Bharat Ratna is being conferred on the same people who he had earlier referred to as a “singer” and a “man who propagated RSS

ideology.” “It is a matter of great delight to learn that the government of India has conferred the Bharat Ratna on Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Dr Bhupen Hazarika and Shri Nanaji Deshmukh this year,” said Kharge. Kharge had earlier said, “I welcome the decision to give Bharat Ratna to Pranab Mukherjee, but Shivakumara Swami Ji worked a lot in the education sector and spent his life working for the orphans and their education. He should be honoured with the Bharat Ratna award. We had expected this.” For his remarks, a case was filed with the Assam police based on a complaint by RTI activist Raju Mahanta who accused Kharge of hurting the sentiments of the Assamese people. “A case has been filed against Mallikarjun Kharge at Morigaon Police Station,” said Swapnanil Deka, Superintendent of Police of Morigaon district. Mahanta, who is also the president of Sahai, a socio-

File Photo of Mallikarjun Kharge cultural organisation of central Assam, said he had filed the case as the remark passed by Kharge was objectionable and demanded an apology from the Congress leader. Clarifying his stand, Kharge has now said, “The reverence with which he was looked upon

is a tribute to his creativity, generosity, and humility. The conferring of Bharat Ratna on Dr Bhupen Hazarika is recognition of his unmatched ability to bind together people across physical, language and emotional barriers.” He further added that Dr Bhupen Hazarika was one of our

country’s most gifted artists whose extraordinary talents encompassed music, poetry, literature and cinema. His contributions brought the culture and art of Assam to the attention of the world. Dr Hazarika’s work greatly enriched the cultural landscape of our nation and his influence on the world of art and culture remains profoundly relevant even today. Kharge has also extended his wishes to the family and friends of Dr Hazarika saying, “The family, friends and countless admirers of Dr Bhupen Hazarika will be delighted on this honour and I offer my congratulations to all of them.” The President of India’s office, on January 25, had announced that the country’s highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna, would be conferred on the Bard of Brahmaputra, Late Dr Bhupen Hazarika. The government also conferred the Bharat Ratna on Nanaji Deshmukh and Pranab Mukherjee. n

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8 City Snippets Guwahati Uber office vandalised by miscreants

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

Jeevan Kite Festival - A humble attempt to save the Brahmaputra Chandrika Das @chandrikadas89

he Guwahati office of appbased cab service, Uber, was vandalised on January 28. “A few protestors entered the office, upturned chairs and also damaged office equipment like printers and computers,” informed a source at Uber office, requesting anonymity. Officials at Ube r are of the opinion that the vandalism was caused by cab drivers’ association. “It is likely that the cab drivers’ association was behind today’s vandalism since they have been protesting against the company for the past few weeks now,” the source added. He added that one of the reasons could be the drivers’ resentment towards Uber which has stopped giving incentive on trips to the drivers since the past several months. Now on the contrary, the drivers now have to pay 26% on each trip to the company. However, the All Assam cab Drivers’ Association has denied these allegations. “We did not carry out any protest today and I have no knowledge about any such event,” said president of All Assam Cab Operators’ Association (AACOA), Ismail Ali. Additionally, some of the longpending demands of cab drivers in the state has been to revise the base fare in Assam. “Since our cars operate on petrol which is more expensive than CNG, the base fare should also be revised accordingly,” informed a member of AACOA.

Infant found inside dustbin in Guwahati

body of a newborn wrapped in a towel was found in a dustbin near Nehru Stadium, Guwahati on 31 January. The incident came to the light after locals spotted the baby lying inside a dustbin. They immediately informed the police and Mrityunjoy -108 Ambulance service. One of the locals stated that the waste collector might have brought the newborn and left the body along with waste materials inside the dustbin.

eevan Kite Festival (Sila Noi), the one and only kite festival of the city, has entered into its 8th annual edition. The festival was first started in 2012, and is a part of the Brahmaputra campaign. The founder of the festival, Suresh Ranjan Goduka, along with hundreds of young and enthusiastic volunteers from all over the state, has attempted to uplift the face of the Brahmaputra River through this festival. This year, the festival saw participation of more than 400 volunteers. The festival, over the last 8 years, has come a long way. It started as a 1-day-affair with a budget of Rs 30,000. Today, it

has grown to become a celebration of 5 days which requires a budget of nearly Rs 50-70 lakhs. The festival has not only changed the look and feel of the banks of the Brahmaputra River, but also brought people closer to nature. The banks of the Brahmpautra River have largely turned into dumping grounds. The initiative behind the kite festival is to give people the idea that river banks could be used for various cultural and recreational activities, such poetry sessions, food festivals, film festivals, rock concerts etc. “This river is the backbone of Assam. We should utilize the potential of the riversides. We can use six months of a year for different activities. The main motive behind the festival is to bring the urban youth close to the river and make them aware. At the same time we try not make it feel like an awareness campaign, but a happy celebration to help the youth understand in their own language,” said Goduka adding, “It is a matter of shame that in spite of having massive potential, we have transformed the riverside

into a mere dustbin and dumping ground.” According to Goduka, the riverside can serve massive winter economy for the state and also boost the tourism sector of Assam. He suggests that the riverside must be extensively used to cultivate vegetables, set up art galleries, and bring people together for talk shows or book reading sessions every weekend. The Kite Festival requires

preparation of more than 3-4 months. To clean an area encompassing 3 lakh sq feet is tiring work by itself and consumes a lot of time, the founder of the festival said. “We face a lot of problem while taking permissions from the government departments. No government body wants to take responsibility for the festival. But for the festival, we require permissions from several departments starting from police, PWD, DC Office, pollution control

board, to traffic and fire brigade. These works require a lot of time,” added Suresh Goduka.

(mask making), which represents the rich culture of Majuli. A mock village of Assam along with a

One can witness an array of kites of all colours, shapes and sizes in the festival. While the smaller kites are made by people of the city and the volunteers, the bigger ones are brought from cities like Delhi and Mumbai. There are kites ranging from 10 feet to 30 feet which costs a whopping amount of Rs 10,000 to Rs 30,000. These kites are sent to various international kite festivals. People can see kites made of both paper and cloth, and also kites which are lit during the dark. Artists like Manoj Baruah and his violin troop, folk band ‘Shukladwaj’ and students from various city colleges will be performing in the festival this year. Workshops are held to teach people the art of Mukhaa making

Naamghar has been created to introduce the urban youth with the Assamese traditions. A panel discussion, “Brahmputra Round Table,” around the theme of “River Brahmaputra: Tourism, Skill and Cleanliness” will also be held. Speaking about the identity crisis of the state, and the role of the river which is its lifeline, Suresh Goduka said, “Northeast has more than 100 tribes. Many tribes are demanding its own land and identity. The only common element for each tribe is Brahmaputra. In this vulnerable time, when the land is facing such a tough time, the river will act as hope and strength.” Late Bhupen Hazarika has rightly said, Mahabahu Brahmaputra maha milonor tirtha. n

Cover Story

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

Daimary should be hanged: Kin of blast victims From Page 1 Corporation (GMC) on a daily wage basis, she is yet to become a regular employee till date. “I have been running continuously between Janata Bhawan and the DC court. When I approached the GMC commissioner and requested her to give me a permanent job after the blasts, she said that she had no say in the matter and only the government could help me,” informed Choudhury who is a mother of three children. She said that even during the

Congress regime, the government did nothing for the families of blast victims. “Now that the BJP government says that it works for the people, we are hoping that they think about us. On October 30 last year, during the programme held to commemorate 10 years of the blasts, Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya had reassured me that I would definitely get a job but nothing has happened till date,” Choudhury added. Another Guwahati resident, Niru Kalita, who lost her hus-

Govt did not do enough for us: Blast victims’ family

ccording to officials, the state government had provided compensation to all the blast victims. The Assam government had provided Rs 3 lakhs each to the next of kin of the deceased. Further, Rs 50,000 each was given to the 238 persons who sustained serious injuries while Rs 10,000 was provided to people with simple injuries.

families of the victims had been made aware about the job issue years ago and had understood. Additionally, some of them had also brought forth the issue of improper payment of widow pension and Indira Awas Yojana and the government had assured them of all possible help. However, on the other hand, the family members of those killed in the blasts feel that the government has not done enough for

A kin of a victim breaks down during a tribute function at Ganeshguri In 2015, the then Kamrup (Metro) deputy commissioner, M Angamuthu had announced that apart from the compensation given by the state government, the next of kin of the deceased had also received an additional Rs 3 lakhs directly from the centre as a three-year lockin account. Further, according to officials, as per the rules of the Assam as well the central government, there is no provision to provide jobs to next of kin of the families affected by extremism. Authorities said that the

them. They informed G Plus that they feel as if the

officials are not concerned about their plight. “The government organises one programme every year to mark the occasion but are least bothered during the rest of the year. Even during the programme, none of the officials come up to us to ask about our well being or how we are conducting our lives,” complained a woman who had lost her husband in the blast which occurred at Ganeshguri. n

band during the blast, told G Plus that her husband had retired just ahead of the day the blasts occurred. “The judgement serves us little purpose as it has come very late. Only the families of the victims know what we have been through in the last ten years. Now, he (Daimary) should not be allowed to come out of jail on any grounds and should be denied contact with his family,” said Niru whose husband Pramod Kalita worked as a clerk in Guwahati. She added that her daughter

Rumi is a graduate in Political Science but could not get a government job all these years. “She requested many government officials but to no avail. I spent each penny received as compensation by the government on my daughter’s education,” she mentioned. She further said that she has been receiving Rs 3,000 as pension every month on behalf of her husband. In the same vein, Tarali Das, who also lost her husband in the 2008 bomb blasts, said that she is

not completely satisfied with the judgement. “My daughter was two years old when my husband was killed. She didn’t even get to know her father. I have been running from pillar to post requesting the government for a job to sustain my family but nothing has been done in this regard,” said Tarali who works as a domestic help. She added that her daughter is currently studying in class 9. She, however, added that some of her loss may be compensated if she gets a job. n

10 Special

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

Reminiscing the life of a newspaper icon and Guwahati’s great philanthropist Harshita Himatsingka @HHimatsingka

