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Volume 06 | Issue 21 Mar 16 - Mar 22, 2019 Price `10
Bijoya Chakravarty’s sliding LS performance comes into sharp focus as she seeks another term PG 03
An exact match for the constituencies of Karimganj, Silchar, Kaliabor, Jorhat and Dibrugarh as reported by G Plus earlier G Plus News @guwahatiplus s reported earlier by G Plus, the first list of Con-
gress candidates for 5 Assam Lok Sabha seats has an exact match for the constituencies of Karimganj, Silchar, Kaliabor, Jorhat and Dibrugarh. The selected Congress candidates in the first list are Swarup Das (Karimganj), Sushmita Dev (Silchar), Gaurav Gogoi (Kaliabor), Sushanta Borgohain (Jorhat) and Paban Singh Ghatowar (Dibrugarh). G Plus had reported on 13th March that the Central Screening Committee (CSC) of the Congress party had given a go-ahead to 10 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2019 from Assam.
Endorsement for 5 seats was done on 15 March, by the 12-member Central Election Committee. There are multiple factors in play when it comes to winning elections, starting from caste arithmetic to long standing demands of the voters in a particular constituency. One important factor is how many members of legislative assembly, MLAs one has in a parliamentary constituency. As MLAs play the role of vanguard during the polls, parties with most MLAs have an advantage over others. They not only have the manpower at their disposal, but can also quickly help in changing the tide through active or passive participation where the margins are thin. We have tried to put simple tables to understand how the parties stand against each other when it comes to MLA representation in 10 seats. n
Related story on page 10
Important dates for 3-phase Assam LS elections 2019 April 11 (First Phase): Tezpur, Kaliabor, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Lakhimpur Last date of filing of nominations
25 March, 2019
Scrutiny of nominations
26 March 2019
Last date of withdrawal of candidature
28 March, 2019
April 18 (Second Phase): Karimganj, Silchar, Autonomous District, Mangaldoi, Nowgong Last date of filing of nominations Scrutiny of nominations Last date of withdrawal of candidature
26 March, 2019 27 March 2019 29 March 2019
April 23 (Third Phase): Gauhati, Barpeta, Dhubri, Kokrajhar Last date of filing of nominations
10 Worst Roads in Guwahati city
PG 05
Congress approves first 5 LS candidates from Assam
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Khagen Mahanta Memorial Park budget reduced from Rs 1.5 Cr to Rs 25 lakhs
4 April, 2019
Scrutiny of nominations
5 April 2019
Last date of withdrawal of candidature
8 April, 2019
PG 07
BJP fails to combat graft in education department
Teachers’ transfer process alleged to be mired in corruption, bias G Plus News @guwahatiplus
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hough the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claims to be successfully combating corruption in Assam, all is not well in the state’s education department as there are allegations of corruption and bias in the entire teachers’ transfer process. A Guwahati-based private company employee, Mrigankar Das (name changed) paid Rs 80,000 to a relative of his who works in the Directorate of Elementary Education to get his wife transferred to Guwahati. Das said, “Only because my relative is working there I managed the transfer for Rs 80,000. Else, to get a transfer to Guwahati, the education department officials take at least Rs 1.5 lakhs to Rs 2 lakhs. A female lower primary school teacher who holds a permanent job and works in a school in Barpeta is fed up of applying for her transfer to Guwahati since the last five years through the legal process. Her transfer remains pending. Talking to G Plus under condition of anonymity she said, “My parents are not well and my sister is married. I badly need a transfer to any school in Guwahati but because I am not paying the bribe I am not being transferred.” She revealed that after Siddhartha Bhattacharya took charge as the education minister in April 2018, many of her colleagues are getting transferred and most of them by paying bribes. She said, “The candidates go to Guwahati directorate of elementary education office, Kahilipara, where lower level employees deal with them.” There is a nexus of officials from directorate’s office to the high level bureaucrats who are sitting in the Assam Secretariat in Dispur.
She said, “I have also talked to one such agent in Guwahati who asked for Rs 1.5 lakhs for a transfer to Kamrup (Metro) and Rs 1 lakhs to Kamrup rural.” She is mulling paying the amount as she desperately requires a transfer to Guwahati to take care of her ailing parents. Similarly, all other departments under the ministry of education are alleged to be involved in corruption. A secondary school teacher in Barak Valley said that any transfer request in Barak Valley is processed only in Guwahati. After the request is made with the office of the Inspector of Schools, the request is sent to Guwahati and later the candidate has to pay a bribe in Guwahati to secure the transfer. “No one can get an opted transfer without paying bribes,” the teacher said. An ACS level officer in the education department, talking to G Plus under condition of anonymity said, “It cannot be ruled out that there is no corruption in education department because recently many transfers were processed. Though the process was legal, there might be corruption involved as the
transfers were random in
nature.” It seems the transfers are either processed if there is a strong ministerial level reference or if the candidate has bribed the officials. The modus operandi of corruption starts from the lower level as only the grade 4 level officials directly deal with the candidates. While taking money the officials even cover their faces, a teacher said. The entire transfer process witnessed a change after Siddhartha Bhattacharya joined as the education minister in April 2018. Prior to that, the transfer process was stopped by the former education minister, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma. Ac- cording to a teacher, Bhattacharya even announced to form a committee which would look into transfer matters, but nothing of that sort materialized. n
rELATED STOrY ON Page 11
2 Lead Story
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
AGP loses face big time with their latest move of re-alliance with BJP Srijit Banerjee @SrijitBanerjee
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ust ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, high political drama is doing the rounds in the state. After the recent re-alliance of AGP and BJP, opposition parties are tearing in and terming the alliance as a desperate attempt to stay in power. On 7th January 2019, the AGP left the alliance after the ruling BJP government tried to bring the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 into effect which eventually got lapsed as it was not raised in the last session of the Rajya Sabha before the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha election. Three AGP cabinet ministers including AGP president and state agriculture minister Atul Bora resigned from their ministerial posts in protest against the bill. However, the resignations were not forwarded to the Governor as it was not
BJP leaders visiting the AGP headquarter accepted by the chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The move seemed like a victory for people. However, things didn’t go accordingly for long. On 12th
March, there was a late night meeting in Guwahati among BJP’s national general secretary, Ram Madhav, North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA)
Hicupps within the party!
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party loyalists, slammed the alleged that the party leadership fter the re-alliance, a three leaders for backstabbing has never informed them about rift has occurred within and going against the will of its intention of going with the Asom Gana Parishad the people. Mahanta said that BJP again. Last month, party (AGP). Many AGP he has been opposing the loyalists erupted in BJP and supporting the anger over the decision; the implementation of the situation went to such an Assam Accord. The move extent that party workers by the few party leaders has locked the gates of the party betrayed the spirit of the headquarters in Guwahati Assam movement and the for 30 minutes in protest 855 martyrs who laid down against the decision. their lives. Mahanta alleged Senior AGP leaders Lachit that the current leadership Bardoloi and Hemen Borah has conspired against him submitted their resignations by keeping him in the dark in protest. Bordoloi said and tried to remove him that poor leadership has from the party because made the party lose its way, of his opposition to the which was reflected in the alliance. panchayat elections. Hemen Mahanta had called party Borah said he was taken loyalists and the people aback for quite some time Former CM PK Mahanta addressing a press conference to come and support the after learning about the loyalist section to make the party spokesperson Dilip Borah and alliance after which he decided to stronger. Now, it remains to be Divas Phukan, too, stepped down quit the party. seen whether the AGP leaders can after learning about the party’s Several grassroots leaders and come to a consensus to sort out motive. workers across the state have their differences or if the party Former chief minister Prafulla also stepped down from the will break into two factions. Kumar Mahanta, along with other party’s primary membership. He n
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convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP state president Ranjit Kumar Dass and AGP’s Atul Bora, Keshav Mahanta and Phani Bhushan Choudhury. Both the parties agreed for realliance and the deal was sealed. Now, the three parties, that is, the BJP, AGP and the BPF will fight together for the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. Soon after, Ram Madhav tweeted, “After discussion, BJP and AGP have decided to work together in the coming Parliament election in Assam to defeat Congress.” Assam finance minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, said that the seat sharing agreement between the three parties has been finalised and decided on March 16 from New Delhi after a meeting with BJP chief Amit Shah. However, Himanta Biswa
Opportunity for the opposition?
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midst all the drama it seems the opposition is trying gain maximum mileage out of the situation. Apart from calling the AGP as opportunist and greedy, the Congress Party came down heavily and accused the regional party of betraying the people and destroying the spirit of the Assam Accord. Former Assam chief minister and veteran Congress leader Tarun Gogoi said that the alliance is a desperate attempt to save themselves as both the parties know that they cannot win alone; hence they have finally ended up in an alliance. Gogoi further said that the wind is blowing in favour of the Congress for the upcoming election. Along with the Congress, Krishak Mukti Sangram Sami-
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Sarma asserted that the party’s stand on the bill will remain the same from Jan Sangh and there is no need to review it. He also said that the people of the state had given mandate to the alliance during the 2016 state assembly elections and believes that the people will do the same in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. While the seat sharing is yet to be decided, reports are surfacing that AGP might contest from Dhubri, Barpeta and Kaliabor. While Dhubri and Barpeta are the strongholds of Badruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF, Kaliabor is a Congress bastion were Gaurav Gogoi is the sitting MP. Both the parties will come out with their list of candidates on 16th March for BJP and on 17th March for AGP respectively. However, it has to be seen how the alliance performs during the upcoming Lok Sabha elections against the Congress and the AIUDF. What will be more interesting is that whom the people will give their mandate. n
ti (KMSS) leader Akhil Gogoi slammed the regional party for the alliance with the saffron party because the BJP had clearly voiced for another Citizenship (Amendment) Bill if voted to power. Gogoi said that the AGP has betrayed the people of Assam for which the KMSS will oppose the AGP-BJP alliance in the Lok Sabha elections. Gogoi also said that the AGP must now clear its stand on the much-debated Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016. “The AGP leaders must make it public whether they had signed an agreement with the BJP to support the Bill, which is likely to be tabled again if the BJP is voted to power,” he said. Now it remains to be seen what the future course action for the AGP leaders will be. n
Politicking
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
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Bijoya Chakravarty’s sliding LS performance comes into sharp focus as she seeks another term Nehal Jain @NehalJain96
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itting Member of Parliament (MP) from Gauhati constituency, Bijoya Chakravarty, is lagging behind in terms of participating in debates and raising questions in the parliament. The data published by the PRS Legislative Research, commonly known as PRS, revealed that Chakravarty’s performance in the parliament is way below the national average. In terms of the total number of parliamentary debates attended, the national average has been calculated at 67.1 debates per MP, state average is calculated at 46.6
debates per MP, but Chakravarty has been present at 34 debates only. Among the number of questions raised by an MP, Chakravarty lags way behind the national as well as state average. While the national average is at a whopping 293 questions, the state average is just 164 and Chakravarty stands way behind at 38 questions. Further, Chakravarty has not raised a single Private Members’ Bill in her tenure. Chakravarty is a seasoned politician who had worked with the Janata Party and the regional Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) before she decided to don the saffron colour. While in the AGP, she had served in the Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1992. After the stint in the Upper House, she joined the BJP and was
File photo of Bijoya Chakravarty made a union minister in 1999 when the National Democratic Alliance came to power. From 1999
No questions raised by Chakravarty in Parliament in two years
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he Gauhati MP has failed to raise any questions in the parliament the past two years, shows the data published by the PRS Legislative Research. The last question raised by Chakravarty was way back in March 2017 pertaining to the enrolment of Aadhaar in Assam. To find a holistic solution to the flash flood and erosion problem in Guwahati – the most prestigious Lok Sabha seat in the northeast – was one of the major promises on which 79 year-old-BJP MP, Bijoya Chakravarty, won the 16th Lok Sabha election in 2014.
