Vol 6 Issue 17 Web by G Plus

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

Volume 06 | Issue 17 Feb 16 - Feb 22, 2019 Price `10

INSIDE

MGVK Bhanu’s claiming Tezpur ticket draws criticism within Assam Congress PG 02

City entrepreneur’s car vandalized, valuables worth over Rs 5 lakhs stolen PG 04

Guwahati Railway Station: A perennial hub of illegal activities PG 12-13

Amidst Kashmir terror attack Jihadi threat continues to prevail in Assam G Plus News @guwahatiplus

ven as the country mourns the death of 44 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel in the most deadly terror attack on the Jammu-Srinagar Highway in Jammu & Kashmir on 14th February when a suicide bomber, driving a car packed with explosives, rammed into a bus carrying the CRPF troops as a part of a large paramilitary convoy, the state of Assam continues to remains under Jihadi threat. A senior IPS officer of Assam Police, talking to G Plus in condition of anonymity said, “There is a Jihadi threat in Assam as Jihadi motivators were arrested from Assam earlier; some boys of Assam have even joined terrorist outfits outside. It is a matter of concern.” Sahanur Alom, a Jamaat-ulMujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militant who was a key accused in the 2nd October 2014 bomb blast in West Bengal’s Burdwan district, was arrested in December 2014 by Assam Police. But meanwhile, the arrest had raised concerns about the JMB links in Assam and its different districts.

Police had then claimed that the module had been neutralised with multiple arrests made across the state and one linked operative of the JMB had also been arrested from Guwahati. A retired IPS officer who was closely working with the case then, talking to G Plus said, “Though the module was neutralised then, there might be a new module now in place which the security agencies need to be careful of.” The IPS officer expressed that in the recent terror attack on the CRPF jawans in Kashmir, the terrorists motivated a local boy for such an intensified attack. Similarly, security agencies should be careful here as boys from Assam are joining Jihadi outfits outside. He also revealed that the JMB operatives have links with Pakistan-linked terrorist outfits. The media had reported that in two separate incidents in 2015, it was discovered that JMB had been receiving financial assistance from officers at the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka. The visa attache and one Mazhar Khan were caught red-handed at a meeting with a JMB operative in April 2015, who admitted to being involved in pushing large consignments of

Page 3

Uber driver physically abuses female customer, refuses to complete ride Harshita Himatsingka @HHimatsingka

ber services have been active in Guwahati for about two years now, and while they may prove to be a boon in some ways, they are increasingly becoming a bane as most users are severely dissatisfied with these services.

The problems for riders in Guwahati range from drivers refusing to come to the location, refusing to accept online payments, cancelling trips and now, even resorting to physical abuse. In an incident that took place on February 15 at around 8.30 am, an Uber driver, Ajit, in Guwahati, refused to complete a ride and physically abused a female customer who wanted to remain

anonymous. Speaking to G Plus, she narrated the entire incident. She had ordered an Uber from her friend’s house to her place and then to her college using the “multiple stop” feature on the app. Once the cab reached the first destination, her house, the Uber driver refused to drive any further. She then told him that she would not pay him since her ride was not complete. “I told him that I would not

pay him because the ride was not complete. Then, he threatened me and told me that even my father would pay, and that she had no idea what he was capable of doing,” she said. The driver then got out of the driver’s seat and snatched her phone from her hand as she was getting out of the vehicle. He held the phone and started running away with it even she chased him. He then pushed her to the ground

and tried to get into the driver’s seat to flee the spot. However, she got up and tried to get her phone back. “By then, people had gathered and had come to help me. They made the Uber driver park his car and wait for the police. I called the police and he kept saying that he had connections with people who

Page 2

2 Lead Story

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

MGVK Bhanu’s claiming Tezpur ticket draws criticism within Assam Congress G Plus News @guwahatiplus

the last contestant and AICC Secretary, Bhupen Bora, has declined

that it is true that there is discontentment among the Congress

hile the entry of MGVK Bhanu has been welcomed by the rank and file of the Congress party, it seems, his seeking of an MLA ticket from the Tezpur seat has not gone down well with many Congress leaders. It is understood that while senior Congress leaders have backed the entry of Bhanu into the Congress party, his probable candidature from Tezpur under Congress has hit a massive road block. Many senior Congress leaders have voiced their opposition to his being given a ticket at this juncture. Firstly, Tezpur seat has traditionally been given to a person of Nepali origin by both Congress and BJP in recent times and there is no reason why both parties would deviate from this time tested method. Secondly, the demographic composition of the Tezpur constituency favours the BJP more than the Congress party. The Congress this time may however opt for an unconventional candidate in the face of the current resentment (induced by the CAB) faced by BJP especially amongst the indigenous people of the state. The Congress is in a fix with the Tezpur Lok Sabha constituency as

Tezpur Lok Sabha constituency is composed of the following assembly segments: Dhekiajuli (BJP)

Barchalla (BJP)

Behali (BJP)

Tezpur (AGP)

Rangapara (BJP)

Gohpur (BJP)

Sootea (BJP)

Biswanath (BJP)

Bihpuria (BJP)

attitude will change. Moreover, many senior Congress leaders are against giving Bhanu a ticket. Even the former chief minister is not very keen on Bhanu

General Election 2014 Party

Candidate

Votes

Percent

BJP

Ram Prasad Sarmah

4,46,511

45.53

INC

Bhupen Kumar Borah

3,60,491

36.4

Independent

Moni Kumar Subba

62,730

6.39

AGP

Joseph Toppo

40,489

4.13

NOTA

None of the above

16,667

1.7

MGVK Bhanu formally joining Congress party to contest. Talks are on to bring in former speaker and ex-MLA Tanka Bahadur Rai who is close to former chief minister Tarun Gogoi to represent the Tezpur Lok Sabha seat. Rai, who is a Gorkha and given the sizeable Gorkha voters in Tezpur, has a better chance of giving a fight to another Gorkha and BJP MP, RP Sarmah. Interestingly, Tanka Bahadur Rai has so far stayed away from the race. Speaking to G Plus, a senior Congressman from Tezpur said

workers regarding Bhanu’s candidature. “Since 1991 this seat has been represented by someone from the indigenous community, may it be Congress or the BJP. The demand is always for a local person from among the communities. Also, this is clearly a Gorkha dominated seat and it would be wrong to give a message that someone from outside the local community will be given a ticket. Bhanu, during his tenure, had shown very little val-

Members of Parliament since 1991

1991: Swarup Upadhyay, INC 1996: Iswar P Hazarika, INC 1998: Moni Kumar Subba, INC 1999: Moni Kumar Subba, INC 2004: Moni Kumar Subba, INC 2009: Joseph Toppo, AGP 2014: Ram Prasad Sarmah, BJP ue towards the Congress workers and it is doubtful that after getting a ticket – if at all he does - his

representing Tezpur. The number of leaders during his joining ceremony is an indicator of what they feel about the move,” revealed the Congressman. “Bhanu is no doubt an outsider to Tezpur and the voters will know it immediately. Bhanu, during his joining ceremony, claimed that he has 50,000 Naidu voters in Tezpur. Does it mean that the whole 50,000 are with him? Can this be a criterion for giving him the ticket?” asked the Congressman. n

Uber driver physically abuses female customer, refuses to complete ride From Page 1 were high up and that I could do whatever I wanted to. When the police arrived, the driver changed his story completely. He told them that I was the one who was not paying and that I was trying to steal his phone,” she said. During all this, he continually spoke rudely to her parents and the people who had gathered there. When the police finally asked him to provide some evidence, he couldn’t. They then went to the Paltan Bazar police station. “I told the police everything that happened and they told me that they would take strict action against him. I decided not to file a case against him as I was getting late and had to reach college. I also called the Uber emergency number listed on the app and they said that they would review the driver and get back to me,” she said. This incident occurred today when she booked an Uber from Ulubari to her final destination, Royal Global University, with one stop in between, her house in

Paltan Bazaar. “Uber drivers in Guwahati are the worst I have ever experienced.

complained about them so many times. Why is this only happening in Guwahati and not in other

want to earn money without hard work and lack professionalism,” said a frequent Uber customer,

An uber cab in the city Not 1,2 or 3....going by experience, almost all of them are ridiculously shameless, unprofessional and lack a sense of respect. I have

cities? It’s the same company everywhere. It’s because the drivers in Guwahati have the mentality of looting people and

agreeing with deteriorating services of the cab company. Today, there are around 15,000 app-based cab drivers operating in

Guwahati, according to President of All Assam Cab Operators’ Association, Ismail Ali. Speaking to G Plus on this issue, Ali condemned the incident and said that strict action will be taken against the driver as what happened was extremely unprofessional. “We will take him to the police and take strict action against him. These types of things don’t usually happen and it is an unfortunate incident,” said Ali. Moreover, it should be noted that Uber is the only app-based cab service in Guwahati that does not have any customer care service number. When a grievance has to be reported, it has to be done through the app and many customers have alleged that their complaints hardly ever get addressed. The only number that exists is an emergency number that customers can call when on a trip, in case of an emergency. The only other way to contact them is to either email them on their official email ID, or reach out to them through their social media channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. n

Concern

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

Chaotic implementation of cable tariff system creating heartburns all across Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

he implementation of the new tariff rules for television viewing as set by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is proving to be chaotic in Guwahati, informed cable television operators. The system is facing some technical glitches due to a large number of people trying to shift to the new pay-per-channel cable television system at once. “The online system is taking a lot of time to update the settop-box (STB) or to reflect the new packages as bought by the customers. When operators try to update the system for a large number of people together, the system crashes,” informed Rajesh Sharma, president of the Guwahati Cable TV Operators’ Association.

Representative image He added that this is causing the delay in updating channels for subscribers as per the new norms set by TRAI. The TRAI recently sought to introduce a few regulations in

Pay revenue or face blackout: Broadcasters

o further add to the problem, there is an additional pressure on the operators from the broadcasters to pay the revenue or to face blackout. “In the present scenario, the customers are not willing to pay us the money before their choice of channels are updated which is being delayed due to technical errors; on the other hand, the broadcasters are demanding revenue from us. This has put us cable television operators in a tight spot,” Sharma told G Plus. TRAI had set the deadline of implementation of the new rules as December 31, 2018, which then got deferred to February 1. However, now the subscribers are at a liberty to choose their preferred channels by March 31. G Plus spoke to a few cable

TV viewers in Guwahati and found that a majority of them were unhappy with the proposed changes in the rules. Chirag Goswami, a resident of Chandmari said that he has recently shifted from watching television on the DTH subscription to local cable providers due to the high taxes levied by the DTH service providers and costly packages offered by them. “I am not at all happy with the TRAI’s decision to charge us for individual channels as it will prove to be costly for the customers.” Another cable TV subscriber said that she earlier had to pay Rs 250 for viewing unlimited channels but now the customers will have to shell out extra for getting access to the channels of their choice. n

the broadcast industry in order to ensure “Transparency, nondiscrimination, protection of consumer interest and enable orderly growth of the sector.” The regulatory authority

has asked the broadcasters to fix the price of each of their channels and to declare their maximum retail price (MRP). Further, under the new tariff system, the customers will have the liberty to choose the channels they would like to watch and will now only pay for the channels they require. As per the new television viewing rules, there are 100 channels which are free-to-air channels and are to be provided compulsorily to the viewers. For these 100 channels, a total of Rs 130 plus GST will be charged by the

cable television operators. For any additional channel, the customers will have to pay extra per channel. The regulatory authority feels that the new rules will make television viewing easier on the customers’ pockets as they will now have the liberty to curate channels according to their preference and will only pay for the selected channels. However, on the other hand, cable television operators said that the rules will become costlier for the viewers as they will have to pay for additional channels apart from the free-toair ones. “There are close to 7.2 lakh cable television connections in Guwahati. However, not even 0.5 per cent of the subscribers have made the transition to the new tariff system due to various problems which have been arising,” informed a member of the Guwahati Cable Television Operators’ Association. n

Difficult to survive with negligible revenue share: Cable TV operators

ccording to the cable TV operators, the new tariff framework will leave them a comparatively less share of the total revenue. “Out of the total revenue collected, 80 percent will go to the broadcaster and out of the rest; control room will get 20 percent while the other 20 percent will be shared by the operator,” informed secretary of Guwahati Cable TV Operators’ Association, S Bharali.

He added that with merely this much revenue share, the cable TV operators will not be able to survive for long. Assam cable TV operators have demanded that the revenue sharing formula should be reviewed. They have also urged the TRAI to amend the cable TV act to recognize offences of broadcasters and multiple system operators as cognizable offence. The state TV operators are also pushing for setting up of branches of TRAI and Telecom

Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) in all existing high courts to enable consumers and small sized operators to get benefit of the dispute resolution mechanism. “With the new tariff rules in place, we will only be liable to get a share which will be equal to a commission. This will not be enough for us to survive and the cable operators will not be able to maintain their business,” said Bharali. n

Amidst Kashmir terror attack Jihadi threat continues to prevail in Assam From Page 1 fake Indian currency into West Bengal and Assam. Recently, the Special Task Force of the Kolkata Police arrested a JMB operative from Kerala in connection with the 2014 Burdwan blast and the suspect - Abdul Motin hails from Assam’s Barpeta district where the JMB once had a sleeper module. He was one of the 15 people trained in handling arms and

Shahnur Alam

Abdul Motin

manufacturing improvised explosive devices at Simulia Madrassa in the region. Also, in 2018, a missing young man from Assam was suspected to have joined the terrorist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen in Jammu & Kashmir after a photo in which he was seen holding an automatic rifle surfaced. It also prompted his mother to say the government should shoot him dead. The Assam Police had then said that it has started a probe

into the matter and is trying to find out if the youth, identified as Qamer Uzzaman, had joined the terrorist organisation. The police are still investigating the matter. As Guwahati is always a preferred target for terrorists the city police has identified the pockets where the Jihadi motivators might operate. A senior official of Guwahati commissionerate said, “The suspected areas are under scanner.” n

4 City Snippets Maneshwar Basumatary from Assam martyred in Pulwama terror attack

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

City entrepreneur’s car vandalized, valuables worth over Rs 5 lakhs stolen Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

aneshwar Basumatary of 98th Battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) from Assam has been martyred in an IED blast that occurred in Pulwama, Jammu & Kashmir on February 14. A total of 44 CRPF men lost their lives in this fatal attack. Maneshwar Basumatary hailed from Tamulpur’s Kalbari. Another jawan from Bongaigaon, Pabitra Barman, was also in the convoy and received minor injuries. However, family members have confirmed of his well being. A CRPF convoy of 50 vehicles came under attack by a suicide bomber from Jaish-e-Mohammad. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has condemned the incident and tweeted, “Strongly condemn the cowardly attack on #CRPF jawans in #Pulwama. Terror has no place in India and we must together fight this menace as a nation. My heart goes out to the martyrs who have sacrificed their lives today. Deepest condolences.” It is to be mentioned that this was the biggest-ever attack on the Indian security forces by the Jaishe-Mohammad after the Uri attack in 18 September, 2016.