“O

ur lion has passed away. Now, when I look at his office, I don’t know how to feel. It’s empty and he’s gone. He had only one ideology ever: Don’t delay anything. If you can complete something today, do it. Whatever resources you need, take it and do it now. Never leave anything for later,” said Dipak Barman, a close associate of Shri GL Agarwalla, his eyes red from lack of sleep, but not lack of grief. January 31 was a sad day for the city of Guwahati as it lost one of its most prominent figures, Shri GL Agarwalla, Chief Managing Director of GL Publications Ltd and eminent social worker, philanthropist. He had been fighting a prolonged illness and was undergoing treatment at Nemcare Hospital. Shri Agarwalla was 79 years old when he passed away at his Lachit Nagar residence. Speaking to G Plus, Barman, who was the right-hand man of Shri Agarwalla said that his mentor was not only a philanthropist, but a man of many talents. He had made his mark in the newspaper industry and how! He was the editor-in-chief of The Meghalaya Guardian, editor of The North East Times, managing editor of the Assamese daily, Amar Asom and Ed-

itor of one of the highest circulated Hindi dailies, Purbanchal Prahari. Taking a look back at Shri Agarwalla’s life, he was born on September 19, 1940 at Barpeta Road and did his schooling there. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree (Hindi) from BH College and was one of the most eminent personalities in the newspaper business during the 1980s. It was in 1989 that Shri Agarwalla started GL Publications Ltd with the sole intention to publish a daily newspaper. He was a prolific writer and has been part of many path-breaking publications such as the Barpeta Zil-

larthaan Satra Aru

Math-Mandir, Desh-Bedekhar Rong Butoli, Jugadrista Jyotiprasad. He was also associated with the publication of the first Assamese encyclopedia, Asomiya Vishwakosh which was made in collaboration with the Asam Sahitya Sabha and he was also the general secretary of the North East Newspapers’ Society. In addition to being a flamboyant yet modest newspaper man, Shri Agarwalla was also a pioneer of social work in Assam. His GL Social Circle is considered one of the best practices in the country and his ambulance service, which also includes a hearse service, was a first-of-its-kind in the region. He was also the man who was instrumental for the complete overhaul of the Bhootnath cremation ground at Bharalamukh in Guwahati. Shri Agarwalla was a man who could do it all. He was even associated with a number of socio-cultural and religious organizations, including the Asam Sahitya Sabha. He is

also a recipient of a number of prestigious awards, including the Dr Ambedkar Award for Social Service in 1998 and has represent-

ed Assam in various national and international media events. Dr Lakhminandan Bora, Homen Borgohain, Dr Nagen Saikia, Kanaksen Deka, Late Mamoni Raisom Goswami, Dhirendra Nath Chakraborty - all prominent literary figures - also contributed to a biography related to Shri Agarwalla’s lifetime contributions entitled “GL Agarwalla: Ek Swapna Drastra.” Many prominent figures have mourned the loss of Guwahati’s publishing icon. “A hardworking and enterprising personality, he contributed immensely to the growth of media in the state. He was also a noted social worker who worked for the social empowerment of the down trodden and marginalized section of the society. A multi-faceted personality, he was also known for his flair in literature and his death is a great loss to the state,” said Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi. “By establishing newspapers such as Amar Asom and Hindi daily, Purbanchal Prahari, Agarwalla contributed immensely to the journalism sector of the state and through his GLP Social Circle, he touched many lives in their times of need. His contribution to the different aspects

of Assamese society is unparalled and the people of the state would always remember his work in the field of journalism and social

GL Agarwalla was the editor-in-chief of The Meghalaya Guardian, editor of The North East Times, managing editor of the Assamese daily, Amar Asom and Editor of one of the highest circulated Hindi dailies, Purbanchal Prahari…. His GL Social Circle is considered one of the best practices in the country.

service,” said Sarbananda Sonowal, chief minister of Assam, in a statement. Former chief minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi also offered his condolences and wrote on his Twitter that he was “deeply anguished on the passing away of eminent journalist, publisher and social worker GL Agarwalla. His contribution to the print media as well as social work in Assam will remain indelible. My condolences to his family and friends in this time of grief.” Shri GL Agarwalla leaves behind a son, a daughter-in-law, four daughters, four sons-in-law, granddaughters and grandsons among various relatives and admirers. G Plus pays its tribute to Shri Agawalla with prayers that his great soul rests in sublime eternal peace. n

Guest Column

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

Understanding LEADER MINDSET in Assam’s critical times

ssam’s recent history unfolded in a way no different from what it had witnessed earlier. Misrule of previous governments helped a party to capitalize on people’s sentiments by inducting high hopes and creating a feeling that “good days” are on the way. Its powerhungry leaders made foolishly impractical quixotic remarks based on extravagantly chivalrous ideas that tested the boundaries of xenophobic feelings. These proud, pompous leaders proclaimed to throw all illegal immigrants out of this state and not allow even a single one to stay back in this land, once they takeover power. To waylay the unsuspecting people a charismatic leader raised a fanciful tale of development model of a faraway state, setting up a comparison with Assam (the basis of which in any way is unreasonable or perhaps impossible). This reverberated well with the masses of the state which, having been over-laden by the burden of illegal immigration saw a beacon of hope in the new untested party. These leaders with a gift of the gab tossed up various acronyms and slogans every now and then like ‘Ashta Lakshmi’ (eight forms of the Goddess of Wealth for

the northeastern states) to show their deceitful commitment. It is said that time is the ultimate revealer and true to its meaning the actual objectives of the governments are now exposed as they slyly bring in a new amendment to existing laws through the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 so that their machinations of vote bank politics can be secured and they can become an election winning machine in the future. Their care for “persecuted peoples” of a few select religions from neighbouring countries by giving them citizenship of our country going against the fundamental tenets of the Assam Accord, far outweighs their care for their own people. While self-interests

rule supreme they have not for one small measure cared about

Many hubris-nemesis rulers or organizations do endeavor to develop their nations and their sympathizers often point out how people benefit. They do not act out of goodness per se, but rather to build strong bases for conquering or at least dominating space and time as they see it. Most of these traits are amply observed in the behaviour and actions of the present ruling dispensations.

overstepping boundaries, and impiously defying all who stand in the way? Social scientists have identified a concept for thinking about the mindset that drives an organization or its leader that is the result of a “hubris-nemesis complex.” This complex involves a combination of hubris and nemesis. In Greek mythology, hubris is the pretension to be godlike, and thereby fail to observe the divine equilibrium among God, man and nature. NRE Fisher describes it as “behavior that was intended gratuitously to inflict dishonour and shame upon others” or “to the values that hold

dynamics of retribution. While hubris vainly and arrogantly defies proper conduct and balance in human affairs, nemesis harshly restores them. In so doing, both have a tendency to get out of control and both to victimize. Thus a long cycle of hubris and nemesis, followed by new acts of hubris and nemesis, is set into motion. Their combination “hubrisnemesis” creates strange dynamics of a mindset that may lead to destructive, high-risk behavior. David F Ronfeldt of RAND states that “in this extraordinary dynamic, the two forces no longer stand apart. They get fused in a single mind. They become

upholding the vital interests of Assamese indigenous people. These leaders prove far worse than the British imperialists,

who in their time of rule, had the means and a mind to care deeply about the critical demographic imbalance that is caused by mass immigration from a neighbouring country. They developed the creation of a national register of citizens for this state so that the culture, heritage and language of this land and its people do not get obliterated with time. Why do some organizations or their leaders have this dangerous mindset? What causes them to hoodwink the public to cause catastrophic damage to their own people? Why do they show bravado, destructive, high-risk behavior? Why do they show the least regard to people’s feelings, disdaining the cardinal virtues of life, ignoring people’s feelings,

a society together.” On the other hand, nemesis is a Greek Goddess of the offence that boomerangs back on its perpetrator. Nemesis is generally used to refer to the

compatible contradictions mutually reinforcing each other in a fusion that, far from destroying the bearer, imparts enormous energy, ambition, dynamism and thirst for power. The two forces feed on each other such that the stronger one is, the stronger the other becomes. The mentality and behavior of a leader under the spell of both forces seem substantially different from those of a leader affected by only one or neither of the two forces. A leader inflated with that much grandiosity and vengefulness may not make what are normally regarded as reasonable, pragmatic calculations of interests, goals, benefits, costs and risks. Many hubris-nemesis rulers or organizations do endeavor to

develop their nations and their

Dwaipayan Bora sympathizers often point out how people benefit. They do not act out of goodness per se, but rather to build strong bases for conquering or at least dominating space and time as they see it. Most of these traits are amply observed in the behaviour and actions of the present ruling dispensations. In the Mahabharata the hubris of the Kauravas led to the rise of the avenging nemesis - defeat and death at the hands of the victorious Pandavas in the battlefield of Kurukshetra. The epic shrewdly posits the need for pragmatism, humility and negotiation for future rulers/leaders. It pointedly shows the transient nature of human lives - health, wealth, privilege, good fortune, power, kingdoms and empires: nothing lasts forever. Time vanquishes all. Chanakya’s fourth sutra says – Rajyamulamindriyajayah – Control over the senses – the feedback from people is the root of state’s welfare. The state should formulate its policies according to the feedback it receives from the people with proper modification. The underlying moral is that the ruler/leader should pay heed to people who will not flinch from expressing their honest opinion. This has proved to be the cornerstone for efficacious public administration and sound statecraft. This is where our governments failed miserably and the Joint Parliamentary Committee could not stand up to its task. For the ruling party in the state, this conceited act can become its Waterloo. For the Assamese people, this is a moment of reckoning to determine the merits of their leaders/rulers. Chanakya’s words are relevant here: Khalaanaam Kantakaanaam Cha Dvividhaiv Pratikriyaa, Upaanaamukhbhango Vaadoorataive Visarjanam: There are only two ways the wicked and the thorns should be dealt with: crush them or go away from them. To conclude, they shouldn’t be dealt with leniency. (The author is an engineering professional working in the oil and gas industry, is based in Kuwait. He originally hails from Guwahati and his continues to beat for Assam.)