During a public meeting while campaigning for the Lok Sabha election in the outskirts of the city, Chakravarty had said that besides flood and erosion problems, she will focus on solving the crisis of water supply and illegal migrants’ influx in her constituency. Staying true to her words, Chakravarty had earlier participated in various debates focussing on the problems facing Assam, including the need to provide assistance to flood affected people of Assam, strict vigilance of NRC work in Assam, hazards in Assam due to environment degradation, issues
related to the contamination of water of Brahmaputra River from the substance coming from China, issue of elephant killing in Assam, and crime against northeastern students in Delhi to name a few. Further, she had raised questions regarding enrolment of Aadhaar in Assam, illegal migration into Assam, deportation of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, infiltration along borders, illegal activities along the borders, bridge over the Brahmaputra, Brahmaputra river rejuvenation authority, Guwahati Railway Station, etc. n
Gauhati expresses discontent over its MP’s performance
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project in the city is stalled. Being resolved but instead aggravated, n 2014, Bijoya Chakravarty an MP, it is her job to look into the several also opined that the city contested against 18 various national projects that are needs a more proactive leader to candidates who were in going on here and ensure the fray including their speedy completion,” former Assam cabinet Bokul Chandra Das, minister, Akon Bora’s a retired employee in son, Manash Bora, and Guwahati said. Asom Gana Parishad’s In the same vein, bigwig Birendra Prasad another resident of the Baishya and won by the city expressed, “We second highest margin of have hardly seen our 3,15,784 votes that year. She MP in the constituency received a total of 7,64,985 during the past few votes (50.59%) out of total years. Also, she has a of 15,11,729 votes (74% File photo of Bijoya Chakravarty during a ppublic rally responsibility towards the turnout) in the election. people of her constituency. represent them in the parliament. Yet, there are mixed reactions She should have raised more “Chakravarty has been an MP of among the people of her questions and issues about the this constituency for too long and constituency on the four years problems in Assam and also have the people of the city have almost of her tenure. While many have initiated a lot of developmental forgotten how it could have grown expressed concern regarding the work which continues to be lacking under a proactive leader. Every perennial issues of the city that in the city.” major construction, every major over the years had not only been n
to 2004, she served as an MP for the second time as a Lok Sabha member representing Gauhati. In
2004, the BJP decided to field singer Bhupen Hazarika in her place, causing widespread protests from BJP party workers. Hazarika lost the elections. The BJP then re-nominated Chakravarty in the 2009 Lok Sabha election from the Gauhati seat. Subsequently, she again won the seat in 2009 and 2014 representing the BJP. Chakravarty fared well during her term from 2009-14. Surprisingly, she recorded 84% attendance in the tenure, while the national average was only 76%. She also attended 37 debates (national average being 37.9) and raised 4 Private Members’ Bill. The only area she lagged behind in was in raising questions. While the national average was 300 questions per MP, Chakravarty raised only 53. n
Dip in attendance
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t is not just the Guwahati residents who missed their three-term Member of Parliament (MP) from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Bijoya Chakravarty, but the Lok Sabha sessions of the Indian Parliament, apparently did too. Chakravarty, who was elected with a landslide majority in the Lok Sabha election in 2014, has hardly been seen since then except at a few party rallies and functions. A steady decline can be observed in her attendance in the parliament too. Chakravarty has a 69 per cent attendance in the Lok Sabha sessions over the years since May 2014 while the national average is 80 per cent. Chakravarty, who started her tenure with 100% attendance in the first session, slipped to 89% and 91% during the Budget Session and Winter Session 2014 respectively. Her attendance went
down further in the next Budget Session where she recorded 69% attendance only. Since then, she has recorded attendance as low as 50% during Budget Session 2016 Part 1, 52% in Budget Session 2017 and 31% in Budget Session 2018. In the last Parliamentary session – Winter Session 2018 - she recorded a mere 56% attendance. It may be mentioned that among the 15 MPs (8 from Bhartiya Janata Party, 3 from Indian National Congress and All India Democratic Front each and 1 Independent candidate) representing the state of Assam, Dibrugarh MP Rameswar Teli has recorded the highest attendance at 92% with Karimganj MP Radheshyam Biswas right behind at 89%. Among the lowest attendees is Barpeta MP Siraj Uddin Ajmal with 34% attendance. n
Ready to contest from Gauhati: Sitting MP Bijoya Chakravarty
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midst speculations over Assam finance minister, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, to be given the ticket to contest from the Gauhati parliamentary constituency in the ensuing general election, the sitting MP from the constituency Bijoya Chakravarty has said that she is ready to contest from the constituency if the former contests from anotherseat. The three-time Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Guwahati asserted that she is ready to contest from the constituency if BJP strongman and NEDA Convenor Dr Himanta Biswa Sarmacontestsfromanotherseat. Chakravarty said that the popularity of Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma
will easily make him win the seat from Gauhati LS constituency. But, if Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma decides to contest from another constituency, she is interested to contest from the city as there is no anti-incumbencywaveagainsther. “Himanta Biswa Sarma will easilywintheseatashehaspopularityin the constituency. But, if he contests from another constituency, I am interested to contest from Guwahati as there is no anti-incumbency wave against me,” Chakravarty said on March 13th, 2019. Chakravarty further welcomed the alliance with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and assured that the saffron party will win 12 seats from the state. n
4 Governance
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
Documents necessary to carry cash over Rs 50,000 until Lok Sabha 2019 elections Nehal Jain @NehalJain96
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ith the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in force in the country, the Election Commission has tightened its grip over illegal money transactions during the upcoming elections. During the election period, the maximum amount of cash that can be carried by an individual will be Rs 50,000. To carry any amount beyond this, necessary documents, including legal source and end use, besides business, will be required. If a person carries cash more than Rs 10 lakhs, they will have to
inform the income tax department about the same. If someone is found with monetary amount exceeding Rs 10 lakhs without prior information, the income tax department will be informed by the election commission and only after providing necessary proofs, the sum will be released. These guidelines were provided by Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (Metro), Biswajit Pegu, on March 11. The much awaited 2019 Lok Sabha election schedule was announced by the Election Commission of India at New Delhi on March 10. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, while announcing the dates, said that the MCC has come into effect in the entire country and any violation will be dealt with in the
strictest manner. In Assam, the Lok Sabha polls will be held in three phases Phase 1 (Tezpur, Kaliabor, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur will go to polls on 11th April), Phase 2 (Karimganj, Silchar, Autonomous District, Mangaldoi, Nowgong on 18th April) and Phase 3 (Gauhati, Barpeta, Dhubri, Kokrajhar on 23rd April). n
Mukesh Sahu, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Assam addressing a press conference
Posters and hoardings to be taken down ahead of Lok Sabha polls
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ith the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) having come into effect ahead of Lok Sabha elections, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Assam, Mukesh Sahu, has ordered for the removal of all government hoardings, advertisements, wall advertisements, wall writings and posters in the state. “Removal of the hoardings and advertisements began in the state immediately after the announcement of the date of the polls on Sunday,” Sahu stated. In a meeting held on Monday between the Kamrup (Metro)
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora District Administration with top officials of the district administration, the police and other agencies including the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and Directorate of Information & Public Relations (DIPR) discussed
ways and means to ensure no violation of the MCC takes place in Guwahati Lok Sabha constituency. The district administration also met with representatives from all the political parties to apprise them of the MCC and urged them to follow the guidelines. Reportedly, on Monday, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), in a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer of Assam, requested the issue of orders for the removal of existing government hoardings/government advertisements for conducting a free and fair election. n
Toll-free numbers for voter helpline launched
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head of the Lok Sabha Election 2019, a tollfree helpline number (Helpline No 1950) for voter information, feedback and complaints has been launched by the Election Commission of India, informed Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (Metro), Biswajit Pegu. Pointing out that the helpline
is a toll-free number Pegu said the voters can come up with suggestions, complaints on poll-code violation, voter list enrolment and such other voter issues. The helpline has been set up for the benefit of voters and the voters can call this helpline round-the-clock for any information they want on the
electoral process. While people from all districts can call on 1950, citizens in the Kamrup (M) district can also call on the toll-free number 1800-354-3520. Pegu also informed that over 5,600 officials will be involved in carrying out the electoral process in Kamrup (Metro), besides the involvement of security forces. n
Election Commission launches ‘cVIGIL’ app to report MCC violations
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he Election Commission of India has launched an app named cVIGIL to fast-track the complaint reception and redressal system for citizens. ‘cVIGIL’, short for Vigilant Citizen, emphasizes on the proactive and responsible role citizens can play in the conduct of free and fair elections. It is an innovative mobile application for the citizens of the country to report Model Code of Conduct and expenditure violations during the elections. The user-friendly and easy to operate the application is currently only available on Android devices. It can be used for reporting violations from the date of notifications for by-election, assembly and parliamentary elections. It is unique in the sense that it allows only live photo/video with auto location capture from within the app to ensure digital evidence for flying squads to act upon in a time-bound manner. The app connects citizens with the District Control Room, Returning Officer and Field Unit (Flying Squads)/ Static Surveillance Teams and thus creating a rapid and accurate reporting, action and monitoring system. To report an incident, one just
has to click a picture or record a 2-minute video of the activity violating the MCC and describe it briefly before registering the complaint. GPS information captured with the complaint automatically flags it to the concerned District Control Room, permitting flying squads to be routed to the spot within 100 minutes. The user also has the option of registering complaints anonymously through cVIGIL App. In that case, the mobile number and other profile details are not sent to the system. The cVIGIL app also has inbuilt features to prevent its misuse. The app will be usable only within the geographical boundary of states where elections are being held. The user will get 5 minutes to report an incident after having clicked a picture or video. One of the main features is that the app will not allow uploading of pre-recorded images/videos and will also not allow users to save said photos and videos in the phone gallery directly. Additionally, the app will also force time delay of 5 minutes between successive complaints by the same person and to repetitive complaints from the same spot. n
Concern
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
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Khagen Mahanta Memorial Park budget reduced from Rs 1.5 Cr to Rs 25 lakhs Nehal Jain @NehalJain96
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he works for the construction of the Khagen Mahanta Smriti Udyan (Khagen Mahanta Memorial Park) at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra, the hub of all major cultural activities in Guwahati, has finally begun albeit with a reduced budget of only Rs 25 lakhs which is merely one-sixth of the Rs 1.5 crores proposed by the society. The Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra Society had submitted a proposal for the construction of the memorial park to the government in June 2015 but it was rejected citing that the “project was on a higher side and had to be scaled down.” Subsequently, a revised proposal was submitted for an amount of Rs 1.5 crores in October 2015. The proposal was approved by the government and the then chief minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi, had laid its foundation stone in February 2016. “Khagen Mahanta contributed a lot to enrich the literature and culture of the Assamese society. Khagen Mahanta needs no introduction. He was a great man who was loved by people from every part of the state and who
had won countless hearts with his songs. He was a people’s artist who could feel the joy and pain of the common masses,” Tarun Gogoi had expressed while laying the foundation stone. However, the cultural affairs department, government of Assam, went on to sanction only Rs 25 lakhs in February 2018 for the financial year 2018-19. After the amount was sanctioned, Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra Society took up necessary action to start the work including calling EOI (Expression of Interest), finalisation of proposal and allotment of work. Finally, in March 2019, the work began and officials at the Kalakshetra have informed G Plus that it’s expected to be completed in two months’ time. While the structural work will be completed within the stipulated time, the beautification work will take some more time. A source at the Kalakshetra informed G Plus that they had
The under construction Khagen Mahanta udyan at Sankardev Kalakhetra premises continually asked the government to sanction more money for the construction of the memorial park but received no favourable response. So they decided to make the best park possible using the sanctioned amount. “To build a park, Rs 25 lakhs is not a sufficient amount but we have to confine the project within the amount sanctioned,”
Khagen Mahanta’s family members kept in dark
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fter years of delay, the work for construction of Khagen Mahanta Udyan has finally begun; yet, the family members of the musical maestro continue to remain uninformed of the developments. Bihu Xomrat (King of Bihu) Khagen Mahanta, a legend in his lifetime and among the last of the stalwarts of his generation that included Late Dr Bhupen Hazarika, passed away at his residence on June 12, 2014. His body was cremated at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra the next day. He is survived by wife Archana Mahanta, son Angaraag Papon Mahanta, daughter Kingkini Choudhury and son-in-law Prakash Choudhury. “A state-of-the-art, aesthetic design was prepared way back in 2016 based on which an amount of Rs 1.5 crores was proposed. But, the
project got delayed and we were never informed of the progress. My sister and I tried to meet the authorities to get an update but all efforts went in vain. Now they
Samadhi of Khagen Mahanta have reduced the amount to Rs 25 lakhs and changed the design without even notifying us of the changes,” Papon informed G Plus. In the same vein, his sister Kingkini expressed, “In the first place, Khagen Mahanta Udyan
was not a demand from the family. It was the state’s decision to go ahead with it and honour our father. So, we never intended to be too involved in the process instead we only tried to get some information on the progress of the project. I tried to meet the chief minister many times but it felt like his office was deliberately not giving appointments.” Earlier, while laying the foundation stone for the memorial park, Tarun Gogoi had said that the Khagen Mahanta Udyan would be built as per the advice of Khagen Mahanta’s family members keeping in mind his deep love for nature. On the contrary, it seems that the present government decided to keep the family in a state of ignorance and changed all the plans conceived during the Congress regime. n
he added. The latest design for the memorial park was designed by Guwahati-based interior firm Antre Bourgeon, which was assigned the work by the construction firm NE Infra. The boundary wall of the Khagen Mahanta Smriti Udyan is being set covering an area of a little over one bigha. The park
will include a memorial stone and a garden surrounding it. The garden will have pathways made of green pavers, ornamental trees, a small open air theatre with sitting arrangements and two small statues representing the culture of Assam. Additionally, garden lights and sound system will be installed. n
Samadhi site used as ‘dumping site’ over the years
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he beautiful park was planned with the aim to give a testimony to the great life of Khagen Mahanta and to inspire the new generation by his great works. But, there have been multiple reports of the memorial site of Khagen Mahanta being used as a ‘dumping ground’ so far. At a time when the government of India is taking up the initiatives to clean up the city under Swachch Bharat Abhiyan Mission, there has been utter negligence on the part of the authorities as well as the government in maintaining the site earmarked to honour the memory of the late Bihu Xomrat. The Khagen Mahanta Smriti Udyan (Khagen Mahanta Memorial Park) at the premises of Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra at Panjabari had remained littered and dishonoured for a long time. Visitors complained that the memorial park was left littered with bottles and other trash like plas-
tic plates, paper plates, brooms, plastic glass and what not after any festival was conducted at the auditorium complex. One such incident was reported during the Brahmaputra Literary Festival 2018. The memorial park had not been cleaned up even after a week had passed since the festival concluded. “Kalakshetra is visited by hundreds of locals as well as tourists on a daily basis. Such an important institution should be well-maintained by the government but I feel like they’re only concerned with exterior beautification,” Harshita Garg, a resident of Guwahati said, speaking to G Plus. Highly placed sources in the cultural department have informed G Plus that the contractor of the park has been assigned the duty of maintaining it for a year after the completion of the project. Once the contract ends, Kalakshetra will maintain the property. n
6 Concern Snippets IIM Calcutta Innovation Park seminar concludes at Assam Startup – The Nest
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
BSNL badly impacted by R Jio’s predatory pricing; salaries delayed Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03
delayed by 15 days this month as the corporate office had not released the money on time due
industry and not just BSNL,” mentioned the source. He further added that the com-
T I
IM Calcutta Innovation Park organized a one-day T-SEC “Thinking Social” seminar at Assam Startup - The Nest, Guwahati on March 8. The primary objective of this exercise was to build awareness, interest and desire to engage with the social enterprise ecosystem among aspiring entrepreneurs and startups who are about to embark on their entrepreneurship journeys soon. The seminar aimed to introduce budding entrepreneurs to the concept of social entrepreneurship in a rapidly evolving global economy. Pranjal Konwar, COO, IIM Calcutta Innovation Park, rolled out an introduction to the event and briefed about the objective of the seminar to encourage and inspire social entrepreneurship in the region. He also spoke about Assam Startup – The Nest, that has been established as an avant-garde state-owned marquee incubator under the Assam Startup Policy.
Old Saraighat Bridge in Guwahati closed For Maintenance
D
eputy Commissioner of Kamrup district Kamal Kumar Baishya informed that the road deck portion of the bridge will undergo repair in the next few days. Movement of heavy vehicles will be restricted during the day hours. Saraighat rail-cum-road bridge, which was commissioned in 1963, handles a huge volume of road and rail traffic every day. The bridge was built by the Northeast Frontier Railway, under the direction of chief engineer Bankim Chandra Ganguli.
he state-owned telecom company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has been undergoing a crisis of non-payment of salaries; BSNL employees from Assam have also faced the brunt of the same. The telecom company has close to 4,000 employees across Assam. On the other hand, there are around 2,000 officials and workers of BSNL in Guwahati alone. Further, the company has close to 1.68 lakh employees in India. The officials of BSNL Assam circle informed G Plus that this was a momentary delay in the payment of salaries of employees for the month of February since the funds were not yet released by the corporate office in Delhi. However, authorities mentioned that they received the funds from the corporate office on Friday March 15, and they will be processing the salaries soon. BSNL is experiencing a cash deficit as it is facing tough competition in the market from other private telecom operators, especially Reliance Jio. “The salary of employees was
BSNL is experiencing a cash deficit as it is facing tough competition in the market from other private telecom operators, especially Reliance Jio.