Northeast’s first lady chief wildlife warden appointed

r Ranjana Gupta, an IFS Officer of the 1986 batch of Assam, has been posted as principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife) and chief wildlife warden of Assam. She took charge of the post on February 11. She is the first lady chief wildlife warden in the northeast region and the second in India. Dr Gupta has been awarded a doctorate for her work in community participation in forest management. She has also represented the country in many international forums on forestry and rural development during her post with the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change and the Ministry of Rural Development in the central government.

red coloured Ford Ecosport car belonging to Guwahati-based entrepreneur, Atul Lahkar, was vandalized in broad daylight on

the afternoon of February 12, Tuesday. The victim had parked the car, bearing registration number

AS01BT5791, in front of Assam Textile Institute at around 2 PM and had gone to his restaurant Heritage Khorika (where he is also the chef) which is located at the junction of Lamb Road and GNB Road. After finishing his work there, he returned to his car which had been broken into by miscreants at around 4 PM. In the car were two Canon

cameras (Mark 2 and Mark 3), two professional lenses (70 mm200 mm and 24 mm-120 mm) and memory cards. The value

of the camera equipment is around Rs 5,50,000. Along with the equipment, a few important documents, ATM cards and his driving license were also taken by the miscreants who broke the left front window of the car and looted it. A case has been registered with the Latasil police station. Speaking to G Plus, Chef Atul Lahkar informed, “I am presently researching on indigenous

food. I had gone to Sonapur for research work in the morning of the incident and all the information collected, along with the photographs clicked during the research, were stolen by the miscreants. I hope that the police intervene and cooperate since it’s not just a financial loss but without recovering the documents and camera pictures, I will not be able to carry forward the research work.” n

Repetitive incidents of theft put Latasil PS in bad light

he incompetence of city police in checking petty crimes stands exposed as the car was parked less than a kilometre away from the Latasil police station and yet, thieves were able to easily break the vehicle, take away all valuables from inside it and flee the crime scene without being caught. The fact that such an incident took place in broad daylight further gives a negative impression on the lack of security being provided by the Latasil police station in its vicinity. Similar incidences have occurred in the area in the past as well. Earlier, on November 16 last year, the Astadhatu idol of Goddess Ugratara that was inside the ‘Saktipeeth’ Ugratara Temple was stolen. The thieves looted

and vandalized the temple and took away the main idol besides valuables and offerings, although the temple is located barely 200 metres from the Latasil police station. “The entire stretch from the approach of the Lamb Road up to Latasil playground is in total darkness in the evening. The surroundings of Jorpukhuri are infested by anti-social elements taking advantage of the darkness. Streetlights don’t work in the area and the police have failed miserably in recovering the vehicles,” a resident of the area told G Plus. The crime rate in Latasil area has remained alarmingly high over the past few years. Among other crimes, theft and robbery have been found to be most

prevalent in the area of the city with the Latasil police station recording a high number of theft crimes every year. A whopping 86 cases of theft and three cases of robbery were reported at Latasil, out of the total of 3,807 thefts reported across the city between January 1 and November 30. However, Upen Kalita, the officer in charge of Latasil Police Station negated the idea of lackadaisical attitude on the part of police while speaking to G Plus. He said, “Theft and robbery are common crimes happening throughout the city but it’s comparatively low in our vicinity. There has been no inaction on our part. We still have thieves in our jail but after being released, the miscreants again resort to stealing.”

He further added that investigation is going on and the police are hopeful of recovering the belongings of Chef Atul Lahkar. It must be noted that a large number of residents and institutions of high importance fall under the purview of Latasil police station, like Raj Bhavan, Brahmaputra State Guest House, Deputy Commissioner’s Bungalow, Judges’ Bungalow, Gauhati High Court, Magistrates’ Colony, offices of political parties like AGP, BJP, CPI (M), Guwahati Planetarium, Don Bosco School, Cotton University and Handique Girls’ College Hostels, offices of the Social Welfare, Handloom & Textile, Archaeology and Rabindra Bhawan, among others. n

Politicking

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

Shakti app mobilizes Congress as it tries to reach grassroots directly This app by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) is creating a buzz within the organizational circles of the Congress party. Congress president Rahul Gandhi can be seen in a video requesting workers to join the app and get connected with him. Chetan Bhattarai @chetbha1

ust a few days ago, the new general secretary of the Congress Party, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, used an app to connect to party workers. The app is called Shakti – the voice of the Congress worker. “I am coming tomorrow to Lucknow to meet all of you. I have hope in my heart that together we will start a new kind of politics, a politics in which all of you will be stakeholders — my young friends, my sisters and even the weakest person, all their voices will be heard,” said Priyanka Gandhi through the Shakti App. This is Congress’s internal digital platform and is not available in the mobile store or other platforms. One needs to send the voter card number to a specific phone number to get registered. It aims to connect every single enrolled member to Rahul Gandhi directly. Rahul Gandhi used the Shakti app to get feedback from over three lakh members in Chhattisgarh before the name of Bhupesh Baghel was decided as the chief minister. So, it’s not something that the Congress functionaries will ignore. The party president is sure about its usage and is said to be the man behind it. Not only does he seek suggestions, Gandhi has been making phone calls to workers who are enrolled in the app. He is involved in this process and directly monitors the whole system. P Chidambaram and Ahmed Patel are the other two Congress leaders involved directly with Shakti. The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) also has a team working on Shakti. Pradyut Bhuyan, General Secretary, APCC and State Coordinator of Data Analytics Department (AICC), is also the coordinator of the Shakti project for the state of Assam. He is a busy person getting more and more enrollment with his team working day and night. “We have crossed one lakh members and hope to enroll around three lakh by the time we get down to the election mode. Each Congress applicant for the 14 seats has to show 2,000 enrolments to get priority during ticket selection.” Describing the effectiveness of Shakti and its role in the running of the Congress party, Pradyut Bhuyan related a recent incident, “Rahul Gandhi was travelling to

Kerala on 30th January and he asked for a feedback from over one lakh Shakti users as to what Congress can do for Kerala. Around 14,580 responded and in those feedbacks Rahulji liked five messages. Later, during the rally, Rahul Gandhi announced the name and number of the Shakti member whose feedback he liked most. The guy was the hero of the day and this is how Shakti has drawn people to the Congress.” “Similarly, in another incident, there was a bus accident in Maharashtra where many had died. So what Rahul Gandhi did was through Shakti he sent a message to the members to go help the people. There was no police or administration but hundreds of Congress workers reached the spot and helped the survivors,” added Bhuyan. On being asked how it is possible to get feedback or reports from everyone, Bhuyan said “There is a system to incentivize the workers through a points system. The tasks given will accumulate as

the engagement part of it. This has also helped the AICC immensely as they now don’t have to rely on the state or the district level func-

Bhuyan’s team member in Assam, Ratan Boro, Secretary APCC and co-coordinator for Shakti said, “The more a worker engages himself in the activities his chances of getting noticed improve. As the data generated goes to the president himself, Rahulji is free to make a call when there is some issue. Actually, it’s an open world in Congress. If you work dedicatedly and sincerely you are bound to get noticed through Shakti. You don’t need to run around party offices.” “It is not only a database but is a group communication tool for Rahul Gandhi. This is the way to weed out fake members and use the feedback mechanism to reach out to genuine workers. Members

tionaries for all kinds of issues. As each booth is mapped they can now communicate with the workers directly. Not only the booths, AICC can now get in touch with all the members of the state over a single message,” said Bhuyan.

enrolled in the system like it as they know that they can get appreciated by the president himself,” added Ratan Boro. As this is a continuous process Congress workers don’t feel left out. Something or the other

know that the president himself has requested them something. It may be a small task but they enjoy

raveen Chakravarthy heads the Data Analytics department in AICC and has been working with a band of IT engineers to crunch all that is incoming. Set up in February 2018 this department is working to make sense of all that is coming towards AICC through Shakti. The AICC makes calls directly to the users up to the booth level to reach to the root of the matter. Shakti has crossed over 60 lakh (6 million) members since its inception and is growing every day. The recent elections in Karnataka and the Congress’s win in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajashtan gave the maximum boost to this app. With Lok Sabha polls around the corner, numbers are surely going to grow, feels the party.

points and those reaching 1,000 points are the ones selected for important feedback and suggestions. Feedback is sought only from workers who have accumulated 1,000 points against their name.” Though in its initial stage, Shakti has started showing results for the Congress party. In the recent polls held in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the party used Shakti extensively to give tasks to its members that included making people aware of rallies and meetings, organizing protests and house-to-house campaigning for the candidates. The workers completed the tasks and sent updates via SMSes or through WhatsApp and then the data team worked on it to reward those members with points who sent relevant information. “Shakti has been instrumental in the number of people attending Rahul Gandhi’s rally increase manifold. People like it when they

is being assigned to the workers regularly. It is a step away from the past when workers were used mainly during the election time and then forgotten. With Shakti, Congress now knows who are the workers involved in spreading the party’s message and then rewards them accordingly. “A member in Lok Sabha will have 2,000 booth committees. So when a message is being sent about a meeting at a particular location, all these members will come to know about the meeting immediately. Moreover, word will spread around among the general public that a meeting will be held. So, this is how it will galvanize the mobilization of people,” said Bhuyan. At present, Karnataka leads the pack with around 8 lakh Shakti users which is evident from its recent win there in the state elections. The mobilization and engagement part has been greatly helped by Shakti. “This is a process to entirely digitalize the Congress politics. It will no more be the old way of doing politics and it will be more genuine as it is through the voters’ list, unlike the missedcall business. This is not a Congress membership drive. Any citizen can become a part of it by simply enrolling in Shakti. It is not necessary that you have to be a Congress worker to get enrolled. The voice of the Congress worker is Shakti. It is totally genuine due to it being connected with the voter card number,” said Bhuyan. n

6 In The News

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

Life contributions of two Assamese Padma Shri winners Chandrika Das @chandrikadas89

ssam’s noted surgeon and population expert, Dr Ilias Ali and Science and Engineering-Grassroots Innovator, Uddhab Bharali have been conferred the Padma Shri. Dr Ilias Ali has made numerous contributions towards the nation in the field of Medicine-Surgery. On the other hand, Uddhab Kumar Bharali has made an enormous contribution in the field of Science and Engineering-Grassroots Innovation. The duo made it to the list of 94 Padma Shri awardees in 2019. Here are the highlights of the significant contributions made by the two gentlemen towards the society and mankind.

Uddhab Bharali

Uddhab bharali, often considered the king of innovation, was born and

love with Mathematics and Science. Today, from machines that

My life has been a difficult one. I would not have been capable of achieving anything, if I’d have sat and complained. Life kept throwing new opportunities and I kept grabbing each of them. Hard times come to all people, what matters is how we deal with it.

can help physically challenged people commute to machines which can deseed pomegranates, Bharali has more than 150 innovations to his credit.

granate seeds; it turned out to be one of his most popular inventions. The machine could separate the outer skin of a pomegranate from the thinner membrane without any damage to the seeds. The machine can deseed approximately 55 kgs of pomegranates in one hour. The machine soon gained global popularity and orders started pouring in from US, Japan and Turkey. In addition to this machine, the innovator had invented machines that could peel garlic, effortlessly cut betel nuts, polish brass utensils, peel passion fruit seeds etc. His inventions are made to make life and living easier for the common people. His invention “Areca Nut Peeler” can peel 100120 nuts per minute, and “Cassava Peeler” - an electronic gadget that can process up to 5 kgs of cassava per minute. His rice planting machine is yet another marvel. The low cost machine is designed to double rice yield to boost the economy of Assam. People of Assam often relate him to the character of Ranchordas Shyamaldas Chanchad played by Aamir Khan in the movie “3 Idiots.” He is the recipient of Shristi Sanman Award in 2007 and President’s Grassroots Innovation Award, 2009. He is the winner of Engineering Design contest organised by NASA Tech “Create the Future Design Contest” for 2012 and 2013. He is also a recipient of Rashtriya Ekta Sanman in 2013.

Dr Ilias Ali

brought up in Lakhimpur in a family that was in financial doldrums. Although he was a bright student since his early days, he could not complete his studies due to financial constraints. His early life was basically about poverty-stricken days and hungry nights. But then, it was those hard days that actually made him the colossus that he is today. Uddhab Bharali was always in

Burdened with debt at a very tender age, Bharali had to take up a project with a polythene making company where he invented a polythene making machine to help the tea garden workers. The machine was invented at a subsidized cost of Rs 67,000. With this project, he went to pay off his debts. Between 1990 and 2005, the innovator invented 24 machines. In 2006, Bharali invented a machine which could peel pome-

The retired surgeon of Gauhati Medical College & Hospital, Dr Ilias Ali traverses like a nomad to advocate birth control, especially among Assam’s rural Muslim populace. The 63-year-old has been on a mission to educate people about population control and motivate people to adopt “No Scalpel Vasectomy” (NSV). His works are primarily focussed in the state’s Bengali Muslim dominated areas, where people view NSV and consumption of contraceptive pills as going against the Islamic religion. Ali was born in 1955, at a village named Jajia (presently Ghopeli) of Darrang district. He completed his primary education from Baghmara Primary School and matriculation from Chengeliajhar Higher Secondary School in 1973.