12 Vox Pop

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

CAB becoming a law: 1 time city voters weigh voting options st

Chandrika Das @chandrikadas89

very year, several millions of people turn 18 and become eligible to cast their votes in India. If numbers are to be believed, there are approximately 10 crore first-time voters who will decide the fate of the nation during the 2019 polls. First time voters are a very important group for any party. The new age voters are often more informed, updated and connected; they are better educated and more tech-savvy than the rest of the voters in the family. Their understanding of voting is often disconnected from the established political leanings of the family. The new age voters often tend to

grow up as loyal party members. But with the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 making the noise, Assam is sure to face a turbulent situation during the elections. G Plus tried to find out what the first-time voters have to say about CAB 2016 and what they look forward to:

“I belong from a Hindu Bengali family and I truly oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Because of the bill, we are facing many threats from people who do not have any idea about the issue and the content in the bill. I do not want any communal riots among our own people.” Sanghamitra Sarkar

"The Citizenship Amendment Bill is firmly opposed by all indigenous Assamese people, including me. Assamese people have never opposed the co-existence of the various tribes in Assam, but will not support any action that will take away the political rights from the hands of the indigenous people. The bill is even against the Constitution of India." Tripti Kana Bhuyan

"I strongly oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill and do not want it to be passed in the Rajya Sabha. The bill violates the Assam Accord. There is no doubt that Assam has already faced a lot of issues including terrorism and disputes over Bodoland. Now with this bill, situations have become worse. Assam and India at large is already over populated. Indigenous people are deprived of basic rights. Giving legal citizenship to illegal immigrants will only worsen the situation. Moreover, the bill has become a communal issue. The BJP government is using the bill for political benefits and the immigrants as a vote bank. The peace of the state has been harmed and more Hindu-Muslim, Assamese-Bengali rivalry is being seen. My opinion is irrespective of my religion or community. This is based on just one fact - I am an Assamese Indian." Sabir Hussain

"Every single vote matters here, which is why I want the elected leaders to understand the consequences of the state. We are not against any particular religion, but we need to realise that if Assam is filled with immigrants, our culture would end. I strongly oppose Narendra Modi for showing his support towards the bill. A country with 1.34 billion people must not think of passing a bill to take in more immigrants. Assam is a small state and it can no way take the burden of any more people. Indigenous people are almost reduced to minority. The process of NRC and the sacrifices that led to the Assam Accord will turn futile. A civilised individual will never support such a bill." Rinji Kalita

“The bill is a national bill which is not confined only to Assam. Since thousands of years, India has been giving refuge to people whose lives are in threat, be it Parsis of Iran, Jews of the Middle East or the Tibetans of Tibet. When Mohammad Ali Jinnah created the Islamic state of Pakistan, he gave an assurance to non-Muslims that they will have equal rights. However, in course of time, it has been realised that this promise was a false one and Pakistan and Bangladesh were countries where religious minorities were in severe threat of being wiped out altogether. Since the presentday area of Pakistan and Bangladesh were parts of the civilisation of India for at least 5,000 years, it is our duty as Indians to provide citizenship to the persecuted religious minorities on the lines of the Nehru-Liaquat Agreement. The Citizenship Amendment Bill will ensure that Assam remains a Hindu-majority state for 10 more years. The demographic change in Assam, due to which Hindu population is declining at a rapid pace of 3-4% every 10 years, is shocking and unprecedented by world standards.” Sagarika Das, B Borooah College

“If the Citizenship Amendment Bill is passed, the identity of Assamese people will face serious threat. The consequences will severely affect the language and culture of the state. The whole lot of illegal immigrants will move to Assam to take shelter. Like Late Dr Bhupen Hazarika had once said, the Assamese people will become isolated in their own land. The bill will lead to serious riots among the people of all languages and cultures in the state of Assam.” Nikita Deka

“As a student, I oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill. The bill has pressurised the indigenous people. The government has not been capable of giving establishment to the indigenous Assamese people, and now it is planning to bring in more immigrants to the state. If the bill is passed, there will be disputes on religious grounds. The government has started to divide the state on the basis of religion and this is not acceptable. I also oppose the bill because passing of the bill will only mean the end of the Assamese community. The people of the state have given power to the government, but they should not misuse that power. They should utilize the power for betterment of the state. The government is trying to cheat on the people using the slogan “Jaati, Maati, Bheti.” But they should not forget that we students are ready to sacrifice our lives for our motherland.” Irsadul Majej

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

“The Citizenship Amendment Bill was initially known as the Citizenship Act, 1955. Since then, the bill was amended several times in history and no opposition on such a big scale was seen towards any amendment till date. The Constitution of India consists of 6 fundamental rights. The Constitution is very flexible but there cannot be any changes that will violate the fundamental rights. In my opinion, the bill should not be passed as it violates the fundamental rights. Moreover, there is no evidence of complaints from the Bangladeshis that they are not living in peace in their own land and they want to migrate to India. Moreover, these people won’t be given citizenship immediately after entering Assam. So, it is clearly evident that these people are being used as vote banks. The BJP government has not been able to fulfil the promises they made to the masses. In turn, they are trying to divert the attention of the people from all their failures ahead of the election.” Prerna Das

"I strongly oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill. I oppose the fact the government is trying to give citizenship to the people who have been identified as illegal immigrants in the NRC. The bill will not only bring threat to the Assamese identity but also divide the secular country that India is. The bill will disrespect and destroy the sacrifice made by 855 martyrs. Moreover, if the bill is passed, it is inevitable that Assam will forever have to bear the burden of illegal immigrants. If the bill is passed, Assam will face a situation like that in Tripura, and this has given rise to a sense of fear in the hearts of all the Assamese people. This bill is also a major threat to Assamese language, culture and identity." Subrata Baruah

“As a first time voter, I feel that, if the bill is implemented, the rights of the indigenous people of Assam and northeast will be destroyed. By executing this bill, the BJP government is trying to divide the nation on religious grounds and starting politics of vote bank. So, we as voters of the nation, strongly believe that this bill which goes against our Constitution, should not be passed. Even after seeing the crucial situation of the state, if BJP government brings the bill to law, as a first time voter, I will be forced to eradicate BJP from my list.” Jasmine Sultana

“As a responsible citizen and as a first voter it is very important that we choose a good representative from the ground level itself. Rather than focusing on the party, we should ensure that we choose an individual who stands for the people. And considering the issue of Citizenship Amendment Bill, voting for BJP won’t be wise. The party has put the interest of the indigenous people of Assam at risk. Even if they have capable MP, MLA representatives, yet the party’s policy will force the representatives to speak in support of the party. So, it wouldn’t be wise to vote for the same.” Tina Choudhury

“I believe that as a first time voter, am ought to be more responsible as to whom I should cast my vote. As a youth, I expect our leader to stress on problems and issues like employment, healthcare, etc. The Citizenship Amendment Bill is an attack on the demography and identity of Assam. Assamese people will never accept to be a minority in their own place. There are so many tribes in the state, who are already obsessed to ascertain their roots in Assam. The migrants are majorly Bengali speakers. And Assam will never accept other language to rule here.” Mahboob Akram Mazumdar

Vox Pop

“As a first time voter, I hope that the Citizenship Amendment Bill is no way implemented. If we see from the democratic point of view, the bill in many places, talks about religion. And India being a secular country, will not accept any bill which will divide the people on religious grounds. The bill opposes the Constitution, which is why I feel the bill should never come to power. We cast our valuable votes expecting a leader who will work with the people and for the people. But today I stand in a position, where as a first time voter, I need to think twice before casting my vote. I am worried who to elect, who will stand by us, who will do good to us and who will prove us wrong. As a first time voter, I also expect to have leaders on board, who can work for the state and the people in real sense, and not for any political benefits. It is unfortunate that today we can’t say that our state or our country is in the correct hands. We, the first time voters, expect to elect a person who can think of the people before his or her selfish interests." Madhusmita Das

“This government still has some time until the elections. Before casting my vote, I’d reflect on all the work the government has done since it came to power. The votes of the young people are going to make a big impact. We will have to check the consequences of the Citizenship Amendment Bill, and at the same time, we cannot deny or overlook the work that the party has done in Assam. All these factors will play major roles in this election. There was a time when people ignored to register their names as eligible voters. Today, people are aware of their rights and they know how important their votes are. The Citizenship Amendment Bill is going to affect the culture and identity of the indigenous people, and most importantly, it is going to affect the employment sector.” Anwesha Mahanta

“For a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic nation like India, a bill like Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 is derogating the very essence of the Indian Constitution and the Preamble. It definitely violates Article 14 (Right to Equality) and secularism has been crushed. As a first time voter, I have to think several times before I cast my votes as I don’t want it to get wasted. As I prepare myself to cast my vote, I expect to get a leader who can lead the citizens towards a holistic development of all.” Nazifa Shahin

“I strongly oppose the Citizenship Amendment Bill. As stated in the Indian Constitution, India is a secular country and this amendment bill is directly violating the statement. This bill also violates the National Registration of Citizenship process. A lot of time and effort have been put into the NRC process. It has been going on since June 2015 till date and finally when the process has reached a stage of nearcompletion, the CAB is trying to render the whole process invalid. Overpopulation has always been a jinx in the growth and development of Assam and overloading people, as a result of the amendment bill, will only contribute to the ongoing outburst. The ongoing feud between the political parties of Assam has barred the state’s development. By casting my vote, I hope to end such meaningless quarrels over power and authority. I expect my fellow Assamese brothers to reassess their priorities and together make a combined effort for betterment of the state.” Chinmoy Medhi

14 G Talk E

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019 T

No sympathy for Ms Daimary

lashback 30th October, 2008! When the sunny morning turned dark from smoke billowing out of bombs that blast serially at the busiest localities of Guwahati… When panic spread so fast that it would have given a Tsunami wave a run for its money… When schools and colleges sought to lock their gates after pushing its students out as fast as they could… When mobile phone lines got jammed and without WhatsApp and Messenger or Facebook, the archaic SMS was left as the only means of communication… Such was the loss of lives that day that the chief of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), Ranjan Daimary, who had owned up to masterminding the blasts became public enemy no. 1. I had suffered a personal loss too – a material loss by way of a relative’s car which, in no way, can be compared to the colossal human loss of fathers, mothers, children and most importantly the breadwinners of the families. Today, after 10 years, the Court has delivered a verdict of life imprisonment to this mindless act of terror and while there are comparisons galore to the Kasab death sentence verdict, I am wondering if this is a case of “Justice delayed is

justice denied” or “Better late than never.” However, what gets the gall is the contention of Anjali Daimary, Ranjan’s resourceful and well-connected sister, that the verdict is wrong because Ranjan was engaged in peace talks with the Government of India and that she would appeal to a higher court against the same as part of the legal recourse available. Further, what was more despicable was her act of trying to gain sympathy in front of the media by portraying herself as victim because she was Bodo as against those Assamese terrorists (read ULFA) who had perpetrated a blast in a school at Dhemaji and yet are still enjoying their freedom. We don’t really understand how the Indian judiciary works and are equally pained that those Assamese terrorists are still free. But an act of terror cannot be anything other than inhumanity, killing someone else in cold blood is and has always been a heinous crime that deserves the severest of punishments. In this situation, giving a communal colour to gain sympathy speaks volumes about the lady’s lack of remorse for her brother’s actions. Simply unacceptable! n

Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali

How much Saffron is there in Assam?

he Bajrang Dal seems to have captured a lot of people’s attention after a recent video surfaced of a Bajrang Dal member threatening KMSS Leader, Akhil Gogoi. A key question that popped up was, “How strong is the Bajrang Dal really? Can it truly trouble the peace in Assam?” Honestly speaking? These organizations have become strong enough to cause a stir in the state. With “these organizations,” I am referring to the likes of Bajrang Dal, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), that have managed to creep into the greater Assamese society – that too at its grassroots level. It does look like they have managed to assimilate among the people and get authentic support from the rural Assamese society. These politically and religiously motivated organizations are no longer seen as “crazed religious fanatics,” but are managing to change their perceived image to social activist groups looking to rebuild the Hindu identity. From what I’ve heard, these groups started their legwork long ago - going into remote villages, building infrastructure, “strategically educating” people and empowering these remote villages. And then of course, this empowerment has led to these activists being protected by the same society. 5 years ago, a Bajrang Dal, or a VHP was a non entity in Assam. Today, they manage to capture the headlines. This is only because over time, they’ve built their numbers almost exponentially. Their doggedness and tenacity is evident today and the hostile Bajrang Dal member’s video is nothing but a case in point of the power that they feel they wield. While I’d be personally wary of orange colours everywhere, I am fairly certain that if it were left to the people in Assam, they’d choose the orange over green any day.

