Vol 6 Issue 34 by G Plus

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Volume 06 | Issue 34 June 15 - June 21, 2019 Price `10

INSIDE

Dist admin fails to mitigate flash floods despite awareness & cleanliness drives PG 02

GMCH doctors, students extend solidarity to WB medics facing violence

Jawahar Nagar substation shutdown worsens power situation in Guwahati PG 05

PG 03

Acid attacker’s identity leaves cops confused, search operation still on Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

hough the city police have claimed to have arrested the miscreant involved in attacking Guwahati women with

ASTC launches app to track buses live

ssam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) launched a mobile app for the bus commuters in Guwahati. The new Chalo app will enable the commuters in Guwahati to know the live arrival time of their bus so they plan their travel accordingly. The commuters will also be able to track the live GPS position of their bus on a map, plan their trip, find the cheapest and fastest trip options, including all the bus route options to their destination, among others. In addition, ASTC had also introduced electronic ticketing in its buses with Electronic Ticket Issuing Machines (ETIMs), which can accept all modes of payment, including cards, mobile payments, QR code payments and other forms of digital payments. “This is an ambitious project for us. The first phase will cover 250 city buses, and in a few months’ time, Assam will be the first state in the country to have a state-wide smart transport solution and common mobility card for its commuters. We are investing in technology that will help make public transport more convenient for commuters,” Anand Prakash Tiwari, Managing Director of ASTC said.

acid-like substance, attacker’s identity has popped up to be a confusion that continues to prevail. Fatasil police arrested one person involved in the acidlike attacks happening in Guwahati from Colony Bazar

near VIP hotel on June 12. The arrested has been identified as Bhaskar Malakar, a resident of Lakhimi Mandir area of Saukuchi under Basistha police station. While the police have nabbed Malakar in connection

with the incidents, the accused (who was admitted to Gauhati Medical College & Hospital after being thrashed by the public on June 12) has denied the allegations levelled upon him. This has left the city

police confused about the attacker’s identity. The police have confirmed that search operation for the actual culprit continues. Continued on Page 09

Lead Story

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

Dist admin fails to mitigate flash floods despite awareness & cleanliness drives Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

short spell of rain on Friday morning caused an unprecedented artificial flood across several parts of the city. Commuters were stuck in hourlong traffic jams and reports of knee-high water-logging were reported from several parts of the city. This once again threw light on the poor drainage system in the city, the work for which has been pending for several months now. Tackling flash floods was one of the key goals in the funds sanctioned in the Smart City project. However, no progress seems to have been recorded on the same. While the hills inside the city and the encroachments there are the primary reasons behind the accumulation of rain water in the low-lying areas such as Anil Nagar, Nabin Nagar and Zoo Road, city residents also blame the government departments – Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), and Public Works Department (PWD) – that are involved in mitigating the flash flood problem. In spite of de-siltation drives being carried out across all major arterial roads of the city by the GMC and PWD, clogged drains remain a major reason behind the city’s water logging problem. The Kamrup (Metro) district

administration, in May 2019, had claimed to have geared up for the rainy season and stated that it had started work to ensure a floodfree city. Under the instructions of the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of the district, the cleaning drive of the rivers and drains had been

happen this time. They should be cleared away immediately. We are doing our best to avoid any water logging this time.” These projects are being undertaken jointly by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and the Guwahati

Flood in Chandmari on Friday morning | G Plus Photo started. “Apart from clearing out the dirt and garbage thrown into the watercourses, water hyacinths and other weeds are also being taken out. We’re also keeping all water outlet channels clean at all times,” said a source in the GMC. The DC Kamrup (M) Biswajit Pegu said, “There should be no halt in carrying out the cleanliness drive in the city this time. Usually, more dirt is stacked up even after the drains have been cleaned out, but it should not

Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). GMC has also taken initiative to organise mass awareness campaigns on keeping the city clean. The awareness campaigns will be organised in the month of June across all 31 wards, informed GMC Commissioner Debeswar Malakar. However, in spite of the administration’s tall claims, the city had to once again reel under flash flood on Friday morning. In a survey conducted by G Plus – in

which 50 persons each from the 31 wards of the city were asked questions on 15 living parameters – it was revealed that in as many as 26 wards, flash floods is a perennial problem. The survey also revealed that maintenance of the drains was irregular in all these 26 wards. Over the past few years, apart from causing inconveniences, flash floods and water logging have also resulted in injuries and casualties. In 2013, a person had died of electrocution in the flash floods while in 2014, eight persons died of landslides and electrocution and one went missing. This continued till 2017 when three persons died of electrocution at inundated places. “Almost all major roads and by-lanes were dug up before elections and were left as it is. With incomplete roads and nowhere else to go, rain water will continue to unleash deluges in Guwahati unless administration re-lays the roads and by-lanes and clears the drains on war footing,” expressed Pranjal Patowary, a resident of the city. In the same vein, a resident of Jorabat speaking to G Plus said, “There is no proper rainwater management system to provide relief. Residents and business establishments on both sides