Screenshot of a social media video of a BSNL employee crying for not getting salary to the issue of fund crunch,” informed an official of the BSNL Guwahati office on the condition of anonymity. He blamed it on the “predatory pricing” of Reliance Jio which has dominated the telecom market in the recent past as they are resorting to a “monopolistic practise.” “Cash flow is getting affected because Reliance Jio is unnecessarily setting the prices which are below their cost. This predatory pricing of Jio is affecting the entire telecom
BSNL’s declining popularity in Guwahati
B
harat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is facing a decline in its popularity in Guwahati as its number of users in Guwahati has reduced drastically in the last five years. The users have shifted to other mobile, landline as well as internet service providers. An RTI (Right to Information) request filed in this connection revealed a drop of more than 14,600 BSNL landline users while more than 5,500 internet users have switched their service providers in the last five years in Guwahati. There were a total of 53,536 BSNL landline users in Guwahati in 2013-14 whereas this number saw a steep decline to 38,872 in 2017-18. Further, there were 16,378 internet users in 2013-14 which became 10,865 in 2017-18. The data shows a continuous decline in the number of users opting for BSNL’s services over the years. Additionally, the rate of decline of the users has been almost consistent through the years. There was an initial decline of 3,000 customers from 2013-14 to 2014-15. The next year saw a decline of 5,000 users, then 1,000 users and finally 6,000 users left the services in 2016-17.
in the company’s history. Elaborating on the reasons behind the delay of fund release, another employee at BSNL Guwahati,
Further, the profits of the company also took a hit over the years. In the past five years, BSNL’s profits in the GSM section saw a steep decline from Rs 43.75 crores in 2013-14 to Rs 13.08 crores in 2017-18. On the other hand, the Wimax sector or the internet service of the company is the only segment
BSNL is facing a decline in its popularity in Guwahati as its number of users in Guwahati has reduced drastically in the last five years.
which saw an increase in its profits during the past five years. Wimax services registered a profit of Rs 18.5 lakhs in 2013-14 which increased to Rs 26.8 lakhs in 201718. However, the profits of the CDMA service saw the most exponential decline from Rs 2.2 crores to Rs 29 lakhs. n
pany has kept their pricing like this in order to kill the competition. “This is not even competitive pricing; this is predatory pricing which they are using to kill the competition,” said the official. Sources said that other major telecom companies are facing a worse time with respect to their finances since they are dependent heavily on the loans. If employees are to be believed, BSNL had not seen such a financial crisis since the past several years
Giriraj Roy, informed that the company had to pay back a few bank loans which were pending from earlier and this led to the shortage of funds. “We are hoping that the delay doesn’t happen from the next month onwards,” Roy told G Plus. He further added that the company is usually in a good position to pay salary as they earn revenue of Rs 2,700 cores while the expenditure on employees’ salary is around Rs 860 crores all over India which is easily payable without any deficit. n
Other demands of BSNL employees
T
he BSNL employees had recently called for a strike and protested for their long-pending demands in February. It was a country-wide agitation demanding allotment of 4G spectrum to BSNL. Further, they had informed that they had not received the third pay revision. The de-linking of pension provision from the pay revision was another cause of the agitation. The three-day strike had been called by All Unions and Associations of BSNL (AUAB). However, BSNL authorities
said that its services in the northeast had remained unaffected amid the three-day nationwide strike. Along with the strike call, AUAB had also put forward an eight-point charter of demands. Allocation of 4G spectrum to BSNL was the primary one in the demand charter. Though the private operators were allotted 4G spectrum in October 2016 itself, BSNL is still waiting for the 4G spectrum. The absence of 4G services reduces the competency, and it may eventually lead to the dismantling of BSNL. n
City
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
7
10 Worst Roads in Guwahati city
R
oad projects worth over Rs. 22,000 crore were supposed to be implemented across Assam during the 2018-19
AT ROAD
fiscal year. An estimated budget of Rs 47 crores was also allotted by the government to beautify G.S. Road. However, the city is still home
to some of the worst roads, with potholes the size of craters lining the streets. These roads are a major hazard for people who live in these localities and have to
travel from there day in and day out. We have put up images from ten locations within the city where the road conditions were found
DR. BHUPEN HAZARIKA ROAD, KHARGHULI
DR. JC DAS ROAD, PANBAZAR
JYOTIKUCHI- DHUPOLIA ROAD, JYOTIKUCHI
KEDAR ROAD, MACHKHOA
KHAGEN MAHANTA ROAD, HENGRABARI
KHANKA ROAD, SIJUBARI
RANGAMACHA PATH, RUKMINI NAGAR
SS ROAD, FANCY BAZAR
VIP ROAD, SIXMILE
to be ranging from bad to worst. We request our readers to send us images and videos if you are facing a bad stretch anywhere in Guwahati. n
8 In The News
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
LS elections: Transgender voters in Assam to increase to 11,000 Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03
We have set up a camp through which we have enrolled around 11,000 to 12,000 transgender people in the voters’ list within the past few days through the online medium. So the number of transgender voters is bound to go up in the final list which will be released by the state election commission
M
ore than 11,000 transgender people will cast their votes in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Assam this time, informed Swati Bidhan Baruah, the first transgender judge of Assam and founder of All Assam Transgender Association (AATA). A few days ago, the state election commission had stated that 503 third gender voters will vote in Assam this time. However, Baruah claimed that the number will go up exponentially when the final list is released. She mentioned that over the past few weeks, their organisation has helped in enrolling several members of the transgender community from across the state in the voters’ list for the first time. The Lok Sabha elections will be
Swati Bidhan Baruah, founder of AATA
Swati Bidhan Baruah addressing a press conference held in seven phases from April 11
to May 19. The polling in Assam
Transgender community to boycott LS elections if draft policy not implemented
M
was criticised heavily by the embers of the transgender community. transgender The association had mentioned community informed that the definition of transgenders on Wednesday that in the first draft of the policy was they will boycott the draconian and defeated the entire upcoming Lok Sabha elections purpose of the welfare policy. if the state government doesn’t implement the recently released revised state policy on transgenders. The policy is meant for the welfare and development of the transgender community in Assam. “The entire community will boycott the Lok Sabha elections if the state government doesn’t implement the revised policy at the earliest,” informed Members of transgender community during a Swati Bidhan Barua, procession in Guwahati the first transgender This complaint was submitted as judge of Assam and founder of All a memorandum to social welfare Assam Transgender Association minister, Pramila Rani Brahma. (AATA). Based on the first draft of It is expected that more than the policy, transgenders were 11,000 transgender voters will defined as people who are neither vote in the Lok Sabha elections wholly female nor wholly male. this time. They are not a combination of The social welfare department female and male and their sense had earlier released a draft of gender does not match the policy on transgenders, but it
Members of the transgender community informed that they will boycott the upcoming Lok Sabha elections if the state government doesn’t implement the recently released revised state policy on transgenders.
gender assigned to them at birth. It includes trans-men, transwomen, people with intersex variations and gender-queers. The AATA had alleged that the transgender definition in the draft policy violates the respect, dignity and prestige of the transgender community and the NALSA judgement as well. The association had then written to the state government suggesting some changes in the policy, which were later incorporated in the same. n
will take place in three phases on
April 11, 18 and 23. “We have set up a camp through which we have enrolled around 11,000 to 12,000 transgender people in the voters’ list within the past few days through the online medium. So the number of transgender voters is bound to go up in the final list which will be released by the state election commission,” Baruah told G Plus. She mentioned that in the list available with the Election Commission till now, there might be 503 transgender persons enrolled since people from their community face several problems related to their documentation. She added that now they are guiding members of the community to get them enrolled in the voters’ list. On being asked whether the transgender persons face any difficulty during the entire election and voting process, Baruah said that if they have proper documents then they face no difficulty in voting. n
All Assam Transgender Association opposes film on transgenders
C
oming down heavily on a recently completed Assamese film, the All Assam Transgender Association (AATA) criticised and opposed the upcoming Assamese film on transgenders. The film has been titled “Outcast.” The members of the association said that the movie’s poster presents the transgender community in a bad light. They informed that a major issue was also with the name of the film. “Today transgenders are finding employment in different fields and are also being accepted by the community. So we can’t call them as outcasts or untouchables,” said members of the AATA. The association members also raised questions about not casting a transgender person in the protagonist’s role in the film. Swati Bidhan Baruah, first transgender judge of Assam and founder of All Assam Transgender Association also mentioned that the people involved with the movie and its promoters are wrongly soliciting donations from people asking them to help the community. “The promoters of the film are not a registered organisation. Moreover, they are actively advertising about the movie on so-
cial media,” said Baruah. She added that the organisation which is based in Guwahati have been asking for donations from the public in the name of helping the community. “This is outright exploitation of the community and we condemn their act in the strongest words. Our organisation has never asked for money from the people of Assam and whatever we do is a joint effort of the members,” infomred Baruah. The members of AATA also said that since the organisation promoting the film is not registered, they would request the Assam Police to look into the organisation’s funding and their expenses. Baruah further added that the poster of the film is also problematic as it portrays a gay man as a transgender which can be damaging to the community. “There is a difference between gays and transgenders. The former is a sexual orientation while the latter is a gender identity. Since movies have a mass appeal and leave a lasting impression on the viewers, if transgenders aren’t portrayed sensitively in the movies, it can have lasting damaging impact for the entire community,” said Baruah. n
Guest Column
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
9
The fixations of working for the government The author writes on the continued fascination that the general Assamese society has for government jobs and why it is time that this mindset should change.
“S
ir, mok ata sakri lage” (“Sir, I need a job” in lower Assamese accent). This comment was posted on Assam finance minister, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma’s Facebook by some user. The comment might be from a fake account but it became a meme and created social media hysteria. This made me rethink the whole situation as to the fixations associated with working for the government because, at some point in life, our parents/relatives have asked us to opt for some government-based exams - be it civil services, GATE, NET-JRF, Bank PO or anything. You know the types and they know their form dates. Students from all over India including the northeast migrate to Delhi for coaching to prepare for entrance exams. The coaching business has become an established economy in various pockets of Delhi and is not limited to tuition classes. Along with it come accommodation, student libraries, photocopy centers, book shops, education fairs and counseling. Anyone, who has ever been to places like Ber Sarai, Rajendra Nagar in Delhi would understand the market economy of these coaching centers. Another new market that has evolved is the Over the top (OTT) educative platforms like Unacademy, BYJU’s and such apps.
The misconception
The set of beliefs that have ignited market forces for these exams are contradictory to the ethos for which the bureaucracy and the state machinery runs. We have created rhetoric that trivializes the very nature of the public sector - less workload and fixed salary, stability is primary, prestige, social acceptability and so on. Take a look at the stats; there are people who fill in the form without appearing for UPSC prelims. There might be genuine reasons like accidents, disease etc but the real concern is the continuous pattern. These are archetypes that pursue government jobs only for the euphoria associated with it. According to Mrunal Patel, a health educator in UPSC and Bank PO exams, he divides aspirants into two types. Serious and JBPS. He calls JBPS as “just because papa said.” These people are not limited to UPSC exams and are in other entrances as well. Even among prelims takers, not all are serious. Some are attempting out of cluelessness, following everyone and
worse “parental pressure.” Why today’s youth, the rebel in every aspect of lifestyle becomes so clueless when it comes to choosing a field to find employment? There are various reasons, including the big gap between industry and education, the unfair working hours in the market-based industries and so on. Why do we finally opt at the only prospect left for us – sitting for a government exam? At school, we used to welcome dignitaries who were big shots serving as secretaries. That has imbibed in us a sense of aspiration from a tender age. We can also see it as a quest for the ambition in all of us to do big in our immediate environment. The idea of a government job gives us that validation because conventional societal acceptance grows parallel to the achievements of higher positions in the government machinery. We sort of agreed to this idea of greater community approval which getting accepted in a reputed government job will bring us. It’s what Marxist Antonio Gramsci calls cultural hegemony, where we agree to understand without understanding what to agree to. He famously quoted, “People don’t control ideas, and ideas control people”. I would fall prey to an elite bias if I don’t mention the lower middle-income stratum because for them a job in a particular public sector offers immediate economic security - especially in small
Year
Applications
ment services but in all spheres of life. We are bestowed with the idea that we are special and we have a unique identity. This is the reason we find many disillusioned
We have to let go of our genie - that is this naive hope that government jobs are easy and stable and we are all entitled to one… We also have to embrace the demands of the corporate industry, its work culture.
officers working for the government who thought that they were chasing some authentic dream only to be crushed by the homogeneity and monotony every job offers. Ironically, Roman Saini, who is currently the poster boy of government services entrance exams, left his job as an assistant collector to be an entrepreneur himself.
Why many of our parents are fixated over government/ public sector jobs?
Appeared
Mains Selected
Interview
2014
9.47 lakh
4.46 lakh
16,256
3308
2015
9.45 lakh
4.65 lakh
15008
2797
2016
11 lakh
5 lakh
15452
2961
2017
10 lakh
5 lakh
13366
2568
(Figures are approximate) towns, which are not driven by any corporate or market growth. A railway notification for job openings means much more to them than some made-up passion story of a topper circulating on YouTube.
When aspirations turn into dust As a kid born in relative comfort zone, there was no urgency to feel the void of necessity which our previous generations were compelled to. This led to us pursuing so-called “authentic experiences” not limited to just govern-
Most parents of the millennial were born at a time when government was the main recruiter in pre-liberalisation days. The dependency decreased as the economy opened up in the 1990s and the job scenario diversified with the emergence of the IT and corresponding sectors. Therein created a gap between us and our parents; you might be doing well for a corporate firm; they would find it hard to relate to your work. It all boils down to the over specialisation of labour in corporate spaces. In short, what you do makes little sense to your parents. If Karl Marx would have
been alive, he would have said: “The alienation you suffer from your work has been transcended to your parents.” If you find this analogy tough, let me explain to you simply. When you tell your parents you are a peon/stenographer/chief engineer of PWD, they can understand. Try telling them that you are a chief analyst in operations of automobile software developing solutions for 3rd party vehicle vendor!
Why Assamese parents are hell-bent on government/ public sector jobs?
When I say parents, I am not singling out mother, father or any associated relatives. I actually mean societal beliefs. The Assamese people have a deeper connection to state machinery. A postcolonial hangover, one can say. As published in the essay Ethnic Identities and Middle Class in North-East India by Apurba Kr Baruah, the introduction of western education, liberal constitutional democracy and the capitalist path of development by the British created a situation in which the traditional elites lost power. Thus, a new educated middle class emerged in Assam as a result of changes introduced by the colonial administration. But, this new emerging middle class had neither the economic resources of the capitalist nor the numbers of the proletariat to be able to exercise political power. Selected They also had another competition as the pre-British 1236 Assam had hardly 1078 any formal schooling and Bengalis 1099 were exposed to 980 western education. The Bengalis had an advantage over many occupations that began with the introduction of colonial administration, which ultimately came to a situation where they came to dominate the bureaucracy. It is only when the local population began to develop competence as education spread that they started competing in the area of professions and bureaucracy. However, the lack of capital the new Asomiya middle class had made them fail to make a significant dent in other areas like trade and business. With small capital in hand, they could not hope to seriously challenge big businesses but education and this created aspirations of becom-
Nibir Deka ing dominant in the non-capital intensive sector. Therein created paranoia where we developed the consciousness in our psyche that representation in government services will maintain the status quo of the Assamese.