Sidharth Bedi Varma @sid_bv

Eastward Ho! NE IndiaASEAN connectivity

uring my travels to the international border areas in the region and after being appointed Advisor to the Border Trade & Chamber of Commerce, Moreh town, Manipur, I have interacted extensively with the local population. Based on my observations, I would like to suggest the following core issues that need to be addressed to boost trade and employment in these areas. 1) Ministries such as the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DONER) should have one member at least from each of the northeastern states to enable each state to put forward their point of view regarding trade and development in their respective states. 2) Active engagement of Institutes like the EXIM Bank, North Eastern Develoopment Finance Corporation (NEDFi), National Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development (NABARD), Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India (ECGC). These respective institutes can hold awareness & information seminars and interactive sessions from time to time in these areas with the active engagement of the local trade bodies. 3) A core committee can be formed with representation from every state that has an international border to enable institutes and trade bodies to get ready up-

rStrange logic by Ex CM

dates of the ground reality with data. This will go a long way in attracting prospective exporters, importers and investors in the region. 4) Officially only Moreh in Manipur and Zorinpui in Mizoram (287 kms from the Sittwe Port in Myanmar) has been recognised with LCS (Land Custom Station) along the Indo-Myanmar border. A lot more can be done if we have more LCS along the Pangsau Pass in Arunachal and in Mon district in Nagaland. 5) There must be Border Trade Chamber of Commerce in Zokhathar in Mizoram, Pangshu Pass in Arunachal Pradesh and in the Mon district of Nagaland all having sizeable border with Myanmar. 6) Every state along the Indo-Myanmar border should be well equipped with an Information Centre at the borders to reach out to importers/exporters and prospective investors. This will also result in self employment generation and development among the people living in these areas. 7) Border Haats (markets) to be set up at all the border points along the Indo-Myanmar border for close border trade on either side of the border. As of now only a few functional Haats are operational along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya. A better and upgraded model needs to be developed along the Indo-Myanmar border to boost trade.

O pinion SM Farid

8) For trade promotion in any form state-of-the-art warehousing facility along the border areas is a must exclusively for perishable products. In most cases the border areas are far off from the nearest towns and cities. 9) Our region is blessed with beautiful hills, flora and fauna. We need to capitalise on it and promote tourism and club tour packages with our state festivals like the Sangai festival in Manipur, the Hornbill festival in Nagaland, the Tawang festival in Arunachal Pradesh, the Bihu festival in Assam along with the Thai-Ahom villages in upper Assam etc. 10) Last, but not the least, I would like to rephrase “Investor friendly” to “Investor ready.” If a few of the above mentioned points are addressed along with the infrastructure development in the border areas I am sure we will be ready to attract the right people to invest in our region like elsewhere in the country. SM Farid is an entrepreneur and trade consultant (ASEAN region). He can be reached at shahfarid90@ gmail.com or +91 9864028318/ +66 850986141

Letter to the Editor

he octogenarian politician and three time Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi once again stunned the public when he commented on Dr Bhupen Hazarika being awarded Bharat Ratna. Tarun Gogoi, in his usual style in yet another press meet, expressed unhappiness and questioned NDA government why Dr Bhupen Hazarika was chosen for the highest civilian award at this hour. Like his party comrade Mallikarjun Kharge, Gogoi has certain reservations on the centre’s decision. He further said that during his tenure he never thought of conferring the highest civilian award on our dear Bhupenda because he had political and ideological differences with him and he doubted whether that move would pull votes for him and his party. If such is the thinking of a veteran politician of Congress then God save the party. The political vendetta of Congress against Dr Bhupen Hazarika denied him the most prestigious award during his lifetime. At least Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government must be appreciated in this regard that they have shown guts to confer the same award on our former President Pranab Mukherjee who was from Congress. Late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during his tenure too conferred Bharat Ratna posthumously on Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi, who too was from Congress fold. Dr Ashim Chowdhury, Ambari, Guwahati

rRuthlessness of BJP It is quite apparent now that the BJP-led NDA government at the centre is hell bent on passing the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in the Rajya Sabha despite enormous protests and agitations across all the states in northeastern part of the country. Even NDA partners like JD (U), Shiv Sena, and Akali Dal are opposed to this bill, besides BJP's regional partners in Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram and Nagaland. This implies the ruthlessness of the BJP to fulfill its political agenda of winning the next general elections by any means - by hook or by crook. The aim is to consolidate the Hindu votes, and hence, the BJP has also initiated steps to handover a large parts of land in Ayodhya to the Ramjanabhoomi Nyas for construction of the so-called Ram Mandir. These moves would have serious adverse consequences in future. Narendra Modi, in one of his election speeches in earlier times, had ridiculed Ram Vilas Paswan (incidentally, now his partner at the centre) for proposing similar moves of allowing minorities in Bangladesh to get Indian citizenship. He had stated then that if this is allowed, these foreigners (??) one day in future would become the MLAs, MPs, chief ministers and even the Prime Minister of the country. The sad tragedy is that in order to retain power, the BJP is hell bent on taking opposing but drastic steps that would be harmful for India. A Bhuyan Nagaon

In Focus

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

Life in Theatres: In the words of renowned Guwahati-based theatre artist Robijita Gogoi

uwahati based theatre director, Robijita Gogoi has always been inspired by life. She believes, there is story in everything that you see and come across. An alumna of National School of Drama, New Delhi, the artist now runs her own theatre company called “Studio Jirsong.” She has “interpreted” international plays such as Marguerite Duras’s La Musica (French), JM Synge’s The Riders to the Sea (Irish), Harold Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter (English), Bijoy Tendulker’s Kanyadaan, Mohon Rakesh’s Aashad Ka Ek Din and Joy Shankar Prashad’s Dhruvswamini. Her characters are often blunt, strong and convey messages that one would deeply ponder over. G Plus gets into a candid conversation with the artist to know more about her life in theatre.

Tell me something about your childhood and education background? I was born and brought up in Diphu. I completed my schooling from Diphu and graduation from Handique Girls’ College. That was when I shifted to Guwahati. After that, I took up my master’s course in political science, but did not complete it; I got selected for the National School of Drama (NSD). Both my parents are school teachers. My sister is a journalist and my brother, a businessman. I am the first in the family to come out and work in theatres. How was scenario of dramas and theatres in Assam back in 1993? The mobile or the internet boom was not there. Personal communication was more during that time. The theatre scenario was

influenced by society, politics and economics equally. People were very much concerned about social issues. The communication today has become much easier, which has influenced the artists to a large extent.

How did the interest for NSD rise in you? I read a lot of books. I wrote plays since my school days. During college, I wrote and directed my own plays. I penned down my first play when I was in class X. I wrote plays when I was studying at Diphu Girls’ College. Even during my graduation days, I wrote and directed my plays. I don’t remember how the interest began. I was more involved with literature and debating. But I guess, reading books gave birth to this interest. Moreover, Karbi Anglong, the place where I grew up, is a vibrant place. Everything about the place back then was natural - the skies, the hills, the open fields, and the colours. There are several tribes residing in Karbi Anglong. I grew among tribes like the Nagas, the Karbis, the Dimasas and many more. We saw diversity since birth. We never had to visit any other place to witness diversity. I think that has

influenced several artists like me.

and ‘Burkha’. In an abandoned room, the lady wearing a saree could be seen hiding herself to save herself from some unseen entity. At the same time, a lady covered in burkha enters the room. Outside the room, people can see riots happening. Both the characters of ‘Saree’ and ‘Burkha’ start getting scared of each other. As the play goes on, the characters are revealed and you get to know that the one in burkha is actually a Hindu lady, and the burkha she is wearing has been given to her by a Muslim lady, helping her save herself from the riots outside, which is shown to be a Muslim dominant area. The message that I want to convey is that looks can often be deceptive. There are much more to being human that see and judge someone. There is a very strong dialogue in the play said by the Hindu lady – “Hindu mandirot Musalmanor probexh nixedh. Kintu Hindu gunda ejonor probexh nixedh nohoi.” (In a Hindu temple, the entry of a Muslim is banned. But the entry of a Hindua ruffian is not).

A scene from the play ‘Baagh’

What did you study at NSD? I studied design and direction.

In many languages have you directed your plays till now? I have directed plays in Assamese, Karbi, Hindi, Bengali, English, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu and several others in India. I have been to Japan and worked with Japanese artists.

How did you manage to work on plays in so many languages? Do you know these languages, speak or understand? Also tell us how you work on your plays in different languages.

Theatre itself is a language. In theatres, oral language doesn’t matter so much. What matters are your emotions and expressions and these elements are universal. Indian languages are not difficult to pick up since most of them are derived from Sanskrit. Recently, I directed a play in Kannada language called ‘Ashadh Ka Ek Din’, and another one in Malayalam named ‘Untitled’ and I never found language to be a barrier. Working on a play in different language is not tough. I read the script, I develop the concept. We usually prepare the File photo of Robijita Gogoi script in multiple languages. I read the script

in Assamese or Hindi, and then try to learn the words in the ‘other’ language. The story and the feel will remain the same, no matter in what language we perform. So, the emotions involved and the acting will remain universal.