“Almost all major roads and by-lanes were dug up before elections and were left as it is. With incomplete roads and nowhere else to go, rain water will continue to unleash deluges in Guwahati unless administration relays the roads and by-lanes and clears the drains on war footing,” a resident of Guwahati. of the highway lose a lot when it rains, even if it is for a while. Goods worth lakhs gets damaged every time there is a flash flood. Moreover, the water also damages a lot of parked vehicles. After the water recedes, we then have to deal with the filth, dirt and sludge, which take several days to clear.” After every downpour, the city drains swell to engulf the roads and low-lying areas of Guwahati, a predicament that the concerned departments have been unsuccessful in solving over the past decade.

GDD minster fails to solve urban flood menace; Rs 75 Cr flows ‘down the drain’ G Plus News @guwahatiplus

s soon as Gauhati East MLA, Siddhartha Bhattacharya, had become the Guwahati Development Department (GDD) minister in April 2018, he had met the officials of Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) displaying an aggressive disposition ensuring that media reports stated that the newly appointed minister will leave no stone unturned to develop Guwahati. One year later it looks like the minister has not given even an

average performance with every short smart shower submerging Guwahati. Friday morning last is the latest case in point. When the minister took over de-siltation work was going on in full swing. He had then pronounced that he would monitor the work minutely and personally and ensure that the drains were properly cleaned. But the shower story of the city from Friday morning last begs to tell a different tale. A former BJP GMC councillor, talking to G Plus under condition of anonymity said, “The de-siltation work was neither monitored properly by the minister nor by the GMC officials. Therefore the drains were not properly cleaned and Rs 75 crores was wasted by the GDD.”

He explained that GMC had received a grant of Rs 75 crores in 2018 to develop the drainage system and the city’s major river channels. The GMC prepared a three-year plan (2018-20) to assess the drainage system of the city, de-silt the drains and clean the river channels by utilising the fund. He explained that in July 2018 the tenure of the councillors ended and thereafter the contractors working on the project were dealing directly with the engineers and not through the respective councillor. The GMC engineers, according to the councillor, can be easily bribed for obtaining favourable reports which help the contractors in getting their bills cleared from the urban local body despite deficiency in

their work. “From April to July, work was happening fine as the contractors could get their payments only if the councillors were satisfied with the de-silting work. After July, with the councillors’ tenure ending, it became the duty of the GDD minister to monitor the work from time to time which he never did,” said the former councillor. There are 330 drains and five major river channels in the city (Bharalu, Bahini, Lakhimijan, Basistha and Mora Bharalu). The contractors were accordingly awarded the work after tenders were floated. The councillor claimed that the

Siddhartha Bhattacharya contractors do not clean the drains properly if not monitored, and since July 2018 no one monitored the work properly. The GDD minister remains busy cutting ribbons and his associates remain busy dealing with the contractors, alleged the councillor.

In The News

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

GMCH doctors, students extend solidarity to WB medics facing violence Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

xtending their solidarity towards doctors of West Bengal who have been facing violence over the past few days, doctors and students of Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) took part in a demonstration at the GMCH premises on Friday, June 14. The doctors, students as well as interns took part in the demonstration protest which began at around 9 am on Friday and ended around 6 pm. They protested against the violence against doctors in West Bengal and have demanded immediate and strict action against the perpetrators. Further, medical students also organised a space for an open mic session and signature campaign. The students and doctors held placards and also formed a human chain in the GMCH premises.

