Vol 6 Issue 1 by G Plus

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INSIDE

Volume 06 | Issue 01 Oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018 Price `10

Ghy sees drastic changes in its political landscape in last 5 years: A retrospection by G Plus PG 02

Special 32 Page Issue

Guwahati meat sellers an unhappy lot over GMCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rule enforcement PG 08

5th anniversary special stories on pages PG 15/16/17

2 Lead Story

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Ghy sees drastic changes in its political landscape in last 5 years: A retrospection by G Plus G Plus News

Plus was launched in 2013. Since then it has been witness to various changes in the political landscape of the city. Today, on the occasion of its 5th anniversary, G Plus presents a retrospective overview of the changes it has seen, reported and generated social opinion so far as the political landscape of the city is concerned.

2013 GMC elections

The launch of G Plus was concurrent to the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) council elections. The Congress swept the GMC polls and Late Abir Patra was elected Mayor. But towards the end of 2015, 3 Congress councillors converted to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and with the support of the MP and the MLAs, BJP formed the council with Mrigen Sarania as the Mayor. Patra died in 2018 and the GMC council’s tenure ended on 20th July 2018.

2014 Lok Sabha elections

G Plus covered the Lok Sabha elections of 2014 in depth and a major change was witnessed in the city’s voting pattern that year. Manas Bora, the Congress candidate and son of former state minister Akon Bora was defeated by the sitting Guwahati MP Bijoya Chakravorty by a huge margin. A voter, talking to G Plus then had said, “We voted for change.” The present Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Guwahati for campaigning and the Khanapara field was seen packed with BJP supporters. Congress leaders like Rahul Gandhi also visited Khanapara to woo the voters but finally the BJP emerged winners. The LS poll campaign of 2014 clearly showed the huge fissure in

the state’s Congress party.

Himanta Biswa Sarma vs Tarun Gogoi As soon as the polls where over and BJP came to power in Delhi, Guwahati’s most powerful politician, Himanta Biswa Sarma, came out openly against his political guide and leader, Tarun Gogoi, who was then the chief minister. “I have no confidence in Tarun Gogoi’s leadership. We are fighting for our party and under Gogoi’s leadership Congress will come down to single digit in 2016,” Sarma had said when he first came out openly against Gogoi. About 38 MLAs along with Sarma went to Raj Bhavan to submit their resignation in July 2014. Later, the party high command sent national Congress leaders to Guwahati to meet the dissident group and the pro Tarun Gogoi group. Himanta also had gone to Delhi to meet the party high command after which he expressed over media that Congress president Rahul Gandhi had meted shabby treatment to him; apparently Sarma was offered biscuits on a plate and Gandhi made no attempts to stop his pet dog from eating these same biscuits. The rift continued till 2015. In between, as BJP former president Sarbananda Sonowal was elected as Lok Sabha MP, Siddhartha Bhattacharya was made the state BJP president in Guwahati. Bhattacharya was also forming allies with Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Himanta joined BJP

Finally, the biggest change that Guwahatians witnessed was Himanta Biswa Sarma, MLA from Jalukbari, joining the BJP. In August 2015, the then BJP state president Siddhartha Bhattacharya along with Himanta Biswa Sarma met BJP national president Amit Shah after which Sarma had said, “It was a well

established fact that the BJP would form the next government in Assam in 2016 whether I join the party or not.” After a few days, supporters of Himanta Biswa Sarma organised a massive rally from LGBI airport to BJP state office at Hengrabari. The entire Jalukbari constituency was decorated with saffron colour and the supporters who were with the Congress party converted to BJP. Gradually many people across the city and the state converted to BJP.

2016 Assam Assembly elections

Those happy days: PM Modi and Assam BJP leaders during a rally in Guwahati | G Plus Photo

G Plus covered 2016 Assam Legislative Assembly elections thoroughly and all the four constituencies in Guwahati were acquired by the BJP-AGP alliance. Three seats were taken by BJP and one by AGP. The Congress party was seen to be making mistakes in giving tickets to their candidates; new players like Juri Sharma Bordoloi and Bobbeeta Sharma were given tickets and this irked many senior Congress leaders. Finally, Congress lost all the seats in Guwahati. The then Congress chief minister, Tarun Gogoi, tried his best to woo the voters by even breaking some election codes of conduct but still the Congress failed to retain power. The BJP alliance formed the government but Himanta Biswa Sarma was not appointed as the chief minister despite being the main cog in the wheel. Sarbannda Sonowal was appointed the chief minister and interestingly the man who brought Himanta into the BJP Siddhartha Bhattacharya - was not given any ministry. Sources then said that Bhattacharya was

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offered the post of the speaker but he declined. He was also seen snubbing the swearingin ceremony where even the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present. Himanta was also made the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) chairman to plan strategies of winning elections in all the north-eastern states.

BJP losing popularity at present The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might have grown in the city, state and the country but at present the city people are rather disappointed with the party for various reasons. With the BJP government taking decisions like demonetisation, implementation of Goods & Services Tax, lending tacit support to beef ban and its VIP culture, the people apprehensive of voting for BJP again in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. A BJP councillor with GMC talking to G Plus in anonymity said, “BJP is even scared of conducting

local body polls because the anti-incumbency factor might be clearly visible.” He revealed that the party has observed that the voters are getting upset with the party at the grass root level. The business community of the city is also not happy with the BJP government. A city-based businessman, Kedar Nath said, “It has become very difficult to do business these days after the GST was implemented. The process is still not clear and we are making lesser profits.” Nath has a transport business and he is a builder as well. GST is seen as one of the most unplanned decisions taken by any government and even some BJP leaders accept the fact. BJP national leader, Subramanian Swamy, said that GST is unplanned. Swamy also accepted the fact that even demonetisation was a failed move. Similarly, other factors like the BJP’s pressure to amend the Citizenship Bill has drawn conflict-like situation in the city with many citizens not supporting the government’s move. n

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

4 Politicking Snippets Infant declared dead by city hospital opens eyes at home

et another unfortunate medical incident that occurred in the GATE Hospital, Guwahati, has raised questions on the healthcare facilities of city hospitals. A family based at Mirza has alleged that their 4-month-old baby was declared dead by GATE Hospital authorities even though the baby was still alive. The infant, who accidentally fell off his fathe r’s lap, was imme diate ly rushed to GMCH for treatment. But due to unavailability of ICU facilities and bed, doctors in the hospital asked the family to shift the baby to GATE Hospital located at Mathgharia. The parents and relatives of the baby alleged that authorities at GATE Hospital had initially said that the condition of the baby was very critical and it wouldn’t survive the injuries. A few hours later, the baby was declared dead and the parents were asked to take the baby back home, alleged family members. “Our baby was declared dead by the hospital. We were devastated by the news. We took him back home. All the family members and neighbours gathered at our place to see the “dead” baby. We were preparing for his last rituals when he opened his eyes and started crying,” said the baby’s father. GATE Hospital authorities have, however, denied making any such claims regarding the death of the baby. “The baby, when brought to our hospital was already in a critical condition. It was difficult to provide any injection or saline. We had asked the family to shift the baby to another hospital and never declared him dead,” said a senior official at GATE Hospital. The family members have rushed to GATE Hospital once again for the treatment of the baby. The condition of the baby continues to be critical.

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Assam Bandh: The government and the people are disconnected, bad omen for BJP

Almost all the shops of the city were closed during Assam bandh called by KMSS and 48 other organisations | G Plus Photo

Chetan Bhattarai

he success of the Assam Bandh on 23rd October last that was called by 46 organisations spearheaded by Krishak Mukti Ssangram Samiti (KMSS) has made it clear that the larger Assamese sentiment is against

the Citizenship Amendment Bill (2016). It seems there is no turning back on this. The government tried everything in its rule book to foil the bandh and even went to the extent of threatening to cancel trade licences of shops and establishments that would remain closed on that day. But there was a massive support to the cause from the ground level. The whole state went on a

shutdown mode. In Guwahati, the government used the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) to keep the transportation and public commuting lines open but there were very few people later in the afternoon who availed this service. Only a few government employees were seen in the morning hours waiting at the bus stops. It seemed that everyone was in agreement that the reason

for the shutdown was valid and there indeed is a threat to the greater Assamese identity. The bandh witnessed a few sporadic instances of violence but these were quickly brought under control and it was largely peaceful as requested by KMSS leader, Akhil Gogoi. What was even more interesting was the support of the business establishments throughout the state. It was a total shutdown from Dhubri to Saikhowa as businessmen were not sure about the security arrangements. Plus they understand the undercurrents better than anyone else. This bandh was clearly a mandate of the Assamese people and an indicator to what is going to happen if any political party seeks to get the Citizenship Amendment Bill passed. For the past six months the state has been burning due to protests and agitations by various organisations coming out protesting the bandh. The arrival of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) started the fire and the bandh on 23rd October is a proof of what the people of Assam have to say about the controversial bill. The state BJP might be under pressure to support the bill, but we have noticed that a number of BJP members have spoken against it as well only to land in a soup. Coalition partner of the BJP in Assam, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has, from the very first day, spoken against the bill. The party believes that the bill nulls the historic Assam Accord and therefore is not good for the state. They have gone to the extent of threatening to pull out from the government if the bill is passed. The massive AGP rally from Latasil to Chandmari on 23rd October coinciding with the shutdown is a proof of AGP flexing its muscle and undertaking a brand building exercise that has threatened the BJP government right in the heart of the city. It seems the BJP is still wondering how to tackle the issue that has gone out of its hand. The imminent danger is lurking as the panchayat polls and the general national elections are just a few months away. If this sentiment prevails and BJP continues to remain unclear on how it will deal with this political hot potato, it might just about decide the fate of the party and its coalition government in Assam. n

Weather report for the week Guwahati

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City

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

‘Mission Sahasi’: a mega demonstration of girl power in city Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

n an initiative to empower the “fight” within the “woman” to protect herself, as many as 15,000 city girls are being trained in the art of self defence at their respective colleges for a period of one week. With the endeavour to embolden, empower and equip women to fight harassment, a nationwide initiative named ‘Mission Sahasi’ has been started by Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi

Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). The mission also aims to campaign in order to connect “half of the population.” As part of the initiative, weeklong self defence training is being organised in 17 different colleges of Guwahati. The training, apart from teaching basic karate and martial arts, also focuses on teaching the girls to use products of daily use like bags and pen as weapons in times of need. The training programme kick started on October 23 at Guwahati Commerce College (GCC). It was inaugurated by Shrihari

Borikar, former national general secretary and the present all India university in-charge of ABVP and Nirav Ghelani, northeast organising secretary of Mission Sahasi. Dr Homeshwar Kalita, Principal of GCC was also present on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Kalita praised the initiative of the student wing and extended his support towards the cause of girl power. “Today women are leading in every sector whether in sports or aeronautics, every field has ladyprints! India is moving ahead as women are making their moves.

Mission Sahasi aims to boost the self confidence of girls and give them self defence training for their physical and mental upliftment. We believe that if their confidence is boosted, girls will be able to face the world more powerfully,” Shrihari Borikar told G Plus while speaking about the initiative. Among the colleges taking part in ABVP’s initiative are GCC, KC Das Commerce College, JB Law College, Cotton University, Pragjyotish and SB Deorah College. In total, around 40,000 girl students from all across the state of Assam and around 50 lakh

students from across the country are taking part in Mission Sahasi. A mega demonstration of Mission Sahasi will take place at Nehru Stadium in Guwahati on October 30. Around 2,500 girl students are expected to participate in the demonstration in the state capital. The demonstration will also be held in all districts of the state and the country on the same day, making it a nationwide demonstration. Senior members of ABVP Assam informed G Plus that the mega demonstration will be attended by various dignitaries including state ministers and police officials. n

6 Concern Snippets AS Bopanna appointed as the new Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court

he President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, on 24th October last, appointed Justice Ajjikuttira Somaiah Bopanna, Judge of the Karnataka High Court, as the Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office. The office of Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court fell vacant upon the retirement of Justice Ajit Singh. Chief Justice Ajjikuttira Somaiah Bopanna enrolled as an advocate in 1984, following which he dealt with civil, constitutional, company, service and labour matters. He practiced in the High Court as well as the civil and labour courts. He has served as an additional standing counsel for the government between 1999 and 2005. He was appointed an Additional Judge of the Karnataka High Court in 2006. His appointment was made permanent in March 2007.

Raid at Revenue Circle Office; officer arrested while taking bribe

uring a raid conducted by the anti corruption bureau, at the Revenue Circle, an official named Syad Intaruddin Ahmed was arrested while taking a bribe. Ahmed, who is a Lot Mandal, was caught redhanded while taking bribe of Rs 40,000. Allegedly, Ahmed has taken huge amounts of bribes from several people till date for land registration. Ahmed was the Lot Mandal of Mathgharia 1, Mathgharia 2, Birkuchi and Noonmati area.

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Black market of LPG cylinders flourishing in Guwahati Most families or users shelling out extra money to get the cylinders are from the lower strata of society. Majority of them don’t have documents which can help them get a cooking gas connection. Chetan Bhattarai

llegal business of selling Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders in Guwahati has become a flourishing business in some areas across the city. In what can be termed as an essential commodity, cooking gas or LPG has always been high in demand. However, there is never enough supply of cooking gas for everyone. One of the main reasons for the existence of a black market for LPG cylinders is that people are not applying for connections and continue using the easier and more convenient black market source. The suppliers are usually anyone ranging from the local grocery store owner to sometimes the landlords. The gas agencies are aware of it but can do very little to prevent it. Some of the gas agency supply executives are also involved in this business. It is very lucrative as one cylinder can make you richer by almost Rs 1,400. Most of the families or users shelling out extra money to get the cylinders are from lower strata of society, students, newlyarrived people in Guwahati from other places and labourers. Also, there are a large number of locally-run eateries and tea shops who rely on this process of buying cylinders in black. They are from outside Guwahati and are trying to make a living. Majority of them don’t have documents which can help them get a cooking gas connection. A couple who had migrated from a nearby district and run a tea shop in Ganeshguri area had this to say, “We are from Baksa district. All our documents are from the village. But we don’t have anything here to prove our identity as residents of Guwahati. We live on rent and in our

File photo of consumers queing up for LPG cylinders business a full cylinder lasts for almost a month.” The husband added that they make a decent amount of profit and do not mind the extra money they have to pay to the supplier. “Moreover, his service is good and he delivers within a few hours. That way our business is also not affected,” he said. Some families are not keen on paying the connection fee as they feel that it is a bit high for them. On being asked why they continue procuring the cylinder by paying extra, a family from Gitanagar said, “We need to deposit over Rs. 5,000 for getting a single cylinder connection and for a double cylinder connection we need to pay over Rs. 7,000. It is a substantial amount of money for us. Though we know that we will get subsidy, we can’t pay the registration amount at one go. The

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government should do something about it. There are many schemes for getting cylinders but here in the city we don’t find any help.” Further, students who are living in Guwahati sharing rooms do not want to get into the hassle of getting a gas connection. “We are here for just three years and we share the cost of a cylinder that comes to around Rs. 1,100. Three of us share the bill. It is more convenient for us. We don’t want to get into the hassle of getting a proper connection,” said Anup Kalita, a student from Nalbari. The gas agencies are aware of the illegal trade but are not in favour of interfering. “There is the supply department, the Indian Oil Corporation and the government to look into the matter. If somebody wishes to buy a cylinder by paying extra money

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it is his or her call. How can we interfere in it? We just want to tell that if there is some problem with the cylinder then they are on their own. If you have a proper registered connection and there is any problem with the cylinder we deal with it immediately,” an employee of a gas agency said on the condition of anonymity. On being asked if people have used documents to get multiple connections and then sell the extra cylinders in black, the employee said, “We make sure that one address has one connection and that’s what we are concerned about. If they have been sourcing it from other agencies as well by using a different address and different set of documents, we can do very little about it. A very few people will go that extent of making money by selling cylinders this way. ” n