He received the degree of MBBS in 1982 from Gauhati Medical College and the degree of Master of Surgery in 1987. He received training of Laparoscopic Surgery from Gangaram Hospital, New Delhi in 1994, Cancer Surgery from Mumbai Tata Memorial Hospital in 1996, Advanced Lap-

ral areas of the state to spread awareness among the people about population control. He has also been travelling across Assam to spread message on women education, women empowerment, environment protection, pollution control etc. His initiative, Global Hospital of Sur-

aroscopic Surgery from Ethicon Institute in 1997, training in NSV from Maulana Azad Medical College in 1994, Pancreatic Surgery from Greece in 1998, and training in NSV from Greece in 2002. Dr Ilias Ali today stands as one of the most expert and pop-

gery, today is providing healthcare service to several Guwahatians. In his words, “Population is the main reason behind the imbalance in nature and disturbance in the society today. We, as society, need to understand the problem

Country

Expected population by 2050 (in millions)

India

1,652

China

1,314

Nigeria

440

USA

400

Indonesia

366

Pakistan

327

Brazil

227

Bangladesh

202

Congo

182

Ethiopia

178

ular surgeons of Guwahati. He had served as Chief Trainer, NSV Scheme, Govt of Assam; Chief Nodal Officer, National Health Mission; Senior Advisor, Assam family Planning Department; NSV Specialist, Government of India; Member of Population Policy Making Committee; Inspector, Medical Council of India, Government of India. He has conducted over 1 lakh vasectomies throughout the ru-

and spread the awareness of birth control.” Dr Ilias Ali has been primarily focussing to educate the non-indigenous Muslim people of the state. Socially and demographically, it has been observed that in this community there is a high rate of He was nominated by the Assam Government for Padma Shri in 2016, 2017, and 2018. n

In The News

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

Assam Premier Club Championship trophy unveiled

he official trophy of the Assam Premier Club Championship was unveiled today in an event held at Novotel, Guwahati, said a press release. The threeand-a-half feet tall trophy was

unveiled by Hon’ble Minister, Labour and Employment (Independent charge), Tea Tribes Welfare (Independent charge) Pallab Lochan Das, former president of Assam Cricket Association Gautam Roy,

renowned cricketer of Assam Badal Thakur, present president of Assam Cricket Association (ACA) Romen Dutta and present secretary ACA Devajit Saikia. The Assam Premier Club Championship which will

L to R - Devajit Saikia, Badal Thakur, Gautam Roy, Pallab Lochan Das and Romen Dutta at the unveiling ceremony

Tej Hazarika shows change of heart regarding accepting Bharat Ratna, says he was ‘misinterpreted’

n a turn of events, worldrenowned singer Late Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s son, Tej Hazarika has said that he has been invited by the Government of India to accept the Bharat Ratna on behalf of his late father and that it will be his “tremendous honour” to receive this award. In an earlier news statement from February 11, Tej had said that he would not accept the Bharat Ratna on behalf of his father as the award was only being conferred on him now to further a political agenda regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. He had also mentioned that at that time that he had not received any formal invitation from the government. However, presently Tej said that his words from this previous news statement were “misinterpreted.” In a recent statement, Tej has said that the government of India has “graciously extended an invitation” to him to accept the Bharat Ratna for his late father. “He sacrificed much and devoted selflessly to the cause of a united and progressive India and now he is being recognized for that with this well-deserved award,” he said. Tej mentioned that it would be a “tremendous honour for him and his family to be invited by the government of India to accept the

begin from 15th February and conclude on 31st March’2019, is an initiative of the Assam Cricket Association and is being organised with an aim to attract the youth to the sport and provide a platform to showcase talent and identify upcoming stars. The championship will also inculcate competitive and sporting spirit among the youth. With over 600 matches to be played across 41 venues across Assam, the 45-day long championship will feature over 5,700 players. The championship

New truck logistics service launched in Guwahati

o help the people of Guwahati as well of the state of Assam transport their goods with ease, a new truck logistics service called ‘Muuvr’ has been launched in the city on February 10, 2019. Muuvr is an on-demand truck solution providing an ease of use

Tej Hazarika with Late Dr, Bhupen Hazarika Bharat Ratna” on behalf of his late father. He said that it would be his “dreamlike privilege to receive it for my father and his fans and followers everywhere. As always, I will strive to follow in my father’s footsteps to work to bring light where there is darkness.” Tej added that it was “unfortunate that (some) people would completely misinterpret my public February 11th statement regarding the Bharat Ratna itself by sadly misrepresenting my view of it.” He further said that although he has lived abroad most of his life, his Indian roots have been strong all along as he was born in India as were his parents, and their

parents. He has a family in India too. Tej said that through upbringing and “informed reflection,” he has the highest regard for the “Indian Republic, it’s vast diversity and its noble institution of recognizing its exceptional individuals from all backgrounds with civilian awards - the highest of them being the Bharat Ratna,” which is being announced for his father, the late Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. It should be noted that Tej Hazarika was unwilling to accept the Bharat Ratna on behalf of his late father in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill and now, the Bill has been lapsed in Rajya Sabha and has not been passed. n

will be divided into three phases with participating teams set to compete for prize money worth Rs 92 lakhs spread across these phases. Speaking on the occasion, Hon’ble Minister Pallab Lochan Das said, “This championship shall bring forward hidden talents from nooks and corners of the state, who all till date had not got enough opportunity to shine in this field. This championship shall help them fulfil their dreams by giving them adequate opportunity and scope to grow.” n

for transporting goods through different modes of transportation. The customers can get the ease of booking vehicles through their phones. Muuvr launched its official website www.muuvr.in to support the customers and clients through a software called Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Solution which will cater to the demand and supply of both intra-city and intercity logistics. The software will enable different stakeholders of the logistics industry to avail the services of Muuvr by introducing different innovative

steps to create a better ecosystem. Muuvr launched its service at The Nest, Assam Startup Hub, and with that the company became the first of its kind startup to get launched at the Assam startup initiative hub. Dignitaries from different government bodies and private organizations, namely, Manjula

Saikia Bhuyan, MD, AIIDC, Prasanta Talukdar, AGM, NEDFi, VM Thomas, Director, Don Bosco Institute, Pranjal Konwar, COO, Assam Startup and several others were present during the launch. Speaking on the service, Pankaj Gogoi, Owner of Muuvr said, “The story behind the launch of Muuvr dates back to 2013, when we were trying to solve a problem with taxi aggregator. It was then that we thought of launching a hyper local logistics service. I realized that a digital logistics service was of much need in the region. Then we started touring in the region, and decided that before we cater to the local distance, we should start with the short distance service.” n

8 In The News

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

Lawyer fraternity stages protest demanding welfare schemes, allocation of Rs 5000 Crores in Union Budget Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

n February 12, lawyers in Guwahati participated in a peaceful protest rally in full court dress from the Gauhati High Court (old block) to Raj Bhavan to hand over a memorandum of their demands to the Prime Minister of India through the Governor of Assam, Professor Jagdish Mukhi. The memorandum consisted of an extract copy of the minutes passed in the emergent extraordinary general meeting of Gauhati High Court Bar Association (GHCBA) dated 11.2.2019 (Monday) in pursuance to minutes of the joint meeting with all the state bar councils and representatives of the High Court Bar Associations which was held on 2nd February, 2019 in the Bar Council of India (BCI) premises, New Delhi.

A total of more than 500 advocates participated in the rally. Members of the Bar Councils of North East, the Gauhati High Court Bar Association, All Assam Lawyers’ Association, Gauhati High Court Advocates Association and Lawyers Association of Gauhati jointly participated in the protest.

in case of untimely death of advocates (minimum Rs 50,000 per month) 5. Advocates Protection Act to be enacted for advocates of the country by the Parliament

The demands of the lawyers are:

6. Adequate building/accommodation/sitting facilities with well-equipped libraries, e-libraries, etc and facility for female advocates for all Bar Associations of the country

1. Insurance cover up to Rs 20,00,000 for the lawyers and their families

7. Interest-free housing loans and loans for library, vehicle for the needy advocates

2. Free medi-claim treatment of every type of diseases in the best hospitals for the lawyers

8. Amendments and necessary changes to be made in the Legal Services Authority Act

3. Stipend for new entrants at the Bar up to five years of their practice (minimum Rs 10,000 per month)

9. Amendment of the acts which provide for appointments of retired judges/ judicial officers as presiding officers/members of the different tribunals, so that competent advocates could be appointed in these places

4. Scheme for pension for old/ indigent advocates and provision for family pension

Mahindra launches new XUV300 in Poddar AutoCorp Guwahati

ahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M) on Friday launched its highly anticipated new SUV, the XUV300 at an ex-showroom starting price of Rs 7.90 lakhs for the petrol W4 variant and Rs 8.49 lakhs for the diesel W4 variant (one price applicable across India). The vehicle was launched by Bhoopesh Kumar, DGM, Sales, NER, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd at Poddar AutoCorp (authorised dealership of Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd), Paschim Boragaon, NH 37, Guwahati. The XUV300 comes in 3 variants W4, W6 and W8, and one op-

tional pack on the W8 variant. It is available in 6 monotone colours and 2 dual tone colours: Red Rage, Aqua Marine, Sunburst Orange, Pearl White, Napoli Black, D-Sat

cheetah-inspired design, ‘funto-drive’ performance, best-insegment safety features, firstin-segment hi-tech features and class-defining interiors, make

Silver, Dual Tone White roof on Red Rage and Aqua Marine (only on W8 optional pack). The XUV300’s head-turning,

it an exciting and comprehensive package. It will be available in both petrol and diesel engine options. n

Guwahati lawyers staging protest 10. Grant of at least Rs 50,00,000 for the family/ dependents of advocates in case of untimely death (below the age of 65) Lawyers from across the country observed a strike on Tuesday, February 12 to press for their demand for allocation of Rs 5,000 crore in the Union budget for their welfare. The strike was called by the Bar Council of India (BCI) in association with the state bar councils and representatives of the various high court bar associations. A senior advocate informed G Plus that a meeting was held at the premises of the Bar Council of India on September 1 relating to the issue of the courts trying to throttle the democratic rights of advocates going on strikes even against genuine injustice and wrongdoings, and matters relating to attempts to usurp the rights of lawyers’ representative bodies, and to demand from the union as well as the state governments to provide a scheme for welfare of the lawyers’ fraternity. Thereafter, a letter was addressed to the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi to take steps towards the upliftment of the lawyers of the country and fulfilment of their demands. However, upon inaction on part of the government, another meeting was held by the Bar Council of India on February 2 to deliberate, discuss and demand welfare measures for the lawyers from the government. Thereafter, the Bar Council of India directed the bar associa-

tions across the country to hold a meeting on February 11 and an awareness drive on February 12 in respect of the demands made earlier. “After the protest rally on February 12, a press release was issued by the chairman of Bar Council of India as well and it seems that the call for protest was a huge success as more than 35,000 people took part in the protest at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. Later, 21 members of the council further approached the union law minister and the minister has given assurance that they would constitute a committee very soon, dedicated to seeing the welfare of advocates all over India. I think it is a good sign for all the lawyers of the country,” expressed Banashree Gogoi, Secretary General of Gauhati High Court Bar Association. She further informed G Plus that the Bar Council of India has now decided to convene a meeting of the representatives of all state bar councils, coordination committee of bar associations of Delhi and NCR and the other High Court Bar associations of the country on March 2, 2019 to iterate further. According to the BCI, around 1.7 million lawyers across the country expressed solidarity for the protest marches seeking chamber facilities, accommodation with well-equipped libraries, e-libraries with internet facilities etc. “The legal fraternity is urging the union government to provide budgetary allocations at all-India level,” said Bar Council of Delhi chairman KC Mittal. n

Politicking

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

Will BJP benefit in 2019 after CAB lapse in Rajya Sabha? G Plus News @guwahatiplus

hough the entire northeast rejoiced after the Centre failed to table the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in Rajya Sabha on Thursday last the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) feels that they will gain from the move in the 2019 elections. An executive member of the

Assam BJP, talking to G Plus in condition of anonymity said, “BJP will gain in 2019 from the entire controversy.” According to the member, in West Bengal there are many Hindu Bengalis whose relatives are in Bangladesh or who have entered India after 1951 or 1971, and they were backing the bill. Even though the bill was not tabled in Rajya Sabha, BJP has managed to woo these Hindu

Sarba loses, Conrad gains from CAB row

Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma and AGP leaders at LGBI airport

s the north-eastern states witnessed stirs all across against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma emerged as the face of the region and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal was criticised in the region for the entire controversy. Criticism came the way of chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who was once titled “Jatiya Nayak” (Hero of the community) for his strong stand against illegal infiltrators from Bangladesh. Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) adviser, Akhil Gogoi, slammed chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal recently and said that the latter is a “chamcha (sycophant) of Nagpur.” “He (Sonowal) is called the Jatiya Nayak but the people of Assam have finally realized that he is a chamcha of Nagpur,” said Gogoi while speaking to a local TV channel recently. Even All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) advisor Samujjal

Bhattacharya, who was known to be Sonowal’s good friend, has slammed the chief minister for supporting the bill. But amidst the controversy, Conrad Sangma emerged as the regional hero as regional political parties of the entire northeast started appreciating the Meghalaya chief minister for his stand and initiative to block the bill. Sangma, who is a North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) member, came out openly against the bill without worrying about the alliance break-up threat with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). n

Bengalis. A similar calculation can be done in Barak Valley and many districts of Assam. He revealed that in districts like Mangaldai, where people perceive that the indigenous people will not vote for BJP, the perception is incorrect as even the indigenous people of Mangaldai want that

the Hindu population should increase in the district and the bill has garnered positive feedback. The BJP member claimed that even in upper Assam only the groups against the BJP protested against the bill; the voters who voted for BJP never protested. A former Guwahati Municipal

Corporation (GMC) councillor and a BJP member Rajkumar Tewari said, “The bill controversy has helped the BJP as all the Hindu voters of the entire country have appreciated the move and even if the bill was not tabled, the support of the Hindu voters has intensified.” n

10 Special

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

Tribute to living legend Lakshahira Das as she turns 88 Chandrika Das @chandrikadas89

akshahira Das – a name which needs no introduction. There would hardly be anyone in Assam who would not be besotted with her personality, her brilliant art creation and her melodious renderings. Apt is the name of this multi-talented artist whose body of work can be compared to none. Lakshahira Das was born to Late Lalit Chandra Vaishya Saud and Late Dhairjya Bala Vaishya Saud on February 13, 1931, in Sualkuchi. She passed her matriculation examination from Jorhat Government Girls’ High School in 1946 and intermediate examination in Arts stream in 1948 from JB College, Jorhat. She pursued her graduation in 1950 from Cotton College, wherein she secured the highest marks in Assamese and Education, and claimed 2nd position in her Masters Examination in 1954. She was awarded PhD by Gauhati University in 1972. Dr Das represented the state in several academic seminars and conferences held in and outside India and visited England, France, Malaysia, Singapore, Kenya, Bangkok to present her research papers. Lakshahira Das worked as the first professor and the head of the newly founded Department of Education in Cotton College from 1957 to 1977. She authored 14 books in both English and Assamese language for the students of her department. As many as 14 students have secured PhD under her guidance. She has authored 50 books so far which includes poems, short stories, children’s literature, translations and education. She was six when she composed and published her first poem in a school magazine. Her first collection of lyrics was published while she was a student of Cotton College in 1950. Her poems have been included in several anthologies like ‘Modern Assamese Poetry’ edited by Hem Barua, ‘New Voices of Indian Poetry’ edited by Rajendra Awasthi and others (Authors Guild of India, New Delhi, 1984), ‘Assamese Poetry’ collected and published by the Directorate of Information & Public Relations, Assam, 1980, ‘Anthology of Assamese Poems’ published by the Publication Board, Assam in the souvenir volume of the Northeast India Poetry Meet. Her collection of English poems entitled ‘Between Births’ was released in Malaysia in a World Conference held at Kuala Lumpur in 1991. She was nominated for the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, as a member of the General