Apart from GMCH, the doctors and students at all six government medical colleges at Dibrugarh, Silchar, Tezpur, Barpeta and Jorhat also organised similar protests at their respective premises. professors, doctors, students and interns had participated in the protest. “These kinds of incidents are happening rampantly with regularity in each state and district. Mob attacks on doctors have become a regular occurrence and people are turning a blind eye to our issues,” said Goswami. He added that the patients feel that doctors can save each and every patient who

They also expressed their Further, the situation in Violence and Damage to concern over the lukewarm major medical colleges also Property) Act should be response on the part of law turned violent after reports properly implemented in its enforcing agencies resulting of mob attacks surfaced from true spirit in Assam. in the release of culprits some places. “Even if someone is caught after a few days of police Further, Indian Medical for harassment and violence custody. Association (IMA), Assam against doctors or hospitals, This kind of violence State Branch also condemned they are let off easily and against medical practitioners, the attacks on doctors and are not convicted. The especially doctors, is a telltale hospitals. State president Dr government needs to take signal of a society desperately Satyajit Borah and members some bold steps against such going wrong somewhere and of IMA Assam condemned the activities,” said a student of it is indeed high time that growing trend of intolerance GMCH. the concerned authorities take against poor outcome and Junior doctors in West heed of this and thereafter medical treatment and Bengal are on a strike since take the necessary steps to subsequent assault on doctors Tuesday after two doctors bring such situations to a and ransacking of hospital were attacked and seriously complete halt. property. injured at the NRS Medical n College & Hospital in Kolkata Your Academic Home following the Estd : 1992 death of a patient. Affiliated to Dibrugarh University, Gauhati University & ASTU According to Approved by BCI & AICTE, MHRD, Govt. of India reports, the matter then snowballed quickly in NERIM Group of Institutions West Bengal Your Academic Home as the strike affected medical services in the

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come to them. “The mentality of the patients should change and they should bring them to the hospital on time when there are still chances to save them. But critically ill patients have less chances of survival,” mentioned Goswami. The doctors on Friday also demanded safety of doctors in Assam and also asked that Assam Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Protection of

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GMCH medics staging their protest to express solidarity with the fraternity in West Bengal | G Plus photo However, no emergency or OPD services were affected due to this, informed members of the GMCH students’ union. Apart from GMCH, the doctors and students at all six government medical colleges at Dibrugarh, Silchar, Tezpur, Barpeta and Jorhat also organised similar protests at their respective premises. Dr Dipanjan Goswami, General Secretary of Junior Doctors’ Association informed G Plus that around 200

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4 In The News

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

Rs 2.6 Cr budget allocated for Ambubachi Mela 2019 Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

reparations for Ambubachi Mela are going on in the city in full swing. The tourism department of Assam government is working in tandem with the district administration and other departments like PWD and GMC to organize the festival smoothly. This year, Ambubachi Mela will be held from June 2225 and the total expense for the holy festival has been estimated at Rs 2.6 crores. Out of the total amount, Rs 1.36 crores will be spent by the Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) for publicity of the event, decoration of the Kamakhya temple and the approaching roads with ornamental lights, and conducting the cultural

ATDC Chairman, Jayanta Malla Baruah, briefing the media about Ambubachi preparations programs. The remaining amount is being used for the development of roads, setting up of camps,

drinking water facilities, toilet facilities, maintaining cleanliness and hygiene, etc. The Guwahati Municipal

Corporation (GMC) is set to establish 330 water taps in and around Kamakhya Temple for convenience of devotees who

will visit the temple during the upcoming Ambubachi mela. In an attempt to promote the festival, the ATDC has targeted people from across the country by means of hoardings, radio jingles and television advertisements. “According to previous records, most of the devotees come from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat to attend the Ambubachi Mela. So, we have already started promotional activities in those states by means of radio jingles, advertisement on regional TV channels etc. Promotional hoardings have also been installed at Kolkata and New Delhi airports. We have also requested the railway ministry to run two special trains – one from Banaras to Guwahati and another from Kolkata to Guwahati during the Mela days,” the ATDC chairman, Jayanta Malla Baruah said. n

Guwahati expected to host 25 lakh devotees during Ambubachi Mela this year

he city is gearing up for the largest religious congregation in the state as an estimated 25 lakh people are expected to attend the four-day long annual festival. “Based on ledger head count, a total of over 20 lakh pilgrims visited the temple during the 2018 Ambubachi Mela. This year, we’re expecting the numbers to go up by 20% and we’re gearing up to host them all,” informed Jayanta Malla Baruah, Chairman of ATDC. Kamakhya is one of the 51 shakti shrines representing different body parts of Shiva’s consort Sati. During the four-day event from June 22 to June 25, the temple door remains closed. It is believed that the presiding Goddess of the temple, Devi Kamakhya, goes through her annual cycle of menstruation during the festival. Devotees from across India, Nepal, Bangladesh and other countries visit the temple to seek blessing of the Mother Goddess during her most potent and sacred time. From devotees to black-clad aghoris and sadhus to sanyasis, people from all walks of life visit the holy shrine. In a bid to ease traffic congestion and ensure hygiene, the