In The News

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Guwahati International Film Festival 2018 kicks off in city Chor by Khanjan Kishore Nath, Aamrityu by Arup Manna, Xhoixobote Dhemalite by Bidyut Kotoky and Phehujali by Biswajeet Bora will feature in the northeast competition section of the festival. With the region of focus being ASEAN countries, a record number of 20 ambassadors from different countries are taking part in the GIFF along with cultural delegates from over 30 countries. The seven-day film extravaganza

s many as 108 acclaimed films from over 50 countries are being screened in the second edition of the Guwahati International Film Festival (GIFF), which began on

Shahnaab Alam (L) and Jahnu Baruah (R) speaki ng to the gathering before the screening

October 25. As many as nine films from northeast India are also being screened at the festival. Bhoga Khirikee (Broken Window), directed by internationally acclaimed

filmmaker Jahnu Barua, was the opening film of Guwahati International Film Festival 2018, showcased at 6:30 PM on Thursday at the Sankaradeva Kalakshetra main theatre. Further, as a tribute to director Jahnu Barua, two other films will be screened - Aparoopa by the

director himself and Prabhati Pakhir Gaan directed by Munin Baruah. Six films including Kaaneen (A Secret Search) by Monjul Baruah, Calendar by Himjyoti Talukdar,

will see participation of nearly 35 film

personalities from abroad with their flicks, while ambassadors from Lithuania, Myanmar, Argentina, Latvia, Estonia, Serbia, Singapore and Malaysia are likely to be present, informed Pabitra Margherita, festival organizer. The festival is being organised by the Assam government-owned Jyoti Chitraban (Film Studio) Society in association with Dr Bhupen Hazarika Regional Government Film and Television Institute. While eminent filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta was the chief guest during the opening ceremony, Shaji N Karun will be the chief guest during the closing ceremony of the festival. n

8 Concern

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Guwahati meat sellers an unhappy lot over GMC’s rule enforcement Modern slaughterhouses have become necessary in today’s world to ensure safe supply of healthy meat to consumers. On the other hand, sudden mushrooming of meat shops in the city has also become a cause of concern for the government. Hiranya Barman

ack in 2014, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) decided to implement Slaughter House laws, 2012 in Guwahati to ensure scientific and painless slaughter of livestock keeping in mind the Supreme Court of India’s orders. Arrangements were made and discussions were held with meat associations to follow the set rules. Initially, meat traders of Beltola, Six Mile, Ganeshguri and Basistha were urged to take the animals for slaughter to the slaughterhouse of NEC Food Processing Pvt Ltd at Khanapara. The slaughterhouse set up by GMC at Khanapara is currently run by NEC Food Processing Pvt Ltd on lease. The laws set by GMC ruled out open selling of meat, maintaining hygiene and it urged meat sellers to arrange for glass and net covers while selling meat. “Modern slaughterhouses have become necessary in today’s world to ensure safe supply of healthy meat to the consumers. On the other hand, sudden mushrooming of meat shops in the city has also become a concern for the government. It is a challenge to visit every meat shop to check the hygiene level. Meat sellers have to slaughter animals in the designated slaughterhouse or take meat provided by the slaughterhouse,” a GMC official said. The matter is not about just about killing the animals and selling the meat. There is some amount of scientific and logical reasoning behind the arguments according to the officials. Also, Guwahati being a metropolitan city cannot have age-old practices in the meat business; with time everything has to change. “Scientific techniques such as postmortem and antemortem are carried out in the slaughterhouse. Ante-mortem is carried out to identify the fit animal viable to slaughter and leaving out the dead and aged animals. Postmortem is carried out to identify carcasses which

Latest development

he long drawn battle between the meat traders of Guwahati and the city administration has taken another turn, as neither the meat traders nor the administration is ready to endorse each other’s appeals. The meat traders had called a strike to shut down shutters of meat shops indefinitely in protest against GMC’s act to evict three meat shops in the city without prior notice. But keeping the puja sentiments in mind they withdrew it later. As soon as the puja festivities got over, the Greater Guwahati Qureshi Meat Association decided to resume the strike from Monday. “After a meeting during puja the association decided to call off the strike till Sunday. Customers informed us that they were facing inconvenience during puja holidays due to shutdown of meat shops. While we endorse the High Court’s order to provide fresh and hygienic meat to customers, we are against GMCs atrocities,” general secretary of the meat association, Maqbul Ahmed said. n

Meat sellers of Guwahati staging a protest demonstration | G Plus Photo are fit for consuming,” GMC Veterinary Officer, Dr Manoj Kr Goswami, said. However, even after setting laws and slaughterhouse to ensure safe consumption of hygienic meat, meat traders in the city are crying foul over the way of working of GMC, which traders termed as unprofessional and a conspiracy to force meat traders out of business. “First of all it has become utterly disappointing doing business with GMC and the private company running the slaughterhouse on lease. The GMC-run slaughter house has the continuous tendency to supply poor meat to the traders. This has caused trouble in our business as customers have been complaining about poor quality of meat. In a certain instance in February this year, we found that aged goats were about to be supplied to us. We refused to take the supply at that time. Among 100 goats about to be supplied to us only 19 were

found fit for slaughter at that time,” General Secretary of the meat association, Maqbul Ahmed told G Plus. “The other procedures set forth by GMC are equally tricky. Unlike in Guwahati, meat traders in Tezpur are having a good time. Doctors verify the quality of the goats and meat and deliver the supply to the traders in their presence. However, here in Guwahati, sellers and traders are not allowed to stay in the slaughterhouse when the goats are being slaughtered. So there is every possibility of interchange of meat. We are handed over the meat after 8-9 hours and we are unable to supply fresh meat to the customers. We are charged Rs 125 per goat here, while in Tezpur, authorities charge Rs 50 per shift irrespective of the numbers of goats. Moreover licenses of meat traders are not being renewed from March this year,” Ahmed said. “The GMC had arbitrarily shut down three meat shops. There

were proper glass covers in the meat shops and the meat was kept in a hygienic condition. It would be difficult for the GMC without our cooperation. After we went on a strike by shutting down the meat shops for an indefinite time, GMC officials found no way out and even decided to sell the meat outside the slaughterhouse on their own, but they failed to attract customers. Meat shops at Garo Market at Ulubari have been selling fish instead. Customers willing to eat meat are getting to eat fish instead,” Ahmed added. Members of the meat association alleged that even after several rounds of discussions with the GMC and NEC Food Processing Pvt Ltd no results have been seen on ground. The slaughterhouse located at Khanapara has the capacity to slaughter 1,500 goats, 4,500 chickens and 100 pigs per shift. At present the slaughterhouse is working at 50 per cent of its capacity. n

GMC looking for other options

hile talks and negotiations seem to achieve no mutually favourable results, GMC has decided to put an end to all trouble once for all, sources said. “The GMC has decided to set up its own stalls to sell hygienic meat directly from the slaughterhouse. Besides outlets, mobile vans and doorto-door options for selling hygienic meat is also being mulled. A helpline number for consumers is also in the pipeline,” officials said. n

Poll

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Assam Bandh confirms people’s verdict against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 Nearly 60 organizations had jointly called for Assam Bandh on 23rd October last to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (2016). On the other hand, the BJP government had asked the public not to support the bandh. Chetan Bhattarai

he Assam Bandh on October 23, called by 60 organisations and led by Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) got a positive response from all over Assam. The reason behind this massive support was due to the Assamese sentiment against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill (2016). Once the bandh was confirmed the state government swung into action and decided to de-fang the impact by issuing certain authoritarian orders. G Plus decided to understand which way the wind was blowing just before the bandh and called for an opinion poll. The result was surprising that out of 2,600 votes polled, a whopping 47% were supporting the bandh. This figure of 47% was good enough for us to ascertain that the bandh would be a success, and it totally was. The 47% respondents had a lot to say about why they favoured the bandh and why it was necessary. They were vocal about the rights of the indigenous Assamese people and were against any more dumping of migrants in the already skewed population of the state. Assam should not become the dumping ground of people from other countries – irrespective of their

religion and nationality – was the unanimous call of those supporting the bandh in the poll. The bandh supporting respondents blamed the successive governments for the

The 53% respondents who did not support the bandh termed it as something that would not help the cause and would affect the business of the state for the whole day. According to many, the

Yes

47% Votes

2.6K No

53% The symbol of a Bandh - the tala | G Plus Photo situation that Assam is facing at the moment. Respondents were wary of the fact that this whole bill was purely based on vote bank politics and nothing else. They believed that a few parties wanted to get the sympathy and votes for the upcoming elections and the other side wanted to scuttle that vote from going into the opponents’ kitty.

state already had suffered a lot due to this bandh culture and it was time, something logical was done to stop this blackmailing. The respondents were of the view that a day-long bandh impacted the overall economic activity of the state and led to revenue loss, not only for the businesses, but also for the government. Bandh is a protest tool that has been

Snippets Direct flight to Singapore from Guwahati

new non-stop flight service between Guwahati and Singapore was announced by the Changi Airport in Singapore at the launch of its 16th city link to India. This new route marks the first direct connection between the northeast and Singapore. The introduction of this new service is expected to reduce travel time from almost 10 hours – including transfers – to four and a half hours.

What’s your take? Are you supporting the bandh?

This flight service will be operated by Drukair of Royal Bhutan Airlines. Lim Ching Kiat, managing director, Air Hub Development, Changi Airport Group, said to a financial daily, “We are pleased to launch the first nonstop service between northeast India and Singapore with our valued partner Drukair. India is the third largest tourism source market for Singapore and one of Changi Airport’s key growth markets.”

Pallab Bhattacharyya posted as DG (CD & HG) Assam

enior police officer, Pallab Bhattacharyya, who was holding the post of Special Director General of Police (SB) Assam has been transferred and posted as DG (CD & HG) Assam. As per the latest order, he will take over the charge from AP Rout who will retire on October 31.

termed illegal by a bench of Supreme Court of India, opined many. As the poll was conducted a day before the bandh many respondents were anxious about what would happen if they kept their establishments open. They wondered about the security arrangements in their area of operations. Respondents also wanted to know who would pay

if someone vandalised their establishments during the bandh. It was clear from the G Plus poll findings that people would play it safe and remain indoors. Only some government employees would try to reach their respective offices, and businesses would not take any chances and would remain closed throughout the bandh. That is precisely what happened. n

10 In The News

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Revamped Asom Sahitya Sabha building offers state-of-the-art convention facilities Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

t is indeed heartening to see that the Guwahati office of the Asom Sahitya Sabha has undergone a complete overhaul. Today, it is a modern office offering a host of convention and other facilities. Despite the massive controversies surrounding certain factors in the recent past, Asom Sahitya Sabha remains the cornerstone of Assamese culture and literature. In the city it is located within the District Library compound in Ambari on the GNB Road. The building earlier had only a ground floor and a small auditorium and today, it has been completely revamped. “The building now hosts four new halls and two auditoriums which are complete with all latest facilities and equipment,” informed secretary of the Asom

The newly-rennovated office and auditorium hall of Asom Sahitya Sabha | G Plus Photo

The newly constructed additions to the building of the Asom Sahitya Sabha have been undertaken by people closely associated with the literary organisation who wanted to donate something for the development and welfare of the Sabha in Guwahati.

Newly-constructed halls and auditoriums • Jayanta Baruah - Lakhimi Baruah Auditorium • RG Baruah Hall • Lakhiram Baruah Sadan • Mahendra Nath Borah Meeting Hall • Neha Agarwal Hall • Dr Paragmoni Sarma Auditorium

Sahitya Sabha, Chandan Sarmah. He added that all the newly constructed additions to the building of the Sahitya Sabha have been undertaken by people closely associated with the literary organisation who wanted to donate something for the development and welfare of the Sahitya Sabha in Guwahati. The newly-renovated office has now been transformed into a double storied building from its earlier version which only had a ground floor and the first floor of the building earlier hosted a state art gallery under the directorate of cultural affairs. Officials informed that in 2015,

business tycoon Kailash Lohia approached the Sabha with the proposal to renovate the first floor of the building on behalf of Lohia Charitable Trust. The newly developed first floor now boasts of a mini air-conditioned auditorium, a central lobby, a computer room, chambers for the president, joint secretary, vice president and treasurer. Members informed that they accepted the proposal of Lohia and provided him with consulting architect, KK Borah, who is also the treasurer of the Sabha. “All the construction work has been undertaken by the interested people who have donated towards the auditoriums and halls. We do not accept any monetary funds from donors; they themselves undertook the construction and handed over the facilities to us,” informed Sarmah. Further, the president of Asom Sahitya Sabha, Dr Paramananda Rajbongshi, said that the newly constructed state-of-the-art auditoriums and halls have seating capacities ranging from 30 to 250. This apart, the new building also has a book stall which is complete with a wide range of books on Assamese literature. The newly constructed amenities include the Jayanta Baruah - Lakhimi Baruah Auditorium, RG Baruah Hall, Lakhiram Baruah Sadan, Mahendra Nath Borah Meeting Hall, Neha Agarwal Hall and Dr Paragmoni Sarma Auditorium. Officials informed that another new auditorium is currently being constructed which is right adjacent to the Sabha building. This auditorium is being donated by state health & family welfare minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. n

Sabha instrumental in propagating Assamese language and culture beyond borders

som Sahitya Sabha was established in 1917 and was constituted for the development of the Assamese language, literature and culture. Another major objective to set up the organisation was to develop the indigenous languages of the state. During the last part of the 19th century, Assamese students and youths staying in Kolkata formed two literary organisations for the

development of the Assamese language and literature which were called ‘Asamiya Bhasha Unnati Sadhini Sabha’ and ‘Assamese Literary Society’. However, the necessity for a state-wide body was felt by all the conscious Assamese sections. The idea of a common platform to work for the development of Assamese language, literature and culture was conceived by Ambikagiri Raychoudhury, a poet, writer

and a veteran freedom fighter. Following this, the efforts of a number of Assamese writers and organisations led to the formation of the Asom Sahitya Sabha on December 27, 1917 at Sivasagar. The head office of the literary body is located at Jorhat with nine regional offices located across the state. The Sabha organises lectures, workshops, seminars on language, literature and culture in different

parts of Assam and the northeast. Another significant achievement of the organisation has been that it has published over 5,000 books since its formation. The Sabha also has over 1,000 branches scattered in different nooks and corners of Assam and various parts of the northeast. Adding another feather to its cap, Asom Sahitya Sabha has also opened its branch in Singapore in July. Sabha President Dr

Paramananda Rajbongshi was present during the launch of the branch on July 28 last, along with other dignitaries from the literary body. According to the members, the Singapore branch will act as a hub to help promote the Assamese language, literature, and culture across South East Asia. About 40 families from the Singapore Assamese community attended the inaugural function. n

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

HBS not to contest 2019 Lok Sabha polls G Plus News

hile the politicos have already started their campaign strategies for the Lok Sabha elections of 2019, the one name which is making the rounds as a premium candidate is Assam Cabinet minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. According to sources close to him however, he might not contest for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. A close associate of Sarma, talking to G Plus in anonymity said, “He (Himanta) might not contest for the Lok Sabha elections because he is assigned with other important tasks for the 2019 polls.” The associate revealed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) high command has enrolled Sarma as one of the members in the central election committee (CEC) of the party. The source said that Himanta will play a major role in taking decisions on the candidates who would contest for the polls from the northeast.