Council and Member, Assamese Language Advisory Board for 5 years (2003-2007). She was mentored by none other than the Bard of Brahmaputra, Dr Bhupen Hazarika. She considers him an institution in himself in the history of Assamese music. She is elated that Dr Bhupen Hazarika has been conferred with the prestigious Bharat Ratna, but says that the move is a politically motivated one. “He should have been bestowed the honour long back, but better late than never. I am happy that he has been given this honour. But we cannot overlook the fact that there is a political agendum behind this,” she said. Dr Das is the only female artist of Assam to receive approval of All India Radio as lyricist, composer and singer in 1948 while she was pursuing her studies at Cotton College. She has been writing lyrics for various singers since 1948 till date. She has composed nearly 2,000 songs in the past 60 years, and has also rendered her voice to the LP Records and cassettes of Ambikagiri Ray Choudhury, Umesh Chandra Choudhury and Nalini Bala Devi. As many as 22 of her compositions have been recorded by the Gramophone Company of India (HMV), which included different borgeet, lokageet, traditional songs and adhunik geet alike. She expresses disappointment that music in the present time lacks sense and even the lyrics fail to evoke any emotion among the masses. She however enjoys listening to songs of Anindita Paul among the singers of the current generation. She believes that in this time when the entire state is disturbed, music can be a very strong binding factor. She also insists that the youth of the state come out and compose revolutionary music such as those of Jyoti Prasad Agarwala or Bishnu Rabha. Music can be the bridge between the people, she says. The versatile, multi-faceted singer, poet, lyricist, writer, and academician of Assam has turned 88 this week. Her contribution towards Assam can never be forgotten. While she continues to shine with her excellence, let’s pay a tribute to this living legend for the glory she has brought to the state and the northeast region. n

Dr Lakshahira Das has contributed to social service with her association as life member, president etc at various organizations like: Sahitya Akademy, New Delhi The Authors Guild of India, New Delhi The Indian PEN The Poetry Society of India All India Adult Education Association, New Delhi The Indian Association of Community Education Research and Innovation Committee NCERT, New Delhi Asom sahitya Sabha Assam Academy of Cultural Relation, Assam Radio Artists Association Eastern India Women’s Association

Awards and titles: Special award from Sadou Asom Bolchabi Santha as “The Best Playback singer of Assamese Film” in 1968 Special prize as the playback singer of Assamese film in the Golden Jubilee celebration of Assamese films held in 1985 Basanti Bordoloi Award for the Best Woman Writer of Assam by Asam Sahitya Sabha in 1995 Conferred the title of ‘Sangeetacharya’ by Jitendra Sangeet Mahavidyalay in 1995 Best Lyricist award of northeast India by Kala Sangam in 1997 Received ‘Silipi Puraskar’ from Government of Assam in 2003 Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 from the RG Baruah Sports and Cultural Club Conferred Pragya Shree Award and title from the Sadou Asom Lekhika Samaroh Samiti in 2009 “Prabina Saikia Bota” in literature and culture in 2010 by Asom Lekhika Santha in 2010 “Amol Prova Das Bota” by the Assam Govt in 2011 “Nizara Kobi Sailadhar Rajkhowa Award” from Asom Sahitya Sabha in 2011 “Chatak Sanman” in 2012 by Chatak Gosthi of Assam Received Award of Excellence from the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya in 2014 “Gana Silpi Bota” founded in the name of Dr Bhuepn Hazarika in 2015 by Sadou Asom Unnayan Parishad “Nalinibala Devi Sahitya Bota” by Sadou Asom Lekhika Samaroh Samiti in 2015 Conferred the title of “Kavyacharya” in 2016 by the Asom Kabita Academy Lifetime Achievement Award from Gup-Shup Radio in 2017 “Prag Prerana Award” in 2017 from Prag News Channel “Asom Srestha” award received from the Telegraph Group of News Papers in 2018 Distinguished Recognition Award for outstanding contribution to art, music and culture from Assam Agriculture University, Jorhat in 2018

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

vote for

in association with:

food

before you vote for

power

VOTING LINES ARE NOW

OPEN! Vote at: guwahatiplus.com/gfa | G Plus App | Scan the QR code

Supported by:

12 Centre Spread

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

Guwahati Railw perennial hub of il Railway police on

Over 900 kg ganja seized by railway police in 2018 Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

ttempts to smuggle ganja (cannabis) from the northeastern states to the northern and western cities of India like Delhi, Mumbai etc has become a regular affair and so has confiscation of ganja by the Government Railway Police (GRP) at the Guwahati railway station. In 2018, the GRP seized

911 kgs 300 grams of ganja, and apprehended a total of 54 people in connection with smuggling of narcotics substances. Among other such substances seized during the year were over 3 lakh tablets, 3 kgs 600 grams of morphine, 277 grams of heroine, 7 kgs 50 grams of opium and 1,095 bottles of Phensedyl cough syrup. Additionally, police also seized a total of 1,545 bottles of liquor made in Arunachal Pradesh of which 1,394 bottles were of whiskey and 151 were beer bottles.

According to highly placed sources in the police, Rajdhani Express (Down) has become the most convenient and frequently used train to transport narcotics from the northeastern states to other states. In one of the recent incidents, GRP personnel had seized 15 kgs of ganja and arrested one person in this connection from Guwahati railway station. The person, KR Rang from Manipur, was travelling by Rajdhani

Express (Down) from Dimapur to New Delhi. On July 3 last, at least 34 kilos of ganja was seized by the GRP. One Subhuraj Dasgupta tried to smuggle the consignment to New Delhi from Agartala on the Rajdhani Express. “The Rajdhani Express is a fully air-conditioned train. Compared to other trains security personnel

tend to give the train a more cursory look. The first impression of the peddlers on the train is that the passengers are well off and they would get away unnoticed by being among them. This happens when the peddlers carry small consignments with them. However, huge consignments are carried elsewhere in the train,” the sources informed. n

Narcotics substances seized during the year 2018 Year

2018

Persons Arrested

Number of cases registered

Cases disposed – charge sheet filed

Cases disposed – final report prepared

Pending Investigation

1394 bottle (made in Arunachal)

GDE entry

151 bottles (made in Arunachal)

GDE entry

Name of Items

Quantity

Tablets (WY)

70 kgs (3,04,399 numbers)

Morphine

3 kg 600 grams

Ganja

911 kg 300 grams

Heroine

277 grams

Opium

7 kg 50 grams

Phensedyl Bottle

1095 bottles

Whiskey Beer

GRP seizes over 19 kilos of gold, arrests 9

he Government Railway Police (GRP) recovered a whopping 19 kilos 796 grams of gold in the year 2018 and apprehended nine people in connection with gold smuggling. The value of the recovered gold has been calculated at Rs 5,86,29,565. The biggest haul of 2018 was on October 22 when 7 kgs 998 grams of the precious metal amounting to Rs 2,62,75,565 was seized from a passenger at the city railway station. A train checking party of the GRP seized five gold bars weighing 7998.770 gm from a youth bound for Kolkata from Guwahati Railway Station on October 22. The youth, identified as Kiran Vishwanath Patil (31), hailing from Maharashtra, was supposed to board the Saraighat Express that day. Patil was arrested while loitering on Platform No. 2 of the railway station and his ticket showed coach number A1 and

Recovery of gold during the year 2018 Serial No.

Quantity of gold seized

Approx market value

Date of recovery

Number of persons apprehended

1992 grams

Rs 59,76,000

0.983773148

1494 grams

Rs 30,00,000

0.400439815

1094 grams

Rs 33,10,500

0.692106481

331.91 grams

Rs 10,62,443

0.526134259

1992.33 grams

Rs 64,31,241

0.567800926

830.13 grams

Rs 26,56,416

0.109467593

1119.40 grams

Rs 28,12,600

0.569189815

2944.30 grams

Rs 71,04,800

7998.650 grams

Rs 2,62,75,565

0.946967593

Total

19,796.72 grams

Rs 5,86,29,565

seat number 23. The consignment of the five gold bars worth Rs

2,62,00,000 was kept hidden under the waist belt by the youth.

The youth was handed over to the Customs for further action.

Recovery of cash during the year 2018 Serial No.

Quantity of cash

Date of recovery

Number of persons apprehended

Rs 70,00,000

0.107384259

Rs 16,00,000

0.06849537

Total

Rs 86,00,000

Superinendent of Railway Police (SRP) HK Das had said, “The gold was seized at around 12 PM during a routine check on board the Saraighat Express while it was halted at Guwahati railway station.” Guwahati has become a hub for smuggling of gold from Myanmar, via Manipur and Mizoram. Gold smuggling on the railways has seen a sharp rise in recent years. While in 2016, GRP had seized 19.31 kgs of gold worth Rs 57,95,340, it went up to almost 75 kgs worth Rs 22,48,10,670 in 2017. Further, the Government Railway Police also recovered cash amounting to Rs 86 lakhs and apprehended two persons in connection. “A passenger is only allowed to carry cash up to Rs 50,000 while travelling via trains in India. He/ she needs to produce documents for cash over Rs 50,000. The two parties failed to produce valid documents and were hence apprehended,” informed a source in the railway police. n

Centre Spread

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

Huge cache of AK-47 bullets way Station: A llegal activities, recovered by railway police n constant alert

which included 227 rounds of AK47 ammunitions, 48 rounds of SLR ammunitions, 21 rounds of revolver ammunition and one .32 revolver. The .32 bore revolver

huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered by the Government Railway Police (GRP) last year

along with 21 rounds of ammunition was seized from two passengers of Delhibound Rajdhani Express at Guwahati railway station on the morning of August 30. A joint team of GRP and CRPF personnel seized the revolver and ammunition from Suman Kumar, 26, and Vinit Kumar, 40, both hailing from Bhagalpur

district in Bihar and arrested the duo. A case (number 232/18) was registered at GRP police station at Guwahati railway station in connection with the seizure under Section

Arms, ammunitions and explosives recovered during the year 2018 Year

Name of Items

2018

Quantity

AK47 ammunitions

227 round

SLR ammunitions

48 rounds

.32 rivolver

Revolver ammunition

21 rounds

Cases disposed – charge sheet filed

Number of cases registered

Persons Arrested

Cases disposed – final report prepared

Act. In connection to the crimes, the police have registered two cases, both pending investigation. Further, two people have been arrested. In a recent incident, the GRP recovered a huge amount of

468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) of the IPC, Section 25 (1A) of the Arms Act and Section 164 of the Railways

explosives from Guwahati Railway Station on February 4, 2019. Based on a tip-off, a team of GRP recovered 22 packets of 440 gelatins, around 700 detonators packed in 7 packets and 3 bundles of fuse wires from platform number 3 of the Guwahati railway station. n

16 children, 9 adults rescued from human traffickers by Government Railway Police

minors revealed that Momina was taking them to Delhi promising better jobs. Later, the kids were handed over to the GRP and their respective parents were called. Guwahati has seen a rapid rise in human trafficking cases. According to recent data 8,443 children went missing from the state during the last five years. The number of missing children from Assam has seen a rise from the previous year when 1,839 cases were registered in 2017. Further, merely 4,377 missing children were recovered in the last five years. Experts believe that it is because of the

overnment Railway Police (GRP) successfully rescued 16 children and 9 adults from railway premises like station and trains, during the period from January to December 2018. 14 human traffickers were also arrested red-handed who were trying to transport children and women in trains and eight cases have been registered. Additionally, the GRP has recovered 137 children from the premises, who had been announced missing. In one such incident of human trafficking, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) rescued two minor boys and a girl from an alleged trafficker identified as Momina Khatun (24) from Guwahati railway station on July 30. According to RPF source, Momina Khatun hails from Dhing under Nogaon district. The four of them were spotted roaming suspiciously on Platform number 1 of the station for which the RPF interrogated and apparently Momina confessed to her motive

behind the journey. During the

interrogation,

the

trafficked

Recovery/Rescue of persons/children during the year 2018 Year

Recovery of missing persons/ children (loitering)

Recovery of persons/children from human traffickers

2018

Persons

Children

Persons

Children

137

Number of cases registered

Number of persons arrested

socio-economic and political realities, such as conflict and marginalisation of communities in hill areas, agricultural crisis and displacement; there

are a lot of people – mainly women and children – who are deceitfully trafficked or they go out looking for alternative occupations which finally becomes unsafe migration and they get stuck in this vicious cycle of exploitation. Officials say that Guwahati is fast becoming a “source centre” for trafficking children to other states of the northeast as well as places like Haryana, Delhi, Punjab and Kolkata. n

14 G Talk E

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019 T

State machinery collapsing?

ell, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill fracas seems to be momentarily over; one can safely assume that peace has returned to Assam. This might be just the right time to reflect on the agitations all over the state and the northeast that finally forced a determined central government to think twice and let the Bill lapse. Most of these agitations were organised and respectable because of their adherence to the democratic principles of peaceful protest. However, the media, especially social media, did not fail to catch those offbeat moments of extreme aggression where physical injury was inflicted in the name of protest. The attack on the lady doctor at Digboi is one case in point among many others. Again, a lone youngster shouting “Go Back Modi” and waving a black flag in Guwahati with the police looking on is another example of a free-for-all mêlée that seems to be the order of the day giving the feeling that the state machinery might just be collapsing. I discussed the issue with a senior police officer and found his perspective intriguing. He felt that after 15 years of peace with virtually no agitations or

law and order problems, one section of the society has become overtly aggressive with no fear for the state machinery. This section comprises mostly a young generation who have grown up in peace and are aware of the power that they wield through their smartphones. The 15 minutes of fame factor, basically! On the other hand, the state machinery has become rusty from this peace or perhaps totally complacent thereby giving the feeling that sab chalta hai or bas ho jayega. All this is coupled with a new fear for the media that the police force seems to have and the policemen turn cautious in wielding the baton in public. In this case, 15 minutes of notoriety if captured in the act on a smartphone that might lead to career-damaging suspensions! So is the state machinery collapsing? Well, I believe not. Complacency has set in for sure but 15 years ago, when this peace had ushered itself in, the PM, CM and the system were accorded their due respect. The challenge of disrespect thrown by a whole generation growing up in this peace has given a new dimension to governance and hopefully, the system will respond to it with adequate competence.

Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali

Dharna masters 1st Chap: Amar, iyate bor action hua hoise! (Lots of action happening in our region). Ek pine Citizenship Bill got lapsed, which was our victory! (Random strangers cheer, “hurray”) And then everyone seems to be claiming victory for it; people and party supporters seem to be enjoying the regional leaders’ showboating. 2nd Chap: But now the Citizenship Bill is dead, at least for the time being. Now we should all mourn the deaths of the CRPF jawans who lost their lives yesterday. 3rd Chap: I know! We should protest about the heinous attack and demand another surgical strike. 4th Chap: Well said. Spoken like a true nationalist! 1st Chap: How do you think we should do that? 3rd Chap: Well, for starters, let’s burn the Pakistani flag! 4th Chap: Swell! Well done! [random strangers cheer, “hurray”] 2nd Chap: I’ll make some calls and gather some people. 3rd Chap: In the meantime, I’ll go and print out some flags for us to burn. 1st Chap: Ooh, we can use something like the Shakti app! 1st Chap: Or, you could just activate your existing WhatsApp groups. No other brand has ever managed to mobilize people together like a WhatsApp group. 2nd Chap: Especially like my family group! Everyone takes my case together because I’m not studying for my boards. 3rd Chap: Bola bola, Flag jolau bola (Come, let’s burn the flag). 4th Chap: Hear hear! The best protestor, caught on camera gets a party from me. 1st Chap: And how will you determine the best? 4th Chap: Well, for starters, his face should be plastered all across social media and newspapers tomorrow! 3rd Chap: Okay let me call some people and send them invitations for the “flag burning dharna.” I’m sure my contacts will ensure that I will appear everywhere, and that way, I can then become “The Accidental Neta.”

Sidharth Bedi Varma @sid_bv

Tackling the psychological insecurity today

ackling the psychological insecurity today Assam is in a state of utter confusion today. We can see people agitating, shouting slogans with allegations and counter allegations against each other like never before. It is high time we introspect and analyze whether we can afford to go through the similar painful process of Assam agitation once again. We will observe that the reasons behind this turmoil is the feeling of insecurity in the minds of indigenous people arising out of variety of reasons as listed below: Fear of being a minority in the place of their origin Fast changing demography of the society due to large scale immigration from the neighboring Bangladesh. As per the census reports of the state the percentage of majority community has reduced sharply from 72.01% in 1951 to 61% in 2011. In other words, there is a decline of 11.0 % in the population of the majority community in the state vis-à-vis a jump of 9.52% in the population growth of the minority community during this period. This is something which is abnormally high compared to any other region in the country. Among the major contributing factors for this unusual imbalance is the unabated illegal migration of foreigners from neighboring Bangladesh after its independence due to low rate of literacy and poor economic condition in the country. This has generated an identity crisis in the minds of the local people, which needs no further explanation. The pressure on land, culture and employment is huge. The recently published draft NRC also brings home these facts only, which has indicated an astronomically large figure of 40 lakhs as non-citizens. The otherwise highly tolerant Assamese society is restless today. The situation needs to be appreciated in its right perspectives and handled in a mature way by those in power keeping in mind the local sentiments before the whole atmosphere gets vitiated by anti-social elements and the corrupt politicians with ulterior motives. Keeping in mind the complex leg-

rHoliday list under NI Act

islative mechanism and a strong judiciary system in the country, the time has come for the entire indigenous community to put our heads together and pave the way for a pragmatic solution. Some of the short term and long term strategies suggested for approaching the whole issue are as follows: The constitutional safeguard to the indigenous local population is a must for survival of the local heritage and culture, without which we will be an extinct community in this fast changing world keeping in mind the demographic changes as evident from above. Granting ST status to six indigenous communities in the region is a welcome step in this direction. Most importantly Clause 6 of Assam Accord needs to be properly interpreted and implemented with right earnest to the best advantage of the indigenous people.

he otherwise highly tolerant Assamese society is restless today. The situation needs to be appreciated in its right perspectives. The author suggests some short term and long term strategies for approaching the whole issue. This can be an effective tool for giving constitutional safeguards to the diminishing local population. The NRC, which is in the final stage of preparation under direct supervision of the Supreme Court should be the basis for determination and enumeration of infiltration from Bangladesh. There must not be any political interference while implementing NRC. Voting rights must be restricted to Indian citizens only with genuine proof of address and identity as per the corrected voters’ list based on NRC. Land policy has to be firmed up in the state without any further delay to ensure that the illegal mi-

O pinion Jayanta Madhav Barua

grants do not have any rights over any immovable properties. All BPL level benefits to the illegal migrants should be stopped as these are exclusively meant for genuine citizens of the country alone. Vigorous efforts should be made to free the government land and reserved forests areas, temples and sattras from unauthorized occupation by the infiltrators. Implementation of proper schemes for rehabilitation of the landless genuine citizens on the basis of final NRC. Sealing the Indo-Bangladesh border with round-the-clock electronic surveillance to prevent future migration. Putting diplomatic pressure on the international community and Bangladesh for deportation of all those who are proven to have migrated from that country as per the NRC; a tricky issue needing mature handling at all levels. In the interim period the system of work permit for a limited time period may be introduced for those foreign workers willing to work temporarily like other countries in the world under a strict monitoring system. Having addressed all the above complicated issues on priority with visible action plans and implementation the now lapsed Citizenship Amendment Bill can be taken up for an amicable solution; if at all it is taken up in the future. This is possible through elaborate discussions and a consensus between the local Government and the disgruntled indigenous people of the state instead of making an effort to forcefully impose the same. Forceful measures with myopic visions will be counterproductive in the long run. The peace loving people of Assam are waiting with high hopes for a better tomorrow. (The author is a widely travelled free lance writer and a mechanical engineer) jayanta.barua09@gmail.com

Letter to the Editor

The Government of Assam recently declared the Holidays under Section 25 of the Negotiable Instruments Act 1881 for the calendar year 2019. However, it is unfortunate that, once again, the Birth Anniversary (Janmotsav) of Srimanta Shankardev is missing from the Holiday list under NI Act. Needless to add that Shankardev is the most revered person in Assam. The next Birth Anniversary of Srimanta Shankardev falls on 8th October 2019. It is requested to the Government of Assam to correct this anomaly and modify the Holiday List under NI Act for 2019, at the earliest, so that the Janmotsav of Shankardev is included. A Bhuyan Nagaon

In Focus

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

Alishmita Goswami Actress

uwahati’s Alishmita Goswami is all set to make her Bollywood debut in the upcoming movie Blackboard VS Whiteboard directed by Tarun Bisht in which she’ll be sharing the screen with renowned actors

Raghuvir Yadav, Akhilendra Mishra and

Ashok Samarth. Alishmita, who hails from Sorbhog, Assam, had been interested in acting ever since childhood but she got her first break in 2015, in Pankaj Ingti’s music video Ami Axom Dexor Suwali. Since then, she has featured in over a hundred music videos including Zubeen Garg’s Buku Bhori Aase Morom, Neel Akash’s Gun Gun and Bhrigu Kashyap’s Bappa Oi. She has also acted in Rengoni channel’s mega serial Aaina where she played the character of Gouri, the lead character. For her portrayal of Gouri, Alishmita received the Rodali Award for Best Actress in 2017-18. On the movie front, Alishmita had earlier acted in Tumi Muk Faki Dila, a 2018 film directed by Hadis Ahmed. She has also acted in the Assamese film Kokaideu Bindaas directed by Dhrubajyoti

Bordoloi which is scheduled to release in March this year. Alishmita further has three more Assamese movies in the pipeline – Pranab Vivek directed Ulka, Kongkon Rajkhowa directed Dwipen Gandhi and Oasis Talukdar directed Parikrama. While Ulka and Dwipen Gandhi are currently in the post production stage, Parikrama is in the final days of shooting. In her debut Bollywood movie, the young actress is playing the character of Rashmi, a Delhi-based reporter and lawyer. “Rashmi is a strong, independent woman who is unafraid of speaking her mind and always stands for the truth. It was a wonderful experience portraying such a powerful character and I look forward to more such roles in the future,” expressed Alishmita speaking to G Plus. For her role in the film, Alishmita received the Best Debutant Award at the Jharkhand International Film Festival from Arbaaz Khan and Raghuvir Yadav. The film is based on the education system of our country. It shows the current scenario of the education system, especially in rural areas, where people don’t give importance to education and throws light on how important education really is.

Speaking about her experience of working with Bollywood director Tarun Visht, she said, “Tarun Visht is an ace director who is also a very kind and humble person who knows how to make all the actors feel comfortable. He’s been a true teacher to me, guiding me at every step and bearing with my Assamese accent. He patiently taught me how to deliver the dialogues as a reporter does and helped me improve my Hindi accent too.” Daughter of retired teacher Rohini Kumar Goswami and Rekha Goswami, Alishmita did her matriculation from Barnagar Vidya Mandir School and higher secondary from Krishna Kanta Handique in Arts stream. She went on to pursue graduation in Assamese (honours) and diploma in Journalism and Mass Communication from Cotton College (now Cotton University) in Guwahati. An introvert by nature, Alishmita likes to spend time at home rather than going clubbing or partying. She says, “When I’m not acting, I like to spend time watching sitcoms on Netflix or reading novels. I do not have many friends and I don’t prefer going out so often.” Being associated with both Assamese and Hindi film industry,

Alishmita says that the Assamese film industry is currently undergoing a revival and there’s a lot of professionalism in the newer lot of artists – be it actors, directors or musicians. “The Assamese film industry has given me a lot. I started out as an actor from here and I’ve learnt the nuances of acting from the artists of this industry. All that I am today, I owe it to this industry and the support that the Assamese people have shown towards me,” Alishmita told G Plus. She further informed that if given a chance, she would love to work with the award winning director Jahnu Barua in an Assamese film and renowned singer Papon for a music video. From Bollywood, she dreams of working with director Imtiaz Ali and be cast opposite Ranbir Kapoor. Alishmita says that to be successful as an actor, one has to keep their goals clear and never lose focus. Her advice to all young, aspiring actors is “Always be a learner. Never think that you’ve learnt everything there was to learn and try to grab as much as possible from all your experiences. You cannot know everything about acting in a short span of time. With every project, you keep evolving.”

17 seats will now go to the Bangladeshi Muslims: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated before the media that it would be a defeat for Assamese people if the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is not passed. Abhijit Goswami Let the NRC come, and implement the Assam Accord first. Even after that if we see that those seats are in danger then take the necessary action. But not before that. Don’t just visualize, rather think and act. Anyway our state is in danger because of these Bangladeshi Muslims. So first work on the NRC. Get these Bangladeshis out and try to gain the trust of Assamese people on your government.

Milan Kzp If Himanta Biswa Sarma knows about those constituencies which belong to Bangladeshi Muslims, why doesn’t he have the guts to find them out and move them out of this place? Being a minister from India, he has full power to do so. Moreover, I don’t understand who is working on NRC? The Bangladeshis or our government? I think it is Himanta’s frustration as he knows that the defeat of this current government is confirmed.

Shreya Dhar This man has really got some brain. I don’t understand why people are against him but the point is he is absolutely right. Currently passing of CAB is very important for Assam otherwise that day is not far when we will be named as a state like Kashmir. Violence, blast and bandhs will be a common phenomenon here if the bill is not passed. People need to see this thing in broader perspective and understand the future prospects of the same. If we want our state to be saved, then we should definitely follow what the government wants to do.

Ronnie Adriel 17 Seats will go to Bangladeshi Muslims according to HBS, so my question is how will Bangladeshi Muslims contest election in Assam? If you know there are Bangladeshi Muslims than why can’t you take action? And what about NRC where till date so many names of people of Indian origin have not come. Is the current government trying to play games with us in the name of religion? Also, BJP has full power not to give any facilities to Muslim Bangladeshis if they think they are in our country and as being a powerful party they can easily throw out these illegal immigrants but are not doing that. We have come up with NRC but if we go through the list, we can only see the names of all Bangladeshi people.

Paras Jain We the Hindus are spineless. History speaks for itself and has seen the sins and crimes committed by foreign rulers. Somewhere it rings in my ears the we Hindus are not fit for independence and prefer to be slaves. One should not forget Assam is sitting on volcano and land mines. The political leaders are self-centred and are not careful about their own men and families. Can anyone imagine Assam without Hindus residing and congregated from all over Bharat? Of course not!

Anurag Chakraborty Ok for the first time I agree with what Himanta Biswa Sarma has said. Population of Muslim Bangladeshi is increasing day by day. Therefore if we don’t want our state to turn into a Bangladeshi state, it is important to bring these Hindu Bengali people from the neighbouring countries. In this way the numbers of indigenous people of the country will increase and also we will be safe.