So what can we do about it?
Alladin had to give up the genie as it was the genie that was in control of Aladdin’s behaviour and not his true self. We have to let go of our genie - that is this naive hope that government jobs are easy and stable and we are all entitled to one. This demeans the actual hard work the people associated in the state machinery do from top to bottom. We also have to embrace the demands of the corporate industry, its work culture. Parents have to also ease up on the pressure and understand that there are various things one can pursue if one has the right skills and adequate pre-requisite for the industry he/ she is about to enter. With the new market economy and digital revolution coming up, we have to utilise the tools to grow our businesses and take part in the contemporary happenings. We have already seen positive growth in the businesses especially in Guwahati and other towns in Assam with the advent of internet service. Initiatives like North East Skill Centre (NESC) might help to provide better skill training to thousands of unemployed youth of the state. Sadly, who has a better chance of using these emerging technologies to grow businesses? The establishment of the middle-class hegemony or the underprivileged which still drives his scooter risking his life to deliver us our junk food. n (The author is a former sub-editor at Business Standard, part-time writer and freelance blogger at anonsenicalwriter.com)
10 In The News
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
Congress approves first 5 Lok Sabha candidates from Assam
KARIMGANJ From the Karimganj seat, the name of Swarup Das has been approved as the Congress candidate. Since 1991, the Karimganj Lok Sabha seat has been won twice by the BJP and four times by the Congress. In 2014, turning the tables, the All India United Democratic Front candidate Radheshyam Biswas
From Page 1
SWARUP DAS
managed to win the seat for the first time. With the citizenship bill acting as a factor this seat will see a tough three-cornered battle between the Congress, BJP and the AIUDF. The Karimganj Lok Sabha seat has eight assembly constituencies with AIUDF holding four, and two
DIBRUGARH
SILCHAR
each by the Congress and BJP.
From Dibrugarh seat, last year’s
From Silchar seat, the name of
runners up and five-time MP, Pawan
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
as
Singh Ghatowar’s name has been
Hailakandi
AIUDF
Rangiya
BJP
the Congress candidate. Dev is the
approved as the Congress candidate
Katlicherra
AIUDF
Patharkandi
Algapur
AIUDF
Karimganj North
Congress
Karimganj South
AIUDF
Badarpur
Congress
Sushmita Dev has been approved by
the
screening
committee
president of the All India Mahila Congress
and
daughter
of
by the screening committee. Though
SUSHMITA DEV
late
Congressman Santosh Mohan Dev who had represented Silchar for five times out of
Dibrugarh
has
originally
been
a
Congress bastion, the BJP not only routed
PABAN SINGH GHATOWAR
Ghatowar in the 2014 general elections but
his
seven terms as Member of Parliament. In the 2016 Assembly elections
also took hold of eight out of the nine assembly constituencies leaving
the BJP managed to grab six out of the seven assembly constituencies.
just one for its partner AGP in the 2016 Assam Assembly election. For
BJP
Congress, it would be an uphill task to find its foothold back in this Lok Sabha constituency.the BJP in the 2016 Assam assembly election.
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
Silchar
BJP
Katigorah
BJP
Sonai
BJP
Barkhola
Dholai (SC)
BJP
Udharbond
Lakhipur
Congress
BJP BJP
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
Dibrugarh
BJP
Tingkhong
BJP
Moran
BJP
Tinsukia
BJP
Lahowal
BJP
Digboi
BJP
Duliajan
BJP
Margherita
BJP
Naharkatia
AGP
MANGALDOI From Mangaldoi, sitting Rajya Sabha member and senior Congressman, Bhubaneswar Kalita has been asked to contest. Mangaldoi has ten assembly constituencies and the BJP and BPF share 4 each. Congress and AGP hold one constituency each. In 2014, Congress
candidate Kirip Chaliha lost by only 22,884
JORHAT
votes
to BJP’s Ramen Deka. With strongman Kalita this time as Congress’s
From Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency, been approved. Originally a Congress since
independence
candidate and BJP’s Ramen Deka facing anti-incumbency, the tide may
KALIABOR
the name of Sushanta Borgohain has fortress
BHUBANESWAR KALITA
turninanyone’sfavour.
From Kalibor seat the name of Gaurav
the
Gogoi has been approved by the screen-
Jorhat Lok Sabha seat was won by
ing committee. Gogoi is a member of
BJP’s Kamakhya Prasad Tasa in 2014
the All India Congress Committee and
SUSHANTA BORGOHAIN
where he polled 456,420 votes. His
the son of former chief minister and
nearest rival from Congress, Late Bijoy
Congress heavyweight, Tarun Gogoi. In
Krishna
the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Gaurav Gogoi
Handique
who
had
represented
GAURAV GOGOI
this prestigious seat for six times in a row, polled 3,54,000 votes.
received 443,315 votes. His nearest rival from
The Congress and BJP have 4 assembly constituencies each and the
Mrinal Kumar Saikia polled 349,441 votes. This time, with the AGP-BJP
remaining two are with the AGP.
in coalition, the BJP might leave this seat to AGP that has three MLAs.
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
ASSEMBLY
BJP,
PARTY
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
Golaghat
Congress
Dergaon (SC)
AGP
Mahmara
BJP
Mariani
Congress
Sonari
BJP
Nazira
Congress
Thowra
BJP
Sibsagar
Congress
Teok
AGP
Amguri
AGP
Rupohihat
Congress
Bokakhat
Samaguri
Congress
Kaliabor
AGP
Sarupathar
Congress
Batadroba
BJP
Dhing
AIUDF
Khumtai
BJP
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
Kamalpur
AGP
Rangiya
BJP
Panery
BPF
Mangaldoi (SC)
Kalaigaon
BPF
Nalbari
BJP
Majbat
BPF
Sipajhar
BJP
Udalguri (ST)
BPF
Dalgaon
Congress
BJP
TEZPUR From Tezpur seat the name of former bureaucrat MGVK Bhanu has
AGP
been approved by the screening committee. Tezpur has been changing hands for some time now but with nine sitting MLAs (including one from AGP) the Bharatiya Janata Party has a big advantage here. Speculations are rife
MGVK BHANU
that Assam cabinet minister Dr Himanta Biswa
Sarma
will contest from Tezpur this time replacing incumbent RP Sarmah (also from BJP).
AUTONOMOUS DISTRICT
NOWGONG
From
the
Autonomous
District
Lok Sabha (earlier Diphu) seat the
From Nowgong seat, former Congress minister and AICC secretary, Pradyut
Congress has approved the sitting
Bordoloi
as
MP and veteran Congress leader
the party candidate. This is one of
Biren Singh Engti to contest the Lok
has
been
approved
the oldest seats of BJP which it has been winning in Assam. Minister of State for Railways, Rajen Gohain is
PRADYUT BORDOLOI
Sabha election. Seventy-four-year-old Engti has won this seat five times for a
the Congress in his two innings starting
BIREN SINGH ENGTI from
first win in 1977 and then again in 1984. In the second innings, he
four-time winner from BJP in the Nowgong
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
Dhekiajuli
BJP
Sootea
BJP
Barchalla
BJP
Biswanath
Tezpur
AGP
Behali
BJP
Rangapara
BJP
Gohpur
BJP
Bihpuria
BJP
BJP
ARUP BORGOHAIN
LAKHIMPUR
in
successfully won in 2004, 2009 and 2014. Reserved for the scheduled
From Lakhimpur seat, the name of Arup Borgohain has been
this parliamentary seat and it would be a tough battle for Bordoloi
tribes and comprising of two hill councils of Karbi Anglong and Dima
approved by the screening committee. This seat was vacated by BJP’s
who hails from upper Assam to wade through. Of the nine assembly
Hasao, the Autonomous District seat has five assembly constituencies.
Sarbananda Sonowal in 2016 after he was chosen to lead the state
constituencies BJP has 6 and rest three are with the Congress, AGP
All the five were won by the BJP in the 2016 Assam assembly election.
government. Pradan Barua replaced Sonowal as the BJP’s candidate
Lok Sabha seat. The BJP-AGP alliance has seven
MLAs
and the AIUDF.
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
Jagiroad(SC)
BJP
Lumding
BJP
Marigaon
BJP
Laharighat
Congress
Raha (SC)
BJP
Jamunamukh
AIUDF
Nowgong
BJP
Barhampur
AGP
Hojai
BJP
to win the by-poll in 2016.
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
ASSEMBLY
PARTY
Haflong (ST)
BJP
Majuli (ST)
BJP
Naoboicha
AIUDF
Bokajan (ST)
BJP
Lakhimpur
AGP
BJP
Dhakuakhana (ST)
BJP
Howraghat (ST) Diphu (ST)
BJP
Dhemaji (ST)
BJP
Jonai (ST)
Independent
Baithalangso (ST)
BJP
Chabua
BJP
Doom Dooma
Congress
Sadiya
BJP
In The News
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
BJP Assam shortlists candidates for Lok Sabha 2019; final names remain pending
T
he BJP Assam Election Committee has shortlisted candidates for 10 Lok Sabha seats from among whom the final selected candidate will be fielded in the General Election 2019. The BJP plans to contest in 10 of the 14 Lok Sabha seats from Assam in the forthcoming general elections. Sources said that barring Tezpur constituency, for which only one name – that of State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma – has been shortlisted,
finalizing the candidates for the other constituencies remains to be done. For Silchar constituency, the names of Rajdeep Roy and Parimal Suklabaidya have been shortlisted, while Kripanath Mallah and Amaresh Roy are in the panel for Karimganj constituency.
No new initiative to improve education in last one year From Page 1
T For Diphu, the list includes Haren Sing Bey, Bidya Sing Engleng, Tuliram Ronghang and Kache Teronpi. For the Jorhat seat, the names of sitting MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, State Minister Topon Kumar Gogoi, Lakhya Konwar and Santanu Gogoi are in the panel, while for Dibrugarh the names of sitting MP Rameswar Teli and Pulak Gohain are in the list. Sitting MP Pradan Baruah and Haren Deori are in the panel for Lakhimpur. For Guwahati, the party has shortlisted sitting MP Bijoya Chakravarty, Bijuli Kalita Medhi, Queen Ojha and Chikimiki Talukdar. For Nagaon sitting MP and Un-
ion Minister Rajen Gohain, MLAs Rupak Sarmah and Angoorlata Deka and Jitu Goswami have been shortlistsed. For Mangaldai the names of sitting MP Ramen Deka, Dilip Saikia and Jayanta Malla Baruah have been shortlisted. Interestingly, AGP wants to put up its own candidate from Mangaldoi as well, a demand that the BJP is reluctant to concede. Kaliabor, Dhubri and Barpeta constituencies have been left for BJP’s alliance partner AGP and the Kokrajhar seat has been left for Bodoland People’s Front (BPF), for which the party had already announced the candidature of Pramila Rani Brahma. n
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hough the main election card which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is playing for 2019 elections is development, nothing is developing in the education department since the last one year. Education department officials told G Plus that since the new education Siddhartha Bhattacharya took charge in May 2018, there have been no new initiatives or rules that have been introduced. The Assam Budget for 2018-19 proposed new schemes for women, including scholarships for girl children belonging to minority communities and improving women health and safeguard. Finance Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced incentives for girl children but it has not started yet. He had said that an annual scholarship of Rs 2,000, Rs 4,000, Rs 6,000 and Rs 10,000 was proposed for girl students belonging to minority communities studying in class 10, 11, 12, graduation and post-graduation, respective-
ly. Many such students have not got any such incentives yet. Other than this there is no new scheme that has been announced. And after Bhattacharya became the education minister, no initiative has been taken to improve the education system, a government teacher said in condition of anonymity. There are more than 36,500 vacant posts of teachers in schools across Assam and 17,293 of these vacant posts are in primary schools. Because the vacancies remain, the quality of education is getting affected. Bhattacharya had recently revealed that one of the reasons behind vacant posts not being filled on time is that school officials do not inform the elementary education department in advance about the teachers who are set to retire. The schools have been asked to inform the education department 180 days before a teacher retires. But it will hardly solve the issue as there is huge discrepancy in the student-teacher ratio in the government schools of Assam. n
12 In The News Snippets Lok Sabha Polls: Section 144 imposed in Dispur, Bhangagarh, Hatigaon and other areas
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ith a view to maintain peace and public order ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 Govt. of Assam has been ordered by Ramandeep Kaur, Deputy Commissioner of Police, East Police District, Guwahati on March 15. The East Police District of Guwahati covers the area of Dispur, Bhangagarh, Hatigaon, Sonapur and Khetri Police Sation. The order mentioned that the decision was taken since some group of people or organisations are likely to disturb the normal functioning of offices, movement of public and flow of traffic in parts of east police district of Guwahati. The order prohibits assembly of more than five persons, agitation, demonstration, procession etc in the area. The Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19. The polling in Assam will take place in three phases on April 11, 18 and 23. Under Section 144, an assembly of more than 5 persons if without permission is found involved in agitation, demonstration, procession and shouting slogans, will be strictly dealt with. The order shall remain in force from March 15 till further notice.
Army begins to remove Iron Spikes after Several Elephant Deaths Occur
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he Indian Army has started to remove multiple rows of sharp iron spikes cemented on the ground off its Narengi Cantonment in Guwahati that borders the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary to keep elephants off its premises. This bed of metallic spikes was laid down to prevent wild elephants from destroying food stock. These spikes that have been placed outside the periphery of a major supply depot of the Army cantonment since 2003 have injured many elephants and might have even been the cause of death for at least two other wild elephants in the area, according to forest officials. Assam’s wildlife officials have said that the Army had earlier ignored any formal requests to remove the spikes.
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
Battle lines drawn as social media warriors gear up for 2019 elections Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Communist Party of IndiaMarxist (CPI-M), are warming up for the battle ahead. The BJP was the first to realise the potential of social media and is still running their digital space with a robust organisation ready to meet the opposition.