When you started working, we did not have many female directors. Was it difficult for you to work in the industry? It was difficult, and it is still very difficult. When you are in such a profession where you have to be in constant communication with people and travel most of the time, you are often judged. And it takes a long time for the women to establish themselves in comparison to a male in the same industry. Whether you act in ten plays or work for hundred, there will always be people to question you. And this mindset is unseen, this outlook is not visible. But this is present everywhere in the country.

Can you tell us something about your play ‘Baagh’? This is considered as one of your most influential plays. ‘Baagh’ is a political play, and has a very strong message on humanity to convey to the public. The script is written by Sisir Kumar Das, a renowned writer and scholar. The play was initially named ‘Tiger’. Later it was translated from Hindi to Assamese by Late Mamoni Raisom Goswami. As the play begins, you can see two characters named ‘Saree’

What stories from Assam do you think need to be told through such art? I think one can make great biopics on the life and contributions of Late Bhupen Hazarika and Late Pratima Pandey Baruah. They are well known even outside Assam. The tea garden of Assam can make brilliant storyline for drama, theatre or film. Considering the current times and situation, the turbulent state of Assam can also be portrayed through art form.

Where do you draw your inspiration from? People in theatre, drama, or films are often very observant. For us, stories lie in every corner and in every state. From flowers to empty roads, from womanhood to violence, there are stories in everything. Every other place in Guwahati has its own story. We see them, feel them and then show them to people.

16 Feature

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

Pull your socks up! Let not failure in pre-board examination dampen your spirit

Shreeprakash Sharma Principal, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya spsharma.rishu@gmail.com

re-board examinations for the XII class students have now been finished and the results of which must have also been published. Unlike the expectations, it is possible that you might not have done very well and so must be feeling very disappointed. For majority of students, this dismal performance appears to be worse and they take it to be the end of the beginning of the much-dreamt promising career of life. But the reality is not so grave even if preboard examination results did not turn up as had been planned and expected. In fact, the pre-board examination result serves as an eye-opener because it is a precursor of the things which will take shape in the finale of the board examinations. But the failure to achieve as per your expectations at this stage does not mean the end of everything. Nor is it a holocaust. It is alarming but doors are not finally closed. You can do miracle even now, if you determinedly and religiously follow the steps given as under.

1. Make a 360 degree analysis of your performance and find your Achilles’ Heels

Pre-board exam results serve as the truest report card of both the strength and weaknesses of an examinee. So first, analyze the results of each subject very minutely and honestly. Possibility may be such that you must have done very well in a few subjects while in some of them you were not so fortunate. Identify the subjects along these lines of ‘Done very good’ and ‘Failed to do very good’. Getting this home work done very painstakingly means getting half of the work done and finishing half of the journey to the preparation of the final examination of the board. Finally, chalk out a revised plan to give more time to the difficult subjects. Reallocate time for the self study as per the difficulty level of various subjects without any delay, frustration and selfguilt.

2. Start mending the problems via surgical strike Some students always fear mathematics while some suffer from inborn phobia for language like English. If your pre-board

examination performance was badly affected due to these two factors, then it is right the time to rectify them. For mathematics, you need to labour hard and put yourself to regular practice. Find out the specific chapters which always put you in trouble. Start working on them with war-like urgency and do-or-die attitude. In so far as building and refining lingual capability is concerned, it is a bitter fact that no task can be and has ever been accomplished overnight. You must practice rigorously to learn the language. But at this stage when you are running short of time, you must know which segment of language gives you pain - vocabulary or grammar or writing skill and try to find their solutions with the help from professionals and coaching institutes. But whatever you choose you must keep in mind that you do not have time enough to start mending things right from the beginning. You must also seek urgent help from the subject experts. Always remember that panicking at this stage would only worsen the situation. Taking pain and professional help would surely make you reach out to the fulfillment of your ambition.

3. Focus on chapter-and-dayspecific-study-strategy After the pre-board examination, very less time is left for the commencement of board examination. The paucity of time makes it quite impossible to go through the subject chapter wise. You must have by now known which chapters in a specific subject failed to deliver you good marks. That is why it is logical now to focus on only those problematic chapters very intensively and seriously. Avoid general preparation at this critical hour when you cannot afford much time to it. At this stage you should also not make plan for a week or month. Since now even a single day is so critically important, so chalk out a day-wise plan. May be if possible, you need to plan hour-wise. This would help you penetrate into the subject matter more intensely.

4. Concentrate on mock tests …they are essential Mock test is unofficially fullscale test of the entire syllabus taken by a student in a seemingly familiar yet examinationinduced-tense atmosphere. The sincere practice of taking at least two mock tests each day would prove to be very beneficial for the students at this crucial hour.

The most important function of mock tests is to teach and train the students about the various treatises on time management and tricks of better answering the questions in examination. They also help increase the level of accuracy in answering the questions and know the syllabi thoroughly. Besides, they also boost the writing capacity and update you with the latest question patterns.

your level of preparation of the examination at regular intervals. To see your friends and discuss the topics and concepts which

5. Clear the cobwebs of confusion and dilemma Many of the students keep themselves embroiled in the chaotic condition, mainly due to confusion and dilemma of various sorts. They do lack clear understanding of various concepts of syllabi. Now it is the time to urgently clear away all confusions or remove ambiguities in the understanding of a particular topic or concept. Otherwise, you will be left with no more time and chance to correct and clear them later on.

6. Last but not the least

There is generally a gap of a few weeks between the end of the pre-board examination and that of commencement of the board examination. So this gap period, the golden time period from the perspective of preparation and revision of the examination, must be most judiciously and intensively utilized.

give you trouble to get mastery over. To stop comparing yourself with your friends. This habit of comparing yourself would make

Never forget To compile and revise regularly all formulae which you may need while answering the numerical questions in examination. To solve as many questions from various exercises of the various subjects. To revise the syllabi at regular intervals. To keep on revising fair notes of the various terms and concepts with their definitions used in all subjects.

you more disappointed and frustrated.

To revise drawing charts graphs and diagrams with exact labeling. To relax whenever you feel mentally tired or bored. To prepare very seriously for the answers of the objective types of questions. To chalk out study schedule. To solve at least previous 5 years’ question papers. To keep realistically assessing

The fact that marks do matter for a promising career but at the same time you must remember that marks, grades and divisions are never the matter of life and death for a student. Life still exists beyond the

so-called much-professed glamour of marks.

Trotter

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

Google asks Indians why they keep proposing to Google Assistant

artificial intelligence-powered virtual assistant that is primarily available on mobile and smart home devices. As for why people keep proposing to Google Assistant, netizens had answers ready. From citing the lack of a “Google Girlfriend” to asking Google to stop snooping on them, Indians flooded the comments section with hilarious rejoinders. (Source: ndtv)

oogle India recently took to Twitter to ask the users of Google Assistant a very pointed question: Why they keep asking Google Assistant to marry them. Using the latest “Really, really” meme, Google India wrote: “We really, really, really... want to know why you keep asking the Google Assistant to marry you.” Google Assistant is an

Student calls hoax bomb threat on flight to stop parents from visiting

student in France has been accused of calling in a hoax bomb threat on an EasyJet flight to keep his parents from visiting him. Reportedly, the 23-year-old man made an anonymous call regarding the bomb that caused a flight from Lyon to Rennes in France to turn around on January

issue. “The author of the facts has been identified,” the public prosecutor of Rennes said in a statement. He added that it was a student based in Rennes who did not want his parents, onboard the plane, to visit him. After it was discovered that he made a hoax, the student was

18. An EasyJet spokesperson confirmed to the Independent that flight EZY 4319 from Lyon to Rennes on January 18 returned to Lyon as a result of security related

placed into custody. According to a local daily, if prosecuted, the unidentified student can face up to five years in prison and an $85,000 fine. (Source: dailymail)

Woman spends 3 days trapped in elevator at New York billionaire’s home

ecently, a woman was rescued from an elevator in a New York City townhouse. She spent three days trapped inside the elevator while the homeowners, billionaire investment banker Warren Stephens and his family, were away on a trip. The 53-year-old woman, Marites Fortaliza, worked for the Stephens family as a housekeeper. Fortaliza entered the elevator and got trapped between the second and third floors of the house, situated on the Upper East Side. She was later discovered when a delivery person attempting to deliver something to the building contacted the homeowners. A family member, who then went to the building, called 911 to rescue Fortaliza. She had by then spent three days trapped inside the 1 x

Man dated cockroach called Lisa for a year; said she was ‘hotter than any girl’

1.2 metre broken elevator. Reportedly, Fortaliza was taken to New York Presbyterian Hospital with severe dehydration but her condition has since improved. Stephens’ private investment bank Stephens Inc released a statement

on the matter which said: “The cause of this unfortunate incident is being investigated and appropriate measures will be taken to ensure something like this never happens again.” (Source: Bloomberg)

Banker shows up dressed as Spider Man on last day of work

banker in Brazil made sure that his last day at work was a memorable one by showing up dressed as Spider Man. Pictures and videos going viral online show the man, who has not been named, dressed up as the fictional superhero. In his Spider Man costume, he is seen sitting at his desk, answering calls, helping a co-worker and even stretched out on a table in one case. The pictures were shared

on Instagram by his colleague Walter Costa, and have since

gone viral. The incident took

place at a Sao Paulo bank, whose name has not been disclosed. A video of Spider Man posted on YouTube has gone viral online. It shows the friendly superhero walking around the workplace and handing out candy to co-workers. Since being shared online, the video has collected over 98,000 views. “The hero of the neighbourhood,” laughed one person in the comments section. “He’s talented,” wrote another. (Source: Scroll.in)

his man gives a new meaning to the words “sex pest” after he confessed he dated a cockroach called Lisa for a year who he obsessed about having sex with. Yuma Shinohara, 25, called the bug his “first love” and said though the relationship was platonic he fantasised about bedding her - either with himself insect-sized or with Lisa being humansized. He also said that no human girl was as “hot” as Lisa and that they were “100 per cent serious” about each other. But events took an even more macabre turn when Lisa died and Yuma ate her. Yuma is an entomophagist, which means he advocates and practises eating insects as an alternative to meat for environmental reasons. He is well known for organising bug eating contests in his native Japan. In a video interview, Yuma said he bought Lisa as an African farm-

reared cockroach and that he believed they could communicate with each other. He also said that as an entomophagist it was only natural he ate her once she died. Yuma added, “I did it with reverence. The day she passed away was difficult but I knew it had to come since she was a cockroach with a short life span.”