Kamrup (M) district administration has decided against setting up a rest camp for devotees near the Kamakhya Railway Station during the ensuing Ambubachi Mela. “On the basis of previous data, we have realized that the rest camp near the railway station causes a lot of inconvenience to other passengers. So we have taken the current step,” informed Biswajeet Pegu, Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M). A total of four campsites will be put up this year - one each at Fancy Bazar Jail Campus, Pandu Railway Station, Boripara High School Playground and Naharbari. “This time, instead of erecting large number of makeshift camps for devotees, we have decided to keep the number to only four. All the four camps will have 20% more capacity for accommodating devotees. There will be information centres at the Kamakhya railway junction to help devotees in guiding them to different camps,” said the ATDC chairman. He further added that bus service will be provided to the devotees to help them commute to the campsites. At the campsites, the devotees will be provided

Guidelines for serving food in Bhandaras issued with clean and hygienic living facilities, washrooms and drinking water facilities. To control the huge gathering and to avoid any kind of accident, this time plying of all vehicles will be strictly restricted during the Mela days. The district administration said that they wouldn’t even allow VIP vehicles on the road from the foothill to the temple premises during peak hours. Additionally, for the convenience of devotees, all four roads approaching the temple have been developed and will be in use throughout the festival. Drinking water facility, footwear stands and rest camps will be set up in all the routes. n

he administration has taken special steps to ensure cleanliness and hygiene in the city during the Ambubachi Mela. As part of the effort, it has issued a number of guidelines to the Bhandaras who provide free food to devotees. In a charter of directives, the district administration clearly stated that every Bhandara should have to maintain utmost hygiene and sanitation while preparing and serving food, and all ingredients used for the preparation of different food items must be of the best quality. The Bhandaras have also been asked to refrain from

using chilli powder, dry chillies, pumpkins, khichri, blended oil and curd in the preparation of food. Further, no temporary stall to distribute food items will be allowed along the road to the Kamakhya temple from Bharalumukh, and from the Kamakhya Gate to Maligaon. Officials of the district food safety department will constantly monitor all the food prepared and served during the Mela days. The administration will also impose a total restriction on the distribution of food outside the dining hall of the Bhandaras. n

City

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

Jawahar Nagar substation shutdown worsens power situation in Guwahati Antarixa Bhardwaj

he shutting down, albeit temporarily, of the Jawahar Nagar gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) substation in Khanapara has resulted in long hours of load shedding in several parts of the city. With Sonapur being the most affected area, people living in Basistha and Garbhanga have also taken a hit because of the shutdown. Various other areas, including Hatigaon, Kharghuli and Zoo Road have also been witnessing four to five hours of load shedding every day. The seven-day long shutdown of the Jawahar Nagar GIS that began on June 10 is expected to further aggravate the condition of the city dwellers with the peak temperature of city rising as high as 39°C. Frustrated with the frequent power cuts, a resident of Hatigaon told G Plus, “Everyday we face 4 to 5 hours of load shedding. Most of the time, there is no electricity in

the early morning hours and this leads to delay in our work. It’s just the beginning of summer and we

thetic. This is 2019 and our city still does not have uninterrupted power supply. You reach home

The APDCL headquarters: Bijulee Bhawan already feel like its 40°C outside. How are we going to stay inside our homes if there is no electricity?” Another citizen, a resident of Kharguli, said, “It is actually pa-

after a hard day’s work with the temperature soaring to 37o only to find your house in darkness. How frustrating can things get? Who do we hold accountable? And the situation is being repeated every-

day these days.” According to Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL), which is responsible for distribution, trading and supply of electricity in the state, the Jawahar Nagar GIS has been shut down for some emergency maintenance work. Sources at APDCL told G Plus, “Once the maintenance work is over, power supply will come back to normal. This is a planned shutdown and our team is working on it to complete the work by June 17. There is availability of power, but we are unable to distribute it because of the shutdown.” In the peak hours, Guwahati currently requires approximately 1,600 megawatt of electricity.