Srijit Banerjee @SrijitBanerjee
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n 11th April 2019, the world’s largest democracy will go for election to decide the country’s fate for the next five years. Around 820 million voters, of which 15 million are young voters between the ages of 18 and 19, will exercise their franchise. With over 55 crore people having access to internet, political parties are aggressively using the social media in their campaigns. 30 crore people are using Facebook, 20 crore are WhatsApp users and 3.4 crore users are on Twitter. The number of users on social media has doubled since the 2014 Lok Sabha election. Unlike 2014 where traditional television media dominated the scene, in 2019 social media will play a crucial role in the upcoming elections. With the accessibility to internet becoming easy among the masses, political parties are leaving no stone unturned to gain dominance on the internet with their virtual campaigns. Now every political party has a page on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter handles which carry
Representative image regular updates by dedicated IT cell teams handling their pages at different platforms. It all started during the 2014 general election by the current Prime Minister Narendra Modi, then the chief Minister of Gujarat, when he used social media extensively to reach out to the people - especially young voters - which actually were greatly instrumental in propelling the BJP to power. PM Modi’s Twitter handle has been active since 2009 and had about 40 lakh followers then.
Now, it stands at 4.63 crore strong followers. Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, joined the social media turf a little late back in 2015 and now has over 88 lakh followers. On Facebook alone, Prime Minister Modi has around 4.3 crore followers and Rahul Gandhi with 25 lakh followers. With the election environment gaining momentum, thousands of volunteers are being trained in data analytics and communication through digital platforms as parties, including
PM Modi’s Twitter handle, active since 2009, had about 40 lakh followers then and now has 4.63 crore strong followers. Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, joined the social media turf in 2015 and now has over 88 lakh followers.
Congress, which is the biggest opposition to the ruling BJP, is gearing up intensively after learning its lesson from 2014 general elections and is scaling up its presence in the virtual world to the challenge the BJP this time. n
Virtual world challenges
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part from the online campaign and all the giltz, challenges in the online world remains. Social media has been influencing elections around the world; the recent example can be that of the US elections in 2016, when Russia was accused of influencing the election using covert means by penetrating computer systems in the United States. India, on the other hand, having a population over a billion, has internal challenges when it comes to social media monitoring and tackling misuse. The challenge that needs to be checked in the country are the unlawful campaigns and fake news which has plagued the country in recent times resulting in much misinformation. Due to easy access to the virtual world negative and fake news are doing rounds exponentially. To tackle the growing influence
of such activities, the Election Commission of India has issued guidelines for political parties. Now the candidates will have to furnish the details of their social media accounts at the time of filling their nominations and all political advertisements on social media will need pre-certification. Further, the chief election commissioner, Sunil Arora, has asked Google, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to verify all the political advertisements coming from various political parties. A grievance officer has also been appointed to take complaints related to these advertisements on all social media platforms. The Election Commission has also directed big IT companies in the country to take action against hate speeches. The Election Commission, last year, launched an app called cVigil. The app will help citizens report any violations of the moral code of conduct and any malpractices.
National as well as regional political parties and leaders can no longer release political advertisements on social media without the pre-certification from monitoring committees. Political parties now will have to adhere to the 48-hour “silence period” online as well. This would warrant pulling down existing ads from social media. To tackle trolls the Election Commission has
said that political parties cannot make memes and trolls of political leaders but can criticise their policies and past records. Now, how effective will these measures help the Election Commission to tackle the misuse of social media and how effectively a free and fair election is conducted for the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha Elections remains to be seen. n
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
Sports
14 G Talk E
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Spoilt for choice?
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he current political scenario in the city is fraught with speculations like: Himanta Biswa Sarma is contesting from Tezpur. Oh no, he is Gauhati’s candidate. But Bijoya Chakravarty wants another term. Congress is not being able to locate the right candidate for Gauhati. It seems none among Bolin Bordoloi, Bobbeeta Sarma and all the other applicants are suitable enough to represent the prestigious seat. And that is according to a lobby which are not in favour of them. So ok, let’s get Kamal Nayan Chowdhury as a united opposition candidate to stand against the BJP. Or maybe draft him into the Congress even though he is not as yet a Congressi. While the Congress has laid out its cards early enough this time in 10 of the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies of Assam, having announced the names of its candidates in these, and the BJP yet to do so even as I write this, the niggling curiosity is what options would Guwahatians get when it comes to making their choice at the forthcoming polls. Given the turn of events, it is very clear that there are personal lobbies working for the candidates – at least in the Congress Party. The party does not yet have a face to
present to Guwahatians and are scouting for one. Just imagine the state of affairs of this same party that was in power in Assam for 15 continuous years. As for the other three constituencies being Kokrajhar, Dhubri and Barpeta each could well have their own issues even though Durga Das Boro should be through at Kokrajhar and we can expect the announcement early enough. Dhubri and Barpeta are anyone’s guess being AIUDF strongholds and the Congress would indeed find it difficult to put up suitable fighting candidates. What is of paramount importance to us are the Gauhati LS candidates that the various parties will put up. Supreme Court advocate and champion of the illegal migrants’ deportation cause, Upamanyu Hazarika, has already announced his candidature as an independent and is strongly making his presence felt. The incumbent Bijoya Chakravarty has a rather poor report card to show; her age is just not on her side anymore. The coming weekend will hopefully offer more clarity to these issues and here’s hoping we are spoilt for choice with the best candidates. Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali
Political analysis of the Oversmart Litu: So we’re so close to the LS Polls. I wonder who is going to take the throne. Bitu: Who do you think? Litu: Well, I strongly feel that the “anti-incumbency” factor will come into play again. People are disappointed with both the party in power and the opposition that’s up against it. Bitu: Which is why, I feel that independent candidates are going to be the dark horse this time around, at least for Guwahati. Litu: Yeah, as these weeks go by, the independent candidates with a good chance will be “called upon.” Bitu: Honestly, when leaders come to us, begging for votes, I feel, “Kabhi kabhi toh lagta hai, apuni hi bhagwaan hai.” But just after the elections, we are like “Bhagwaan ke naam pe kuch de de re baba.” Litu: But you know, these days only “Allah ke naam pe kuch de de” works. Bitu: Ah! I can always count on you to make this racially inappropriate. Litu: Well, someone has to find humour in these dark times. At least the voters have to. Otherwise Indian politics is a good political joke in itself. Bitu: Leaving the name calling and trending hashtags that political trolls create aside, I think we’re in for dark times ahead. Schemes and promises have all failed. “Poriborton” is a joke, and there is no reasoning with bhakts. Propaganda seems to be the language everyone is speaking and... Litu: Shush! Quit being such a pessimist and support “Ab ki baar, phir Modi Sarkaar.” Abhi ise karo sweekar or otherwise tum ho gunehgaar.
Sidharth Bedi Varma @sid_bv
Equality for women, progress for all
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nation cannot achieve its target if half of its population (read women) stay in the dark. Hence equality for women is progress
for all. A recent study of World Economic Forum showed that while in the last six years, many countries of the world have improved their gender ratio, yet in many other countries the gap between men and women remains huge and is widening day by day. This problem is quite distinct in several African and South American countries. All over the world the fair sex is, more or less, facing all kinds of discrimination, domination, torture and violence. They are economically, socially and politically exploited by their male counterparts. A recent study of a UK mission reveals that one in three women have been beaten or sexually abused in her lifetime; usually the abuser is a member of her own family or someone known to her. In some parts of the world a girl is more likely to be raped rather than taught how to read. Every year 60 million girls are sexually assaulted at or on their way to school. Every year more than 60 million girls go missing from various populations. Up to 5% of women report being physically abused while pregnant. 50% of physically abused Indian women report violence during pregnancy. 60 million girls worldwide are child-brides. The above data itself project the present status of women in the world. The former Secretary General of United Nations Organization (UNO), Ban-KI-Moon, strongly condemns the violence against women. He said, “There is one universal truth applicable to all countries, cultures and communities - violence against women is never acceptable, never excusable and never tolerable. Despite stringent laws and actions women are not getting due justice and status in their lives. In this regard, Nordic countries like Iceland, Finland and Ireland should be the role models for many countries of the world. The World Economic Forum’s report reveals that for the fifth consec-
utive year Iceland retained the top position in global gender gap index. In these Nordic countries women equally share all kinds of facilities with men. They have high rate women labour, low pay gaps and no barrier for women to rise in the ranks. These countries have generous mandatory paternity as well as maternity leave. Gender equality helps parents to raise their children and work equally. They have high class facilities, equal share of work boasting participation of women in employment. As a result they are economically, socially and politically sound and advanced. Sweden is the one country which has the highest number of women in its parliament. The ten top most countries of the world in the list of global gender gap are Iceland, Finland,
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lthough the Constitution of India is framed on the basic principle of equality, yet when the question of status of women comes up, it seems that the status women have been given by the Constitution is only a de facto status. Norway, Sweden, Philippines, Ireland, New Zealand, Denmark, Switzerland and Nicaragua. In the Economic Forum’s list America is in 23rd position. This country does not guarantee paid maternity leave. There is strong correlation between a country’s gender gap and its national development. In this regard, India has been struggling over the last six decades. Although the Constitution of India is framed on the basic principle of equality, yet when the question of status of women comes up, it seems that the status women have been given by the Constitution is only a de facto status. Rampant crimes against women, female infanticides, dow-
rNESC- a step in the right direction
O pinion Bijaylakshmi Baruah
ry deaths and child marriages are enough to reveal her true position in the society. To transform this de facto status to de jure status, the women of India should all-inclusively come out from ignorance. They must be educated and conscious about their rights. And most importantly the mindset of our people must be change; we must necessarily give up some old customs. A girl should be taught how to develop her personality. She should be respected as a human being first, not as someone’s subordinate. None should be discriminated at by the name of gender, colour, caste or religion. By realising power of women Mahatma Gandhi proved to the world how strong woman power was by making thousands of them from all classes of the society to come out their homes to participate in the political and freedom movement. Gandhi passionately desired utmost freedom of women. It is really disgusting to see that in Gandhi’s own country women are not secured today. The fact remains that around one lakh rape cases are still pending in the courts for judgment. That itself speaks volumes about women’s insecurity in India. So it is high time for everyone to be alert and active to reduce the gender gap. Instead of offering a rose or a chocolate to a woman on Women’s day, let’s make it a habit to treat women on equal terms. What can be a better idea that to practice it first at our own homes? (The author is a freelance journalist and editor of a technical tabloid Karikori Sambad published from a vocational institute)
Letter to the Editor
I am glad to know that the government is launching the North East Skill Centre which will be the first-of-its-kind institute in the Northeast and will generate employment opportunities for the youth of the state. I hope that the government keeps up its efforts and maintains its stand on providing the youth of the state with skill development. While the initiative to include these four uncommon professions in the Skill Centre - training in the field of retail, beauty and wellness, hospitality-F&B services and hospitality-housekeeping; is commendable, I hope the Assam government will also include more specialisation fields for the candidates in the future. This will help them in getting employment in a variety of different avenues in the future. Thank you G Plus for publishing news that people can not only use but also spread awareness about such initiatives. Suman Medhi, Guwahati
In Focus
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
A quick round up of the news that mattered during the past week
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R P Kalita promoted to Lieutenant General
Major General Rana Pratap Kalita from Assam has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General in the Indian Army. According to reports, he is among 10 (Major General) officers whose names have been cleared for promotion. Major General Kalita is from Rangiya, Kamrup district in Assam. He is an alumnus of the Sainik School Goalpara of Assam and the National Defence Academy. In 1984, he had been commissioned in the Army in the 9th Kumaon Regiment.
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India and US to build six nuclear power plants in India
In a joint statement issued at the end of the 9th round of India-US Strategic Dialogue, the two countries have said that “they (are) committed to strengthen bilateral security and civil nuclear cooperation, including the establishment of six U.S. nuclear power plants in India.” This dialogue was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary, Vijay Gokhale and U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, Andrea Thompson on March 13.
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Uddhab bharali conferred D Sc by Dibrugarh University
Padma Shri Award winner Uddhab Bharali has been conferred the D. Sc. (honoris causa) by the Dibrugarh University in recognition of his invaluable scholarly contribution to the field of science, innovation and social welfare through the works of innovation and invention. Uddhab Bharali, often known as the King of innovation, hails from Lakhimpur district in Assam.
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No extension, publish final NRC on 31 Jul: SC
The Supreme Court on Wednesday stated that it will not extend the July 31 deadline for publication of the final National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam. A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice R F Nariman said that the NRC process and Lok Sabha elections can go on simultaneously. “We will not extend the deadline for publication of final NRC on July 31, 2019. Lok Sabha polls and NRC work can go on simultaneously,” said the bench. This was on NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela’s submission that officials engaged in the NRC work have been assigned election duties.
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LS polls: I-T dept deputes additional manpower in NE
With a view to keep a check on the expenditure related to the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, the income tax department of the North East Region (NER) has deputed a total of 157 additional income tax inspectors and officers in the Northeast. These income tax inspectors will be spread across Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Nagaland to check for black money flow in 112 districts of the northeast region.
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India’s longest bridge connecting Assam and Meghalaya to cost Rs 4,997 crore
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently approved the construction of the proposed Dhubri-Phulbari bridge between Assam’s Dhubri and Meghalaya’s Phulbari. The construction is expected to be complete within six years after which it’ll reduce travel distance between Dhubri and Phulbari from 205.3 Km to only 19.282 km. Additionally, the bridge once complete and open to traffic will cut traffic time from five hours to 20 minutes between Dhubri and Phulbari. The bridge once completed will replace the 9.15 Km-long Bhupen Hazarika Setu (Dhola Sadiya bridge) as India’s longest road bridge. The proposed four-lane bridge to be built under the scheme of North-East Road Network Connectivity Project Phase-03 will be 19.282 km long. While the civil construction cost of the project is Rs 3,548 crore, its total capital cost is Rs 4,997.04 crore.
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Vistara to connect Dibrugarh - Bagdogra and New Delhi
Vistara announced on March 10 that it will add Dibrugarh to their nation-wide network, the 24th destination in the country and second in Assam after Guwahati. From April 3, Vistara will connect Dibrugarh and Bagdogra with direct flights every day between the two cities and will also connect Dibrugarh and Delhi with a one-stop flight via Bagdogra. Customers from Dibrugarh will able be able to take convenient connections via Delhi to Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune.
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Guwahati: Tunnel to connect old and new high court opens
For ease of communication between the Old Gauhati High Court building and new High Court building, a Rs 22 crore tunnel was inaugurated on Tuesday. Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court inaugurated the tunnel. The length of the tunnel is around 40 feet which are connected on both sides with escalators for which imported technology has been used for the waterproof tunnel.
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India grounds Boeing 737-Max
In a late night decision the Directorate General of Civil aviation, DGCA has decided to ground the Boeing 737-Max planes with immediate effect. According to DGCA tweet, these planes will be grounded till appropriate modifications and safety measures are undertaken to ensure their safe operations. Among Indian operators, Spice Jet (12 planes) and Jet Airways (3 planes) will have to ground their Boeing 737-Max.