“So now Lisa lives in my heart and continues living as part of my body.” Eating insects is becoming more popular as an alternative to meat because less land is used for farming and less damage is caused to the environment as a result. Yuma said he does eat other food but there was a wide variety of tastes among edible insects. For instance, caterpillars which eat cherry blossom taste like rice cake, he added. (Source: mirror.co.uk)

18 Review

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

Starring: Anil Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, Juhi Chawla. Director: Shelly Chopra Dhar

Movie Review

Cinepolis Christian Basti 09435025808 Uri: The Surgical Strike 09:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 03:00 PM, 06:00 PM, 09:00 PM Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi 09:20 AM, 12:00 PM, 02:45 PM, 05:50 PM, 08:55 PM Ek Ladki Ko Dekha toh Aisa Laga 09:25 AM, 10:30 AM, 01:10 PM, 03:05 PM, 03:50 PM, 06:30 PM, 09:10 PM Escape Room (English) 12:25 PM, 08:35 PM Thackeray 05:40 PM

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Ek Ladki ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga

he film is written by Gazal Dhaliwal and Shelly Chopra Dhar and also directed by the later. It is produced by Vinod Chopra Films and distributed by Fox Star Studios. Its tagline reads, ‘the most unexpected romance of the year’ and the movie lives up to its tag as it follows the unconventional story of Sweety, a girl from a middle-class family in Punjab who wants to live life on her own terms and hides a secret. The film follows Sweety as she navigates life and harbors her secret from her doting father and over-enthusiastic family who

he successor of the Honor View 10, has a powerful new flagship processor and sells for INR 37,999. The phone has a massive 6.4-inch panel that has a holepunch in its upper left corner for the selfie camera which is the first smartphone to launch in India with such a design. Honor also ships a case in the box and pre-applies a screen protector, an added advantage.

Design

The Honor View 20 has a glossy back panel similar to some of its other smartphones. The phone is available in three colours, the Sapphire Blue, Midnight Black and Phantom Blue, with the latter available only with an option with the 8GB RAM/ 256GB storage variant. The phone has a has a modern design but doesn't feel very premium in the hand but it has curved sides that make it comfortable to hold. The back panel is made of glass but the

cannot wait to get her married. She has an underlying fear that her choice of love will not be accepted in her conservative society. The film deals with the concept of LGBT love where Sonam Kapoor’s character, Sweety is in love with another woman. The film is a breath of fresh air as it deals with an unconventional issue in a manner that is respectful, light and entertaining as well. It has a stellar cast and an even better supporting cast which includes Akshay Oberoi, Regina Cassandra, Madhumati Kapoor, Bijendra Kala and Seema

Honor View 20

company has not mentioned the type of glass it has used. The phone slides when kept on any surface that isn't level. The frame of the phone is made of metal and gets cold to the touch in an air-conditioned room. The power and volume buttons are on the right while the SIM tray is on the left. The power button has a textured pattern that makes it easy to distinguish without looking at it. There is an IR emitter and ambient light sensor on the top along with a 3.5mm headphone jack. At the bottom, the phone has a USB Type-C port along with the loudspeaker and the primary microphone.

Pahwal, Abhishek Duhan and more. In terms of the cast, it is also the first film where we see real-life father-daughter duo Anil Kapoor and Sonam K Ahuja grace the silver screen. We also see Juhi Chawla and Anil Kapoor share screen space after almost two decades. As usual, Rajkummar Rao was a showstoper and fit perfectly into his role, lighting up the movie with his stellar performance. Juhi Chawla was a scene stealer as well and it was a delight to see her sport her craft. Overall, the film is a good watch and its content is long overdue. n

Specifications and Software:

The phone has a a powerful processor based on a 7nm manufacturing process. It is an octa-core processor with three

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha toh Aisa Laga 09:45 AM, 12:15 PM, 08:30 PM Uri: The Surgical Strike 02:45 PM Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi 05:30 PM

Gold Cinema Paltan Bazaar 09854066166 Ek Ladki Ko Dekha toh Aisa Laga 11:00 AM, 02:15 PM, 04:00

different types of cores that are used depending on how much power and efficiency is required in different usage scenarios. The phone has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage which isn't expandable. An 8GB RAM, 256GB storage option is also available, but at a higher price. The Honor View 20 has a first-of-itskind, holepunch display with a sports full HD+ resolution (1080x2310 pixels). The colours can be tweaked in the output of the panel or it can be adjusted to the

PM, 06:15 PM, 08:15 PM Uri: The Surgical Strike 11:15 AM Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi 01:15 PM, 08:45 PM Thackeray 05:15 PM

Grande Cines Paltan Bazar 09854017771 Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi 10:30 AM, 05:45 PM Ek Ladki Ko Dekha toh Aisa Laga 11:00 AM, 01:30 PM, 03:45 PM, 06:15 PM, 08:45 PM Escape Room (English) 01:15 PM Uri: The Surgical Strike 03:15 PM, 08:30 PM

PVR Cinemas Dona Planet 08800900009 BTS World Tour Love Yourself in Seoul (Korean, English subs) 10:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 03:00 PM Uri: The Surgical Strike 05:30 PM Escape Room (English) 10:10 AM Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi 03:10 PM, 08:30 PM Ek Ladki Ko Dekha toh Aisa Laga 12:30 PM, 06:20 PM, 09:00 PM

colour temperature as per your preferences. This phone also gives you the option to scale the display resolution down to HD+ and you can also do it automatically via the smart resolution feature to conserve battery life. If you aren't particularly fond of the holepunch design, you can mask it in the display settings. The phone is a dual-SIM device and has two Nano-SIM slots. There is support for 4G as well as VoLTE on both SIMs. Connectivity options include Bluetooth 5, dual-band WiFi 802.11ac, and six satellite location systems. The Honor View 20 has a 4000mAh battery and a 40W supercharger is bundled in the box this time. The phone has support for gesture navigation and a navigation dock, apart from the traditional Android navigation buttons. The navigation dock is a single floating button on the screen that can be used to navigate around. Magic UI also has support for themes which lets you customise the UI. n

Fiction

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

Deep Sea Fishing at the Islands of Mauritius and Andaman Ranjan Kumar Choudhury ranjanchou@hotmail.com

have always loved the great outdoors; just to be out in the Jungles and camp beside streams or big rivers is indeed very intoxicating. To breathe the pure air and feel the warmth of the life giving sun and to sleep under a canopy of stars, to awake to the sounds of nature as if it was the first dawn of mankind. But sadly as time passed the ravages of human greed and strife slowly made inroads even in these places as villages spread inside cleared jungles and bombing/ poisoning killed the fishes in these pristine rivers. The animal and bird life disappeared first followed by the fish and I realised that I would have to find some other paradise on this earth to maintain my sanity. Thus I embarked upon deep sea fishing. First I read avidly about the methods of game and sports fishing on the high seas and was amazed to find that there was this whole new world to be discovered to heal my adventurous spirit. My first attempt at this new sport was in Mauritius in 2006 where I went out for a day long trip to fish for the elusive Black Marlin. My family also accompanied me on this trip and we cast off from a place near our hotel in Port Louis in a speed boat into the Indian Ocean. As luck would have it our captain could only speak French but his first mate from Madagascar, called Noel, was the interpreter. So I learnt that proper planning was essential for this type of fishing. One can imagine how difficult it was for me to explain to the Captain what I wanted to do on the trip and I could not understand what he was saying. Noel then confided to me that on that very day the international Black Marlin fishing competition was on and we therefore could not venture out into the prime areas for this fish. Our tour operator had not disclosed this to us and on the seas we were entirely at the captain’s mercy. But he was a good soul and tried very hard to find the fish for us in the fringe areas. My sons of course had a great time on the deck getting thoroughly sun burnt and the wife was cosy with her book. I then learnt that in this type of fishing Trolling was a favour-

ite where about 4 reels with either live bait or lures were let out trailing behind the boat and on the strike one had to grab the particular rod reel and get ready for action. The other methods like Popping and Jigging I learnt later but in Mauritius for Marlin it was not preferred. Anyway we were not unlucky as we caught a 5 kg Yahoo fish and I felt elated at landing my first sea fish. The captain also took us to a lagoon where we could do some snorkelling to see a lot of coloured small fishes. Lunch was some roast meat and chunks

he had won the first prize. I quietly took my fish to our waiting taxi but I had learnt some good lessons - never to use your phone from the sea as rates are trebled, immaculate planning was required and that there were monster fish to be caught out there. In most places where there is a sea there will be fishing and deep sea charters are available in all such places. However, I found the best fishing in our own Port Blair and Havelock Island. But one has to know where to go and

sea currents and the chance of catching bigger and better fish in the period of 10 days overlapping the full moon nights. In fact, die hard fishing enthusiasts book these periods well in advance and hence the need for better planning as I mentioned earlier. It is an expensive sport and naturally one should try to get a booking on these days. Fortunately I was lucky as I had gone during the Holi time which happened to be the full moon time and further there was a slot in

fore. Here, I used the Jigging technique which is to lower my artificial bait right down to the sea bed - around 78 metres - and then start reeling the line up, with a jerking movement after every 10 or so rotations so as to make the bait play and attract the attention of a hungry fish. Suddenly about midway up I got this wild strong strike and a fish was on. Now playing and pulling a fish up from that depth took a lot of effort and my hands

The boat had a GPS and depth finder system with all records in maps of the areas where they had caught fish. So the huge sea was literally mapped and I got a view of the fish also lurking in the depths. However, it was not that easy as the fish has to bite and go for the lure/bait also!