16 Feature

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

Never forget that Falling in Love is a serious business Shreeprakash Sharma Principal, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya spsharma.rishu@gmail.com

rateek, a 17-year-old boy from class XII in a prestigious private school always topped his class and made his parents and teachers proud of him. His parents wanted to see him as an IAS officer. Things had been going very well until he reached home when his school was closed for two months. Prateek’s parents were amazed to find his son bizarrely distracted and disappointed. Unlike the past few years, this time he preferred to stay alone and avoided the company of his

bosom friends he once used to dote on and he wasn’t even very serious in his studies anymore. He would keep sleeping or engaging in talking on his mobile phone. Prateek had totally changed and this disturbing situation made his parents very worried and alarmed. When things aggravated from worse to worst, Prateek’s mummy got restless. One evening, while Prateek was lying in his bed, his mother came to him with tea and very affectionately yet very fearfully asked him, “My son, what happened to you? I have been watching that you have not been

behaving naturally, nor living your life normally since you have come here. Do not get scared and tell me the problems which have fallen upon you.” Mom’s question came to Prateek as a bolt from the sky and it touched his heart. But Prateek tried to hide the agonies which had been gnawing away at his mental peace. The answer which Prateek gave his mother was not at all satisfying and convincing. “Nothing mom. Why do you think so? I am alright. There is nothing to worry about mom!” But his mom did not buy what his son tried to put as the pretext of what has been

harassing him. She kept quiet for some moments and finally said, “But

things are not the same my son since you have reached home. I can see you are so mentally disturbed. There is something wrong which has been perplexing you. You are my son, and I can understand your pain and predicament well. Tell me everything clearly without any fear my boy. We are more experienced and have also seen the world. Maybe we can help you to de-stress and come out from a swirling vortex of dilemmas and confusions.” Prateek could not hide anything any longer and began crying bitterly, clinging to his mother. He finally started narrating what has stolen his heart and has bereft him of his mental peace. “Mom, I have

fallen in love with Simran, my classmate and it has now reached a point where I have been finding myself quite incapable of managing the situation. I love her so much, mom and I cannot live without her now. I want to marry her. Simran is also ready to elope to marry me. Now you tell me mom, what I should do? I am in a big quandary.” Now it was Prateek’s mother’s turn to get stunned. But very soon, she controlled herself and broke the silence. She made him understand what marriage meant and what responsibilities were associated with it and that it is going to be

one of the biggest challenges of his life. However, it was not easy for Prateek to understand what his mother tried to enlighten him about. But, very soon the situation became crystal clear and Prateek succeeded in recovering himself. Prateek returned to school after his summer vacation but with an unbelievable

change in his perception about life and marriage. In fact, the case of Prateek may seem to be an anecdote but love stories of this ilk are galore, especially in this revolutionary age of social media. An important question arises here: Can the very natural and innate human sentiment like that of love be avoided as an essential evil? The second question which also raises its head in the anticipation of an answer is: What precautions must be taken even if one fails to prevent himself from falling in love? It is not hard to accept that love is the most intrinsic emotion of human beings. But, falling in the love at the age of adolescence which is considered as the golden period from the career point of view may prove to be incongruous and very destructive because falling in love is such a phenomenon which calls for fulfilling a lot of promises. It also heavily disturbs the concentration power so badly required to study and do business. Falling in love at the stage of student life, though beyond one’s control and conscience, is like a double-edged sword and so one needs to be very cautious. Money plays an important role in love, especially in this age of materialistic world. Economic interdependence must be treated as the prerequisite for starting liking and loving someone. And what about physical intimacy? In fact, love generally is considered as the licence of indulging in what we may call sexual promiscuity. The breed of pure and platonic love has amazingly been on the fast lane. So, when in love, one must be wary about what they want from this relationship body or heart? Love is a great sacrifice. It must not be treated as a barter system which involves exchange of expensive gifts. Helping someone you love reach their pinnacle of success is true love. Doing your best to bail your sweethearts from difficult situations is a truer love. Having the intense and undying feelings of empathy and sympathy with whom you love is the truest love which runs slow but lasts the longest. n

Trotter

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

Fox News host says he hasn’t washed hands in 10 years

Fox News host told viewers live on air that he has not washed his hands in a decade because “germs are not a real thing.” On the right-wing channel’s breakfast show, Fox And Friends, Pete Hegseth claimed germs don’t exist because they cannot be seen by the naked eye. The presenter said he has improved his health since he stopped washing his hands because it is a way of “inoculating” himself. The insanitary habit emerged after co-host Jedediah Bila revealed how Hegseth had been eating day-old pizza in the studio. In his defence, the presenter said, “Pizza Hut lasts for a long time.” As a New Year’s resolution, Hegseth had vowed to say things on air that he would normally say off air. It is unclear whether his viewers are grateful - and after his lack

of handwashing emerged, he was described as “gross” and “disgusting” on Twitter. Guidance from the NHS states that washing your hands protects against illnesses such as food poisoning, flu and diarrhoea. It recommends that people should spend about 20 seconds washing

their hands, or about as long as it takes to sing Happy Birthday. The World Health Organisation has recently launched the Save Lives: Clean Your Hands campaign to encourage healthcare workers to take care of their hand hygiene. (Source: news.sky)

Man makes incredibly awkward error on first day at new job

hen starting at work, your first day can be a nerve-wracking experience. You’ve got a lot of people to meet, a lot of things to learn and a good impression to make. It’s very easy to slip up and make a rather embarrassing mistake, as one man recently discovered. Back in October, Jon Caña began a new job in digital marketing at a company called Essence in San Francisco. On his first day at work, he was greeted with a box full of company merchandise and a card, which got things off to a great start. But later in the day he found a beautiful bouquet of flowers had been placed on his desk - which really made him feel welcome. Speaking to a news agency, he admitted that he thought they

were just another part of the first day experience. He said, “I just assumed they were kind of part of this whole first day experience. I was like, ‘Wow, this day just keeps

getting better and better’.” In order to hold on to that first day feeling, Jon decided to take a few photos of himself in the office with the flowers. He tweeted the pictures, writing: “First day feels.”

After posting the tweet, he thought nothing more of the whole thing, until about a week later, when he discovered where the flowers really came from. While at a company holiday party, an office manager admitted that the flowers had actually been meant for someone else. He revealed all on Twitter : “I found out these flowers were misplaced on my desk and supposed to be for someone going on maternity leave because they don’t give flowers to new hires, but they saw me taking pics with them and felt too bad to take them away I’m caaackling.” His tweet went viral, with over 52,000 retweets and 263,000 likes. Many people also started sharing in his embarrassment, revealing their own cringy work stories. (Source: mirror.co.uk)

‘Tinder for cows’ matches livestock in the mood for love

Tinder-inspired app is helping farmers match up potential partners for their cattle. Called “Tudder” - a mix of dating app Tinder and udder - it lets farmers swipe right on cattle they like the look of. They are then directed to a page on the SellMyLivestock website where they can browse more pictures and data about the animals before deciding whether to buy. Valuable information is available on matters like milk yield and protein content, or calving potential, explained Doug Bairner, CEO of Hectare Agritech which runs SellMyLivestock (SML) and Graindex, a UK-based online agritech trading platform. “Matching livestock online is even easier than it is to match humans because there’s a huge amount of data that sits behind these wonderful animals that predicts what their offspring will be,” he said. Launching just in time for Valentine’s Day, the maker’s believer Tudder is the first ever matchmaking app for livestock. As with the human equivalent, farmers use smartphones to first choose whether they are looking for a male or female, swiping through photos - right for yes

and will just take out whatever she needs for her two kids each morning. Posting photos of her incredible collection on Facebook , the Australian mum wrote, “As of this morning, we have a chest freezer. The plan is to freeze it all. I have two kids, but only one in school, as of tomorrow. The other is two. I do feel like I sold my soul. I don’t cook at all, so this was a mission. I’ve never done anything like this before, so we’ll see how it goes.” Other parents are in awe of her impressive lunch prep efforts, and many wished they could be

as organised. One wrote: “You are insanely organised wish I had your energy to do all this it would make me feel like a super mum. Well done!” Another added: “Can you come do mine please. I spent hours in the kitchen and got nowhere near as much.” (Source: mirror.co)

and left for no - until they find a match. Putting data at their fingertips connects farmers from all over the country, making trading easier. Cattle farmer and Tudder user James Bridger said it eases transport stress for animals and may rival traditional markets. “You’ve got all this data of its background and everything which if you’re at a market you

might not have had the time to go through for every single random animal,” he told. SellMyLivestock has listed over £50 million ($64 million) of livestock, feed and bedding to sell in the last year, dispelling notions that farmers are stuck in the past, Bairner said. “Despite the rest of the world’s view of farming, it’s actually very technologically driven,” he said, citing precision spraying, automated dairy units and genetic science. (Source: reuters)

Shop sells pickled human body parts, flesh and animal skulls

hen you walk into Curiosities, you’re greeted by Scandinavian music and burning white sage incense sticks which create a mist of smoke across the room. The shop is filled with hundreds of weird, wonderful and slightly odd items, including pickled body

solution. Henry said, “Now and then I have to change the fluid or top them up and remove any bits that fall off.” The human specimens are usually old medical specimens or tribal pieces from various cultures around the world. Henry added, “We are generally used to burial or cremation but other cultures treat remains in a different way, respecting them visually in their remains. “I understand that some people don’t get it or think it’s

parts, human flesh and stuffed animals. Henry Scragg, the man behind the huge collection and Essex shop, sells items for anywhere between £10 and £2,650. The body parts, including a human foetus and women’s ovaries, are kept in jars. They are preserved in formaldehyde, a solution that preserves and fixes tissues and organs, before being transferred into an alcohol and distilled water

disrespectful or wrong to sell remains because, as a society, we don’t generally know about the traditions of other cultures. It’s fine, it’s also easier to get angry at someone than research the information.” Henry gave up his job as a gardener at Anglia Ruskin University five years ago to pursue his interest in “macabre curiosities.” (Source: dailysun)

Mum spends 11 hours prepping snacks and lunches for her kids woman has been labelled “super mum” after showing off her incredible lunch box prep for her children. The mum-oftwo spent 11 hours prepping a staggering amount of food for her kids to enjoy over the next few weeks. Describing herself as a “firsttime kindy mum”, she said extreme preparation made her feel like she had “sold her soul.” She now has bags filled with 60 pizza scrolls, 28 sandwiches, chopped oranges, cookies and snack bags of grapes. She’s frozen all the food

18 Review

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

Starring: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Vijay Raaz, etc. Director: Zoya Akhtar

Cinepolis

Movie Review

05:00 PM, 08:00 PM

Christian Basti 09435025808

Gold Cinema Paltan Bazaar

Gully Boy

09854066166

09:30 AM, 10:00 AM, 10:40 AM, 12:55 PM, 01:25 PM, 04:25 PM,

Gully Boy

04:55 PM, 05:10 PM, 07:55

11:00 AM, 11:15 AM, 02:00 PM,

PM, 08:25 PM, 08:35 PM

02:15 PM, 05:00 PM, 05:15

Hum Chaar

PM, 08:00 PM, 08:15 PM

09:15 AM, 02:00 PM Uri: The Surgical Strike 09:05 PM Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi

Grande Cines Paltan Bazar 09854017771

03:00 PM

Gully Boy

ully Boy is a film about a 22-year old boy, Murad (Singh) from a ghetto in Mumbai, India. He is the son of a driver and his parents want him to have a good white collar job as they have worked hard to educate him. However, Murad wants to become a rapper and believes that that is his calling. The film follows the authentic hip hop scene in India which is a recent phenomenon and is rising from the streets. The story follows Murad as he realises his love for rapping and chases his dream to inadvertently transcend his economic and social class in society. The film

he Oppo K1 is part of a new kind of smartphone which has thinner display bezels, better cameras and exists without any ports or buttons. This phone is from a new series of phones from the company and is the least expensive smartphone in the Indian market, for Rs. 16,990.

Design:

The Oppo K1 has a strong resemblance to many existing Oppo smartphones such as the Oppo A9 and the Oppo F9 Pro. The plastic body is put together well and has a good heft to it. The back has a gradient design. The phone is available in the Astral Blue color and the Piano Black trim. The placement of the buttons is good, as is the build quality. It’s tray on the left can fit two Nano-SIM cards and a microSD card (upto 256 GB). The phone also supports Dual 4G VoLTE. In the bottom, the phone has a speaker grille, a micro-USB port

shows street rap from the nooks and corners of Mumbai’s lanes. The poetry in the movie is aware of the socio-economic fabric of the city and highlights the challenges faced by the youth of minority population. This film has so many elements that make it worth watching, the writing of the film is fantastic and the cinematography breathtaking. The world created by Akhtar is mesmerizing and at once, you are pulled into it, rooting excitedly for the protagonist of the film. Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt are in their element and it does not get better than this. Their characters, so well-written and so well portrayed, did true justice

Oppo K1

and a 3.5mm headphone socket. It has a 6.41 inch, full HD+ display with Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for protection. Since they have the fingerprint sensor under the display, it has had to use an AMOLED panel. Due to limited space around the selfie camera, it does not have any notification LED. The phone comes with a screen guard pre-applied. At the back, the phone has a dualcamera module. In the box, the phone comes with a silicone case, SIM eject tool, micro-USB cable, a 10 W power adapter and a headset.

Specifications and Software:

The Oppo K1 is powered by

to the film. Singh is a force to reckon with and is only moving forward with his performances. Bhatt, the ever-enchanting actress has taken to her role of the versatile actor very seriously and she seamlessly transforms into Safeena, paving the way for the film with Singh hand-in-hand. The other supporting cast of the film has also done a very good job at portraying their characters and made the film what it is. Zoya Akhtar has delivered a masterpiece once again and this one is definitely worth watching. Go watch it for the writing, the actors, the story, the entertainment and the love. You’ll not regret it. n the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 octa-core SoC. The phone has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, dual-band WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 5, USB OTG, GPS, and sensors such as a compass, accelerometer, ambient light sensor, and gyroscope. However, there is no FM radio. Performance, Battery life and Cameras The phone does well in terms of general usage, but one-handed operation isn’t easy. The display has a good touch response and ColorOS runs

Alita: Battle Angel

Gully Boy

(English), 3D

09:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:20

06:15 PM

PM, 03:15 PM, 05:00 PM,

The Lego Movie 2: The

06:15 PM, 08:00 PM

Second Part (English) 12:25 PM

PVR Cinemas Dona Planet

Anuradha Cineplex Noonmati 0361 2656968

08800900009 Uri: The Surgical Strike 01:20 PM Gully Boy

Gully Boy

10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 02:20 PM, 04:40

11:00 AM, 02:00 PM,

PM, 05:40 PM, 08:00 PM, 09:00 PM

smoothly with no issues. The in-display fingerprint sensor also works fine. The face recognition was a lot quicker and convenient. The Oppo phone has used a standard 16-megapixel camera and a depth sensor on the rear, and a 25-megapixel sensor with an f/2 aperture on the front. The rear 16-megapixel sensor has an f/1.7 aperture. It also has a 2x zoom button in the viewfinder but it’s just digital and not optical.