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ECI asks Facebook to remove posters of Wg. Cdr Abhinandan
The Election Commission has directed Facebook to remove two posters that carried Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman’s photograph which was being shared by BJP leader and Delhi legislator, OP Sharma on Facebook. The EC has also reminded political parties of a 2013 advisory wherein they have been advised not to use photographs of Defence personnel or any events that are associated with them for political propaganda.
16 Feature
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
Doul Mahotshav (Holi) of Barpeta Satra and its Holi Geet (Songs)
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oul festival is a famous festival in India. Apart from the rest of the country, it is also colourfully celebrated by the people of Assam, especially by the people of Barpeta. During the Doul Utsava the hearts of Barpetians (people of Barpeta) are filled with festivity and joy. It is a festival of colour and happiness. Doul festival is a great source of happiness among the people of Barpeta. During this festival, the people of Barpeta forget their sorrows and agonies and celebrate it with traditional gaiety and enthusiasm. The festival is also called “Holi” or “Fakuwa.” Celebrated in the months of Phagun and Chot, when spring descends and the world is filled with new green leaves on the trees, the flowers bloom, birds sing sweet songs, the gentle wind blows carrying the natural fragrance and everything in this world changes offering a a beautiful panorama. And it is in this sweet moment that the festival of Doul Utsava of Barpeta is celebrated. Holi Geets of Barpeta are remarkably popular and are embedded in the heart of every Assamese. These Holi Geets are exquisite compositions in praise of Lord Krishna. People from different places visit Barpeta Satra to see the Doul Utsava and take part in the festivities. Doul Utsava was started by Mahapurush Srimanta Sankaradeva after his great chihna jatra and he
wrote some Holi Geets too. One of his most famous Holi Geets goes something like this: “Range phagu khele chaitanya banamali/Duhate phagur gundasi chanta murari.” At Barpeta, Mathura Das first celebrated Doul Festival in the model of Vaikuntha (heaven) because Doul Utsava was first celebrated in heaven. Thereafter, Doul Festival has been celebrated with satriya parampara (traditionally) till today at Barpeta Satra. Barpeta Satra is also known as Dwitiya Vaikuntha Puri (second heaven). Doul Festival is celebrated for three to five days. The three-day Doul festival is called “Burha Doul” and the four or five-day Doul is called “Deka Doul.” According to the tradition, the fourday Doul is held on the Purnima (full moon) of the month of Phagun and the three-day Doul is held on the Purnima of the month of Chot. The first day of the festival is called Gandha or Banhutsava. It is an important day on which Vaishnavas bring nal, khagari and ekara for meji. In the evening, Mahaprabhu Doul Govinda and Kalia Thakur are brought out from manikut ghar to mathar chotal with Gayan Bayan. Mahaprabhu is then brought near the meji and after the lighting of meji, Mahaprabhu takes seven rounds around it. It is called meji puoa or magh puoa (people believe that with
this festival winter is over). Atach baji (fireworks) or phanuch are the main attractions of Gandha. People of Barpeta dance with colours and joy during this festival. Mahaprabhu is brought to jagmohan ghar after meji puoa and in a sacred moment at night, Mahaprabhu is brought to doul ghar having walked around the seven steps (sapta thak) and then the people of Barpeta sing the Holi Geets with great enthusiasm. “Phagu khele karunamay/ananda kumara devaradur lav akeli phagur bihar. (Madhabdev)” The second day is called Bhar Doul. The Vaisanavas have naamprasanga at jagmohan ghar. On that day after completing the morning song, ojapali and gayanbayan is held. Dhuliya Nritya is also a memorable show which is held during these days. The last day is called Phakua or Suweri. In the morning, Mahaprabhu is brought out from jagmohan ghar and is placed inside the kirtan ghar. At noon, Kaliya Thakur and Mahaprabhu are again brought to mathar chatal, and the people of Barpeta shower phaku guri with joy. Holi Geets and its echoes are spread all over Barpeta. “Aji range range akakar/aaha bhai khelo sabe/mili prane pran Aaji Barpeta bardhame chouishe phaguure/abir chandan badanate Aaji basanti kino rang dhaliche/ parane parane nabasi haran jagiche.”
Hriskikesh Sarma
On this memorable day, Mahaprabhu and Kaliya Thakur are seated on a beautiful dola and as soon as Mahaprabhu Goxai reaches from Baradi Satra, the Vaishnavas bring the Mahaprabhu to Kanara Satra with a view to have heketa. In this jatra, many people assemble and sing Holi Geets . “Aaji khele holi range brindabane gopa gopi sabe nache phakur anande” Mahaprabhu returns from Kanara Satra. As Lord Krishna is not permitted to come in by Goddess Lakshmi after his return from the house of Ghunucha, Mahaprabhu is prevented by the Vaishnavas with four bamboos in front of Kirtan Ghar. These four bamboos are divided among three hatis
– uttar hati (two bamboos), na-hati (one bamboo) and dakhin hati (one bamboo). After breaking these four bamboos, Mahaprabhu walks around Kirtan Ghar seven times. Thus, after seven days with Ghunucha, Lord Krishna returns to Goddess Lakshmi. Lakshmi defeats Lord Krishna and after being defeated by Lakshmi, Lord Krishna gives Rs 300 and then is admitted into Kirtan Ghar. Similarly, the bhaktas of Mahaprabhu fine him Rs 300 and bring Kalia Thakur to Bhaj Ghar or Monikut. “Sandhya samayat kari aanek utsava/Doular bhitar goiya pailanta Madhava.” And in this manner, the famous Doul Festival of Barpeta comes to an end.
Trotter
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
Indians take to viral #trashtag challenge
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he #trashtag challenge is neither silly nor dangerous and yet it has found traction among netizens around the world. What’s more, the challenge, aimed at bored teens, is being hailed as a “worthwhile challenge” after gaining thousands of shares and likes on social media. The trashtag challenge encourages participants to clean up their surroundings and post before-and-after pics. Those clued in on the #trashtag challenge say that the globally trending hashtag has been around since 2015, started by
outdoor gear company UCO. Indians have been associated with it since the early days. Afroz Shah, a Mumbai-based lawyer,
used the hashtag to encourage citizen’s participation in cleaning up the dirty Versova Beach and was bestowed the Champion of the Earth award by the United Nations. In its present avatar, the hashtag went viral on the internet when
Bryon Roman, about a week ago, posted about it on his Facebook page. He wrote: “Here is a new #challenge for you bored teens. Take a photo of an area that needs some cleaning or maintenance, then take a photo after you have done something about, and post it. Here are the people doing it #BasuraChallenge #trashtag Challenge, join the cause. #BasuraChallengeAZ.” The challenge requires the participant to clean up a public space, post pictures of before and after on the social media and nominate others. Given that initiatives like the Swachh Bharat Mission have led to public discourse on cleanliness, Indians have taken to the #trashtag challenge in a big way. (Source: ndtv)
US town elects Lincoln - a goat - as Mayor
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n a divided America where politics seems increasingly to get people’s goat, a small town in Vermont has taken the concept to heart this week electingoneasitsmayor. He may be a political novice but the goat’s name, Lincoln, brings
with it a storied pedigree. And the leading human official in Fair Haven - population about 2,500 - hopes the long-eared, three-year-old animal’s election can serve as a bit of a lesson in democracy. In recent poll, Lincoln was victorious over 15 other candidates including Crystal the gerbil and many dogs and cats. Fair Haven has no official mayor but the Town Manager, Joseph Gunter, holds similar functions. When Gunter read in a newspaper that the village of Omena, Michigan, had made Sweet Tart the cat, its “top” official, he got the idea to organize a similar election to raise funds for building a playground. Lincoln’s 13 votes were enough for him to squeak past Sammie the dog. The goat, which belongs to a school
math teacher, will get an education in the town’s major festivals which it will represent during its one-year mandate: “Memorial Day parade, the Apple Fest and the events we organize every Friday in the summer,” Gunter says. Although the playground fundraising effort only generated about $100, at five dollars per candidate, Gunter isn’t bleating because he says the animal election was also “a good way to get the kids involved in local government.” With 53 votes cast, the turnout was low, Gunter admits, “But it was the first time, we expect it to be better next year.” That happens to be the year that US voters will also elect a human president in a contest expected to shake out like a barnyard brawl. (Source: huffpost)
Robber returns money after checking woman’s bank balance
I
n a surprising incident, a thief managed to gain the internet’s sympathy and praise when he returned the money he stole from his victim after checking her bank balance. The incident took place in China and was captured on surveillance cameras. CCTV footage from ICBC Bank in city of Heyuan shows a woman, surnamed Li, making a withdrawal at an ATM. A man with a knife comes up behind her. As a scared Ms Li hands over the 2,500 yuan she had just withdrawn,
the robber demands to see her account balance. However, after checking her account balance and realising that she has no money left, he apparently has a change of heart. Footage shows him smiling as he hands her money back and leaves. The robber’s act of kindness unfortunately did not save him from the police, who later detained him. However, the incident inspired a ton of jokes and some sympathy for the unidentified robber. “If he sees my bank account he will cry and give me his own
Plane forced to return to airport after mum forgets baby in departure lounge
A
passenger jet had to go back to the airport after its mother allegedly forgot her baby on the ground. Audio has been released apparently showing the moment Saudi flight SV832 from Jeddah to Kuala Lumpur requested permission to return to King Abdul Aziz International Airport. The pilot says, “May God be with us. Can we come back or what?” They then start talking about protocol as they’ve never experienced anything like that
before. The operator says: “This flight is requesting to come back…a passenger forgot her baby in the waiting area, the poor thing.” They then ask for confirmation of the reason they want to go back to the airport. The pilot says: “We told you, a passenger left her baby in the terminal and refuses to continue the flight.” “Okay, head back to the gate. This is totally a new one for us!” Flight tracking data show the plane took off an hour late on the day of the incident. (Source: metro.co)
Pilot buys 70 hamburgers to feed hungry passengers after flight delay
A
recent flight out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was delayed by over two hours. So the Mesa Airlines pilot bought everyone on board burgers. That’s over 70 custom burgers, people! In a tweet, United Airlines, which owns the smaller airline, called the deed “awesome.” The Mesa Airlines pilot was feeling especially guilty when passengers aboard a flight leaving from Tulsa, Oklahoma, were stuck on board that was delayed for over two and a half hours. So, what’s a man to do? Buy everyone a sandwich, apparently, according to a daily. Pilot Matthew Hosher did the good deed, and Sam Walker, a passenger on the flight, tweeted about what happened. “We’re currently 2.5 hours into a delay leaving Tulsa on United and our Captain, Matthew, just ordered every single person on the plane lunch from Fat Guys Burger Bar,” he wrote. “Good people and customer service do still exist!”
money and knife and jacket....” laughed one commenter. “He’s a good man,” said another. (Source: ndtv)
17
Mesa Airlines, which is based out of Arizona, operates as a part of United Express. A spokesperson for United Airlines confirmed to INSIDER that this incident did, in
fact, happen. On Twitter, a spokesperson for United called the act of kindness “awesome.” It was the largest order the local burger chain had received. Mesa Airlines’ CEO, Jonathan Ornstein, said that Hoshor’s actions were model behaviour. “He went out of his way like that
to take care of the passengers,” Ornstein said. “It really was outstanding customer service, way above and beyond.” And while this situation may have been unusual, it’s not entirely unique. Earlier this month, a pilot ordered 23 pizzas to feed hungry passengers when a flight was diverted during a storm. It’s the little things. Or, you know, the things that are covered in cheese. (Source: msn.com)
18 Review
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
Starring: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra Director: RiteshBatra
Cinepolis Christian Basti 09435025808
Gold Cinema Paltan Bazaar 09854066166
Luka Chuppi
Total Dhamaal 11:00 AM Luka Chuppi 05:00 PM, 08:00 PM Badla 11:15 AM, 02:15 PM, 05:15 PM, 08:15 PM Rongeen (Assamese) 02:00 PM
06:30 PM Total Dhamaal 03:45 PM Mere Pyare Prime Minister 11:00 AM, 02:00 PM Badla
Movie Review
09:30 AM, 12:15 PM, 03:00 PM, 05:45 PM, 08:30 PM, 09:10 PM Captain Marvel (3D) 04:20 PM Captain Marvel (English, 3D) 09:15 AM, 11:20 AM, 12:00 PM, 02:45 PM, 05:30 PM, 08:15 PM Photograph 09:00 AM, 01:20 PM, 07:00 PM, 09:25 PM
Anuradha Cineplex Noonmati 0361 2656968
Photograph
T
his movie tells the story of a girl, Miloni (Malhotra) who lives life in her plainness existence and lets that define her. One day, a photographer, Rafi (Siddiqui) outside Gateway of India takes her picture and flatters her. The cinematographer of the film, Ben Kutchinsis an Emmy nominated cinematographer and has worked in popular Netflix series, Ozark and movies such as The Art of Getting By, The Longest Week etc. He captures the movie well, displaying all of
T
he more feature-packed offering by Xiaomi, the Redmi Note 7 Pro has some incredible hardware for its asking price, including a 48-megapixel rear camera, an octacore Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 processor and a large 4,000mAh battery, all encased in an attentiongrabbing chassis. At its price, there is hardly any other smartphone in the market that can match the hardware prowess of the Redmi Note 7 Pro. The box contents include the smartphone, a clear protective case, a USB Type-C cable, a 10W charger, a SIM eject tool, and some paperwork. The phone is priced at Rs. 16,999.
Design:
Redmi Note 7 Pro has a more premium glass-sandwich design that looks stunning, while also making sure that the smartphone is durable. It has Gorilla Glass 5 on both sides, while a plastic rim runs around the edges. The glass rear panel is curved and blends seamlessly with the rim, which makes the device feel good in hands. The sides have a glossy
Mumbai with heart. Sanya Malhotra is superb in her role as Miloni, her simplicity, softness and skill, all add to her portrayal of the character. Geetanjali Kulkarni who plays the maid has also done a fabulous job, her scenes with the former are a sight to behold. FarrukhJaffar, who plays Siddiqui’s grandfather is one of the best additions to the film. Her character brings the old-world charm to the movie and everything about her is just right. Overbearing and outspoken, but caring and
Xiaomi Redmi
Note 7 Pro
coating of black paint, which creates an aesthetic uniformity with the shiny rear panel. The internals of the phone are protected from liquid damage to an extent because of the water-tight seals and use of rubber insulation for the SIM tray, volume rocker, and power button. However, the Redmi Note 7 Pro can only handle minor liquid splashes; it is not water or dust resistant and does not have an IPxx rating. The fingerprint sensor is located conveniently on the rear and the volume buttons are located on the right. The left side has the hybrid dual-SIM (Nano+Nano) tray which can also take a microSD card of up
motherly. Nawazuddin Siddiqui is also good in his role as Rafi and as usual, he is the character and brings Rafi to life in his own little world and the big city of dreams, Mumbai. Overall, the movie is a masterpiece of cinema. Perfect director, perfect cinematographer and perfect cast. The movie is pure cinema where you can get lost in the characters and the fictional world comes alive in the best sense of the word. Don’t miss this one. It’s a gem of a movie.