Another source in the BJP who recently attended the BJP executive meeting said that there are many names which are making rounds as aspirants of Member of Parliament (MP) from Guwahati. He said that Ramen Deka wants to contest from Guwahati and not from Mangaldoi this time. Similarly, there are other names like Deepak Borthakur who is close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Rupam Goswami of BJP and Queen Ojha who was a former Asom Gana Parishad legislator from Guwahati. The associate close of Himanta said that though now the main task for Himanta is to get at least 22 seats out of the 25 from the northeast, there might be last minute changes in the decisions. The associate revealed that in 2016 Jayanta Malla Baruah was fixed to get the MLA ticket from Nalbari, but at the last minute the decision was changed. But the associate confirmed that Bijoya Chakravorty will not get the ticket this time to contest from Guwahati. n

Snippets Barsapara Stadium might host test matches from next year

fter the pitch at Barsapara cricket stadium in Guwahati garnered praises from the Indian cricket team and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) alike, the stadium might now be considered as a test cricket venue in the future. Assam Cricket Association (ACA) authorities informed G Plus that Saba Karim, general manager of cricket operations at BCCI, spoke to ACA officials and asked them about the feasibility of hosting a test match at the Barsapara stadium. The recently held one-day international (ODI) match between India and West Indies in Guwahati saw three centuries from the two teams and the pitch was also

appreciated by Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja. “Afte r the ODI match, Saba Karim sir came to the pitch and approached us to ask if we would be able to host a test series here

in the future. We assured him that we would do our best to prepare a pitch suitable for test matches,” said ACA member and one of the pitch curators, Mukut Kalita. He is also a BCCI qualifie d curator since 2013 and is included in BCCI panel of neutral curators for home and away in Ranji Trophy.

Politicking

12 City Snippets Kohli, Jadeja praise Barsapara pitch after ODI

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Water crisis hits Zoo Road residents In the wake of water scarcity, residents of RG Baruah Road and Christian Basti area rely on private water operators; the problem is set to deepen with new apartment complexes being built in the area

uwahati witnessed an enthralling one-day international (ODI) match on Sunday last between India and West Indies; India won the match by eight wickets. However, apart from the joy of India’s victory for Guwahatians in theirown stadium, the match added another feather to the cap of Assam Cricket Association (ACA) as the pitch garnered praises from all quarters including Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja. The pitch also saw three centuries in total from the two teams, which was a delight for spectators. ACA vice-president Devajit Lon Saikia told G Plus, “We have a pitch curators’ team along with a BCCI supervisor who worked day and night for the last two to three months and toiled hard to make the ground like a billiard table on Sunday and the result is now known to the whole world.” Both the teams scored well on the ground and the wicket had a lot of bounce as well and helped not just the batsmen but also the bowlers, he added. Further, ACA member and one of the pitch curators, Mukut Kalita mentioned that they stuck to a schedule of rolling and maintaining a moisture balance in the pitch. “Since there was no rain before and during the match, everything was in alignment for us. We have a 20-member ground staff team apart from the curators and the rest was the blessings from the people of Assam that everything went off well,” Kalita infomed. Mukut Kalita is also a BCCI qualified curator since 2013 and included in BCCI panel of neutral curators for home and away in Ranji Trophy. He has been appointed by the BCCI at the Eden Gardens for Ranji Trophy Elite Group matches as a neutral curator for this Ranji season 2018-19. He added that he was initially disappointed when India chose to field after winning the toss. “However, the West Indian team also scored well as they scored in low partnerships. Then of course, India too played a lovely innings to chase the target,” he said. Appreciating the pitch post the match, Ravindra Jadeja said, “The pitch was also good to bat on. It didn’t turn much for the spinners nor was there much pace on offer for the fast bowlers.”

Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

he residents of RG Baruah Road, commonly known as Zoo Road, have been witnessing a perennial water crisis for the past several months which is set to become worse in the next few months with the advent of the winter season. Several apartment complexes at the Zoo Road stretch have been dependent on water tankers for their everyday water needs for the past several years now. Apartments such as the posh Spanish Garden have to rely on private water operators to fulfil their daily water requirement. “The apartment management has outsourced the water delivery to a private operator who supplies water to our apartment. Every day several water tankers are put in service throughout the day for the water use of the entire apartment complex,” Nandita Saikia, a resident of the apartment informed G Plus. Residents informed that water from the tankers is transferred into underground water reservoirs built inside the apartment complex and

is thereafter pumped up to overhead tanks so that running water becomes available to each household. Another dweller of Spanish Garden, which has 188 apartments, said that the complex does not use water from borewells neither does it have a Guwahati Municipal Corporation supply water connection. He added that all the apartment

The city needs to be properly planned and developed by the authorities so that the increasing number of housing complexes can be sustained in a proper manner. The government should think of building some infrastructure for water related projects Debajit Borah, A Guwahati-based builder

Builders call for govt support

n the other hand, builders are also facing the heat due to water crisis in and around the Zoo Road. “The main cause for concern is the depleting underground water level which is going down day by day. Metropolitan cities such as Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai, also face water crisis but there the governments are actively involved in providing relief to the residents,” Debajit Borah, a Guwahati-based builder informed G Plus. He added that the Assam government, too, should follow their footsteps and provide water facility to areas with low levels of ground water. “The city needs to be properly planned and developed by the authorities so that the increasing

number of housing complexes can be sustained in a proper manner. The government should think of building some infrastructure for water related projects,” said Borah. Another city-based builder mentioned that an average individual requires 150 litres of water for consumption on a daily basis. “The Christian Basti area near Zoo Road has always had some water scarcity issues. But now, for the past two-three years, we have seen that the water problem has increased significantly posing trouble to residents and real estate developers alike,” he informed. He added if the state government could take some measures to use water from the Brahmaputra River it would bring in great respite for the people. n

High rise apartments of Zoo road area facing water scarcity problem | G Plus Photo dwellers are charged water bills with their monthly maintenance. “We pay Rs 8,000 every month for maintenance which includes the water bill,” said the resident. According to locals, other housing complexes, too, charge around Rs 5,000 per month towards maintenance. However, without the water bill the maintenance cost ranges anywhere between Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,000. Further, more buildings and apartment complexes are being constructed in the area, raising

concern about the sustainability of these apartments and the residents’ potable water needs. Additionally, sources informed that the Zoo Road water supply scheme under Guwahati Jal Board remains almost dysfunctional due to negligence on the part of the Jal Board. Out of the total 22,000 water supply connections in Guwahati, 9,000 connections are being provided by Zoo Road water supply scheme. Further, the Zoo Road water supply scheme had been integrated with Guwahati Jal Board in 2015. n

Adjoining Christian Basti, too, affected by water scarcity

n the same vein, Christian Basti - the area adjoining Zoo Road - suffers from similar water scarcity issues. The residents of Christian Basti complained of heavy water bills as a result of depleting ground water. Every day the tankers reach the apartments and refill the tanks. Meters are installed which record the consumption by each individual household and they’re required to pay for the amount of water used. This burdens the residents with enormous amount of water bills. The amount per litre differs from apartment to apartment, ranging from Re 0.15 per litre to Rs 2.5 per litre. Residents of the area say that the cost of water is a lot to bear. Recounting the scenario from a few decades ago, Prakash Sikaria, a long-time resident of Sikaria Compound in Christian Basti,

informed G Plus, “Until the 1980s, the area had immense supply of ground water, with shallow boring of 100-250 feet installed. However, the unplanned development of the area resulted in the creation of a concrete jungle. The mushrooming of apartments and showrooms left no open space for water to seep in and the groundwater to be recharged. This led to the exhaustion of the groundwater reserves.” He added that now the apartments have deep boring installed that reach around 1,500 feet below ground level. Even then there is almost negligible access to groundwater, clearly indicating the depleting levels of water. Another resident of Christian Basti said that locals living higher on the hills still use water from the natural waterfalls to meet their daily water needs. n

Concern

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

IWT yet to learn from fatal boat mishap! It seems the people and the government have learnt nothing from the capsized ferry incident in North Guwahati on September 5. Overloading has become a norm even on ferries that are operational full time from North Guwahati to Guwahati.

Snippets Female Congress leader’s comments on #MeToo blown out of context by regional media houses

Hiranya Barman

erries sail 22 times to and fro North Guwahati and Guwahati on week days and four times on Sundays from the ghats opposite Fancy Bazar. Three ferries are operational to and fro North Guwahati and Guwahati from these ghats. A recent ground survey by G Plus revealed shocking instances of overloading on the ferries and officials of Inland Water Transport (IWT) and passengers term this as “normal.” According to the IWT rules a ferry has a load carrying capacity of 100 tonnes. Around 250 passengers can board a ferry at a time. A ferry can carry 70 twowheelers along with the riders. For the safety of passengers, a ferry should include 40 life buoys and 200 life jackets while on trip. However, breaking all rules, 300 – 350 passengers were seen boarding the ferries against the allowed capacity of 250. Around 100 two-wheelers were being carried by the ferries. Moreover, throwing caution to the winds, only 10 life buoys against 40 and 25 life jackets were found hanging against the required 200.

“There is no way out,” say officials and passengers “At present, this has become the trend. Ever since the motorized boats (bhut bhutti in common parlance) were banned from sailing we are facing a lot of problems. Overloading has become a major concern. We have asked for time-bound, safe, small vessels in addition to the ferries to overcome the overloading problem. However, ferries are much safer than boats even when they are overloaded,” said an IWT official. “Ever since country boats were banned people depending on the waterways for commuting are having a harrowing time. These ferries are not time-bound. Sometimes passengers have to wait for up to one and a half hours. Earlier, there was a country boat available after every 15 minutes at the ghats,” a resident of North Guwahati said. The ground study by G Plus also revealed that there are no strict restrictions on boarding of passengers on the ferries.

Ferries continue to be overloaded throwing caution to the winds | G Plus Photo It needs mention that during peak hours, people along with their two-wheelers throng incessantly onto the ferries when these are about to leave the banks of the Brahmaputra, adding to the woes and fears of the common people. “People keep waiting for a long period of time for a ferry. Sometimes, they have to wait for 2 hours for a ferry. A lot of people gather at the designated ghats to board a ferry. We cannot just restrict the already waiting crowd from boarding a ferry. When we try to restrict the passengers they become irritated and there are arguments, resulting in chaos,” an official at the ticket desk said. “At present, there is no timebound ferry service. This is becoming irritating. I have been making rounds of both the ferries waiting at the bank for passengers. The ferry meant to sail at 4.30 pm is now sailing at 5.30 pm and the one meant to sail at 5.30 pm is sailing at 6 pm,” a passenger said.

Time-bound waterways commuting in the pipeline IWT officials are of the view that once the Rs 1000 crore World Bank aid for development of

water terminals, river front jetties would come into implementation, time-bound commutation would be available for passengers. “Once the river taxis from Guwahati to North Guwahati come into force, time-bound commutations would be available for passengers,” an IWT source said. While discussing the World Bank aided fund to develop the water commutation sector, Assam transport minister, Chandra Mohan Patowary, underscored the need for introducing water taxis from the city to airport via the Brahmaputra, for an easy and faster mode of travel. The minister also said that the development in this sector will facilitate fast, cost-effective and pollution-free transportation of goods, agroproducts and passengers. The government has passed the Inland Water Transport bill on October 3, to bring all the mechanically-propelled vessels under a standardized set of operating norms, with utmost thrust on adherence to passenger safety norms. The new Act will be applicable to all mechanicallypropelled boats irrespective of whether they run for commercial or non-commercial purposes.

Is Inland Water Transport trust worthy? The people held the IWT responsible for the boat accident on the Brahmaputra and the state transport minister suspended four officials of IWT in the aftermath of the capsizing incident. People are now finding it difficult to trust IWT again. Ferry services from Rajaduar, Madhyam Khanda and Mazgaon ghats are currently run by IWT after it has taken away the rights from the lessees. “IWT cannot be trusted. Officials have the continuous tendency to make river transport overloaded. On the day the boat capsized, IWT officials allowed 24 passengers against the capacity of 15. Now they are managing the ferries. We are only hoping for the best,” a senior resident of North Guwahati said. ITW has also failed to enforce wearing of life jackets and making the same mandatory. According to the regulations of the IWT, passengers are required to wear life jackets while travelling on the boats, but a source revealed that the rule has never been enforced by the IWT. n

uring the time when everybody is talking about “Me Too,” it has come to light that several regional media houses have highlighted a female Congress leader’s comments on the issue in a very inappropriate manner. The leader in question is Jury Sharma Bordoloi, National Coordinator - Social Media Northeast Zone at All India Mahila Congress and Secretary at Indian National Congress - Assam. Sharma alleged that unlike what regional media houses have reported, she has never been a victim of sexual harassment. “I was never victimized. I have been never been a victim. While sharing my opinion regarding the issue, I only said that sexual harassment is prevalent in almost all industries and, I too, have witnessed it. But several media houses have blown the issue out of context and proportion, and wrongly projected me as a victim of the whole thing,” shared Jury Sharma during a conversation with G Plus.

ADC Pulak Mahanta suspended for allegedly showing disrespect to CJI

ulak Mahanta, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (M), has been suspended from his position on allegations that he disrespected the Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi. A video related to Ranjan Gogoi’s recent visit to Assam circulated on social media, where Pulak Mahanta could be heard addressing the Chief Justice as ‘Eitu’ which, in Assamese, is considered to be derogatory when referred to a person of eminence. Various sources have alleged that the ADC failed to provide Gogoi the respect that he commands, during his visit to Guwahati. This was Ranjan Gogoi’s first visit to Guwahati after taking charge as the Chief Justice of India.

14 City Snippets New Santro launched in city

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Satribari Christian Hospital Since we are registered as a society and being a charitable organisation, our main aim was to serve people belonging to the underprivileged sections of society. The people who can afford private healthcare visit private hospitals

yundai has launched the much anticipated Santro in India. The new Santro was launched in Guwahati by actress Nishita Goswami at Saraighat Hyundai last week. “The 2018 Santro comes with a host of features and is available with a petrol engine and CNG variant for its customers. We are very certain that the new Santro will be well received by the people in Assam and Northeast,” said Gaurav Goswami, Regional Manager, Hyundai Motors (Assam and Northeast).

AGP to break alliance with BJP if Citizenship Amendment Bill passed

abinet Minister and President of Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Atul Bora, threatened to break their alliance with the BJP if the Citizenship Amendment Bill is passed. The minister while speaking to G Plus said that he met the Chairman of Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) who assured that the result and outcome of the whole initiative will be in favour of the people of Assam. Thousands of AGP supporters on Tuesday took part in a protest rally from Latasil Field to Chandmari protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Bill. “The bill is a threat to the identity of Assamese identity. We, as a people of this land, will never support this,” said several supporters. Atul Bora further said that their fight for the protection of the identity of the Assamese people is independent of their political alliance with the BJP government, which is why the party members are ready to step down and break their alliance with the state government if need be.

Dr John Sangma Medical superintendent of the SCH.

Satribari Christian Hospital | G Plus Photo Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

et up during the British era by American missionaries, Satribari Christian Hospital (SCH) situated in Chatribari has been silently serving the needy patients. This nondescript hospital is one of the oldest hospitals in the city. A unique feature of the hospital not known to many is that it was started off by nurses and not doctors way back in 1926. It started off as a hospital exclusively to

provide maternity and child health facilities to women and children. Dr John Sangma, medical superintendent of the hospital informed G Plus, “The need to establish a hospital here was felt in the absence of any proper medical facilities and hospitals for locals during that time. This is how the American missionaries came to establish the hospital.” With a vision to provide service to people, the Satribari Christian Hospital also charges very nominal fees for the treatment of patients. Currently the hospital has 105 beds and also provides other medical facilities apart

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from maternity and child health services. But even now, the basic population of patients is of women and children. The SCH will complete 100 years of service in 2026. The hospital was started by a nurse called Marvin with a handful of other nurses who joined her and started taking care of women and patients in a small thatched house. This humble beginning was made on October 26, 1926. The first five nurses who enrolled included Leah Momin, Kane Rongpi, Akangla Ao, Batase Sangma, Monmojini D Shira. On the other hand, interestingly, the hospital authorities informed

that they have seen a decrease in the number of patients over the years. Since at the time of its establishment, there were no other hospitals around, this led to a large footfall of patients. However, authorities said that now with many private and government hospitals and nursing homes coming up across the city, people prefer other private hospitals and nursing homes. “Since we are registered as a society and being a charitable organisation, our main aim is to serve people belonging to the underprivileged sections of society. The people who can afford private healthcare visit private hospitals,” said Dr Sangma. The hospital has also been recognised for maintaining cleanliness in its premises and was awarded by the state government for being one of the cleanest hospitals. n

Residents prefer SCH over govt hospitals

Have a story to tell? Be a Citizen Journalist uthorities informed that they have still maintained a decent patient base after all these years since people have been increasingly rejecting government hospitals. “We specifically cater to the needs of patients from lower sections of society as they are reluctant to go the governmentrun hospitals since they say they are not provided proper care in

government hospitals,” said SCH authorities. G Plus had recently conducted a survey called ‘Let’s Talk Guwahati’ which revealed that at least 84% Guwahati residents do not have faith in government hospitals and prefer going to private hospitals or clinics for treatment. Around 10,000 people participated in this month-long survey from different localities of the city through online as well as offline mediums.