However, APDCL buys electricity from the central government if the demand is higher than the regular demand. The source at APDCL further added, “As our own production is not much, we buy electricity from the central government entities. And if there is no transmission constraint or no maintenance shutdown, we fulfil our entire demand for electricity from the central government sector.” The Jawahar Nagar GIS is the first GIS substation in the entire northeast region. Built at a cost of Rs 49.56 crores, the substation has 220/33 kilo volt capacity. Inaugurated in 2014, the substation has been catering to several localities in the city including Dispur, Beltola, Basistha, Narengi, Khanapara and Panjabari, among others. A GIS substation has a number of advantages over conventional substations and the air-insulated substations. It requires less space than air-insulated substations and virtually negligible maintenance. The cost-effective substation is also safer in operation and has a longer life cycle.

6 City Snippets Differently-abled man tries to commit suicide in Paltan Bazaar

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

GS Road beautification exceeds deadline, 3 more months until completion Nehal Jain & Yukti Jain

T A

differently-abled man was seen trying to commit suicide in the city’s busy Paltan Bazaar area in the afternoon today, June 14. The man was seen lying on the busy street during heavy traffic hours. His identity was not known till the time of filing this report. Speaking exclusively to G Plus, a resident who was in the area said, “I was leaving my lane when the man almost came under my bike. I offered him some water and then went to the nearest police station (Paltan Bazaar police station). When there was no response there, I dialed 100 and a team of police arrived at the scene.” He mentioned that after the police arrived, they cleared some local vendors and people in the area and left. A police officer who was at the scene said that he couldn’t do anything since he isn’t a doctor. “I got the complaint, I’ll take him to the hospital and then whatever happens, happens. I don’t know,” said the police. While describing the man, the resident said that the former has no legs, has cut marks all over his body. A foamy substance was also seen coming out of his mouth. It has been alleged that the unidentified man was under the influence of some kind of addictive substance. “This man tried to commit suicide at least three to four times. He kept coming in front of vehicles so that he could die,” the resident claimed. The resident also alleged that when the police arrived at the scene, one of them shouted at him and asked him why he called the police for beggars, since they are just lying on the streets anywhere. However, there was another policeman at the scene who appreciated him and said that he did the right thing. Later, the police called a rickshaw-puller to take the man to the hospital.

he Public Works Department (PWD) of Guwahati had undertaken beautification works on GS Road, the most prominent part of the city in November 2018. The plan was to complete the first phase, covering a length of 3.5 km, by March 31, 2019. However, the authorities have failed to do so and have now claimed that the work will be completed in the next three months. In the first phase, the PWD is covering the stretch from Ulubari to Ganeshguri. The department is doing away with the existing road dividers and replacing them with better and wider ones. It is also removing the uneven footpaths and replacing them with colourful tiles with patterns. The estimated budget for this city beautification project is Rs 47 crores. “Close to 80 percent of the work has been done and the PWD requires three more months to complete the construction of dividers and footpath on GS Road,” Bhupendra Chandra Sarma, Executive Engineer, PWD Guwahati City Division-1 told G Plus.

When questioned about the reason for delay in the completion of work, the PWD engineer failed to cite any specific reasons. While the first phase of the project is ongoing, the PWD minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has already given a go-ahead for the second phase of work, to cover the stretch from Ganeshguri to Khanapara. Under the beautification project, 80 cm wide dividers are being constructed on the entire stretch of GS Road which is around 11 kms in length (excluding the flyovers). Additionally, saplings are being planted in the dividers to make it visually appealing and also purify the air. The maintenance work of the saplings has been issued to a contractor for the next three years. The estimated amount for the construction of the dividers is Rs 12 crores. Although the initiative was first taken forward in GS Road area of the city, the PWD minister has given a green signal to the department to implement the project in other areas of the city as well after assessment of the results. The project is expected to be implemented on the stretch between Maligaon and Kamakhya. A proposal has also been sent for the same projects to be undertaken on the stretch between Chandmari and Guwahati Club.

Work-in-progress continues on the GS Road divider | G Plus photo “The existing dividers were very narrow and so they have been broken at multiple areas by commuters. We’re now making wider dividers with the aim to prevent such mischievous activities,” informed Dilip Hazarika, superintending engineer of PWD, City Circle. He further informed that the dividers will have pedestrian crossovers 200-250 metres apart for the pedestrians to cross the road with ease. Speaking to G Plus about the current state of the beautification project, Bhupendra Sarma said, “The beautification of footpaths that started about six months back is nearing completion on MG Road. Rs 3.80 crores of the

total budget of Rs 9.24 crores is being spent on improving the footpaths by using ornamental MS grills including the improvement of drainage facilities in the area.” He further added that the entire city of Guwahati will soon witness colourful footpaths with proper drainage facilities, footpath grills, implementation of carb stones and colorful Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) tiles. Additionally, two flyovers, namely Ulubari flyover and Bhangagarh flyover, will be seen having mastic asphalt (suitable for heavily trafficked roads) for smooth travelling of the commuters. n