The Wife (English)
to up to 256GB capacity in place of a second SIM. The 3.5mm headphone jack sits on the top, accompanied by an IR emitter, while the speaker and USB Type-C port are on the bottom. The front is the 6.3-inch full-HD+ (1080x2340 pixels) LTPS In-Cell display, which has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and a pixel density of 409ppi. There is a small notch at the top, or a “Dot Notch” in Xiaomi’s words. Its dimensions include 159.21 x 75.21 x 8.1mm.
Performance,Battery lifeandCameras
03:00 PM Badla 05:45 PM Captain Marvel (3D) 10:00 AM Captain Marvel (English, 3D) 12:30 PM Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (English, 3D) 08:30 PM
The Redmi Note 7 Pro scored 178,570 in AnTuTu and 2,389 and 6,593 respectively in Geekbench’s single-core and multi-core tests. Moving to the more graphics
SpecificationsandSoftware:
The smartphone is powered by the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 675 SoC paired with up to 6GB of RAM.It comes in two configurations, 4GB of RAM with 64GB of storage and 6GB of RAM with 128GB of storage. The internal storage of the smartphone can be expanded by up to 256GB using a microSD card, but doing so would mean sacrificing the dual-SIM functionality. Ports and connectivity options on the Redmi Note 7 Pro include a USB Type-C port and a 3.5mm headphone jack, plus an IR emitter, 4G LTE, dualband Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.
Grande Cines Paltan Bazar 09854017771 Photograph 05:45 PM Badla 10:45 AM, 03:45 PM, 06:15 PM, 08:45 PM Captain Marvel (English, 3D) 11:00 AM, 01:20 PM, 08:00 PM
PVR Cinemas Dona Planet 08800900009 Captain Marvel (English, 3D) 10:00 AM, 12:45 PM, 03:50 PM, 06:35 PM, 09:20 PM Badla 10:30 AM, 03:35 PM, 06:15 PM, 08:55 PM Mere Pyare Prime Minister 01:10 PM
T-Rex and Car Chase tests. The phone comes equipped with a 48-megapixel main camera using the Sony IMX586 sensor with an f/1.79 aperture and 1.6μm pixel size.It is accompanied by a 5-megapixel depth sensor. As far as features go, the list includes AI Portrait mode, AI Studio Lighting, AI Dynamic Bokeh, slo-mo video recording, and 4K video capture. Up front is a 13-megapixel camera to take care of selfies. It supports features such as AI Portrait mode, AI Studio Lighting, and AI Beautification.
Verdict:
intensive tests, the Redmi Note 7 Pro put up a tally of 1,079 in 3DMark Slingshot Extreme OpenGL and returned 41fps and 7.8fps respectively in the GFXBench
The Redmi Note 7 Pro has a lot working in its favour. With its eye-catching design, smooth performance, impressive cameras and long battery life, it has all the makings of a solid smartphone. Add to that a highly competitive price point, and Xiaomi has another champion on its hands. However, it heats up really quickly when gaming, MIUI serves ads, there are a few camera quirks, and the exterior is also a dust and smudge magnet.
Fiction
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
In the Shadows of Time
“I
am not feeling powerful at this moment.” The words barely left her lips when she found them sealed with his lips. She struggled to free herself from his arms, shrugging the image off her mind. The present called. She needed to concentrate on the figure in the dark. The man was out there, somewhere, staring at her. But how could he see her in the dark? “I don’t need any light to see you.” The voice startled her, the air around her suddenly rushing as if trying to pull her back to another dimension. “Where are you? Who are you?” She whispered. At the back of her mind someone said - You know him. Tiptoeing down the rough stony grey-dark narrow corridor suddenly she heard a whisper. “We will meet soon.” “Meet? When? How can we when the king kills you?” her voice coming out in a sob. “I promise you I will meet you soon.” The voice urged. “When?” She whispered urgently, halting in the greydarkness. “Please tell me, when.” The air too stopped with her. “Two centuries later.” She felt restless. Her feet moved her away from the open door of her house. Trees stood in clusters of shadows and the whiff of the pine filled the grey dark world around her. Were some mysterious moments from past time hanging onto those pine branches, stuck to the needles, waiting for her to untangle? A figure stepped forward from the shadows. She could see him in spite of the darkness. “What do you want? Why are you here?” “Because I promised you I’d meet you.” “Meet me?” She asked feeling somewhat stupid as she asked. That was what the man in her vision said. She could see him smiling. “I don’t know you,” She said in sudden panic. Silence dropped and merged with the grey darkness enveloping them, thickening the air, making her uneasy. “Do not be afraid. I will wait till you are ready.” He said softly, moving away. “Ready for what?” But he was already gone. The air coagulated. She found it difficult to draw in the gelled air into her lungs. She rushed back to her home seeking the comfortable air within. Breathing deep and heavy she lay on the bed, willing her eyes to close and shut out the world around her. At the same time, she was afraid sleep would come and with it that dream. The dream that drifted into her nights. A rolling meadow beneath a mountain range. Blue mountains. On the
green under a banyan tree she sat with a man who held her in his arms, and she cuddled up to him feeling his tenderness. She turned her face to him to feel his lips on hers. His face dark. The dream had become a part of her night. She tried to give features to the face, but every night it was a blurred face that stared down at her. The only feature visible was a pair of dark intense eyes. She wanted him to come to her every night. But tonight she was afraid, and she did not know why. Restless night. Sleep eluded. One night after the other rolled into time. Sleep came briefly and left without giving her the time to
As time moved she started to miss him, her familiar unfamiliar man. She needed to sleep. She needed him. She wanted to see his faceless eyes on her, feel his touch. Closing her eyes tight she tried hard to usher in her dream.
dream. She lost the man. As time moved she started to miss him, her familiar unfamiliar man. She needed to sleep. She needed him. She wanted to see his faceless eyes on her, feel his touch. Closing her eyes tight she tried hard to usher in her dream. Yes, yes. There he was. But no! It wasn’t him; he was not her familiar unfamiliar man. He was a total unfamiliar man with a visible face. He was the man who had stood at her wooden gate. He was the wrong man she told herself in alarm. She needed that man, that familiar unfamiliar face. Panic built up in her. “Help me, my vision, my mind, my
imagination, help me.” She cried out frantically. “I
need to see him again.” “Close your eyes.” She heard a whisper. Startled she looked around. There was no one. “You can’t see me. Just listen to me. Close your eyes.” Her eyes obeyed. A king sat, mounted on a decorated seat. Below, much below his throne a man, whose face was hidden, was kneeling down with his head bent over a stone slab. The king smiled a crooked smile and waved his hand. A heavy blade came down on the neck of the man and his head rolled down. Her eyes flew open and she found droplets of sweat on her forehead and temples. “Close your eyes, my dear,” she heard the familiar voice again. She wandered aimlessly on the meadows, the same meadows that she had dreamt night after night; the green where she had sat with her familiar unfamiliar man, engrossed in each other’s arms. But this time she did not stop. Her feet were taking her to the mountains along no paths, the tall trees seemed to bend down to tell her “Go back, this is dangerous ground”, the wind whispered a warning “rocks, high rocks”, and the sky hid from her view. But her feet kept on moving, feet that couldn’t follow her mind, her mind that was too confused to command her senses. As she walked she could see herself in her man’s arms, his lips lowering. Her eyes blurred by emotions followed her feet blindly. She
19
Srutimala Duara
Part 2 walked fast as her thoughts rolled unordered. The king had killed her wizard. Her wizard was dead and gone. He would not come back to her, he was gone, gone, gone. She closed her eyes, and raised her palms in anger. The king must be eliminated from this world. “No, do not use your power to do harm,” she heard a strong whisper in her head. But then, why was her man harmed? Why was his life cut short? The king had to be punished. She raised her palms again to the sky. “No. Don’t! You will lose your power!” She heard him whisper fiercely. Her feet took the swiftness of her frenzied thoughts. And then she found herself falling and falling. She tried to clutch onto something; it was the wind she was grasping at, the strong wind that was taking her down and down and down. Her eyes flew open up with a cry. “What’s happening? What are you trying to do to me?” She screamed in alarm. “Close your eyes.” She heard the command. “No, no. I am not going to listen to you ever again.” “Close your eyes, my dear.” She heard his soft voice urging her. Her eyes obeyed intuitively and slowly she felt tranquillity envelop her. The dream came to her, the dream she had lost. She was
once again in the arms of the man. As she turned her face to gaze at him, the face stared back, and she saw him clearly, every feature visible, she recognised him. The next moment she was walking down a corridor. Dreams merged with dreams, centuries into centuries. “Go back, go back,” He whispered. “I will meet you.” “When?” ‘Soon.” “How soon?” “Two centuries later.” Her eyes opened. There was no distress or fear now, only awe at the realisation. She recognised him, the familiar unfamiliar face now so very familiar. “My wizard!” She whispered, elated. She jumped up from her bed and flung open the door. There he was standing a little distance away, his face so dearly familiar. He smiled and opened his arms wide. She ran to him, to be lost in his power-packed tenderness. She heard the familiar whisper, his lips close to her ear. “It took you so long to recognise me, my powerful companion.” n
20 Fun Jayashree Bose Certified Feng Shui, Chinese astrology, date selection consultant & author, jbose@jayashreebose.com
Sudoku
17th & 20th March will be great days for you to share your ideas with seniors or simply connect with them. You could schedule your important meetings on these dates. On 19th March, you need to be wary of dealing with the opposite gender. On 22nd March, you could have a disagreement with your senior or work associate.
16th & 18th March will be great days for you to share your ideas with seniors or simply connect with them. You could schedule your important meetings on these dates. On 20th March, you could have a disagreement with your senior or work associate. You could be emotionally betrayed by someone at work or your parents on 22nd March.
It will be a slow week for you. On 17th March have brunch with parents & maybe a coffee with superiors. Use 22nd March to connect with your boss & share ideas. For good results, host your meetings on these dates. 18th March will be a slow day. On 21st March, avoid hosting any meetings.
You could have issues with seniors or your extended family on 16th, 20th & 22nd March. On 20th March, avoid trusting anyone with your secrets as they are bound to betray you. On 16th March, be careful while dealing with the opposite gender. On 22nd March, you could have a fall out with someone at work.
16th March will be a great day for you to share your ideas with seniors & build a relationship with them. On 17th March, you could have issues with your seniors & parents. On 19th March, you could be betrayed or emotionally hurt by someone in your work environment. On 20th March, be careful of your words and actions.
It will be a mixed week for you. You could have Sunday brunch with your parents on 17th March & coffee with your boss. On 18th March, you could feel your seniors and/or parents are ungrateful, they don’t appreciate you. Avoid hosting any meetings especially with seniors on 21th March, as things might not go as planned.
On 16th March, you could have issues with seniors & parents. On 17th March, you could be betrayed by someone at work & emotionally hurt by your family. 18th March will be a great day for you to share your ideas with seniors, you could schedule your important meetings on this day. On 22nd March, be careful ofyourwordsandactions.
On 16th March, you could be betrayed by someone at work & emotionally hurt by your family. On 17th March, you could have issues with seniors & parents. 19th & 22nd March will be great days to build a rapport with seniors & people at work, host your important meetings on these dates. On 17th March, avoid making any promises, you will have to live up to them.
A great week for you. On 16th, 19th & 20th March, you will be able to achieve a lot at work & these will be ideal dates for you to share your plans or schedule important meetings. On 18th March, you could have issues with seniors & parents. Avoid socializing or making any promises on 21st March.
Better than average week for you. 17th & 20th March will be great days for you to build your relationship with seniors & people at work. Avoid grabbing a drink with your seniors on 16th March. On 19th March, you could have a disagreement with your senior or work associate, not a day to schedule important meetings.
Watch yourself on 17th March & avoid making any promises or getting into a confrontation. On 20th March, you could have a disagreement with your senior or work associate. Share your ideas with your seniors or generally build a relationship with people at work on 18th, 19th & 22nd March, host your important meetings on these dates.
18th, 19th & 22nd March are ideal days for you to mingle with seniors & people at work, to build your network. Host your meetings on these dates. On 21st March, you could have a disagreement with seniors or work associates. Other days will be average for you.
3.
Who recently referred to himself as the ‘Ernest Hemingway of Twitter’?
4.
Complete the listSutanuti, Gobindapur and?
5.
‘Dura Kaso’ is the local name of which endangered species found only in Manas National Forest?
6.
This is a portrait of a famous film director by his famous painter friend. Identify both. Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications
Dilbert By Scott Adams
7 4 6
9 8 4 2 1
6
Daily Sudoku: Fri 11-Jan-2019
medium
last week solution 7 8 4 3 2 5 9 1 6
9 1 2 8 4 6 3 7 5
5 3 6 7 1 9 2 4 8
3 6 9 2 7 8 1 5 4
8 5 1 6 3 4 7 9 2
2 4 7 5 9 1 6 8 3
6 7 5 9 8 2 4 3 1
1 9 8 4 6 3 5 2 7
4 2 3 1 5 7 8 6 9 medium
http://www.dailysudoku.com/
diffidence
curio-city
Which esoteric religion derives its name from the Arabic word for ‘glory’ or ‘splendor’?
9
Word of the week
1.
2.
9 8 6 3
2. 3. 4.
Which popular place of pilgrimage in India is also known as ‘Kaliyuga Vaikuntham’?
8 4 1 7
Daily Sudoku: Fri 11-Jan-2019
Tirupati, because Lord Venkateswara is believed to have rescued humanity from the travails of Kaliyuga Bahaii from Baha Donald Trump Kolikata, these are the three villages that amalgamated to form Kolkata Assam Roofed Turtle Spanish filmmaker, Luis Bunuel by Salvador Dali
1.
8
8 2 4 6 5 7 9 3
5. 6.
curio-city
5
noun [dif-i-duhns] the quality or state of lacking confidence in one’s ability, worth or fitness; timidity.
Crossword Across
Down
1 Loosely woven cloth from Scotland (6,5) 9 Impromptu (9) 10 Animal (with nine nine tails?) (3) 11 Himalayan country (5) 13 Excellent — shining bright? (7) 14 On ship (6) 15 Purist (6) 18 Arctic deer — a Rio cub (anag) (7) 20 Best possible (5) 21 See 23 22 Fling (9) 24 Fifth book of the Bible
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These predictions are based on the month of birth and are about an individual’s work environment, parents and extended family.
(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2019. All rights reserved.