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At a time when the state government is laying a lot of emphasis on improving the overall medical facilities and infrastructure in Assam, it still has a long way to go to gain the trust of a majority of the population in public healthcare. According to the results of the survey, 73.3% respondents said they preferred to get themselves or their family members treated at private hospitals. Further,

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11% of the population said they usually favour going out of the state for medical treatment. On the other hand, merely 15.7% participants said they preferred to go to government hospitals. Additionally, the government hospitals in the city remain overburdened with an ever increasing number of patients going to them for treatment not only from Kamrup (Metro) but from all over the state. n

Special

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Oh so Glorious! 5 Iconic eateries that Guwahati still swears by Get over wine! These places in Guwahati will tell you how even food gets better with time. Chandrika Das

uwahatians love to eat. Guwahati, being a foodie’s hub, offers many options when it comes to exploring different cuisines. With time, the city has seen a rising number of popular national and international outlets. But there are some eateries and food joints which are special and exclusive to the emotions of the city’s people. These places have stood the test of time and their identity is virtually heritage today.

a must for almost anyone who visits Fancy Bazar. No matter at what time of the day you step into the eatery, one can always find the employees moving around with plates of samosas and tea, from customer to customer. This heritage of 76 years has certainly seen Guwahati’s love for tea and samosa like no other place.

Mahamaya Restaurant – Celebrating 100 Glorious Years

Lakshmi Cabin

A visit to Fancy Bazar is never complete without a samosa and a cup of tea at Lakshmi Cabin. Located at Kamarpatty, just as you enter Fancy Bazar, Lakshmi Cabin was established by Bhupen Chandra Mahanta, a freedom fighter and a resident of the city, in 1942. Mahanta, after completing his prison term, started the eatery with just Rs 50. The place was a small house back then and it hasn’t changed much over the years. While the emotions of its patrons are still the same, prices of its food items have seen a reasonable hike with time. Bhupen Chandra Mahanta passed away in 2006 after which his wife Jyotirmoyee Mahanta took up the proprietorship of food joint. The place is currently managed by Late Bhupen Chandra Mahanta’s only son. The place witnesses a footfall of more than 200 people every day. From 20 paisa during the initial days to Rs 12 per samosa today, the place has managed to keep intact both quantity and quality. A cup of tea there, as refreshing as it could be, is

On the corner of the main chowk of busy Panbazar stands an eatery called Mahamaya Restaurant. The place has completed 100 glorious years of its existence. Mahamaya Restaurant was first established as an ordinary tea stall catering to a small portion of the mere 1500 people who lived in Guwahati. Naroram Barman and his two siblings undertook a bullock-cart ride from Chamata, Nalbari to North Guwahati and then a ferry ride to cross the Brahmaputra to seek his livelihood in the city. A few years later, the establishment was converted into a thatched house, with sitting arrangements made for the customers to have tea and it survived

many years in this avatar. The three storey building of the restaurant today was built in 1948. Keeping abreast of time, the eatery not only changed its look, but also its menu. The 50s and 60s saw the addition of rasgullas, jalebis and samosas. In 1970, Naroram’s son, Arjun added rice platter, pulao, roti-sabji, parathasabji to the menu of the restaurant. Mahamaya Restaurant went from strength to strength over the years. The place has been a go-to destination for several significant personalities from different verticals and times such as Late Bhupen Hazarika, Dwipen Baruah, Lakhyadhar Choudhury, Chandra Mohan Patowary, Himanta Biswa Sarma and JP Das among others who were once regulars there. The journey of Mahamaya Restaurant is a tale that is as endearing as it can get, reflective of the city’s culture, ethics and business practices.

The Gauhati Dairy

Just opposite to the Naak Kata Pukhuri, of Panbazar, stands The Gauhati Dairy. The tale of The Gauhati Dairy is part of Guwahati’s legacy and dates back to 1928. Established by Ujjal Kumar Deb of Guwahati, the place has continued to be the go-to place for people of Panbazar. The place was established as a small Assam type house. Over the years, the eatery has grown, and has spread out to more people. The place today is run Rajnish Deb, the grandson of Ujjal Deb. Unlike other eateries which only served food or drinks, The Gauhati Dairy came up as the first departmental store apart from being an iconic food joint. Though college students, working professionals and the lawyers of Gauhati High Court continue to be regular customers of the place, Deb rues the fact that Panbazar has changed a lot over the years resulting in drastic reduction of footfall to the place though there are people

who still don’t fail to step into the place when they cross by. The place is best known for the Bengali sweet ‘paati-chapta’ which is made of ‘kheer.’

Maa Kali Hotel

till midnight, serving people the best of quality rice thalis. A regular visitor of the hotel, Birinchi Bora of Guwahati says, “I have been visiting this place since I can remember. Every time I visit Paltan Bazar, I make sure to have my lunch at Maa Kali Hotel. There is something about the place and the way they cook the fish items, the titillating aroma of every item, it makes the place unique from any other ‘bhaator dukaan.’

Shaikh Brothers

Last in the list, but the oldest

If you are fish lover, this is your haven. This food joint, best known for its ‘bhaat thalis,’ will leave you licking your fingers even after the last morsel. The place was established in 1972 by Nitya Gopal Poddar. Back then, it was a small thatched hut, which used to sell tea and sweets; a journey that started with 4 tables and chairs. Nitya Gopal left his government job to start the hotel; it now turned into the dream restaurant for rice and fish lovers in the city. That the hotel is at a prime location of the city, very close to Paltan Bazar traffic point, makes it a much more coveted food

joint for the people. The place caters to a massive rush during lunch and dinner hours. Maa Kali Hotel is best known for its fish items. Chingri curry, Hilsa curry, Pabda curry and Bhetki curry are the most sought after items. The place is always filled with the aroma of oil and spices and comfortably invites anyone to step into it. From office goers, students to travellers, the place is always thronged with foodies. It opens at 9 am and runs

when it comes to heritage. Shaikh Brothers is a legendary outlet in the bakery scenario of northeast India. Established nearly 135 years ago by Shaikh Ghulam Ibrahim, a young entrepreneur from Hooghly, this place has been serving freshly baked pastry products to the people of Guwahati all these years. The eatery boasts of the fact that it is one of the oldest bakeries, not just within northeast, but in India. Currently, the 4th generation of the family runs the bakery house. Renowned personalities of the city like KM Lahiri, Barasha Rani Bishaya, Bobbeeta Sharma are regular customers of this place. The place witnesses a footfall of nearly 2,500 - 3,000 customers every day. “I have been visiting this place for years now, and I believe the place is a genuine one. The place feels warm and the prices of the products are much lesser compared to others,” said a regular customer. Nearly 150 employees work every day to cater to the demands of the customers. Interestingly, fresh cookies made at Shaikh Brothers are delivered at chief minister’s residence every morning. A fun fact – next time you visit the place, ask for the Butter Biscuits.

16 Special

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Special

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Testimonials

G Plus, over the years, has grown along with the city. With the responsibility of being a publication, come hopes and aspirations of many ‘Guwahatians.’ Here are some words of encouragement from prominent citizens and public figures who celebrate five years of the city’s own English Weekly.

“I am very happy that G Plus has successfully completed 5 years and raised almost all vital issues of the city. I wish the G Plus team all the best and hope that in the coming days they will further keep reporting city issues and events which will help the city to develop.”

“I wish G Plus all the best wishes and hope that it will continue to publish truth as it does.”

Siddhartha Bhattacharya, Education and GDD minister

Debabrata Saikia, Leader of Opposition

“My best wishes to G Plus as they completed 5 years. I like the paper for very good reporting and bringing up all the major issues of the city. Keep bringing the facts out for the development of the city.”

“I wish G Plus all the best and I am glad that they completed 5 years successfully.”

Pradip Saloi, Commissioner of Police

Virendra Mittal, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro)

“This is to congratulate G Plus on completing an interesting, creative and successful 5 years. All of us must acknowledge the media space and the dynamic environment they have created. The campaign to combat fake news curated by them was a timely and needed initiative. One for which, they have our full support now and in the near future. G Plus has proven its mettle in the media space of across the country and I wish they shine on in the years ahead.” Harmeet Singh, Additional Director General of Police, Security & Modernisation

“Many congratulations to G Plus and I wish them all the best. It may explore more dimensions of the city may be by starting some discussion forum or something like that on more constructive issues. They may also invite wild ideas on particular problems which are related to human interests.” Ashutosh Agnihotri, Commissioner & Secretary, Transport, Sports & Youth Welfare, Commerce & Industry

“I am very happy to know that G Plus has successfully completed 5 years. I have seen the publication grown as when it was launched I was the Senior Superintendent of Police in Guwahati. The publication has always tried to raise pertinent issues in the city and has worked as a watchdog for the establishments. To know anything about Guwahati we follow G Plus. I hope they will continue the good work and will keep reporting facts as always.” Anand Prakash Tiwari, Managing Director, Assam State Transport Corporation

“I congratulate G Plus on the successful completion of 5 years. Their work on both print and digital platforms has proven to be efficient and effective. G Plus’ “Guwahati first” approach is a sincere effort that has made them a valuable stakeholder in the future of the city. Their initiative against Fake News was also commendable and I wish them all the best for the years to come.” Partha Sarathi Mahanta, Superintendent of Police, Kamrup

“I request G Plus to undertake all steps to improve the standard of quality of life of all Guwahatians.”

“What others kept planning G Plus did it. It created a platform for Guwahati. Well done team G Plus.”

Anita Verma, Advocate, Gauhati High Court

Rupak Mazumdar, Chief Executive Officer, Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority

18 In The News Snippets GU announces 2nd and 4th semester results for BA, BCom and BSc

he Gauhati University has announced the 2nd and 4th semester results of 2018 for BA, BCom and BSc courses. Students can directly access the results page by simply clicking on the link given below. LINK: http://www.gauhati. ac.in/results/GU-Sem4-ArtsBatch-2016-18.php Or, they can go to the homepage of the Gauhati University (gauhati. ac.in) and follow the instructions given below to check their results. How to check the results: 1) Open the official website of the University – gauhati.ac.in 2) Click on the Results tab on the top of the homepage. A complete list of results of different examinations will open (http:// www.gauhati.ac.in/results/) 3) Now click on any of the list highlighted in blue color. For example: Result of TDC GU Sem 4 Arts Examination 2018 (2016 Batch), Result of TDC GU Sem 4 Commerce Examination 2018 (2016 Batch) or Result of TDC GU Sem 4 Science Examination 2018 (2016 Batch) 4) Now enter your i) Roll Code and ii) Roll Number and click on Check Result 5) Your result will be displayed on the screen 6) Now you are free to download or take a print out of the same for future reference

5 documents Hajela doesn’t want for claiming inclusion in NRC

he State Coordinator for National Register of Citizens, Prateek Hajela on Tuesday submitted a report in the Supreme Court of India where he has suggested five documents that should not be allowed for claiming inclusion in the NRC. The Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Rohinton Nariman has now asked all stakeholders including Central and Assam government to respond to Hajela’s suggestions before October 30. The five documents suggested by Hajela not to be used for claiming inclusion in the NRC are: * Extract of NRC, 1951 * Extract/certified copy of Electoral Rolls up to the midnight of March 24, 1971 (midnight). * Citizenship Certificate issued by competent authority (upto March 24, 1971 (midnight). * Refugee registration certificate issued up to March 24, 1971 (midnight). * Ration cards issued by a competent authority with official seal and signature up to March 24, 1971 (midnight).

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Assam male model opens up about #MeToo, accuses fashion designer of sexual harassment Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

upermodel from Assam, Kawaljit Singh Anand, has called out designer Vijay Arora for sexual misconduct in a Facebook post. He has become the first male model to speak up about the elephant in the room, second in the fashion industry after Diandra Soares. In a long Facebook post dated October 24, Kawaljit has accused designer Vijay Arora of removing him from selected models’ list in multiple fashion weeks. “All this because I had pushed him away when he was trying to touch me inappropriately outside a party venue and while I was walking away angrily he told me categorically that he will make sure I never do any of the fashion weeks,” Kawaljit wrote in the post. Kawaljit has further alleged that the designer sent him “nasty” messages when asked for payment regarding a show done for him. He told me he’d make sure that I never get to walk for Lakme Fashion Week, wrote Kawaljit. Kawaljit Singh Anand rose to fame after winning the title of Mr India World in 2007. He is a well established model based in Mumbai who is involved in judging and mentoring various personality development workshops. The model was earlier hesitant

Designer Vijay Arora (L), Awaljit Singh Anand to share his #MeToo story thinking whether men would get as much support as women when they speak against their offenders. He termed what he went through as #MenToo, starting a new trend on social media. A few days ago, he had put up another post on Facebook wondering when male models would speak about sexual harassment in the fashion world. A lot of people from the fashion industry had then urged Kawaljit to take the lead and start the trend. Later, when Kawaljit mustered the courage and narrated his

tale, eminent personalities of the Indian film and entertainment industry including Diandra Soares, Natasha Singh and Dipannita Sharma came out in his support and praised him. He believes that if men start getting support like women have got in the ongoing #MeToo movement in India, it could open the floodgates to many more horrifying stories which would bring the dark side of the fashion industry into light. However, designer Vijay Arora has reportedly denied all allegations of the model.

Speaking to the media, he said, “I have to state that Kawaljit Singh Anand did walk the ramp for my show before the fashion week and his walk was poor. Subsequently, when he auditioned for Lakme Fashion Week, I did not vote for him because he did not walk well and the other jury members agreed with the decision.” Arora further added that all the other allegations are false and baseless from someone who is clearly disgruntled with a jury decision and he’s approaching lawyers for appropriate legal actions. n

Snippets Tri-lateral highway to connect Afghanistan to Myanmar via India

he Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is the main attraction of the 2nd Guwahati International Film Festival (GIFF). “We are trying to develop the relation between India and South East Asian countries in the field of trade, commerce and other segments. GIFF can play an important role in that direction,” said Assam Act East Policy Affairs Minister, Chandra Mohan Patowary during his inaugural address. Talking about connectivity, Patowary informed that a

tri-lateral highway connecting Afghanistan to Myanmar via India will be operational soon and Guwahati will be connected with six capital cities of South Asian nations by the end of December. Instead of having a focus country the film festival this year has 14 films from 10 countries of the ASEAN re gion. The se ve nday-long festival which started on Thursday will showcase 108 films from over 50 countries. GIFF will be attended by dignitaries and ambassadors from over 15 countries.