Verdict:

The price range for the phone is not bad considering the features it offers however the price could drop down so that it matches other phones with similar RAM and storage configurations. The phone provides very good app and gaming performance, a sharp display, good battery life and the in-display fingerprint senor, all of which makes it a good purchase for the price. n

Fiction

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

The Hunt (Part-II)

he day after Boni was born Mriganka had brought a newborn baby deer with him. He had caressed the baby deer while feeding it milk from a feeding bottle. “Men! The only animal in the world to fear!” he had said to Priyanka. “This must be a quote from Mr Lawrence,” Priyanka had replied teasingly. Mriganka then had said, “Who, other than DH Lawrence, would say such a thing? When you were crying hysterically in labour pain yesterday, this deer’s mother was crying in pain too. Bahadur had heard the sound of gun shots at the first check post, and had gone into the forest with his group. Two pregnant rhinos had been kept under security there. The poachers had aimed at the rhinos, but had missed them. After a while, Bahadur’s group had found this baby deer in a pool of blood. It hadn’t been an hour since it was born and it wasn’t even able to stand; the poachers had taken the mother deer with them.” Priyanka had fallen silent. That baby deer “Munna” and Boni grew up together. Mriganka had said to Boni, “Boni Maa, Munna is your brother; he’s just three hours younger to you.” Before their marriage, Priyanka had found a perennial stream of love flowing through Mriganka’s heart. However, staying in the forest made her realize that Mriganka’s heart was a deep sea of love and grace. Apart from Boni and Priyanka, the entire forest could seek shelter and bathe in that eternal sea of love. But she couldn’t be like Mriganka. She had her future in front of her and so did Boni. So she couldn’t be bound by the smell and fragrance of the wet grasses and wild flowers. Runa’s letter reached her two days before and had propelled her to take a decision. “Memsahib, I’ve taken Boni inside. Would you sit in the veranda? Should I bring in some tea?” Priyanka was suddenly shoved into the present. She didn’t realize when she had moved up to the veranda of their wooden bungalow. She had become oblivious after receiving Runa’s letter. “Go, bring some tea!” Priyanka managed to say and drove Rani and Mini away. She plonked into the big, cane swing in the veranda. The words from Runa’s letter continuously emerged in front of her eyes. “…You aren’t like you were before. You hardly talk even when we meet. There are vacancies for the posts of nutritionists and dieticians here; I’ve applied. I’ll send forms if you’re interested in applying. The last date is a month away. What have you planned for Boni? Haven’t you thought about

By Anuradha Sharma Pujari (Translated from the original Assamese by Arundhati Nath)

her education? We’ve bought admission forms from various schools for our daughter, Pinky. What a competitive age this is! You’ll ruin your future by staying in the forest for so long. Think sensibly and deeply; we have just one life, which is so valuable. I’ve not seen another person who would spend one’s life without any wishes or goals. Don’t think about yourself; think seriously of Boni’s future at the very least. If you come to Guwahati; Mriganka would be forced to come here too. I can help you with his transfer. I couldn’t believe you are a woman who would sabotage her life because of her husband’s wishes and fancies. Don’t get angry…I’m just reminding you when there’s still time…” Runa’s husband, a Block Development Officer had recently been transferred to Guwahati. They’re building their home there. She didn’t show Runa’s letter to Mriganka. Before going to bed, Priyanka told Mriganka about the contents of Runa’s letter and declared her decision: Boni and she would go and stay in Guwahati and she would work there. For the first six months, Boni would go to school from her grandmother’s place. “I’ve been thinking of this too. Boni can study for two years in this way. Come here in the holidays; we’ll put her in a boarding school once she is eight,” Mriganka easily said. “Why? Why should we put her in a boarding school?” Priyanka snapped. “I, too, don’t like the idea of enrolling her at a boarding school…but there’s no way we can educate her here,” Mriganka said. “Why can’t you take a transfer? Can’t you sacrifice even a wee bit for Boni and me?” she asked. “This is not about sacrifice on my part, Priyanka. I can’t take a transfer so easily. I do not flatter my superiors and do not offer them lavish gifts. You already know that since I don’t entertain my superiors with tasty meals of rice with deer meat, they’re not happy with me and keep transferring me to these forests as punishment. However, this has been a reward for me in disguise because I love the forest very dearly from my childhood,” he explained. “I know your love for the forest cannot outshine your love for Boni or me. I haven’t made any requests in the past five years, but do not destroy your daughter’s future because of your obstinacy,” Priyanka retorted angrily. “Priya, I had become an orphan very early and have studied at my maternal uncle’s mercy. Won’t I understand the emptiness created due to the absence of family support and love? Do you know how I had craved for a little love as a child? If you and Boni go away from me, won’t I become an orphan again…?” Saying so, Mriganka arose from the bed.

Priyanka gently stroked the sleeping Boni’s head and said, “I can understand everything. However, it is foolish to take decisions in a sway of emotions. You are thinking selfishly from your own point of view. A school is twenty kilometres away from this forest. Do you think we can send her there daily?” Mriganka fell silent. He could understand that the allure of his wife and children have taken him away from reality. He had nothing to say further. The next day when he came for lunch, Mriganka said, “We’ll go to Guwahati the day after tomorrow. Admission forms for several good schools are being distributed. Pack enough clothes for six months; you can buy other essential items there.” Priyanka didn’t imagine that they would move so soon. A sense of pain engulfed her when reality dawned on her that they were actually moving. “Here is your tea, memsahib!” It was Rani. She offered a piping, hot cup of tea with two biscuits. Clutching onto the cup of tea, Priyanka moved from one side of the veranda to the other. There were rows of potted plants on each side, blooming with wild flowers she had collected from the forest. Anyone who visited their bungalow was impressed with the care that went into

An invaluable life can’t be wasted by looking at the hills, the sky or the wild flowers and listening to the sounds of wild animals. She had dreams too. They would have a house in Guwahati…a car of the latest model. She was qualified…she would have a good job…Boni would do well academically and go abroad for higher studies. These weren’t her selfish, personal dreams.

the beauty behind it. Once, her Mumbai based maternal uncle’s family had stayed with them for a week. While leaving, her uncle had remarked, “Priya, you are very lucky. A beautiful home amidst nature is possible only in our dreams; you’ve got it in reality. You’ve got a loving, honest husband. Do you know what I feel about Boni? She seems to be a new piece of Wordsworth’s poetry. … Do take good care of your home

and family…” Mriganka wasn’t at home most of the time for the last two days. Earlier, he would come home at least four times to look at Boni or get a glimpse of and speak to Priyanka. She could completely understand his pride. But, she had to take this difficult decision. There are times in life, when we need to discipline our hearts. She was wondering how she should convey this decision to Boni. Would she cry and throw a tantrum? Boni has been intimate with the forest since she was born. Would she be able to live without her father? She would sit and sulk within a few days of staying at her grandparents’ home in Guwahati. How would she live without this house, leaving her father and this forest behind? Just then, Boni entered the room and chuckled while sitting on her mother’s lap. The black and white spotted rabbit and deer scurried in after Boni. These two creatures never left Boni. Priyanka felt this was an opportunity to give Boni a whiff of her decision. “Ni, my darling!” Priyanka said, with some doubts still in her mind. “Yes, Maa!” “You’ll be four years old in two months. You would go to school then, won’t you? “Yes, of course, I’ll go!” “How will you go? There are no schools here.” “Why? There’s a school which Mini goes to…” “No dear! You won’t be a great person if you study there. You have to be good.” “But, Mini is good…won’t she be a great person?” Priyanka tried to change the topic. “There’s a beautiful school near grandma’s home in Guwahati. We’ll send you to school with a new bag, water bottle, Tiffin boxes filled with chocolates and designed with lovely stickers…Will you go?” “What type of stickers would there be on my bag and water bottle?” “Your favourite stickers, my dear! Beautiful cats, dogs, rabbits, deer…everything… “ “I don’t like those. They can’t be better than Munna, Raja and Tultul…” What fascinating things were there in Guwahati which would be dearer to Boni than her beloved rabbits and deer, Munna, Raja and Tultul? Priyanka thought hard. Boni left her lap and went off to play with the deer. Suddenly, Priya grew angry. What is the necessity of destroying her family’s future by giving weight to unreal emotions? Mriganka and Boni are the same. Boni has taken all of her father’s features ─ she talks and behaves just like him. A sentence from Runa’s letter flashed across her inner eye. “… Life is just one, invaluable…” Yes, an invaluable life can’t be wasted

by looking at the hills, the sky or the wild flowers and listening to the sounds of wild animals. She had dreams too. They would have a house in Guwahati…a car of the latest model. She was qualified… she would have a good job…Boni would do well academically and go abroad for higher studies. These weren’t her selfish, personal dreams. Mriganka, Boni and her ─ these were good wishes for all of them. She could not let Mriganka and Boni’s emotions and fun come in the way of her dreams. She called Boni in a stern tone. “Listen, Boni! We’ll stay in Guwahati. Papa would drop us there. You will study in Guwahati; we’ll come here during the holidays. You have to be a good girl. I’m telling you now itself: do not cry or throw a tantrum when we are ready to go or when Papa returns after dropping us there. Do you understand?” Boni didn’t think that her mother would make such a stern comment. The little one stared blankly at her mother, trying to understand the situation. Priyanka looked away. The baby deer touched Boni on the head because she wasn’t playing with him. Boni slowly moved indoors after a while. Priyanka’s eyes filled with tears; she held on to the veranda’s railings and kept staring at the darkness outside. The sound of cicadas filled the air. She was not sure how late Mriganka would be. Someone at the nearby Nepali basti (ghetto) would be heard playing a flute any time of the day. The sound of the flute floated in to her ears; she wanted to shout and say, “Stop! Don’t play the flute now!” It was ten in the night when Mriganka’s jeep reached the courtyard. As he sat for dinner, he told Priyanka how he had been busy all day and couldn’t come to see her. She could feel as if he was running away from her. Boni came out of bed and stood near them. “What happened, Boni Maa? You didn’t go to bed?” Mriganka brought Boni closer to him. “I’ll sleep with you.” “Why do you say this today?” Boni quietly hid herself behind her father and slowly said, “Papa, Maa said we will not be able to stay together anymore…” Mriganka looked at Priyanka while she hung her head. (To be continued…)

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

Sudoku

Avoid going out for drinks with your colleagues and seniors on 17th February. On 17th February, you could be betrayed and feel emotionally hurt. 20th February will be a slow day for you. 21st February will be a great day for you to further build your relationship with your seniors and spend time with people at work. Other days will be average for you.

21st February will be a slow day for you. 17th, 20th and 22nd February will be great days for you to build your relationship with your seniors and share your ideas. On 18th February, you will feel cornered by people who have come to collect on the promises you have made in the past. On 22nd February, you could ask others for favours, or your boss for a promotion or a pay hike.

This will be a good week for you. 18th and 19th February will be great days for you as you will receive help from others, hence use these days to ask for a promotion or a salary hike. 18th, 19th and 21st are excellent days to grow your network. 22nd February will be a slow day for you. On 16th February, avoid confrontations with your parents or your seniors. Other days will be average.

This will be an average week for you.18th and 19th February will be excellent for you to pursue your career goals. On 17th February, you could have issues with your seniors or your extended family. On 20th February, be careful while dealing with the opposite gender. On 16th February, avoid confrontations with your parents or your seniors. Other days will be average.

A mixed week for you. 17th and 20th February are excellent days to grow your network. On 18th February, you could have issues with your seniors and your parents. On 21st February, there will be problems at work, this could lead to some minor changes in your present work profile. Other days will be average.

You will have a good week ahead. 17th and 21st February are days when you should meet up with your colleagues or share your ideas with your seniors.13th February will be a slow day. On 19th February, avoid confrontations with your parents or your seniors. On 22nd February, you will feel unappreciated by people. Other days will be average.

18th and 19th February will be great days for you, you will receive help from others, hence use these days to ask for a promotion or a salary hike. 18th,19th and 22nd February will be great days for youtoshareyourideaswithyourseniorsor justconnectwith them.20thFebruaryavoidconfrontationswithyourparents or your seniors. On 21st February, you could be betrayed by someoneatworkandemotionallyhurtbyyourfamily.

This week will not be great for you. On 19th February, your boss will be more receptive to your ideas. Avoid planning any event with your work buddies or seniors on 21st February. You might have disagreements with them. On 18th and 21st February, you will feel cornered by people who have cometocollectonthepromisesyouhavemadeinthepast. Avoidmakingthesituationworsebypromisingmore.

It hasn’t been a great month at work, has it? Just relax. The situation will improve after 6th March 2019. 16th February will be a slow day for you. On 20th February, your boss will be more receptive to your ideas. You need to avoid all kinds of interaction with your seniors and parents on 22nd February. You might have disagreements with them. Rest of the days are average.

On 17th February, you will create your own shit, therefore watch your words and actions. On 18th February, you could be betrayed by someone at work and emotionally hurt by your family. On 20th February, don’t go out drinking with your work buddies or your seniors. 21st February will be a great day to build relationship with seniors and people at work.

On 18th and 21st February, you will feel cornered by people who have come to collect on the promises you have made in the past. Avoid making the situation worse by promising more. Share your ideas with your seniors or generally build a relationship with people at work on 22nd February. 18th February will be a slow day for you.Becarefulwhiledrivingorontheroad.

17th February will be a great day for you, you will receive help from others, hence use these days to ask for a promotion or a salary hike. 22nd February will be an ideal day for you to mingle with your seniors and people at work and build your work network. 19th February you will create your own problems with your words and actions. Other days will be average for you.

Which popular movement started following the death of Hiralal Patwari in 1978 which led to the need for by-polls at the Mangaldoi Lok Sabha constituency?

Visual Analog Scale is used to measure what?

Which former Indian Prime Minister had a middle name called Ratna?

Which popular Indo-Chinese dish was invented by Chef Nelson Wang in 1975 when a guest asked for a new dish at the Cricket Club of India where he was working then?

Identify this Malayali art form, listed as a UNESCO Intangible Heritage Art, which literally translates to “Combined Acting.” Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Dilbert By Scott Adams

curio-city

1. 2.

Papeete is the capital of which group of beautiful islands of the South Pacific?

French Polynesia The Assam Movement. The movement against illegal immigrants started post discovery of abnormal increase in the number of registered voters in that constituency. Pain Rajiv Gandhi Chicken Manchurian Koodiyattam

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/

3. 4. 5. 6.

curio-city

These predictions are based on the month of birth and are about an individual’s work environment, parents and extended family.

Horoscope of the week

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

Word of the week onomastic adjective [on-uh-mas-tik] of or relating to proper names.

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

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 16 - FEB 22, 2019

Plots with Negative Vaastu Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

longed to any temple or charitable trust etc. Remnants of negative energy dumped by devotees may affect the inmates.

has low bearing capacity and the house may sink in the long run.

plot of land having the following features should be avoided or immediately corrected to prevent bad occurrences in one’s life.