Horoscope of the week
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
2 Fit (3) 3 Person whose speech is not well organised (7) 4 Married partner (6) 5 In which position? (5) 6 Acquit — clear (9) 7 Entertainment area with coin-operated machines (5,6) 8 Narrator (11) 12 TV show (9) 16 Issue (7) 17 Male domestic servant (6) 19 Bathroom basin (5) 23, 21 UK resident who the tax man accepts as having their "true" home elsewhere (abbr) (3-3)
Last week’s solution
Lifestyle
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
Vaastu: Inviting wealth into your life Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.
I
t is not a crime to be born poor but if you remain poor, then there is definitely some deficiency. There are thousands of incidents of rags to riches. Poverty can bring down self-confidence and breed inferiority complex. It can make one resort to unfair means and take up immoral activities. Vaastu has laid down several ways of attracting wealth. It also tells us what not to do which can affect your finances. Follow the steps below to invite wealth into your life. The door at the main entrance of your home should not touch or graze the floor while opening. This is an omen of hardship.
Slope to north is excellent for financial gains. If you are facing problems due to loans or borrowings, create a slope of the land as well as the floor of the house towards the north direction. You will see miracles happening and freedom from creditors.
cracked utensils or eat in them.
Create an underground water tank in the northeast. Income will increase proportionately to the length, breadth and depth of the tank.
Do not keep broken
Do not keep money in the southeast. This will increase expenses. Do not place any underground water body like a tank, septic tank or well in the southwest, west or south. This causes poverty. Avoid small plots between two larger or taller buildings. The energy of such plots gets suppressed which creates poverty and inferiority complex. Do not keep heavy items in the north, east or northeast. This will affect finances. There should be no cuts in the northeast, southeast or southwest. Do not keep broken or
9 to 5’s And maybe we’re just trying too hard,
should be observed religiously to please the goddess of wealth. Several methods have been described in astrology which are also adopted by Vaastu experts to please the goddess. Check them out below.
Trying to play right, every card. Putting efforts to pull off extremes, Working long hours and cutting short dreams. Every situation we try and control, Reading life from a dead end scroll. All pale, all yellow, our lives losing zeal,
Goddess Lakshmi must be worshipped every Friday. The statue or picture of Mahalakshmi should be kept on a red cloth. A ghee lamp should be lit and roses should be offered.
Never make a depression or water body at the centre of the plot or house.
beds.
Sweets and halwa made in ghee should be offered to Goddess Lakshmi. After the puja is over, it should be distributed among the poor and your own family members.
There should be no staircase in the northeast. This will block money from coming in. If the southwest corner is higher than the northeast, there is bound to be loss of money. Higher compound wall in the north affects finances. If such is the case, make the southern wall higher than the northern one.
How to please the Goddess of Wealth
According to Hindu beliefs and Vaastu, Goddess Lakshmi rules the day of Friday. So, Friday
Sometimes I question, do I even feel? For I go numb, now and then, Thoughts haunting, that someday, though I know not when, I’ll grow pale too, Just like you. Working rounds, what you call shifts, From dawn to dusk, time’ll just drift. When mornings will just be me running late, And evenings will be booked, for blaming fate.
Friday is best to install the Sriyantra or Mahalakshmi Yantra. Silver coins should be offered during the puja.
Even when I know fate isn’t to be blamed, And it’s just me and I should be ashamed.
Those looking for a job should donate red clothes on a Friday. People who are burdened with loans can do this meditation on Fridays after 11 PM: Imagine that you are offering lotus flowers to Goddess Mahalakshmi and she is sitting on a lotus. Offer 108 lotus flowers mentally. Do it every Friday until the loan is paid off.
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For I chose paths most of us did, Thinking dreams were privileges for kids. And now I’m stuck in the loop, Running like you, like all in the group. Trying too hard, Trying to play right, every card.
Antriksh Somany
Post-Holi hair and skin care tips Harshita Himatsingka @HHimatsingka
wet tissue or damp cloth.
T
he festival of Holi is here and so is the dry and humid season. Holi brings with it a lot of joy, happiness and fun times but it is also the harbinger of harmful chemicals, metals, acid, mica, glass powder etc. which can be found in synthetic colours used to play Holi. Thus, it is very important to take care of your hair and skin after this festival as residue colors, pakka rang and dry colours can damage your skin and hair. Here are some tips to make sure you have a fresh face and your silky locks intact post Holi.
1. Use coconut oil to remove colour from skin After playing Holi, don’t rush to wash your face and body from water. Use coconut oil to remove the colour from your body. Apply and leave for 5-10 minutes and then remove the colour with a
chemicals. Instead, use natural products such as a mix of gram flour (besan), curd, turmeric and honey to clean your body and face.
3. Brush your hair to get rid of dry colour
Before you get in the shower, brush or comb your hair to get rid
2. Avoid using facewash or soap Using facewash or soap will dry your skin and that is the last thing you want after your skin has been exposed to harmful
of any dry colour. Then step into the shower and wash your hair with lukewarm or cold water to retain moisture in your hair.
4. Apply homemade mask to condition your hair Apply a homemade mask of olive oil (1/2
tbsp), coconut oil (1 tbsp), honey (1 tsp) to condition your hair as your hair will get very dry because of exposure to chemicals. The natural ingredients will also help protect your hair from hair breakage.
22 Buzz
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
ADBU hosts NSS CM presents FICCI National Integration FLO Women Achievers Camp Awards 2018-19
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ICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), North-east chapter hosted its annual signature event, the “FLO Women Achievers Award - 201819” on Sunday, March 10 at Hotel Radisson Blu. The awards were presented by Assam chief minister, Sarbananda Sonowal. The lighting of the lamp was followed by a traditional Sattriya dance recital by accomplished dancer, Prerona Bhuyan Bora. Thereafter, the chairperson of FLO Northeast, Sarita Sikaria, e x t e n d e d the welcome address. Following that, a concise video displayed the various events that happened in FLO in 2018-19. She emphasized on how FLO has given a positive impetus to the lives of women. Her claim was endorsed by two of FLO’s skilled trainees, Santona Das, being skilled by FLO in cutting and tailoring who shared how previously, she had basic knowledge of tailoring and now after FLO’s training and mentoring, she has mastered tailoring so much that she can earn a living to support her family. The second trainee, Bijuli Hira from Hathiana Village, Changsari, spoke of how FLO’s training in mechanised pottery has helped
her village to increase production ten times and subsequently her income too. The programmed progressed with Juhie Saboo, vice chairperson FLO NE, introducing the five awardees, who were then
presented with the prize by chief minister Sonowal. The first of the awardees was Ms Eli Ahmed from Guwahati, Assam who is a Padma Shri and Sahitya Akademi awardee for her contribution to education and literature. The second awardee was Hemaprava Chutia from Moran, Assam. She is an exponential weaver, who has woven the Vaishnavite scriptures Gunamala and Naam Gosha, and also the Bhagawat Gita on cloth in Sanskrit. The third awardee was Agnes Kharshing from Shillong, Meghalaya. She is a social activist, who has been working actively against women and child trafficking, against illegal coal mining, creating
awareness for PDS and MNREGA schemes, helping people get social justice, etc. The fourth awardee was TemsutulaImsong from Mokokchung, Nagaland. She took up the mammoth task of cleaning the banks of the Prabhu Ghat in Varanasi and succeeded. The fifth awardee was Hemkanti Payeng from Lakhimpur district of Assam. She is a woman farmer who mainly cultivates mustard and is an example for all village women around her. Each of the awardees shared their insights, their dreams and their struggles. Each one inspired the large audience by their simplicity and empathy for society. They provoked the audience to think of how they can be instrumental in uplifting others around them. Sonowal then addressed the audience and stressed on how empowering women can help not only the growth of their own societies but also of the state and country at large. He congratulated all the awardees while applauding FLO’s initiative to recognise and award women achievers year after year. In closing, Dr Srutimala Duara, senior vice chairperson of FLO NE offered the vote of thanks.
GU to organize event ‘Super Nerds’
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auhati University is all set to organise an event called ‘Super Nerds’ that aims to foster zeal and enthusiasm among the youth of Assam in regard to the recent developments and achievements in various fields such as entrepreneurship, robotics, artificial intelligence, cyber security and Rubik’s cubes. The event is being organised in collaboration with Gauhati University Institute of Science and Technology (GUIST) and
University Law College. It is to be held from March 24 to March 27. Students from all across the state have been invited to participate in different activities and the event will act as a platform for various creative students to come up with ideas and showcase them. Delegates from each of the respective fields will be invited to interact with the students. A small cultural program to promote folk culture of Assam will be conducted to end the overall program.
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he government of India, in collaboration with the ministry of youth affairs & sports and Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU), the regional directorate of National Service Scheme (NSS), Guwahati had organised a sixday National Integration Camp
The event included technical sessions on life skills, selfdefense, shramdaan, literary competitions, outdoor games, cultural programmes, community engagement programmes, adventure sports and trekking activities.
(NIC) at the Tapesia campus of the university. Advocate General of Assam, Ramesh Chandra Borpatragohain, officially inaugurated the event on March 9. At least 200 NSS participants and 9 NSS programme officers from 14 states participated in the camp from March 8 until March 14.
The NSS is an Indian government-sponsored public service programme conducted by the ministry of youth affairs & sports of the government of India. It is a voluntary association of young adults in colleges, universities and +2 level working for a campuscommunity linkage.
1st All Assam Tong-IlMoo-Do Championship 2019 held
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he 1st All Assam TongIl-Moo-Do Championship 2019 was held on 9th and 10th March at Kokrajhar Government Higher Secondary and Middle Primary School ground in Kokrajhar district. TongIl-Moo-Do is a form of martial arts. CHD of BTC sports welfare, J Basumatary said that around 200 participants from seven different districts including Kamrup, Goalpara, Udalguri, Baksa, Chirang and Kokrajhar participated in the championship event. She added that this type of sports
competition will give an opportunity to select talented boys and girls and that they will benefit from such competitions. On Saturday, the first day of the competition, president of the Assam Tong-ILM o o - D o Association, S e w l y Mohilary hoisted the association’s flag and kickstarted the championship. The president of TongIL-Moo-Do Federation of India, Sudhir Kumar Malik and secretary, Satish Kumar Choudhury also attended the inaugural programme.
Entertainment
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
Music, website of animated movie Mahapurush Sri Sri Madhabdeva launched other singers who have rendered Borgeets, Ghosas and Pods are Gunindra Ojha, Hamendra Kumar Das, Jiten Basumatary, Madhusmita Bhattacharya, Krantika Sandilya, Jonali Ojha Basumatary, Rabindra Nath Das and Dinesh Das. The associate singers are Dhananjay Ojha, Nandita Das and Nabajit Das.
Prantik Deka
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he re markable life of saint, Mahapurush Sri Sri Madhabdeva, the creator of the epoch-making Naam Ghosa, is now being made into an Assamese animation film - the e age rly anticipate d Mahapurush Sri Sri Madhabdeva, which is all set to release on March 29. The film, produced by the Ramani Chitram Memorial Trust is conceptualised and directed by the preserver of Sattriya culture and philanthropist, Late Dalim Pathak. It has always been his endeavour to disseminate and promote the philosophy of Sankaradeva, and his faithful disciple Madhabdeva, among the young generation who know very little about the great saints. Recently, the film’s audio album, comprising several Borgeets, Ghosas, Pods and its official website were released in the presence of several noted celebrities from various walks of life, at a dignified function held at the Grand Bhabendra Alay, in Guwahati. The film’s teaser had been released earlier.The function, compered by musician Abani Ranjan Pathak, started off with a Borgeet, rendered by Jonali Ojah Basumatary. The traditional lamp was ignited by actor, Sadhan Hazarika. The film’s audio CD was
released by veteran actor, Nipon Goswami. The website, www. mahapurushsrisrimadhavadeva. com, was released by actor Dinesh Das, who expressed happiness on being given such an opportunity. Other guests at the event included actor Ashim Krishna Boruah and cultural activist, Ramen Das. The music of the movie has been
composed by Sattriya artiste, Gunindra Nath Ojha, singer and Sattriya promoter, Hamendra Kumar Das and classical vocalist, Jiten Basumatary. Barpeta Satra’s Satradhikar, Basistha Dev Sarma and the Deka Sattriya of the Satra, Nabajit Das Pathak have rendered playback singing for the first time in the film. Musically arranged by Manabjyoti Das, the
Mahapurush Sri Sri Madhabdeva features a number of profoundly moving traditional Borgeets and Ghosas, including ‘Aalobhaichalo Aais’, ‘Aalomoikikohbodukh’, ‘Mukeebarkaruna’, ‘Narayan kahebhokoti koru’, ‘Paweporihari’, ‘Pamru mon Ram charane’, ‘Moidurasar’, among others. This animation film is produced by Dalim Pathak’s sons, Bishwajyoti Pathak and Gauravjyoti Pathak. The dialogue and research work have been done by Prabhat Chandra Das. The script is written by Dalim Pathak, Dr Gautam Kumar Das and Abani Ranjan Pathak. Dr Gautam Kumar Das provided his services as the editor and animation director. The film’s associate director is Abani Ranjan Pathak. The film’s assistant director is Dipmoni Chutia. The VFX works have been done by Rahul Das. While Kanika Pathak has worked as the production manager, the film’s assistant production managers are Dr Dipanwita Das, Basuri Pathak and Jahnabi Pathak.
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Rima Das wins Best Director at DIFF
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ilmmaker Rima Das has won the award for “Best Director” at the prestigious 2019 Dublin International Film Festival’s Dublin Film Critics Circle (DFCC) category for her third Assamese feature film, Bulbul Can Sing. Upon receiving the award, Rima expressed her gratitude on her Facebook page and wrote, “I’m delighted to win Dublin Film Critics Circle Jury Award for Best Director for #BulbulCanSing. It’s amazing that a film based in a small village in #Assam, India is winning hearts in another part of the world. Thanks Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival, Ireland for the honour.” Bulbul Can Sing is a visceral coming-ofage drama about a teenage girl, Bulbul, living in a village in Assam, fighting her way through love and loss as she figures out who she really is. It has won several awards and even premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Event: Drift Music Festival Date: March 9th and 10th Venue: Greenwood Resort, Khanapara
The Drift music festival, an initiative developed for Trends conceptualized as the most ambitious undertaking for a festival was recently held in Guwahati city. The line-up included popular artist the likes of Ritviz, When Chai Met Toast, Suraj Mani and the Tattva Trip, The Yellow Diary Aswekeepsearching, and Gurbax along with notable North Eastern bands and artist such as Trance Effect, Project Baartalaap and The Scavenger Project. The festival also featured a platform for new and upcoming artist to compete and participate in the main festival.
24 Catching Up
G PLUS | MAR 16 - MAR 22, 2019
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Old Saraighat Bridge has been temporarily closed for maintainance and repairs | Photo Surajit Sharma
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