of loaf and coke to wash it down. On returning to the harbour I was quite happy to find out that we had got the biggest catch of the day; but it was short-lived as we saw one big boat quickly entering with a black flag fluttering. This was a sign that a Black Marlin was caught. Soon a crowd gathered and we saw this giant of a fish weighing over 150 kgs at least and more than 6 feet in length being hauled out of the boat. The lone angler got out appearing very happy with the world. After all, not everyone gets to catch a Black Marlin. On my request he graciously allowed us to take photographs of his prize catch. My eldest son who is a six-footer was dwarfed beside the fish as he lay alongside it. The competition was all over Mauritius and he apparently was the only one from that harbour point but we could not stay to find out if

what type of boat to hire with the services provided. I went there in February 2016 with my wife and it was a great experience. I had booked the trip online with the Asia Game Fishing Charters run from Chennai and they had a guesthouse next to the pier called Kokari Guesthouse. The whole set up was managed by two persons, Pratap and Pradip, who were both very knowledgeable about the local fishing in the Andaman seas. They had two vessels called the “Halcyon” and “Rampage” - both equipped with twin outboard motors of 225 hp and could take one out deep into the seas. I went for the first trip from Port Blair on Halcyon with the crew of Dilip and Manoj, who were both from India and who spend around 8 months in Port Blair every year during the main season time. I learnt a lot from Pratap on how the lunar cycle affected the

the day time for 6 hours which fell vacant as the person who had booked had an emergency and had to cancel his trip. So on the second day of my trip I boarded the Halycon and Captain Dilip and his mate Manoj, both experts in the different methods of Deep Sea Fishing i.e. Trolling, Popping and Jigging, were coaching me all the time. The boat had a GPS and depth finder system with all records in maps of the areas where they had caught fish. So the huge sea was literally mapped and I got a view of the fish also lurking in the depths. However, it was not that easy as the fish has to bite and go for the lure/bait also! We spent about 3 hours on the seas at times in places where no land could be seen except for a few passing ships as well as the Indian Naval ships on duty there. Later in the afternoon they took the boat to a known underwater ledge where fish were caught many times be-

were literally shaking with the effort but I knew I must not wilt now or else I might lose the fish; it took me about 20 agonizing minutes to land the fish, a beautiful 8 kg Yellow Fin Tuna which, after the photos, I had to release back into the sea with a great joy as I had finally caught a big fish. Two days later I was again on my next deep sea fishing expedition in Havelock Island, this time on a smaller boat, as I could only manage a 5-hour slot from midday till sunset. I was on a vessel called “Snapper” with one 60 hp Yamaha OBM. The captain Bishu, a very energetic man, was from Sylhet and he seemed to know these waters like the back of his hand; along with his mate, Hello, from Myanmar we fished the mangrove islands by casting and just before sunset I got a really strong bite which almost made me lose my grip on the rod. I managed to hang on and it became a struggle to play the fish while slowly reeling it closer. As the waters were not too deep here and with boulders I had to keep it on a very tight line so as not to allow it to dive down and snag the line on a rock below. I finally managed to land it - a beautiful big Giant Trevally, all of 14 kgs and my cup of joy was full. After the photos we again released the fish which gratefully swam away and vanished in the depths. I rate that trip to the Andamans my best deep sea fishing thrill so far. n

20 Fun Jayashree Bose Certified Feng Shui, Chinese astrology, date selection consultant & author, jbose@jayashreebose.com

Sudoku

You should help people, be a mentor and buildyourbrowniepoints.Bemagnanimous. You will make a lot of plans and big goals but in the end, everything fizzles out. Make small plans, have your goals set for about a month and achieve those goals. You will meet someone, it could be temporary and scandalous. Watch out if you are already in a committed relationship.

You will receive valuable advice that will help you in your life. You will face stress related health issues. Simply unwind, take destressing classes. You will be absent minded and disturbed. You could offend people easily. You need to be independent and not expect any external help. Take a stock of your current situation and fix any glitches you may have. Work on the advice you have received.

You will have many ideas to generate wealth. Implement your ideas and you will see returns. Get involved in key projects, make yourself indispensable, you will be able to command high salary or fees. Build connections to improve your career. You could face legal issues.

You will see an increase in your net worth, value and income. You could get a new job title or new responsibilities. Students will perform well. You will be suspicious and paranoid. This feeling is in your head, meditate to clear your mind. You will be a scapegoat for people. Consider it as an advance payment, and you will be able to collect on your debt some other year.

Your likeability factor is high. Your income will increase. You have good marriage luck. You will be able to connect with people in power and authority. You will benefit from traveling or relocating. You can build your offshore business or move to a new country. You will be spending money on acquiring material things. Your general qi (energy) is low. Take a break!!

This is not a great year for you, however be willing to take the roller coaster ride and enjoy it, you will come out a winner. It will be a year of many changes. Major career and work environment changes. If you have wanted to change your job then this will be the perfect year to do so. Avoid confrontations with your parents. You could have issues with your seniors at work.

Power, authority, status and ability to convert negative outcome to positive. You should attend events, travel, socialize. This will help you to know the right people who will help you grow in any aspect of your life. There will be abrupt changes and fluctuations. Therefore, avoid making long term plans. You have to bail out as soon as you make your profits.

Your artistic ability will reach new heights. Writers,lyricists, artists and any other creative work will do well. Use your creativity or you will start feeling down. Join a sport or exercise regularly. People will speak shit about you, stop fretting, you are progressing hence people are bad mouthing you.

You will be able to overcome all hindrance or problems that you face. You will have many celebrations and happy events. There will be an increase in the value of your assets. Avoid thinking negative thoughts as your thoughts could easily turn into reality. You are prone to getting robbed. Avoid sharing your ideas openly. Password protect all your devices.

This year you will get the opportunity to learn new skills and craft. You will have enhanced memory power and understand difficult subjects easily. Students will do well. You will become famous overnight. People have faith in you. You need to be careful with your dealings with the opposite gender. If your child has this star in their natal chart, then keep a tab on their activities.

You will have meaningful relationships. You will take the next happy step in a relationship. You will have new projects/ job/roles. It will be a challenging role, but with time you will be well rewarded for your efforts. You will face problematic health issues. Get a health check-up done. Avoid using the northeast or the southwest room in your home.

You will be the centre of attention wherever you go therefore put your best foot forward. Watch your words, you will offend others. You will be back stabbed by your friends or supporters. It is advisable to go for medical check-up as you are prone to health issues. Avoid making promises and always use the words “let me think about it”.

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In which city was Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated in 1968?

What is the smallest member of the flute family?

What is the national animal of Canada?

In computing, what is RAM short for?

Which philosopher said, “I think, therefore I am.”

Which country has the longest coastline?

What is the name given to a male swan?

10. Which wonder of the world is this? Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Dilbert By Scott Adams

curio-city

Which US state is closest to the former Soviet Union?

Alaska Bob Marley Memphis, TN Piccolo Beaver Random Access Memory Rene Descartes Canada Cob Petra, Jordan

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

curio-city

5 8

8 2 4 6 5 7 9 3

8 4 1 7

9 8 6 3

9 7 4 6

9 8 4 2 1

Daily Sudoku: Fri 11-Jan-2019

medium

last week solution 7 8 4 3 2 5 9 1 6

9 1 2 8 4 6 3 7 5

5 3 6 7 1 9 2 4 8

3 6 9 2 7 8 1 5 4

8 5 1 6 3 4 7 9 2

2 4 7 5 9 1 6 8 3

6 7 5 9 8 2 4 3 1

1 9 8 4 6 3 5 2 7

Daily Sudoku: Fri 11-Jan-2019

4 2 3 1 5 7 8 6 9 medium

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

Word of the week sirenic adjective [sahy-ren-ik] melodious, tempting, or alluring.

Crossword Across

Down

1 Loosely woven cloth from Scotland (6,5) 9 Impromptu (9) 10 Animal (with nine nine tails?) (3) 11 Himalayan country (5) 13 Excellent — shining bright? (7) 14 On ship (6) 15 Purist (6) 18 Arctic deer — a Rio cub (anag) (7) 20 Best possible (5) 21 See 23 22 Fling (9) 24 Fifth book of the Bible

The Chinese year of the Pig will start on February 4, 2019. This marks some changes in one’s natal chart.

Horoscope of the Year

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

2 Fit (3) 3 Person whose speech is not well organised (7) 4 Married partner (6) 5 In which position? (5) 6 Acquit — clear (9) 7 Entertainment area with coin-operated machines (5,6) 8 Narrator (11) 12 TV show (9) 16 Issue (7) 17 Male domestic servant (6) 19 Bathroom basin (5) 23, 21 UK resident who the tax man accepts as having their "true" home elsewhere (abbr) (3-3)

Last week’s solution

Lifestyle

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

Vaastu and the correct placement of Swastikas

he Swastika is a very powerful Vaastu energiser and is recognized as an auspicious symbol all over the world. This symbol is associated with definite positive energy levels and this has been confirmed by experts of bioenergy. It generates an atmosphere of devotion, pleasant feelings and a sense of well-being.This symbol is associated with astronomy. It is a symbol of a constellation of seven stars. As shown in the figure, the central point represents North Star. Out of the four arms, two represent the rising and setting point of seven stars, which are East and West, and the remaining two represent the North and South. So, the Swastika symbol is the source of energy from the seven stars. Swastikas are placed on both sides of the door to usher positive energy into the house as well as to negate Vaastu defects.

Beauty parlours have become a big time business in most urban areas. Some do very well

while, others do not. However, with proper Vaastu layout and

planning, they can be run successfully. The best entrance to the beauty parlour is from the northeast side, north or east side. But the entrance of the beauty parlour/unisex salon can also be in the west or south direction.

Spa and aroma therapy areas are best suited to be in the north, east or north-east directions. Mirrors in beauty parlours/ salons should be fixed on the northern or eastern walls. Mirrors in south and west directions

Vaastu rules for beauty parlours

should be avoided. Cash counters should be in the northeast side with the cashbox on the right-hand side if facing east and on the lefthand side if facing north. It is advisable to have the sauna or steam in the southeast direction. If a pantry is required, the same must be kept in south-east and northwest directions. You should keep all your cosmetics and beauty treatment products in the west direction. You can play soothing and refreshing music as it always relaxes the customers. Air-conditioner and other electrical gadgets can be kept in the south-east direction. Alternately, northwest direction can also be considered. Do not keep the head in the north direction while doing facial. South or east are the best directions for facial. Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

Feng Shui 2019 Jayashree Bose Certified Feng Shui, Chinese astrology, date selection consultant & author, jbose@jayashreebose.com

n Feng Shui, the stars change their positions annually. This means that the room that was good for wealth in 2018, might not be so in 2019. Unlike the Gregorian year that begins on January 1 every year, the new Chinese year (solar calendar) generally begins on February 4. However, the Chinese New Year festival is celebrated according to the lunar calendar. 2019 is the year of the pig. Enough of theory now, so let us go back to your home/office and what you need to do to achieve your goals and dreams in 2019. Would you like a promotion or increase in wealth or get married? Using Feng Shui correctly can help you to achieve your dreams.

bedroom in the northwest, then you will have great relationships and happy events. You could take the next step in your relationship. Singles might tie the knot, couples could have a baby – generally happy events take place. If your main door is in the northwest area of your home, then your assets will grow. You will receive many opportunities that will give long term financial returns. You will receive recognition for your work; if your bazi (Chinese astrology) natal chart is supportive, you could get a promotion. To activate the wealth star, use the