1. Barren land with no sign of greenery.

2. Land on which shadow of temple, towers, temple walls, temple flag post falls. 3. Avoid buying a land with too much wet soil or water seeping from ground. Such a land

4. Avoid buying a land near bridges and large buildings as they send poison arrows. 5. A plot which is narrower in the west or in the south, in comparison to the north and east portion is not good. 6. Land with many cracks in the soil/ground is not good for living. 7. Presence of bones and coal in the land is not good. 8. Land which previously, at any time, be-

9. A plot which is very much raised in comparison to its surroundings i.e. higher than the neighboring plots.

How to install a Yantra Yantras are now widely used to counter Vaastu defects and bring in positive energy. It is an instrument, mystical diagram, or talisman usually made in copper. It is a technique that is considered to be the shortest and simplest by which one can accomplish one’s hopes and satisfy one’s dreams or wishes. It is believed that deities dwell in the yantras and by doing religious Puja or worship the evil effects can be removed. There are in fact certain guidelines to be followed while placing the energized yantra on oneself. The process should be started by first purifying the body and initiating the process

with a positive and clear mind. 1. Face towards the east direction. It is best to be seated. 2. Ignite an oil lamp or a diya. 3. Fresh fruits and flowers may be offered on altar. 4. Yantra needs to be exposed on the place with the deity’s (Yantra’s) image and one’s favorable God.

5. Sprinkle water with any leaf on one self and then on the Yantra. 6. Chant the designated mantra for the yantra at least 11 times (108 times is better).

How I benefited from Cycling

he cycle has been part of most people’s lives while growing up and for people like me who have taken up cycling again after a gap of 15-20 years, the love has increased immensely. I have found cycling to be immensely beneficial - for my personal self directly and indirectly, for the environment and the economy as well. I was not much into sports during my growing years but used to enjoy cycling with friends. We used to explore nearby areas and even went for cycle picnics on Sundays. Assam bandhs (that were frequent during the 90s) were an opportunity to explore other parts of the city that we did not get to do during regular school days. Later on, when I started working after my studies, I stopped cycling and decided to get into the race to buy my own car and two-wheeler. The love for cycling returned in 2016 after I had left my job a couple of years earlier and was trying to be my own boss. I wanted to travel to see new places and meet new people. I decided to buy a cycle after I saw a couple of my friends going on long tours on their fancy looking cycles. Initially, the decision to buy a cycle to travel was simply to cut down on expenses. However, later on, I found it to be one of the

best decisions of my life. I became fitter. My endurance levels started to increase. In the early days of my new cycling chapter, I found it very difficult to ride for even 10 kms on flat city roads. It was a real challenge to

ride up the hills in and around the city but I always felt good even after a short ride within the city. I decided not to give up and started exploring nearby areas during weekends. I would be off on my cycle at 5 am and would return only after riding to my heart’s content after many hours which, on some days, would stretch to more than 12 hours. I discovered that I had this penchant for long rides and I found people who shared the same love. I had been

to multiple day tours with a few of my friends ranging from 200 to 400 kms. Recently, I participated in a cycling event of 300 kms (I completed it in 18 hours) called BRM or Brevet in short and am preparing

myself to participate in

longer events. I found great friends. After leaving my job, I was looking for avenues to socialize. I found some of the best friends through my cycle rides. In fact, I have met some of the most amazing people in my life through cycling who I doubt I would have ever met in any other way. These people come from various walks of life like business, bureaucracy, medicine, entrepreneurship, teaching, law, sports and professionals from

different fields. I have friends ranging from the age of 10 to 75 years old and the common thread binding us all is our love for cycling. I am part of the biggest cycling community in the region called,

Guwahati Cycling Community which has more than a 1,000 members now and is growing. I started commuting for my work. Even though my present occupation as a stock investor does not require me to travel for my daily work, I have made it a point to move around in my cycle for all my work within the city. Recently, I came across a report by TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) which said that cycling to work can lead to total benefits of Rs 1.8 trillion. This amounts to 1.6% of India’s

Arshel Akhter

GDP for the year 2015-16. The health benefits account for 87% of the total monetized benefits of cycling. According to the study, cycling also leads to benefits in terms of infrastructure savings, congestion reduction and road safety. However, these benefits have not been valued in the study due to data unavailability. The growth in the cycling culture is palpable with a number of cycling events (rides, rallies and races) being organised all year round and the number of participants increasing each time. I believe Guwahati, with its beautiful hills, ponds, wetlands and the mighty rive r flowing together with its rich heritage can become one of the foremost cycle-friendly cities in the country. We just need some support and investments from the government on improving the infrastructure making it conducive for cycling.

22 Buzz

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

Anundoram Borooah Award and laptops conferred on students who scored 75% marks and above

Manisha Koirala inaugurates walk against Tobacco & Cancer

he Anundoram Borooah Award was conferred on students who scored 75% marks and above in the HSLC, High Madrassa, Sanskrit and Pali Pravesika and FM (Sr Madrassa) Examinations, 2018 on 8th February at Sarusajai Stadium. The ceremonial laptop computers were also distributed to the students at the event. This year, 20,800 students will be provided with these laptops. Sarbananda Sonowal, chief minister of Assam attended the event as chief guest. Other attendees in the event included Himanta Biswa Sarma, minister of finance and health, Siddhartha Bhattacharya, minister of education, Pallab Lochan Das, minister of state, Alok Kumar,

ollywood actress, Manisha Koirala inaugurated a walk against tobacco and cancer which was organised by “Deepsikha- A

chief secretary and Professor Gautam Barua, Director, IIT,

Guwahati, who were present as guests of honor at the event. n

Differently-abled children perform Tejashwani Kanaklata

group of differentlyabled children performed a play, “Tejashwani Kanaklata” on February 8. These children are residents of Destination, a Guwahati based home for differently-abled children and youth. They performed the play on the supreme sacrifice of martyr Kanaklata Baruah and also performed a Bollywood medley for hundreds of spectators. Rupa Hazarika, founder and president of Destination, said that it is possible to bring out the talents within these children by instilling confidence in them

which can be possible through love, attention and affection. Hazarika is also associated with the Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights. Bibek Deka and Ankita Das, members of the Visual Creation Cultural Group, who conceptualized and directed the play said that these children were just like any other batch of students they teach. They need just 20 days to train and mentor kids and the children from Destination also learnt everything in the same time period. The only thing is that they need to be taught with a little more love, care and affection, Deka

Trust for Cancer Care,” an NGO that helps poor patients get good cancer treatment across the country. Koirala, who is a cancer survivor herself, inaugurated the walkathon, called “Vijay” on February 10. The walk began at Judges’ Field and ended by the administrative building of Cotton University in the city. The event started from 10:30 am. The aim of the walkathon was to spread awareness about the

IIT-G hosts TEDx event

said. Destination is a Guwahatibased home for differently-abled children and youth. It was started on June 1, 2005 and has more than 100 residents. n

tudents from IIT Guwahati organised a TEDx event on February 10 in its campus premises. It was a program that brought together people for a TED-talk like experience. The theme for the event was “The Changing Faces of Taboo.” During the event, many

Governor attends golden jubilee of DAV High School

overnor of Assam, Professor Jagdish Mukhi, attended the golden jubilee celebration of DAV High School, Ulubari at the District Library on February 11. At the event, the governor made a speech and expressed his happiness and congratulated the entire fraternity of the school on its completion of 50 years. He said that completion of 50 years of delivering quality education is momentous and a source of inspiration for the school. He told the students that they are part of an extraordinary school which was started with a

dangers of using tobacco and about cancer prevention and treatment. The walkathon was organised in collaboration with SBI Life Insurance and Cotton University. Koirala also attended a special session at the 3rd Brahmaputra Literary Festival on February 10, called “Healed: Surviving Cancer” where the actress shared details about how she battled ovarian cancer, the type of treatment she underwent in the US and how she rebuilt her life once she got back home. n

noble objective. The governor said that “unless students feel that the nation comes before the self, the essence of education cannot be manifested.” He also added that the school which is based on ideals of religious and social reformer, Swami Dayanand Saraswati, has taken the responsibility to create genuine citizens of the country. He also informed that Lala Lajpat Rai and former Prime Ministers, Late IK Gujral and Dr Manmohan Singh are also alumni of the DAV high school chain which can be found all across the country. n

prominent speakers spoke about important topics that have social and economic value for our society in the northeastern region. Arup Kumar Dutta, a Padma Shri awardee, discussed how a separate time zone for the northeast region could enhance

efficiency and productivity and also be able to conserve billions of units of electricity. Other speakers who spoke at the event included Binita Jain who discussed emotional distress, Alana Golmei who spoke about the discrimination northeast Indians face on the basis of race, Milin Dutta who engaged audiences in a dialogue about LGBTQ individuals and their integration in Indian society, Professor Anamika Barua who discussed climate change and if we can make a difference and Zoma Sailo who talked about the need to start a meaningful and open dialogue regarding the issue of disability. Following Sailo’s talk, the band, “Light After Dark,” whom Sailo encouraged, performed and enthralled the audiences. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019

…when a bit of Assam went to the US! Bidyut Kotoky

(Part IV)

used to commute from New York to the theatre screening of Xhoixobote Dhemalite (Rainbow Fields) in New Jersey. I was staying with my college friend Amit Chavan at New York. My contact with Amit got reestablished after almost 20 years when he suddenly re-appeared in our lives with financial help to complete our film “Guns & Guitars – a musical travelogue”… well that is another story, for some other time… However, the theatre where Xhoixobote Dhemalite was being screened, located at the border of New Jersey & New York, was not well connected via public transport – especially after the midnight screening. In an evening like that, Chumki and Rahul Khound da had opened their New Jersey home to me. And on another day, the same was repeated by Sangeeta & Prabin Dutta da. The success story of Prabin da in the real estate sector of US is truly inspiring! Similarly inspiring is the journey of the girl with Assamese roots, Pulitzer award winner S Mitra Kalita - who is presently in a high position at

CNN. I accidentally discovered that Mitra’s father Mahesh Kalita was a contemporary of my father PK Kotoky at Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in the 1960s. Really, it’s a small world! I had met Philadelphia’s Madhusmita Bora and her

husband Iku Pathok at the film’s screening itself. They had driven almost 4 hours to watch the film! On Madhusmita’s invitation, I made a day trip to Philadelphia. Due to her initiative, Gayan-Bayan from Majuli had come to perform in America and her effort that led to the discovery of Sankaradeva’s “Brindaboni Brasta” at a Philadelphia museum is a story

in itself! Madhusmita and her family had taken me to the famous “steps” where Sylvester Stallone’s immortal film Rocky’s famous exercise scene was picturized. Till today, inspired by Stallone, hundreds of fitness fanatics do a sort of “pilgrimage” by exercising

passage to their lives. So many emotions were in play when the first e ve r Assame se film was released commercially in the US! Many people have confided that they had been overwhelmed to see the Assamese alphabets for the first time on the silver screens

on those steps. And Madhusmita had managed to even inspire the young bhakats of Majuli to join the exercising crowds by running up and down those steps in their dhotis! However, unlike those young bhakats, I was not sporting enough. So many people, so many stories, and for those two weeks, Xhoixobote Dhemalite was my

of USA, or by listening to the Assamese dialogues coming out of the theatre’s sound box. While waiting for my flight back home at JFK airport in the first week of August 2018, I had opened my Facebook page. It was filled with messages from people who had managed to turned into friends in such a short time: It’s now 2:15 AM, still on road way back home. But it was worth the trip of 1.5 hrs drive one way on a Friday evening in every way!! … Oh..it’s such a wonderful feeling… no words to express. An Assamese

3rd Guwahati International Music Festival held in the city

he 3rd Guwahati International Music Festival was held on February 8 at Pragjyoti ITA Centre for Arts, Machkhowa, Guwahati. It is northeast India’s pioneering and home-grown musical property that was organised by the Eastern Beats Music Society in collaboration with the North Eastern Council, government of India. The festival showcased numerous workshops, lecturedemonstrations and a film screening of Assamese filmmaker, Bidyut Kotoky’s film, “Guns and Guitars,” which was screened for the first time in the northeastern region. From classical guitar workshops to lecture-cumdemonstrations on indigenous folk music, the daylong festival ended with mesmerizing performances of musical strains from the other side of the globe and soul-captivating jugalbandis of musical maestros. More than 150 artists from

4 countries performed in the festival and the event also witnessed a number of spectators from different parts of the globe that had also come to watch the festival. Some of

the artists in this year’s lineup included eminent classical guitarist and composer Matt Bacon from US, Thailand-based guitar maestro Padet Netpakdee, radical Sufi and jazz musician Manmohan Thapaliyal (Nepal), three-times Grammy nominated Naga folk fusion band Abiogenesis, the one-of-its kind Naad Brahma collective, amongst many others. The festival also showcased a unique orchestra of 100 sitars led by Guru Hem Hazarika followed by the unveiling of his newly developed musical instrument – the Hem Veena. Socially conscious rock bands like Cultivators, Doorbin, amongst others also performed at the event.

movie…after so so many years… in an US theatre…!! –Malabika Bora Brahma “My early childhood was spent running with my mom and little brother under the cover of darkness, ducking bullets and stressing over the safety of my parents, uncles and grandparents. So much of my childhood was robbed away by the realities of growing up amid violence. I was one of the lucky ones, who was able to flee home but I am still chasing the notion of home and identity. So many others were not lucky and got caught up and became victims and casualties of the political strife. Thank you, Bidyut Kotoky, for telling the story of a lost generation through the eyes of innocent children.” –Madhusmita Bora “In 25 years, my first Assamese movie in an American theater with family and friends. Xoixobote Dhemalite, Rainbow Fields!… I liked the perspective of the nonAssamese residents which in the environment of today’s hypernationalism gives the movie universal appeal. At home, the discussions continue for which I thank the director…” -Monalisa Bora (Concluded)

Veteran actor Bishnu Kharghoria to receive Biju Phukan Award

eteran actor, Bishnu Khargoria has been selected to receive the Biju Phukan Award, 2019. This is the first time the award is being jointly instituted by Assam State Film & Finance Development Corporation (ASFFDC) and the Directorate of Cultural Affairs. Khargoria started his career as a child artist and has also worked in several mobile theatres. He is known for films

such as Baandhon, Hkhagoroloi Bohu Door and Man with the Binoculars: Antardrishti. He is also the recipient of a National Film Award for the movie, Xagoroloi Bohu Door. The Biju Phukan Award comes with a prize of two lakh rupees, a citation and a shawl. The ceremony will be held next week in Dibrugarh and will be attended by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

24 Catching Up

G PLUS | FEB 16 - FEB 22, 2019