Slow paced beautification work increases commuters’ woes

ith the temperature rising and the ongoing city beautification work, commuters in Guwahati are facing a harrowing time getting stuck in traffic jams, especially on GS Road and in Jalukbari and Sarabbhati areas of the city. “It used to take me 15 minutes to travel from my home in Kalapahar to office in Ulubari. But since the last few days, I’ve been getting stuck in hour-long traffic jams,” expressed Megha Pandey, a citizen of Guwahati. In the same vein, another citizen said, “The traffic on GS Road is getting worse by the day. The authority should carry out

The citizens have opined that construction work for beautification happening during the day causes a major problem for moving traffic in Guwahati and the department Traffic snarls are a regular sight on GS Road | G Plus photo should shift the time the construction work during from day to night. Further, the night hours instead of harassing newly opened shopping centres and coaching institutes on GS the commuters daily.”

Road also seem to be adding to the problem. “We are trying our best to control the traffic in the city but we need cooperation from the public to deal with the problem,” expressed Prashant Saikia, DCP Traffic. He further added that if pedestrians become more careful in crossing the road, and vehicles (especially city buses) stop rash driving, these problems will become easier to solve. The residents of Guwahati have been witnessing traffic snarls for more than a week now and the scorching heat is just making it worse to commute during the day. n

Concern

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

600-1K cattle smuggled to Bangladesh daily through Assam Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

onapur has emerged as a transit point for cattle smuggling in Assam. Cattle smuggling has been rampant in the state of Assam over the past few years. Members of the All India Livestock Traders and Transporter Association (AILTTA) have alleged the existence of a cattle smuggling syndicate in Assam and Guwahati. They said that in Assam, cattle are brought in trucks from Srirampur in the state to 9 Mile which is a hub of cattle trade in Kamrup (Metro). They alleged that members of the syndicate transport livestock

illegally to Bangladesh through Assam and West Bengal borders. AILTTA members informed that a majority of the cattle which is smuggled illegally to Bangladesh comes from outside the state. They are brought mainly from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Bihar and every day between 600 and 1,000 cattle are smuggled to Bangladesh from Assam. The demand for cow meat is high in Bangladesh and Indian cows are considered good quality beef and are sold at prices as high as Rs 50,000 per head making it a lucrative illegal business for smugglers, as per sources. Apart from Assam’s Sonapur, another transit point for this illegal trade is Panjipara in Bengal, informed sources.

the smugglers through which they smuggle livestock into Bangladesh. “There are many points along the Assam-Bangladesh border where the fencing along the border is still incomplete and

Cattle smuggling where cattle is ferried by boats to Bangladesh | G Plus photo

they take advantage of this loophole,” he said adding that a lot of smuggling also takes place via the Brahmaputra River in which the cows are let loose to swim their way to Bangladesh. Livestock transporters from Guwahati have also alleged that police, especially those at the lower rung, are hand-in-glove with smugglers in the illegal cow trade. They also added that the nexus has the backing of

government officials too, either through monetary investment or through power. “We have approached the police many times for the past five years and have asked them to take strict action against smugglers, but no action is taken,” Saikia told G Plus. He added that last year, a fivemember Cattle Smuggling Wing was also constituted under the police to check such activities and an enquiry was also initiated under the orders of the home and political department. “Names of around nine people had come up during the enquiry, but no action was taken against them and no charge sheet was filed against them,” mentioned Saikia.

No place to keep cattle after recovery: Police

alking to G Plus, a senior police official said on the condition of anonymity that one of the major issues which the police face is the lack of cow sheds or shelters constructed by the government to keep the cows after their recovery from smugglers. “Whenever the officersin-charge of different police stations have seized the trucks of illegal cattle, our biggest concern is that we have no place to keep them. This becomes the biggest challenge for us,” he said. He further added that social welfare department has been

directed by the Centre to make these shelters in every district. “After catching the cows, we have to take care of 30-40 cows at a time and the OC becomes responsible even if one cow gets lost. We have to find a place to keep them and feed them from our own pockets. This is why the police usually do not want to take on the headache,” said the official adding that there should be at least one big cow shelter for every two districts, with a capacity of at least 1,000 cows. Another police officer said that since they don’t want to arrest the smugglers and take responsibility of the seized cows, personnel posted in the

Snippets Brain tumour accounts for over 24,000 deaths in India annually - IARC

Dr Navanil Barua Director, Neurosurgery, GNRC.