Wealth

In 2019, the wealth star is located in the center and northwest. Your northwest room is host to the future wealth star. Future wealth means you will be able to make fixed assets. If you have your

northwest room regularly. If you cannot use the room, then open the windows

in the area and let the wealth qi flow in. If either of the two is not possible, then you could put a 6 rod metal wind chime or a metal pendulum clock. Place the wind chime or the pendulum clock either on February 20 between 1 pm to 3 pm or on February 21 between 9 am to 11 am and keep it there for the entire year. If placing a wind chime, you need to ensure it rings even with a slight gust of wind. The centre of your home is the host to the present wealth star and represents cash flow. To ensure smooth cash flow the entire year, clean up the centre of your home and avoid placing heavy objects in the centre of your home.

also place a water feature, such as a fish bowl or aquarium or fountain and activate the romance star in the west, no fish required, just bubbling water is fine. Start the fountain/aquarium either on February 8, 2019 between 5 am to 7 am or on February 20 between 1 pm to 3 pm, and ensure that it runs for a minimum of 15 hours per day. Switch it off once you find a suitable partner. To Add spice to your relationship If you are married and want to add some spice to your married life, then put a container of water in the west room of your home. The size of the container should be at least 2 feet x 2 feet for a 1200 sq

Relationships

To Find love (for singles) The best room in your home to use for relationships is the west. If you are looking for a long-term relationship or want to get married in 2019, then start using the west room immediately. If this is not possible, then open the windows in the west side of your home and let the love qi flow in. You could

feet home. In the container, put some flowers or flower petals, preferably pink or red in colour. If you don’t have fresh flower petals, just put the

water. You will need to change the water every week or whenever it gets dry or dirty. Remember to cover the container with a net (you don’t want to catch malaria or dengue). Feng Shui works best when it is mixed with zeri (date selection). Hence, for better results I am providing two dates and time when you need to place the water container: (1) On February 8, 2019 between 5 am and 7 am and (2) On February 20 between 1 pm and 3 pm.

Health

To ensure good health in 2019, you need to use the west or the northwest room as your bedroom. If you want to start a new exercise regimen and need to have discipline to achieve your health goals, then use the east room. If you have sleep related problems, then the northwest room will be more suitable for you. Avoid using the southwest and the northeast room, as both rooms contain the illness star and you could suffer from health issues.

22 Buzz

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

District level National Youth Parliament 2019 held

he District level “National Youth Parliament 2019” was held at University of Science & Technology Meghalaya (USTM) on January 28 where 32 youth speakers from Ri Bhoi and 9 speakers from West Khasi Hills District participated and delivered speeches on various topics listed by Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Department of Youth Affairs. The event was organized under the guidance of University Grants Commission as per suggestion by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to conduct youth parliaments to provide the youth with a platform to express their views on different issues pertaining to the country. Apart from USTM authorities, Romeo, Coordinator of Nehru Yuva Kendra, Nongpo and Dangsan Khyriem, MPS, Dy. SP (Traffic), Ri-Bhoi, were present during the event. Launched on January 12, 2019 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, the National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 aims

at hearing the voice of the youth to encourage and enable them to understand and articulate on public issues and also to develop respect and tolerance for views of others. The youth participants, after enrolling for District Youth Parliament digitally through myGov portal, participated in this district level programme.

The best three speakers from each district will go on to participate in the State Youth Parliament. Likewise, the best two speakers from each state will participate in the National Youth Parliament. In addition, the best speaker of each district will attend the National Youth Parliament as a delegate, which will be held at New Delhi on 23-24 February 2019. n

Assamese scientist to explore Antarctica Raghav Chandra Deka attended the programme as the

chief guest. Deka also interacted with many aspiring young students and spoke about his days and experience in Antarctica. On the occasion, Bhortal dance and Bihu dance were performed by the students of the school. The students also exhibited the art and cultures of some select states of India and some international countries like Poland, Austria, North Korea, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. n

ACA to launch Assam Premier Club Championship

n order to boost more players from Assam, Assam Cricket Association (ACA) is set to launch the Assam Premier Club Championship from the third week of February. ACA secretary Devajit Lon Saikia, addressing the media in Guwahati, said that even though inter-district tournaments are organised, hardly all players get a chance to represent their respective districts. Hence to provide a platform to the players, the new apex council has come up with the Assam Premier Club Championship. It is to be mentioned that around 17,000 players from all over the state will get a chance to showcase their talent in the upcoming championship. The ACA has decided to provide Rs 2 lakhs each to the respective

he North East Watch along with the Transformation & Development Department of the government of Assam organised the “North East Natural History Conclave” at Assam Administrative Staff College in Khanapara. The event was held on January 30. During the inaugural session, the chairman of North East Watch, BK Saikia welcomed

Regional science exhibition at city school urukul Grammar Senior Secondary School, Guwahati organised a regional science exhibition on its premises on January 23 and 24 along with an intra-school art and craft exhibition. Many well-known schools of the state and north-eastern region participated in the programme. The programme was inaugurated by the founder principal of Gurukul Grammar School, Dr Basanta Kumar Bhuyan and the first

NE Natural History Conclave held in city

ACA Secretary Devajit Lon Saikia districts in order to organise the league and the champion teams will receive Rs 1 lakh. These champion teams will then feature in the zonal round and the champion and runner-up will be

given Rs 2 lakhs and Rs 1.5 lakhs respectively before making their way into the final round to be held in Guwahati. The champion team will walk away with Rs 20 Lakhs. n

dignitaries and participants from different states. The event was inaugurated by journalist, DN Bezbaruah, former president, Editors’ Guild of India. During his speech, he mentioned that the natural history of this region needs more attention for sustainable development. Participants also suggested the establishment of a Natural History Museum and Institute. The concept note of the “North East Natural History Institute and Eco-museum Heritage” was presented by Dr Manjil Hazarika on behalf of North East Watch. Dr B Venugopal, former director, National Museum of Natural History, Delhi; Professor Sarit Kumar Chaudhuri, Director, Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, Bhopal; Dr RK Ranjan Singh, Environmentalist, Manipur; Sri Madan Prasad Bezbaruah, IAS, former secretary, ministry of tourism, government

of India shared their views on the establishment of a natural history institute and museum in the region. On the occasion, a souvenir book was also released by Professor Kulendu Pathak, former vice chancellor of Dibrugarh University. The event was attended by over 150 participants, consisting of natural scientists, concerned citizens and faculty members and students of Assam University, Assam Skill Development Mission, Bombay Natural History Society, BKB College, Cotton University, Dibrugarh University, Gauhati University, GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment & Sustainable

Development, Handique Girls’ College, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, KKH State Open University, Manipur University, Nagaland University, North East Christian University, North Lakhimpur Autonomous College, OKD Institute of Social Change and Development, Pragjyotish Centre for Cultural Research, Rajib Gandhi University, Royal Global University, Saint Claret College, Tinsukia College, Tripura University and University of Science and Technology Meghalaya. The meeting ended with a vote of thanks by Gangotri Bhuyan, on behalf of North East Watch. n

Cotton University shines at Spring Fest, IIT-Kharagpur

otton University bagged the 1st Prize (Best Team) in a drama competition called “Rangmanch,” which was held during the Spring Festival 2019 in IIT Kharagpur. Spring Fest, the annual social and cultural festival of IIT Kharagpur was held from 24th January to 27th January. A team of six students from the university viz Rekkibul Haque Choudhury, Kripa Sharma, Maitrayee Baruah, Bandana Gogoi, Jumeela Rani Boro and Taniksha Das performed a play titled “Suicide Note.” The team was led by Madhusmita Das, the AGS of the university. The team also bagged the award for Best Lighting in the competition. 21 teams from

different premier educational institutions including the IITs and NITs took part in the competition out of which 6 teams were selected

for the final round. The university also bagged the special appreciation award from the jury for the performance during the fashion show round. The team showcased the culture of different ethnic tribes of Assam during the show. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

…when a bit of Assam went to the US! 5 pm - was not ideal for the working people. In a metropolitan city like Los Angeles, it is almost impossible for people to reach the cinemas after work by 5 o’clock. Not surprisingly, a majority of our audiences were senior citizens. However, at the end of the screening when we were approached by not only the Assamese or the audience of Indian origin but also by the US citizens of different ethnicities, and were told that the film had touched their hearts, it gave us a different kind of contentment! And we realized, to a small extent, that we had managed to fulfill the promise we made to ourselves at the beginning of our journey: ‘In XhoixoboteDhemalite we are not making an Assamese film, but a global film in the Assamese language.’ On 27th July 2018, in the township of Fremont near San Francisco, Xhoixobote Dhemalite was set to be released in the cinema halls, thus becoming the first Assamese film to have a commercial release in the US. Obviously I wanted to be present at that screening. However, the Love International Film Festival results

Bidyut Kotoky

(Part II)

here were a handful of Assamese diaspora waiting for us on the day of the screening of the Xhoixobote Dhemalite (Rainbow Fields) at Love International Film Festival. Los Angeles based Debojit Bora had taken the initiative for the same. I had not met Debojit Da earlier; Texas based Ankur Bora had introduced us via email (till date I haven’t had the good fortune of meeting Ankur da either!). However, with his warm mails and phone calls, Debojit Da has become so much a part of our lives that when I met him, it felt as if I had known him for ages. Technology has really shrunk our world! And at times it has actually expanded our inter-personal spaces too. Many a time, we don’t even care to know about our next door neighbor while we are busy building friendships with people living thousands of miles away! Blame doesn’t lie with the technology – it is the man (or should I say mind) behind the machine that counts. The scheduled timings of our film screening at Ahrya Fine Arts Theater, Beverly Hills - at around

RELEASING ON 8th FEBRUARY

were scheduled to be announced on the evening of 26th July. With our film having 7 nominations, obviously we couldn’t afford to give the function a miss. In a trendy restaurant of Los Angeles, the well conducted award ceremony was taking place. Super model and lead actress of our film Dipannita Sharma, her husband Dilsher and a bunch of Assamese diaspora accompanied us to the event. Right at the beginning, Anurag Saikia won the award for Best Music for the film. And after some time, Dipannita Sharma won the award for Best Actress. This particular award was particularly satisfying for us; after all Dipannita had played a completely deglamorized character of a mother in this film, without a hint of make-up. Our next few nominations failed to convert into awards. And then the final moment of the evening arrived – the award for the best film. The announcer declared with a chuckle, “The last two years the Best Film award was bagged by Indian films and hence there were murmurs of partiality. Hence this year we have decided to change the jury. However, it didn’t change the end result much. The Best Film award for this year goes to Rainbow Fields (Xhoixobote Dhemalite)…” (to be continued..)

Catching Up

G PLUS | FEB 02 - FEB 08, 2019

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