Cruise from Kolkata to Guwahati via Bangladesh to start soon

o augment water transport, India and Bangladesh agreed to explore a route to run passenger and cruise vessels between Kolkata and Guwahati via Dhaka on Thursday, October 25. The cruise vessels will ply on the Inland Protocol route and coastal shipping route. The cruise liner is expected to start from Kolkata and will reach Dhaka via Sunderbans plying over protocol route 1 & 2 and 3 & 4. The liner will enter Assam from Dhubri and go up to Guwahati. The decision was taken in a meeting pertaining to protocol arrangements and improvement of Inland Water Transportation. The two countries dis-

cussed various issues pertaining to the protocol arrangements and improvement of inland water transportation between the two countries in the 19th Standing Committee meeting under ‘Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade’ (PIWTT), stated a statement issue d by the Ministry of Shipping. The new arrangement will facilitate movement of fly ash, cement, construction materials etc from India to Bangladesh through IWT on Rupnarayan river. In the meeting, it was proposed that the protocol routes from Kolkata be extended up to Silchar in Assam. These river cruise services are likely to commence between Kolkata - Dhaka and Guwahati - Jorhat and back.

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

20 City

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Snippets N.F. Railway launches mobile app to buy unreserved tickets

he N.F. Railway have started the facility of purchasing unreserved tickets, Season ticket and Platform tickets from 25th October via an online mobile app. It is to be mentioned that passengers have to download the UTS mobile app on their Android, Windows or I-Phone, smartphone to book tickets mentioned above online. Developed by Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) “utsonmobile” – the paperless unreserved ticketing feature in mobile application aims to eliminate the need for printing of unreserved tickets. Payment for the ticket is done through the “railway wallet” feature in the App.

APCC stages dharna at CBI office, Guwahati

The perennially jammed Chatribari Road | G Plus Photo

Traffic mess continues to bog down Chatribari Road; bane for all Chiranjeeb Talukdar

lamming the Narendra Modi government’s Unconstitutional Act, systematic dismantling and degrading the autonomy of the nation’s top investigation agency CBI, the Assam Pradesh Congress Committe e (APCC) stage d a ‘Protest Dharna’at the CBI office in Guwahati today. The APCC workers and leaders gheraoed the CBI office. “We are protesting against PM Narendra Modi’s disgraceful attempt to prevent an investigation into the Rafale scam by removing the CBI Chief Alok Verma,” said Ripun Bora, President, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) who led the protestors. Leader of Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia said, “The removal of CBI Director Alok Verma was ‘illegal and unconstitutional’ and motivated by the Centre’s ‘fe ar of the Rafale de al’. The central government should show respect for democratic norms and reinstate Verma as the CBI chief since his two-year tenure has not yet run its course.”

uwahati, the major hub of northeast is not free of its problems. From overclogged drains to parking woes, Guwahatians also face a daily traffic congestion. There is no doubt that traffic in the city is growing every day and has now gone out of control. The increasing numbers of vehicles leave the city’s streets jam-packed with barely any space to move around. Unauthorized parking and unruly driving makes things worse for the daily commuter. Paltan Bazar, a major commercial hub of Guwahati, on certain days has a permanent traffic nightmare. Be it on a normal working day or any festive season, the traffic movement never seems to ease in Paltan Bazar. Even the small by-lanes are packed with vehicles and there’s hardly any space left for people to pass by. The Haji Safuddin Road, which is known as the Chatribari Road, (located just beyond Paltan Bazar) connects important institutions like Nichols Higher Secondary School, Chatribari Christan Hospital and KC Das Commerce College faces serious traffic snarls. The road is always filled with vehicles as there is

no other alternative road to the locality. Avoiding the road is impossible for anyone visiting Chatribari; the students and patients are the worst-hit as they do not have an alternative. It is not just the students and other regular commuters who face this problem; shoppers and the local businessmen are affected by the chaotic traffic. Akant Agarwal, owner of Furniture Gallery on Chatribari Road, informed G Plus that the road is always packed with vehicles and it is really difficult for him to concentrate on his business. “My customers get irritated due to the constant blaring of horns from the vehicles that get stuck in the traffic. During the school hours, the road gets really congested and it takes a long time to pass

Avoiding the road is impossible for anyone visiting Chatribari; the students and patients are the worst-hit as they do not have an alternative.

through it,” complained Agarwal. The problem is compounded by the large number of two-wheelers that are parked on both sides of the road, narrowing down the commutable portion even further. Apart from the two-wheelers, the road is also swamped by rickshaws, hand pulled carts and auto vans carrying goods. Many a time, heated quarrels break out between people over issues of congestion over the road. There have also been reports of theft on this road. Another daily commuter who uses the road said, “It is always risky to park our vehicles on the road. Vehicle lifters take advantage of the situation and steal the bikes parked on the road.” Though the police have managed to catch a few such vehicle lifters from the road who were trying to steal bikes, the stretch is still not completely safe for vehicle owners. The Chatribari Road has many shops retailing automobile spare parts. Further, there are offices of companies and banks. People who come to the shops and banks do not find an appropriate place to park their vehicles and hence have to park their vehicles on the road. Even the footpaths are not spared as it is often used for parking twowheelers. This causes a serious problem for the pedestrians. Though police personnel have

been deployed on the main roads to manage the traffic situation, small but crucial roads like the Chatribari Road are ignored. Illegal parking on the road is rampant. People have been trying to convey their misery to the administration, but till now no permanent solutions have been found. Deepak Sharma, manager of a liquor shop on Chatribari Road said, “The traffic story of this area is not new; we have been facing this for years. There is no quick solution to this matter, but if the authorities remove the illegal parking, then we will definitely get some relief.” If the parking issue can be addressed and strict rules are enforced by the administration, the situation can be improved to a great extent. Guwahati needs a major reconstruction through which the city can come to terms with the changing traffic environment. The municipal authority of Guwahati should ensure that new commercial buildings must have proper parking space and all other necessary provisions. Implementing new traffic rules or changing the routes every other day will not result in much relief for such a persistent issue influenced by multiple factors. n

In The News

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Bhoga Khirikee screened to massive audience at GIFF Awarded filmmaker Jahnu Baruahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest offering, Bhoga Khirikee, was screened as the first film of Guwahati International Film Festival, 2018 at the Srimanta Madhabdev International Auditorium within the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra premises. The film was viewed by a massive audience that was invited for the show. Bhoga Khirikee has been co-produced by Priyanka Chopra, Dr Madhu Chopra and Shahnaab Alam. The film stars Joy Kashyap and Zerifa Wahid in the lead roles.

The cast and crew of Bhoga Khirkee

Chetana Das and Pranjal Saikia

Jahnu Baruah & Shahnaab Alam

Kausar Hilaly & Devajit Saikia

The celebrities of Bhoga Khirikee

Zerifa Wahid

Jahnu Baruah speaking

Jahnu Baruah

22 G Talk E

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018 T

An impassioned plea

his is Volume 6 Issue 1 of G Plus that you are holding in your hands – a singular opportunity for me to thank each and every one of you, our readers, for allowing us to see this day when we have completed 5 years of publishing. Yes! And I thank you from the bottom f my heart. Ifeltthisisanaptopportunity to write a happy editorial. But circumstances and situations over the past week have been rather disturbing. The massively successful Assam Bandh has registered a protest that has made Assam stand out as a disturbing element in the political schemes of the current dispensation. This is because the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 seeks to rehabilitate persecuted minorities from not just one region in the nation’s proximity (Bangladesh in our case), but from six other regions that include Pakistan and Afghanistan. Given this perspective of things, it is a fair Bill for the nation especially when steered by a BJP government. And so, we have suddenly become the odd people out because we don’t want foreigners of any lineage and religion usurping our land. This being the reality, I guess

we can try and be a bit practical. That the Bill will be passed and made a law by the Parliament is a foregone conclusion. No amount of Assamese agitation by way of bandhs et al can stop this because the Bill is “in the interest of the nation.” However, what we can do is urge for and then ensure some amendments to the current shape of the Bill whereby Assam, or the entire northeast for that matter, does not come under its purview. Given our history of having already absorbed the huge number of immigrants in our state, it would be entirely justified to demand this bit of tweak in the Bill. And so, this piece is a practical and impassioned plea - a request to all political parties, the Joint Parliamentary Committee and all who have the power to convince the Government of India that the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 contains such sections whereby Assam’s special case is taken into consideration. This way, the massive NRC would not become an exercise in futility and the historic Assam Accord will be forever respected. Swapnil Bharali Editor

QUIZZING – the all-encompassing mind sport

uizzing at its advent in India impressed upon many as an examination. A motley few took it as a game. With passage of time quizzing acquired an overwhelming popularity and came to be aptly proclaimed as a “mind sport.” And today it is a mega buck television show, inspiring film stalwarts to anchor and even script Oscar winning movies. If one ponders a while on what exactly this ‘mind sport' owes its present fame to, many answers would prop up. The most likely would be – quizzing provides a thrilling way of knowing the unknown – which is indeed very true. The joy of taking part in a quiz lies on the fact that you may know the answer to a question which no one knows or you may not know the answer to a question which every one else knows. This

A question like “What is the currency of Brazil?” is regarded as “dry.” But the same question when asked as – “Which country would you be, if you were buying a football with 1000 Cruzerios?” - would be commended as good quizzing.

Publisher’s Note

fact was oft reminded by the Grand Old Man of Quizzing in India, Neil O’Brien, in his famous quiz shows. Yet the most striking feature of this lively sport is the unique audience involvement. It is perhaps the only sport where, participation of the audience goes beyond the cheering of the victors or booing of the vanquished. It is as if the audience is another team vying for honours along with the competitors. In every quiz, members of the audience are on their toes to grab the question that goes a begging. The feeling one gets out of correctly answering a question which has gone through the heads of participants is almost utopian at that moment. Indeed, no other sport can draw a parallel to such an involvement of the spectators. Amazingly enough, a quiz can sometimes also be drab. As very defensive batting in an explosive ODI or T20 match can make an eye sore, “dry” questions can make a quiz dull. The term “dry” has evolved in quizzing circles from questions that relate to plain general knowledge (GK). Though there is a hazy line of distinction between a GK test and a quiz, a question like “What is the currency of Brazil?” is regarded as “dry”. But the same question when asked as – “Which country would you be, if you were buying a football with 1000 Cruzerios?” - would be commended as good quizzing though the justification is equally vague. But truly the second question the answer of which is Brazil (Cruzerio being its currency) would hold the interest of everyone more profoundly

REGULARLY JUGULAR

egular is not fun. Regular is not hip. Regular is not exciting. Regular is well... regular. We are not in this to be regular. We set out on this endeavour not to be regular. We wanted to be unpredictable, instinctive, volatile, explosive. Ever since the first issue in 2013, it has mostly been an uncharted journey full of thrills, kills, hits and misses. To say that it has been a learning experience would be an understatement – it has been nothing less than a revolution for us. Of course, the goal was always to be a frontrunner in the media industry of the region, but the pace at which we have achieved it has been unprecedented. At the risk of sounding arrogant, I can safely say that G Plus has led the digital news media in the region as its frontrunner, constantly evolving, while staying in touch with its roots – of being the soul of the city. It is not possible to squeeze in the experience of five years into 300 words and neither would it be a logical attempt to do so as well. But I would like to dedicate a chunk of those words to all our readers, fans, well wishers and critics. A huge chunk also goes out to all our advertisers and partners, along with each and every Guwahatian. You were the people who have made it possible for us to come this far. We at G Plus, are stoked with the overwhelming love, adulation, appreciation and affection that we have received from each one of you. As we move on to the next phase of our journey, we will keep seeking your support and guidance to help us reach even greater heights and highs. Yes, it has been nothing less than a high to be the voice of the city and we intend to carry on – loud and clear. Sunit Jain Publisher

rACA and self interest seekers

O pinion Tridib Borah

than the first. The word “football” which is smuggled into the question as a broad hint affords an inspired guesswork and an alert, avid participant may work out the answer. The poor quiz master who holds the key to making a quiz lively or “dry” has an unenviable (enviable for some) task of framing the question in addition to finding the facts. A question like “What is common to Margaret Thatcher, Bo Derek and Diego Maradona?” indeed generates a lot of thrill. (The answer if you haven’t figured out is – the number 10 – 10, Downing Street, the movie No. 10 and the jersey No. 10). But such thrilling questions are limited in the bag of questions. The quiz master must also carry a bag of tricks to present a “dry” question in a lively manner and carry the audience along; for the audience is just another competitor in this wonderful mind sport. (The author was one of the firsts from NE to take part in a TV quiz show – Quiz Time’88 – conducted by Siddartha Basu on Doordarshan in 1988. He is now a popular quiz master conducting quizzes for schools, colleges and club.)

Letter to the Editor

ssam Cricket Association (ACA) is perhaps the most sought after sports association of the state due to the popularity of the game in the state and the glamour that is associated with it. Yours Truly being a cricketer of lesser intensity of the 60s era fondly remembers the names of the towering personalities who graced the office of ACA. The likes of Late Kartik Hazarika, Late Suren Das, Late RG Baruah, etc, to name a few, served the ACA with utmost sincerity without any self interest. But the things are completely different at the present juncture as ACA was and is infested with self seekers like Bikash Barua, Gautam Roy, Nilay Dutta, etc. These people have made the ACA office their hunting ground for their self interest. The recent performance of the state team in the Vijay Hazare trophy is direct indication of the deteriorating standards of the Assam cricket. It is an alarming sign indeed. ACA, please note. Dr Ashim Chowdhury, Ambari, Guwahati

rAd hoc traffic management

Letter to the Editor

his is to bring to your attention the horrendous plight of traffic management in Guwahati. I am a frequent traveller on the Ulubari-Paltanbazar stretch and often move towards Maligaon for work. At this point, where we tout ourselves to be the next smart city, we are still dealing with basic traffic management. There are several malfunctioning streetlights still and we feel that road security is still questionable. This is of course worsened by overnight changes in rules and the public is harassed. There seems to be no regard for this by the GDD minister either and it looks like the public is being taken for granted. While the traffic personnel have become efficient, the authorities seem to be taking volatile decisions that are in no way good for the public. Using your esteemed media, I would like to raise concern against this ‘ad hoc’ traffic management being done by Guwahati Traffic Police and help address the plight of commuters in the city. Bhubaneshwar Baruah, Rehabari

In Focus

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Princy Gogoi Armless Artist, Receptionist

rom writing her own exams to doing household chores to working on beautiful paintings, 19 year old Princy Gogoi does everything with her toes. Born without arms, there is literally nothing that separates Princy from the able-bodied people around her. Her story is that of immense courage and determination. Born to Jagannath and Beauty Gogoi, Princy belongs to the Sonari area of Sivasagar district. She was born without arms but her indomitable spirit to excel in life kept her going. She always believed in herself and her inability to write like her peers never bogged her down. She pursued education from Sonari Jatiya Vidyalaya, after being denied admission in several schools of the district. After passing matriculation, she took admission in Sonari Junior College where she studied in the Arts stream. After writing the Class 12 board examination, Princy had to go through what she described as the “toughest phase of her life.” She said, “I had appeared for all the papers during board examinations and I was certain that I’d

pass them at one go but when the results came in, I was marked nil (zero) in three of the five subjects. The college administration falsely accused me of not appearing for the said papers. So I had to travel to Guwahati to plead my case. By the time my answer sheets were found and mark sheet was rectified, colleges in my district were done with their admissions.” Princy went through hardships but never once in her journey did she let her disability become a hurdle. She turned problems into opportunities and decided to study further in Guwahati. Presently, she’s in the first year of graduation in Arts Stream from Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University and attends weekly lectures that are conducted at Guwahati’s SB Deorah College. Princy has a passion for painting and singing. Artist Princy paints stunning portraits and sceneries using her feet to hold the brush. She has participated in and won several awards at state level art and drawing competitions. Speaking to G Plus about her journey as an artist, Princy said, “Painting is my hobby. I enjoy the process and like to

practice it whenever I get time. My first teacher was my mother but I started learning it formally when I was around 8 years old from a teacher in Sivasagar.” She dreams of opening her own art school and believes that one shouldn’t keep thinking of themselves as disabled. Instead they should think of themselves as equal to others in order to succeed in life. Princy not only writes and paints with her toes, she also does household chores like washing utensils, sweeping the floor, cooking, sewing clothing, lighting the incense stick and praying. Since the past one and a half years, Princy has been residing in Guwahati with her mother, while her father who is a daily wage laborer continues to stay in Sivasagar along with her brother who is pursuing his education there. She has two elder sisters as well; while the eldest of them is married, the other one is studying in Guwahati. For her grit and willpower, Princy has received many awards of appreciation including Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Award for Kamrup (M) District 2018, All Tai Ahom Students’ Union Certificate of Appreciation 2018, The

Telegraph School Awards for Excellence 2018, Assam Talks Adamya Pratibha Award 2017 and the Bhupen Hazarika Award. Inspired by her journey, the managing director of Nemcare Hospital in Guwahati had offered Princy a job at the front desk in November 2017. The 19 year old has been happily working at the help desk of the hospital for the past whole year. She has taken up the task gracefully, helping patients and attendants alike with their queries. Her talent has been spotted by various media houses and private organizations too who have honoured her in their own ways. However, the government seems apathetic to ties of the difficulpeople like her. Princy informed G Plus that she hasn’t received any allowance or assistance from the state government so far. She added, “There are thousands of differently-abled people in our state who have been suffering since a long time. It’s high time that the government takes an all inclusive approach and pay heeds to our problems too.”