Violation of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 urther, violating the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, those involved in smuggling overload the vehicles in which animals are transported, causing injury and even death of some cows in the process. “The permissible limit per truck is 16 cows in total and as per the guidelines, traders cannot carry more than 200 kilograms per truck- which are usually tempos. But the smugglers load double the number of cattle into the vehicle and transport them in an inhuman manner, causing overloading and injury to the cows,” informed Munna Saikia, general secretary of the AILTTA. Saikia added that Dhubri is another route followed by

lower ranks see this as an opportunity to take bribes from the smugglers. On the other hand, the commissioner of police, Deepak Kumar, told G Plus that they have tightened security and vigil at all vulnerable locations. “We are on continuous lookout for people involved in the racket. Kokrajhar and Sagalia are the two main entry points for cattle in Assam. We will increase vigil and take strict action against people smuggling cattle from these key points,” said Kumar. He further added that South Salmara is also a hotspot for illegally transporting cattle and the Border Security Force (BSF)

personnel need to be more alert and stringent in their checking along the border areas. Additionally, the police caught hold of 16 cow smugglers from across the state on Wednesday, June 12. Out of these, four were arrested in Khetri area in Guwahati while others were arrested from Kokrajhar and Dhubri. The arrested persons in Guwahati included Mohammad Saddam Hussain, Mirjanur Rahman, Suraj Ali and Alimuddin. They were arrested under section 378 of the IPC. As per the police, all four arrested persons are residents of Kaoimari in Nagaon district.

rain tumour accounts for more 24,000 deaths in India annually, according to the Globocan 2018 report, released by International Association of Cancer Registries (IARC). The incidences of brain tumour being diagnosed in the country are also on the rise. As per various reports, 40,000-50,000 new cases of brain tumour reported in India every year. With a doctor and patient ratio of 1:17,000, India currently does not even have enough doctors to treat patients, said GNRC, Neurosurgery, director, Dr Navanil Barua. Dr Barua said, “Less than 50% individuals with brain tumour have had their conditions diagnosed. While symptoms of brain tumours are not always specific, but persistent/recurrent symptoms like unexplained headaches, difficulty in speech, vision, hearing, unexplained nauseavomiting, gait problems, changes in mood or ability to concentrate, memory loss, numbness or tingling in the legs/arms or seizures are all caused for concern.” Dr Barua further added, “If brain tumour is diagnosed in the first stage then it is easy to operate, but if it is diagnosed in the fourth grade then it may be operated but there will be a long term consequences. Since the brain controls all the functions in the body, the tumour will have a long term effect if it is not diagnosed at the right time.” There are two main types of tumours, malignant (cancerous) and benign. Brain tumours may result in symptoms that vary depending on the part of the brain involved. These symptoms are headaches, seizures, problems with vision, vomiting and mental changes, among others.

8 City

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

Skyrocketing GS Road rentals rendering retailing business unviable Harshita Himatsingka @HHimatsingka

S Road is today a premium shopping locality. It is has donned the mantle of a kilometre long stretch offering both high-street and local shopping opportunities. Because of this reason, rent in the area is increasing exponentially. G Plus takes a look at some of the factors that have caused this rent hike and the underlying reasons behind it.

and landlords now have to face a number of problems,” said Amit Gangwal, a property consultant in that area. Gangwal explained that since 2012, no retail space has been leased without an agreement. Both the landlord and tenant have to agree to the terms and conditions, and only then a lease is finalized. The tenants have to sign a rental agreement for a minimum of 11 months which is

They are not able to sustain for even 3 years and every time I have to look for new tenants, it is a hassle. I like long-term rentals because there is peace of mind that things are happening the right way according to the clauses mentioned in the agreement and both parties are happy,” said a landlord who owns properties on both GS Road and Zoo road. On speaking to tenants