A day prior to the Assam Bandh called by 60 organisations jointly to protest the tabling of the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Parliament, G Plus had floated a poll on its digital channels to gauge its possible success or failure. Here are some comments from the poll. Hemant Laskar Honestly, I’m not a supporter of any bandh. But when wrong will happen to our own people then we will surely do anything to make things right. Look when something happens in Maharastra, Shiv Sena always comes in front to tackle it. And so it happens in every state whether it’s West Bengal or Gujarat.

Chiranjib Kashyap Sarma So if the bandh is successful, all migrants will magically disappear from Assam starting from 24 Oct. Akhil Gogoi will start developmental politics where he’ll make sure all poor farmers become millionaires as he has done over the last 5 years. Assam will finally be called the land of golden rhinos, right? All these bandhs are nothing but a waste of time.

Barkha Bajaj Modi Calling a bandh will not solve the issue. We here are used to groups calling bandhs and it’s just waste of time and money. For such serious issues there has to be other solutions. I don’t know what but I know that bandh isn’t a solution. It will only affect the daily wage labourers who are least bothered about any citizenship bill!

Devid Das It should not affect school and colleges. We should allow students to attend their classes since they are the budding talents of the world. We have already skipped so many topics due to poor education system and had so many gaps in our knowledge. I support the bandh without hampering the education system.

Gunajit Yogi This bill is strongly against the Assam Accord as mentioned by our honourable Assamese leaders. When some representatives of illegal migrants organise press meets in favour of the bill, there’s nothing wrong acting against it by us Assamese people in our own land. Everything is fair when your regional sentiment is in danger. Most of the outsiders will not support this bandh as they come here just to earn money. It will definitely help them if the bills get passed. Happy to see the support for this bandh.

Vandana Todi The people are actually helpless as the government is deficient in providing security to the citizens if they open their shops. Example in Dibrugarh - a reputed bakery shop opened and the various organizations who had called bandh, broke the window panes and tried to destroy the shop in front of policemen who were just mere spectators. If the government is not capable enough to take charge of the situation, the public is bound to follow this bandh culture.

24 Fiction

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

The Mian-bhai T

he heart-attack was instantaneous; the huge smile writ large on his face. Prabhakar Goswami, ironically, died a happy

man… Two months earlier, his slap had connected hard on his daughter’s cheek but the instantaneous regret of his action had hit him harder. In that momentary lapse of reason, the remorse seemed prophetic of the immensely sorrowful time he was to face… Prabhakar Goswami’s mansion in posh Kharguli Hills, Guwahati, was the proverbial aristocratic Asomiya household of the respectably wealthy third generation tea planter. It had everything of conceivable material luxury that the fine produce of four gardens allowed. What added to the wealth were the “human values” within that household - those gems that constituted his family – Malobika, his wife and Niharika, his daughter. Precious were the values that he had painlessly inculcated in them – he was boss! They proposed, he disposed. He dictated, they obeyed. Period. Self-righteousness had the perfect address in the world. Mian-bhai was a part of Goswami’s household. He had rendered long years of service. His flowing beard on his thin, emaciated face had turned completely white over the years. That green checked lungi with that immaculate white kurta on his frail frame was a normal trusty sight and he completed all assigned chores with aplomb. “Mian-bhai, the hedges… Mian-bhai skin the fish … Mian-bhai, the maid’s gone home, please mop the house today…” Mian-bhai never complained, only delivered. Twenty-three years of yeoman service included cradling infant Niharika to taking care of her current twenty-one year old adult self. Mian-bhai had had an accomplished career within that hallowed Goswami compound. In this wonderful setting, one lovely spring morning, cropped up an unsavoury name. “Papa, can I have a word with you?” “Now, sweetheart? I am leaving for the gardens in an hour.” “I like a boy… he loves me too…” she blurted, unpractised, extempore, her voice quavering. Unfamiliar conversation in the Goswami living room! Prabhakar’s sweeping gaze caught Malobika twitching the ends of her chaador as she stood trembling behind the sofa and Mian-bhai in the distant corner, on his haunches, mopping the floor, his ear alert to the conversation. “I am listening, my pet. Who is he?” “Papa, will you be angry?” “Of course not, dear.” Prabhakar believed he always had his temper under control, the edge in his voice today notwithstanding. As Niharika halted in her confession, eons seemed to tick by. “I am wait-

ing, Niharika.” “Papa, he is a good boy. He is with the Indian Revenue Service, posted in….” “Oh?” Prabhakar cut in, his voice was now a menacing whisper. “Ok… well?” Niharika noted the whisper and wanted to put off the conversation; that would have indeed made life different than the way it had turned out. But then she just blurted out. “Papa, his name is Basanta Chutiya.” The force of the slap sent Niharika sprawling right into the reassuring arms of Mian-bhai. “Choootiyaaaaa?” Prabhakar’s rasping undertone reverberated right across that massive living room. He did not shout, never did. In anger, he always whispered, and it was unbelievably intimidating! “Careful with your choice of names, darling. I don’t want to unnecessarily shoot anyone!” That hiss hung in the air as he walked out. Basanta Chutiya! At that moment, the name stank in the whole of Kharguli… Reaching his tea estate on the north bank, Prabhakar’s mind was in turmoil: violence was an unprecedented occurrence in his household. His palms still hurt even after five hours; he agonized over what his dear daughter was going through. He just had to call her; she would obviously understand that he was apologizing. “Hello…” came that silvery voice over the phone. Prabhakar had often wondered how Niharika managed to offer such a wonderful “hello.” It was something between a cuckoo’s call and a nightingale’s song. That “hello”, even under her current duress, refreshed him more than the best tea his four gardens produced. “You ok?” For all the regret, his voice still came out in a whisper. “Yes Papa, I am sorry. Please forgive me.” Her hurt voice tugged at his heart strings but he refused to let them snap. “Take care. I trust we will not have anything to discuss on this after I get back home tomorrow. Am I clear?” “Yes….Papa.”He hung up feeling much better. After all he had apologized! Tomorrow became tomorrow forever! Niharika’s cell-phone switched off at 12 midnight; she was gone! And with her went his fondest “hello.” A petrified Malobika had no explanation; even Prabhakar’s frightening, confrontational whisper couldn’t elicit any worthwhile information. Seven excruciating days passed since his daughter disappeared … and in those seven days, Prabhakar began to notice that Mian-bhai had not come for work. His last memory of Mian-bhai was him consoling Niharika after his slap! An acrid air of debauchery wafted in! What the bloody hell had actually

happened? And where was Mian-bhai? Hey, now what was that bastard’s actual name??? With a vague hunch, Prabhakar reached the Sijubari locality of Guwahati: Mian-bhai supposedly resided there. Making his way along the filthiest of by-lanes, the cynosure of hostile, suspicious eyes, Prabhakar made his enquiries with whoever he felt could provide him information. “Mian-bhai? Who Mian-bhai?” asked one. “Oh Mian-bhai… do you mean Rahmatka?” asked another. Prabhakar felt he was getting closer! And then a lanky youngster: “Rahmatka … yes, yes … he recently married once more, the third time … a young, beautiful Asomiya girl!” Heart hammering, Prabhakar probed further. “Uncle, Rahmatka married this girl around a week back and left immediately for his ancestral home in Sylhet.” Sylhet? In Bangladesh? Where in Sylhet, you asshole? Prabhakar virtually scavenged the address from the young informant’s soul! Sylhet! Prabhakar, armed with his licenced .32 Colt, was determined to get his daughter back. He would shoot and be lynched in the process – no problem. Death was not his immediate dread. The squalor of that Third World village was revolting. Was his daughter really living here? As old Rahmat’s third wife? What on earth had she done? It seemed a village bereft of women; all he noticed were green lungi-clad men and other human forms that were burqa-clad. Brandishing his revolver, he enquired. Yes, the village-folk knew Rahmat – recently returned from Assam with a new wife. Yes, she was young and Asomiya. That way Sir … Yes, beyond those thickets was his hut and his other wives. “Where is Rahmat?” demanded Prabhakar, his firearm visible to all. Suddenly a posse of rough hands caught hold of Prabhakar’s collar and quickly disarmed him. “Get out!” someone yelled, a yell that resembled his

Swapnil Bharali

undone. This is my fate. I am not sure YOU decided it. I will always respect my fate. Please leave now.” The note was unsigned. The hostile crowd stood surrounding him and Prabhakar gingerly made his way to his car – his bloated ego completely deflated! Back in Kharguli, Prabhakar spent his days in retrospection: reliving his life, his actions, even his philosophies. Where had he gone wrong? Why did he have to face this unbearable social ignominy? He kept staring at his cellphone, willing it to ring and hoping to hear his favourite Illustration credit “hello” at the other end. Yes! Abidur Rahman He would forgive and forget everything. He would himself take her proposal to Chutiya, own whisper! Shakento his wobif that would make Niharika hapbly knees and yet resolute, Prabpy. What was that she had said? hakar tried reasoning in chaste He was a revenue service officer, Bengali, “Listen! My young, naïve wasn’t he? All he could comfort daughter has been kidnapped himself with was the thought that by your Rahmat. She is innocent, he owed an explanation to Chutignorant of the realities of the iya. Well, the young man should world. Please let me take her back. at least know what had happened Please!!! Where’s Rahmat? Can I to the girl he had loved and if he meet him? Can I please talk to my would forgive Prabhakar for per…. well … son-in-law?” The hostile petrating all this - this life-alcrowd did not notice the wince in tering situation. But how? How those last words but relaxed their would he reach Chutiya? He did grip on him. not even know where the young Three burqa-clad women man was posted currently. As he emerged from the hut beyond the sat nursing his drink that evening, thickets and eyed Prabhakar with having shut himself from the world the past few days, Malobika haltingly walked up with a small chit in her hand. “I found this in Niharika’s drawer as I was Seven excruciating cleaning her room.” The chit had days passed since his a number written on it. It seemed daughter disappeared to be an unfamiliar cell-phone number; it somehow did not seem … and in those seven to be from Assam. Prabhakar felt days, Prabhakar began a rush of adrenaline, a burst of prolonged quick heartbeats. What to notice that Mianwas this? Should he try it? Maybe bhai had not come for it was some friend’s number who work. His last memory could at least provide a reason for Niharika’s abominable decision. of Mian-bhai was him Or was it a Bangladesh number? consoling Niharika after Prabhakar fished out his phone. his slap! An acrid air of With trembling hands, he dialled. He totally ignored a sudden seardebauchery wafted in! ing pain in his left arm! What the bloody hell had It was a normal ring tone at the other end. Once, twice….. on actually happened? the tenth ring an unmistakable, silvery voice that sounded something between a cuckoo’s call and a nightingale’s song answered: “Hello!” “Niharika???” “Yes? …Papa???” Prabhakar’s face utter hostility. The tallest among broke into a smile – a huge smile them, who also seemed the youngest, from Prabhakar’s dis- – the smile of the happiest man on earth. The left arm simultatant perspective, passed a note to neously hurt too hard and he cola spindly youngster who sprinted lapsed, defecating on the spot.The to Prabhakar. Still eyeing the tall heart-attack was instantaneous. woman and with shaking hands, And fatal. Prabhakar unfolded the piece of Prabhakar Goswami died paper. In English handwriting instantly, with ironically, the smile that seemed ‘unsurely’ familiar, of the happiest man on earth he read: “Please forgive and leave. plastered on his face forever! Whatever’s happened cannot be n

Trotter

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Man trying to burn spiders sets house on fire

man in Fresno, California, learned it the hard way when he set his parents’ house on fire while trying to burn some spiders. Reportedly, the man who started the fire claimed that he was using a blowtorch to kill black widow spiders when the fire began. He was house-sitting for his parents when it happened. Fortunately, the 23-year-old man managed to escape from the blaze unhurt and nobody else was injured in the fire.

The Fresno Fire Department said the incident took place at a house in the Woodward Lake housing development. One of the

exterior bricks had a small crack, so the blowtorch’s flame ignited flammable material inside and the fire went straight up into the attic, said Capt. Robert Castillo of the Fresno Fire Department. Twenty-six firefighters responded to the blaze that resulted, which caused about $10,000 worth of damage to the attic and the second story of the house. “This is definitely not the preferred method to exterminate spiders in and around your home,” said Castillo. (Source: Dailymail.co)

School bans bags so boy turns up carrying books in a microwave

acob Ford, 17, disagreed with the policy at Spalding Grammar School after sixth-formers were ordered not to carry bags between classes. The school stated that “injury was being caused to younger students” because of “ever-larger bags” being carried on their shoulders. Instead they are being encouraged to carry books by hand between lessons. Previously bags were not allowed in years 7 to 11, but until this year were allowed for sixth formers. Jacob staged a silent protest by using a wicker basket and a microwave to make a point after a petition was started. He also wrote a 3,000-word essay in which he said a compromise could be made. He ended up being suspended for two days after he refused to hand over his mobile phone which he used to keep his mother Tracy updated about his “treatment.” She said, “I think Jacob’s protest has been very peaceful and I believe he should have

his say. At the end of the day, I believe in freedom of speech and so I’m very proud of him for standing up for something he believes

therefore grades may dramatically decrease.” The petition was removed days later after gaining 463 signatures. Bridget Allan, who has

Cab driver suspended for wearing skincare mask on the job

cab driver in China was spotted driving on the job while wearing a sheet mask. His skincare routine, however, has now resulted in a three-day suspension. According to a local daily, Chen Yiqun, a cab driver

in Linhai, decided to freshen up during a late night shift. He decided to drive into the city to refuel while wearing a skincare face mask, but was spotted by a young woman who clicked and

posted his picture online. The picture has since gone massively viral on Chinese social media, and earned Chen a lot of appreciative comments. “What an exquisite taxi driver,” wrote one social media user. “Girls everywhere take note, you have to take care of your skin no matter how busy you are,” said another. However, local traffic police were not amused by the 25-yearold’s attempt to keep his skin hydrated. Later, after the picture did the rounds of social media all weekend, police tracked Chen down and gave him a ‘stern lecture.’ He was also suspended for three days by his employer. According to police, wearing a sheet mask on the job could be dangerous as it could fall off and obscure the driver’s vision. (Source: khaleejtimes)

Man leaves $10,000 as tip after ordering just water in. Microwave or no microwave.” Days after the rule was enforced, a petition began online. Hannah Catterall, who started the petition, said, “By not permitting backpacks students are unable to carry revision materials to and from school with ease and

two children at the school, said, “I was outraged when I heard about the ban. I think it is ridiculous. How can you even get to places on time with all the right books, let alone do things like sanitary towels?” (Source: metro.co)

server at a restaurant in North Carolina was given a $10,000 cash tip by a customer who ordered just two waters. “Thanks for the delicious water,” read the note that was left along with the generous tip. Alaina Custer, an employee of Sup Dogs in Greenville, was the lucky recipient of the tip. “I

subscribers on YouTube, had two men film Custer’s reaction even as he left the restaurant after leaving the tip. He later returned to the restaurant to join his crew, and Custer said she “hugged them all.” “I was so blessed to have that money,” she said. “I mean, most of us that work at Sup Dogs are broke college kids and that’s going to help me out so much. We got to

literally didn’t think it was real. I picked it up and it was a giant stack of hundreds, I was shaking and just kept asking, ‘What is this?’ I thought someone was playing a joke on me,” she told The News & Observer. It turns out that the customer was not just any generous man, but a YouTube personality who goes by the username Mr Beast. Mr Beast, who has 8.9 million

all split it up, which will help a lot of people.” The restaurant shared pictures of Custer with the money on its Facebook page, where Mr Beast earned a lot of praise and goodwill for his actions. “I love when people pay it forward,” wrote one person in the comments section. “Awesome people out there!” said another. (Source: today.com)

Delhi man, disguised as cop, thrashes shop owner ‘for no reason’

36-year-old man was arrested for allegedly posing as a police officer and thrashing a shop owner in Delhi, police said. The accused, Deepak Choudhary, who also goes by the name Deepak Maan, is a resident of south Delhi’s Chhattarpur Enclave. During an investigation, it was found that he was a property dealer, not a police official, the police added. “The incident came to light when Sagar Khera, a resident of Delhi’s Madangiri, filed a complaint that one person claiming to be a sub-inspector at the Malviya Nagar police station came to his shop at around 8:45 pm and started beating and abusing him without any reason,” a senior police

officer said. Sagar Khera’s brother Apar Khera gave the accused man’s contact number to the police and also provided the CCTV footage of the

incident, the police said. At first, Deepak Choudhary did not respond to calls. But later, they managed to contact him, following which he was brought to the police station where the complainants were also present.

Sagar and Apar Khera and their father immediately identified Deepak Choudhary. He admitted that he knows Apar Khera since 2013 and was in contact with him in connection with online purchase of mobile phones. He went on to say that he had also visited Sagar’s shop earlier this year in August and purchased some T-shirts. He said he got a discount when he said he was a sub-inspector posted in Malviya Nagar. However, he did not specify why he thrashed Sagar. When asked, Sagar also said, “He started beating and abusing me without any reason.” An FIR was registered against Deepak Choudhary, following which he was arrested. (Source: ndtv)

26 Review

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Starring: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek Director: Namrata Singh Gujral

5 WEDDINGS

ndian weddings – who doesn’t hate them? The movies don’t, however, and always find an excuse to celebrate the ceremony that accompanies the socially sanctioned union of humans. Namrata Singh Gujral’s 5 Weddings finds a clever way to weave together rituals with observational comedy. The movie stars Rajkummar Rao as Harbhajan, a Chandigarh police inspector saddled with ensuring that visiting American journalist Shania (Nargis Fakhri) doesn’t get up to any trouble. Shania is half-Indian and half-American, and has been asMovie signed by her fashion website to do a Reviewstory on Indian wedding ceremonies. I can’t think of two things I hate more – India and weddings, Shania declares. But she has another reason to be in Chandigarh. Her American mother (Bo Derek in her second Indian movie after Boom), has told her to

look for her estranged father. The culture clash comedy has some strong bits, but there is little here that feels novel or particularly insightful. Shania’s alienation from local practices produces its share of gags, while her encounters with a bunch of transgenders tick off the social responsibility box. The relationship between Shania and Harbhajan always struggles to be convincing, and without the requite sparks, doesn’t give Shania’s journey the emotional undertow it deserves. Rajkummar Rao picks up his pay cheque with utmost professionalism, while the American Bollywood hopeful Nargis Fakhri benefits vastly from speaking in her own voice, for a change. Fakhri isn’t dubbed by an Indian local, as she usually is in her Hindi films. The film is content in its modesty, but it doesn’t quite work as an intimate and closely observed drama either. n

Starring: Jamie Lee Curtis, Judy Greer, Andi Matichak Director: David Gordon Green

irector David Gordon Green’s Halloween reimagining/reboot/ remake slips perfectly into the category of Horror films, almost as easily as one of Michael Myers’ knives into the backs of an unsuspecting victim. It is a film that not only has respect for the original John Carpenter classic - the movie from whose loins it emerged, if you will - but rebels against it in a way that only progeny could. It takes the DNA of what made Carpenter’s movie such an influential masterpiece and injects it with a slick contemporary touch a dash of feminism, a nose thumbed at horror tropes, and an almost carelessly provocative third act. It’s a film about the horrors of the past, and how trauma has such an all-encompassing, and often irreparable effect on those who’ve

ealme is on a mission to disrupt Xiaomi’s dominance in the budget segment. The recent Realme 2 Pro Rs. 13,990 smartphone offered very good all-around performance and good value at Rs. 17,990, and now with the Realme C1 Rs. 6,999, the company hopes to raise the bar in the entry-level segment too.

Design:

The plastic body of the Realme C1 makes it light and easy to carry around and the sides are thick enough to offer a comfortable grip without making the phone look fat. The matte finish of the frame doesn’t pick up fingerprints but the laminated back and display do. Just like the Realme 2 Pro, the back panel of the C1 picks up scuffs quite easily if you’re not careful.

Specifications:

The Realme C1 is powered by Qualcomm’s current top-end 400 series SoC - the Snapdragon 450 mobile platform. It consists of

survived it. Halloween was clever to draw as much from the original film as it did and by going back to basics in telling this self-contained story, one that mimics its predecessor in so many ways, it’s able to tap into that well of goodwill. The David Gordon Green directed film is not perfect — sometimes it’s consciously cheesy and it didn’t need those podcaster characters. Much has been made about what Halloween says about the effect of trauma, not just on the person but those around them. And sure, those elements are there, but it’s not a movie that’s too concerned with deeper meaning. Mostly it just wants to scare you, make you jump and give you an old-fashioned, frighteningly good time. In that, it succeeds. n

Realme C1

eight custom Kryo 260 CPU cores running at speeds of up to 1.8GHz, along with an Adreno 509 GPU. In benchmarks, we saw good performance in tests overall compared to similar smartphones in this price segment with SoCs such as the Snapdragon 430 or even the MediaTek Helio A22, used in the Redmi 6A. The Realme C1 is only available with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. The internal storage runs out pretty quickly, as we soon found out, as you only get about 8.67GB of usable space. The C1 doesn’t have any option for merging a microSD into the internal storage, so you’ll have to move stuff manually. There’s a step-by-step guide

Cinepolis Christian Basti 09435025808

Halloween 08:45 AM, 01:55 PM, 09:40 PM Baazaar 09:00 AM, 03:00 PM, 06:00 PM, 09:00 PM Badhaai Ho 09:25 AM, 03:15 PM, 06:05 PM, 08:55 PM Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween 10:05 AM, 04:25 PM Hunter Killer 11:10 AM, 08:40 PM A Star Is Born 12:00 PM, 06:40 PM Andhadhun 12:10 PM Kaashi 12:20 PM 5 Weddings 03:10 PM Raja Returns 05:30 PM

Anuradha Cineplex Noonmati 0361 2656968

Movie Review

Halloween 11:15 AM Raja Returns 01:15 PM Village Rockstars 04:00 PM Baazaar 05:45 PM 5 Weddings 08:30 PM

Gold Cinema Paltan Bazaar 09854066166 HALLOWEEN under the storage sub-menu for transferring photos, videos, audio, documents, and even APKs, over to the microSD card. Display: The display uses Corning Gorilla Glass, which should offer a good degree of protection, and an adhesive screen guard is included in the box as well. The Realme C1 has a massive 6.2-inch HD+ display, which produces pleasing, saturated colours. The display also gets quite bright, which makes it legible under sunlight. This is one of the few phones in its price range

Baazaar

to have a notch. The display cutout isn’t very deep or wide, which is probably why there’s no option to hide it. Most apps scale all the way, filling up the area around the notch too. You can prevent this for individual apps, such as games, from the Settings app.

Camera:

The Realme C1 has a 13-megapixel main camera with a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The latter is used for gauging depth when shooting in portrait mode. Edge detection is decent, but the final image lacks

11:00 AM, 02:15 PM, 05:00 PM Badhaai Ho 11:15 AM, 05:15 PM, 08:15 PM Raja Returns 02:00 PM Kaashi 08:00 PM

Grande Cines Paltan Bazar 09854017771 Baazaar 10:30 AM, 03:15 PM, 08:15 PM Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween 11:00 AM Badhaai Ho 12:45 PM, 06:00 PM, 08:45 PM Halloween 01:15 PM Andhadhun 03:30 PM 5 Weddings 06:15 PM

PVR Cinemas Dona Planet 08800900009 Badhaai Ho 09:45 AM, 03:15 PM, 08:45 PM Baazaar 10:00 AM, 03:45 PM, 08:55 PM Halloween 12:35 PM Kaashi 01:00 PM Andhadhun 05:50 PM Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween 06:45 PM

good colours. With regular shots in daylight, the C1 captures a decent amount of detail in distant objects but we also noticed some chromatic aberration. Auto HDR is present but the end result isn’t always very good looking. We have the common panorama and timelapse shooting modes, as well as a stickers mode, which is fun to play around with.

Verdict:

At Rs.6,999, the Realme C1 offers plenty of value. It would be hard to find another smartphone that matches the performance and features it delivers. Keep in mind that this pricing is for the festive season only, so there is a chance of it increasing by Rs. 1,000 or more, later on. The Realme C1 has a lot going for it such as excellent battery life, a relatively powerful SoC, a big display, and stylish looks. The 2GB of RAM does limit its multitasking ability a bit, and we would have liked an option with more internal storage. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Dream chaser Progyashree Hazarika Kalyan Kumar Kalita

he is a woman who loves chasing her dreams. For her there is nothing which may be impossible as hard work is what she believes in. She is a ‘plus size model’ who stands against all the stereotypical concepts of beauty. Despite the relevance of conventionality she adds her charm of passion to it which makes her goal transparent to her. Debunking the narrow concepts of beauty, she stands tall as a model with pride and dignity. She believes that physical appearance of a person cannot judge who and what that person can become but having faith in dreams can lead you to who you are. She is Progyashree Hazarika, daughter of Tulsi Hazarika and Rita Hazarika, belonging to the beautiful state of Assam and is based in Delhi. She wants to fly with her dreams and realize her ambitions. Progyashree said, “I am a strong woman because a strong woman has raised me. I was raised to never depend on one and I always

want to change my “can’ts” into “cans” and my dreams into achievements.” She also added that being a model, the first and foremost thing one must be is a beautiful soul along with his/her body. So apart from all kinds of various lifestyles and daily activities one must have the potentiality to grow younger and younger day by day. Being a plus size model is a new form of style. A model doesn’t only mean only skinny body; she can be of diffe re nt shape , size and looks. A female body is made up of pulpy flowing lines and made of angelic shapes that create the most mesmerizing pieces of art in the world. “Always respect your body, don’t neglect it and never be ashamed of it, because it’s an original

sensation that holds the spirit of a warrior and the love that will one day change our world,” says Progyashree. She has already received many national titles viz Miss India Attitude 2017, Mirage Entertainment Group, Miss India Khadi 2017, Fresh Face

Assam’s Amrit Pritam finishes sound design for Shankar’s 2.0

uwahati’s Amrit Pritam has finished his latest Bollywood project – 2.0 an upcoming Indian science fiction film written and directed by S. Shankar, co-written by B. Jeyamohan, and produced by Subaskaran Allirajah. The film serves as a spiritual successor to the 2010 Tamil film Enthiran, and features Rajinikanth reprising the roles of Dr. Vaseegaran and Chitti, alongside Akshay Kumar and Amy Jackson. The film’s cast also include s Assam’s Adil Hussain. The music of the film has been composed by the legendary AR Rahman and sound editing has been done by Amrit Pritam. The soundtrack has Tamil and Hindi versions along with a Telugu dubbed version. Born and brought up in Guwahati, Amrit Pritam is an Indian sound designer presently based in Mumbai. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a recipient of many prestigious international awards. Amrit has been earlier awarded the Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing in a Short Form Documentary in Television, for India’s Daughter (2015), Apsara Film Producers Guild Award for Best Sound Recording for Blue (2009), International Indian Film Academy (Best Sound Recording)

for Ra.One (2011) and Ghajini (2008) and the National Film

Award for Best Sound Designing for Keralavarma Pazhassiraja.

New Delhi, Miss India Khadi 2018, Fashionista Chandigarh and was a finalist of Dazzle Miss Universe 2018, appreciation award from Bollywood Mr and Miss India 2017 and Bhawna International Film Award 2017. She has also received Miss Talented Girl Award 2017 and 2018 from Mirage Entertainment

Group, many jury awards, nomination for special award plus size model of north east India and stylish youth icon of the year 2018. Winners and awardees of many more shows, the Progyashree starrer film ‘Monor Morom’ participated in national short films contest in Assam in 2018.

Assam’s Golap Rabha bags title of Mr World

olap Rabha from Assam has bagged the title of Mister World under WBBF held at Lithuania in Europe on 19th and 21st October, making India proud. Golap participated in three events – Men Bodybuilding, Men

Rabha took up bodybuilding in 2003 under the guidance of Jiten Kalita, a bodybuilder at Boko in Kamrup district. He runs a gym and trains six hours a day at his village Boko. 35-year-old Rabha had earlier won the title of Mr India in

Muscle Model and Pro-Mr World in 80 kgs and bagged Gold in all the three events. “I am feeling amazing being in the international stage and competing with the world class bodybuilders. The best is when the foreigners were coming to us for photos and asking our numbers to come to India for training under us,” Rabha was quoted as saying.

2017 and 2018, and Mr Asia 2018 at World Body building Federation. Assam’s Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also congratulated Rabha. In a statement, Sonowal said Rabha’s fe at in the WFFWBBF championship has made Assam proud and given a push to bodybuilding as a sport.

28 Fun

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

Horoscope of the week Over Tuesday, Sun makes a move into watery Sign Scorpio, ruled by Mars. At the same time, Sun traverses through your 6th House along with Jupiter, Mercury and retrograde Venus. Besides retrogression, Venus is the state of combustion which lessens the intensity of positive Venus vibes.

Around Tuesday, mighty Sun shifts into watery Sign Scorpio, ruled by Mars. Sun now traverses through your 5th House along with Mercury, Jupiter and retrograde Venus. This position of Sun and other planets seem pretty much supportive for major monetary gain on financial front.

Not a good planetary position to start the week. Even though deciding of starting your chores at high pace, you will feel low while attending the same. You will likely to have less confidence to tackle the lose matters. Over Tuesday, the ruler of your Sign Sun moves to Scorpio.

Monday will be a gloomy day for you this week. Rather than attending the professional activities, you will feel more likely to take a leave, sit back at home and continue the relaxation mode of weekend. Over Tuesday, mighty Sun shifts into a watery Sign Scorpio ruled by Mars.

This week seems quite eventful. However, at the beginning you may be not comfortable with state of affairs on occupational front. On Tuesday, mighty Sun leaves your Sign to enter watery Scorpio, which is known for its highly passionate and mysterious attributes.

You may not be enthusiastic to attend to work-related responsibilities, when the week begins. Probably the vibes of the festive season have yet not left you. A movie, lunch date or simply watching your favorite videos may be on your agenda.

Monday may not be the best day for that power-packed business meeting. Your mind and heart – are just not into it, it seems. Blame it on Moon that makes you lazy, at least in the first half of the day. Over Tuesday, the mighty Sun shifts into Mar-ruled Scorpio – your 12th House.

Moon in the first Sign of zodiac – Aries, as the week begins, is a good indicator that it’s now time for fresh energy and action. Go ahead with an open mind, scream your thoughts now. Over Tuesday, the king of the Zodiac - Sun enters its friendly Sign Scorpio.

Moon moves through Aries - your 3rd House, as the week begins. This shall put you in a go-getter mode, ready to initiate action and make changes. Over Tuesday, Sun leaves its Sign of debilitation Libra, and moves to its friendly watery Sign Scorpio – your 10th House.

The position of planets here indicates that you may be keen to enhance the standard of your family’s living. Gains come your way, which are sure to add fuel to your plans. Over Tuesday, Sun shifts to Mars-ruled Scorpio - your 9th House, in company of Jupiter, Mercury and retrograde Venus.

Sudoku 4 6 7

5 2 3 3 5 7 6 5 4

6 9 4 6 5 1 9 2 5 1 6 2 3 7 1 9 6 8 4 1 2 8 9 8 4 5 7 8 5 1 3 7 2 4 8 3 7 1 3 Daily Sudoku: Fri 26-Oct-2018 medium 5 8 6

Beginning of the week may come with some concerns about your siblings for whom you may have to bring out some proper sure-shot tips in order to support them. This will help them in a big way to conquer the challenges in their academics and personal lives as well.

Daily Sudoku: Sat 20-Oct-2018

1. A crash or a herd 2. Pizza 3. Tiki-Taka 4. #Metoo 5. First movie to be banned in India 6. Diabetes Mellitus

Which food item’s consumption was first recorded in the 10th century in a Latin manuscript from the town of Gaeta in Lazio, on the border with Campania?

curio-city

3 Which football term was coined and popularized by commentator Andres Montes during the 2006 Football World Cup? Which term, now a significant event, was coined by Tarana Burke in 2006 in Bronx, New York?

What unique distinction is held in the history of Bollywood by the film Bhakt Vidur, released in 1921?

Which deadly disease is represented by this image? Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Non Sequitur By Wiley Miller

7 2 5 8 6 4 1 9 3 Daily Sudoku: Sat 20-Oct-2018

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Word of the week

What is the collective noun for a group of rhinos?

9 last 6 4week 7 5 solution 2 3 8 1 8 1 2 6 9 3 5 4 7 2 9 3 1 7 6 5 4 8 7 3 5 1 4 8 2 6 9 8 7 4 3 5 2 9 6 1 2 7 3 5 1 6 8 9 4 6 5 1 9 4 8 3 7 2 5 4 1 9 8 7 6 3 2 3 6 7 4 1 5 2 8 9 6 8 9 2 3 4 7 1 5 5 4 8 2 3 9 6 1 7 3 5 6 4 2 1 9 7 8 6 86 75 44 32 53 19 91 72 8 5 97 39 71 25 46 41 28 86 3 4 3 9 7 2 1 8 5 medium 6 Daily Sudoku: Fri 26-Oct-2018

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curio-city 1

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As Moon is present in your Sign, you will remain keen to initiate a well-planned action to push ahead the prospects. But strong Saturn in your 10th House doesn’t support growth at fast pace. At the same time, even benevolent Jupiter doesn’t seem in a position to support you.

hooly adjective [hoo-lee, hy-lee] cautious; gentle.

Crossword Across

Down

1 Cypriot goat’s or sheep’s milk cheese (8) 5 Gambling token (4) 9 Cathedral cleric (5) 10 Commonly used painkiller (7) 11 Take what you want (4,8) 13 Impede (6) 14 Shake with cold (6) 17 Afterwards (12) 20 Observed (7) 21 Currently employed (2,3) 22 Wee (4) 23 Lewd (8)

1 Uninspired writer (4) 2 Lamp (7) 3 Ubiquity (12) 4 Pasture (6) 6 Throng (5) 7 Sleeveless apron-like dress (8) 8 Uneasy (12) 12 Stale joke or cliche (8) 15 Carrion-eating bird (7) 16 Encumbrance (6) 18 Conductor’s stick (5) 19 Something owed (4)

Last week’s solution

Lifestyle

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

The Tulsi (Basil) Plant

he Tulsi plant is considered as a holy plant all over India. Vaastu highly recommends the presence of this plant in every household. Almost all Indian temples have holy Tulsi plants around them. The sacred Basil leaves are used in almost all religious rituals and for worshipping of Gods and Goddess, except Lord Shiva. Tulsi is primarily used in worshiping of Lord Vishnu. (Tulsi Vivah), Lord Vishnu married Goddess Tulsi and accepted her as his consort in the month of Kartick. This year, it is on the 20th of November. In Assam, it is worshipped throughout the month of Kartick starting from the Pusha (Puh) Sankranti (i.e Kati Bihu). It should be planted at northeast, east or north at ground level. Pials can be constructed at south and west. Tulsi gives out oxygen for 20 hours and ozone for four hours a day along with the formation of nascent oxygen which absorbs harmful gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide from the environment. It produces oxygen at night also Like the Peepal plant.

Consuming Tulsi leaves is highly beneficial for health. It is beneficial for:

1. Anxiety: Taking holy Basil leaf extract twice daily after meals reduces anxiety and associated stress and depression in people with anxiety. 2. Dental plaque: Using mouthwash containing 4% holy Basil leaf extract twice daily reduces plaque and gingivitis

better than saline solution and similar to mouthwash containing 0.12% chlorhexidine. Chlorhexidine is excellent for reducing plaque. 3. Diabetes: Basil leaf extract might decrease blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. 4. Stress: Taking holy Basil extract by mouth in the morning and at night decreases symptoms of stress, including forgetfulness, sexual problems, exhaustion and sleep problems.

Other benefits of Tulsi leaves are found in: Common cold, Influenza, Asthma, Bronchitis, Earache, Headache, Stomach upset, Heart disease, Fever, Insomnia, Viral hepatitis, Malaria, Tuberculosis, Mercury poisoning. It is also excellent for many skin conditions like Ringworm and acts as an antidote to snake and scorpion bites. Linoleic acid present in Tulsi is extremely beneficial for skin; its anti-bacterial properties help in fighting infections, strengthening immunity and fighting hair and skin disorders. Unlike other plants, tearing of Tulsi leaves holds great significance in Hinduism; it shouldn’t be done suiting to our wishes. According to Hindu beliefs, tearing these sacred leaves on wrong occasion and with evil intent could reverse its beneficial properties. Tearing Tulsi leaves on any Ekadashi, night time, Sundays, lunar and solar eclipses, is considered a sin. If there is a Tulsi plant in your

home, always light a ‘diya’ near the plant at evening. Before plucking the leaf, one should seek its permission. Tearing Tulsi leaves for no reason is a sin; it must only be plucked for religious or health reasons. Sometimes, dry leaves tend to fall (in no circumstance should they be plucked out), in that case the leaves should not be thrown away or stepped on. One must wash the leaf and bury it in the mud near the holy plant. Sudden drying up and withering of a Tulsi plant is an indication of a bad omen. Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

Blood and blood bank

any a times we come across requests on social media for the need of blood of certain group urgently. Whereas the fact is blood is stored in blood banks and is available for exchange. Here I would tell you how blood banks run and how blood is made available for patients. Since blood cannot be manufactured, it has to be obtained from people as donation. This has to be voluntary as the government has banned professional donors. Once we donate blood, it is broken down into components and stored. This allows blood to be used in a more versatile and judicious way. But unlike in America, component making is not mandatory since it requires more logistics. The major components are Red Blood Cells, Platelets and Plasma products. Some like Albumin and Immunoglobulins are more

complex to manufacture and are done by pharmaceutical houses. These are available like other drugs in the pharmacy. Once blood is donated, it

shelf life which can vary from a month to a year. Thus every bank collects blood in accordance with needs. The red cells to be transfused have to be matched

is screened for transmissible infections. Only when it has passed the quality tests, it is stored in the blood bank. These products have

tothe blood group, which are of four major types; A, B, AB and O. These are the major determinants of a possible adverse reaction and

are called the major antigens. The next is the Rhesus typing which can be Positive or Negative, taking the possible combination to 8. There are still more minor antigens and thus every person who receives a blood gets a cross match for every unit. When a person requires a transfusion, the blood bank provides blood stored in the bank from an unrelated person. Transfusion from a related person is discouraged unless there is no option. But the blood bank needs a replacement for the blood transfused and thus relatives and friends are asked to donate. In certain circumstances, the patient may require a lot of units and he may not have enough people to volunteer. That is the reason we have voluntary blood donation drives to keep the banks filled. One can safely donate every three months. The banks keep track of people with rare groups so that

they can be approached at times of need. The major problem with blood availability is these rare groups, like AB Negative as donors are not easy to find and storing too many of such units would be a waste. To incentivize blood donation, many banks give you a card so that you can demand blood in times of need. Also when we donate blood, our body manufactures new cells for replacement. These new cells have better oxygen carrying capacity and many athletes donate blood before a major event. So donation not also helps a life but also rejuvenates ourselves. We need to become voluntary donors and maybe we not have to make or respond to requests on social platforms. Dr Rakesh Periwal Critical Care Medicine and Sleep Specialist drperiwal@gmail.com

30 Buzz

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

GTC becomes first in state to bag 2 star rating from AIFF

auhati Town Club (GTC), one of the oldest and a premier sports club of Assam, recently achieved a 2-star rating accreditation from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for their soccer academy, becoming the only one from Assam to achieve this feat. Speaking about the feat achieved by GTC, secretary Devojit Lon Saikia said, “Two stars

Football Academy gets the chance

to play in three age group I League

tournaments which are U-13, U-16 and U-18.” Founded in 1906, the GTC was set up to identify, nurture and train the potential footballers of the northeast region. The GTC Football Academy has been able to produce many successful footballers from northeast India and is a prestigious and renowned academy of northeast that is fully equipped with high quality infrastructure. n

Guwahati plays host to Sepak Takraw Championship

he 22nd Junior National Sepak Takraw Championship kicked off at Deshbhakta Tarun Ram Phukan Stadium in the city on Friday, October 26. The five-day long event is being organised by the Assam Sepak Takraw Association for both men and women. “Out of 31 affiliated states, 25 have

teams had already arrived. Officials of the organising committee Rajib Prakash Baruah, Dr Subhash Basumatary, Balendra Mohan Chakravorty and Rupen Bora, among others were also present in the press conference held in the city. Speaking on the occasion, vice president of the organizing committee Rajib Prakash Baruah

confirmed their participation in both the categories and a total of over 500 players are expected to gather for the event,” informed Bishnu Ram Nunisa, secretary of the state Sepak Takraw body. He further added that most of the

said, “Two preparatory camps had been set up at Dibrugarh and Silchar respectively and the final phase is going on in Guwahati.” The total budget of the competition is around Rs 60 lakhs. n

ASTU to organize Start-up Hackathon

he Assam Science & Technology University (ASTU) is organizing a “Start Up Hackathon 2018” on October 27, Saturday at the Institution of Engineers (India), Assam State Centre in Guwahati. The competition is being organised with the aim to support the government of India’s Startup India initiative that encourages young minds to become successful entrepreneurs or job creators by launching innovative start ups. All engineering students from across the state of Assam will be able to showcase their talents at the Hackathon. This competition seeks to find innovative solutions from the engineering students for better

methods

crop

cultivation,

upgradation of traditional biomass cookstoves and upgradation of water harvesting mechanisms for areas with lower

water table in Guwahati.

The winners will be awarded with cash prizes of Rs 50,000, Rs 40,000 and Rs 20,000 for 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions respectively. n

Zubeen Garg, Papon to perform at 6th Northeast Festival in Delhi

ith a variety of cuisines, refreshing cultural programmes, and discussions on important issues including the NRC list of Assam, the sixth edition of the popular North East festival is all set to begin on October 26. The evergreen Zubeen Garg, Bollywood singer Angaraag Papon Mahanta, Assamese sensation Neel Akash, rapper Rahul Rajkhowa, Voice of India winner Pawandeep Rajan and popular DJ Shameless Mani are some of the artists lined up to enthral the audience with their magical performances during the sixth edition of the festival. The festival, which will be held at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), promises to be a colourful extravaganza and a great spectacle bringing together the magnificent northeast under one forum. The multitude of cuisines from the region will be one of the main attractions of the festival with more than 40 food stalls

from Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, Arunachal, Sikkim, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya. The vibrant fashion from the northeast will

also find a prominent place at the festival with designers like Yana Ngoba, Barsha Aditya Singh, Rupert Lynrah, and Escape Engmoiya among others set to showcase their creations.

Exhibitions of art and photography will present a canvas of colours from the northeast in the festival. The annual event will also

witness 25 of the top rock bands of Delhi’s colleges fight it out in a competition. Assamese anchors Yankee Parashar and Nabish Alam will be the official anchors at the festival. n

Bangladesh UGC Chairman delivers Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial Lecture at USTM

rofessor Abdul Mannan, Chairman, University Grants Commission, Bangladesh on Thursday, delivered the 3rd Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Memorial Lecture on “Dr Kalam’s Contribution in Igniting Global Minds”. The annual lecture was organized by the University of Science & Technology Meghalaya (USTM) in honour of Late Dr Kalam. The lecture was attended by a host of students, teachers and dignitaries, including Prof Ved Prakash, former UGC Chairman, Prof Sanjay Deshmukh, former Vice Chancellor, Mumbai University, RK Pillai, MD, EDIBON International, Spain, Dr Shah Mohammad Tanvir Monsur and Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh. Delivering his lecture, Prof Abdul Mannan said that he reveres Dr APJ Abdul Kalam first as a teacher, then as a scientist and finally as the former President of India. “Throughout his life, late Dr Kalam tried to motivate his country’s people and its youth because he saw that the future of a nation lay especially with them, how they are groomed and from human beings transformed into human resources. This is more than ever true for countries in Asia, a continent that has been ravaged and plundered by colonial powers for centuries”, he said.

Earlier, welcoming Prof Abdul Mannan, Mahbubul Hoque, Chancellor, USTM urged everyone

to follow the footsteps of Dr Kalam. Prof Abdul Mannan was honoured on Wednesday by USTM through the conferment of Hon. D. Litt. Degree at a special convocation ceremony held at Guwahati in the presence of Assam’s education minister, Siddhartha Bhattacharya. This was followed by a discussion titled “Bilateral Collaboration Opportunities in the Field of Higher Education between Bangladesh and North East India” where the vice chancellors of several universities and directors of institutions from Assam and Meghalaya participated. The programme was hosted by the Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Guwahati in association with USTM. n

Events

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

October 27, Saturday DJ Ruhi Live Underdoggs Sports Bar 8PM onwards October 27, Saturday Karsh Kale (Tabla DJ set) Terra Mayaa 8PM onwards October 27,

Event: Club Night Date: October 19, Friday Venue: Retro Town

Saturday Halfway to Halloween Retro Town 7PM onwards October 27, Saturday Kumail Live | NH7 Weekender Pre Party NYX Lounge and Deck

Event: Club Night Date: October 23, Tuesday Venue: Dunkin Oza

8PM onwards October 28, Sunday No 1 Yaar Jam ft. Shaan Sarusajai Stadium 6:30PM onwards October 28, Sunday Pre Halloween Smash NYX Lounge and Deck 8PM onwards October 31, Wednesday Halloween 2018 Retro Town 8PM onwards

Event: Ladies Night Date: October 17, Wednesday Venue: NYX Lounge and Deck

Event: Bollywood Sufi Night ft. Shubham Saverni Date: October 17, Wednesday Venue: The Socialite

November 2-3 NH7 Weekender Meghalaya

G PLUS | oct 27 - Nov 02, 2018

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