Status of rentals in present-day Guwahati

The rent of retail stores on GS Road area has gone up almost five times in the last ten years as the area has shown consistent growth patterns. The average price to acquire a retail store in the area starts from Rs 300 per square feet and extends to almost Rs 1,000 per square feet for many multinational corporation (MNCs) stores. “I started my shop in 2007 and at that time, our rent was Rs 6,000 per month. However now, because of how expansive GS Road has become, our rent has increased to Rs 30,000 per month,” said a tenant who owns an IT retail store in Christian Basti. A lot of retail stores that had started business a decade ago when GS Road was not as glamorous are struggling now because of high rentals. In the past, they could pay reasonable rent and afford all their overheads and other costs. But now they are struggling to even meet their rents, match all their costs and keep their businesses running. “The problem is with retail stores that started when GS Road was not the hub it is today. Those people had acquired their stores without proper agreements and because of that, both the tenants

Hot spot of the city, the GS Road | G Plus photo included in the standard clause and have to pay a security deposit amounting to 6 months’ rent as per the landlord’s demand. This security fee is kept as a safeguard by the landlord so that she/he can use it if the tenant causes any damage to the property or is unable to make rent. Most contracts nowadays are made for a time period of 9 years, wherein every 3 years, rent is escalated by 15 percent. An agreement of this sort is required as everyone has to have a trade license nowadays and one cannot get a trade license without submitting their rental application agreement. “I personally prefer to take on long-term rentals because nowadays, some businesses in this area are really struggling.

striving to keep their businesses afloat, they mentioned that overhead costs such as staff salary, electricity, maintenance, advertisement and brandbuilding are difficult to keep up with and one cannot also do away with any of these as they are important factors in running a business. “The problem we have today is that we are not being able to meet our overhead costs and there is no turnover. There is a lot of online competition and another problem is that GMC and GMDA do not allow any parking in many parts of the street,” said the IT retail store owner. Online competition has definitely hampered business, according to many retail business owners in the city.

Nowadays, people do not want to bother with parking and traffic in the city anymore and they simply prefer to buy things online as it is delivered right to their doorstep and they can avail many discounts. The government also has no major rules and regulations for online companies which make it easier for them to sustain since they don’t have to pay extensive taxes. Most of them get foreign funding every quarter of the fiscal year and they can work out of warehouses which saves them a lot of money on overhead costs. Property consultant Gangwal mentioned to G Plus that his company and many others get around 50 calls a day for inquiries about retail spaces on GS Road. At present, there is a huge demand for space but there is no actual physical space in that area. Some retail owners said that this increase in demand is making landlords in the city unfair with their power and they are asking for insane amounts of rent money and security prices. Some landlords are even threatening tenants who have been renting their space for as long as 10 years to vacate the premises. “Currently, there is an indirect console in the market and there is an inverse demand and ratio aspect, which means that we as landlords cannot charge something which is not a trend. We cannot go and charge Rs 500 per square feet because no one would pay that amount.

Online shopping facilities, shortage or inconvenience of parking spaces, growing overheads, unreasonable landlords/building owners compound the problems of the retail business owners who are struggling to keep their brick-andmortar business models on GS Road afloat. Everything in this sector is decided by market rates, but it follows a trend and we have to work with the trend for successful business earnings,” said the landlord to counter this agreement. However, she did agree that there are some landlords in the city who are charging exorbitant rates just based on demand. But if they continue doing this, they won’t be able to survive in the market for a long time. “The business sector on GS Road has changed a lot over the past years and the rates that were feasible 10 years ago are not at all viable today. If sales increase, rent will also go up and this is just the way the market works. Everyone who invests in a business today has to have a smart plan for their business,” explained Gangwal. While tenants say that rent should be capped against demand, currently there are no such laws and the fact remains that market rates decide rent amount and that it is the major deciding factor for everything. n

Weather report for the week Guwahati

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In The News

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

Acid attacker’s identity leaves cops confused, search operation still on fROM Page 01

ommissioner of police Deepak Kumar informed G Plus that a thorough investigation is ongoing which will soon solve the issue. According to the police, the accused tried to throw the chemically treated substance at two women in Fatasil Ambari area of the city on June 1. “Someone threw acid on me. But luckily that didn’t harm me much. A small part of my leg was burnt,” said a victim of the acid-like attack in Bhaskar Nagar under Fatasil Ambari police sta-

BJP social media cell members arrested for post against CM Sonowal

wo members of the ruling BJP’s social media team were arrested on June 13 for being vocal against the state government, and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in particular. This led to allegations of “intolerance” from their colleagues. Nitumoni Bora and Nani Gopal Dutta were arrested on June 13, and the house of another member, Hemanta Baruah, was also raided by the police on the night of June 12. While Bora hails from Morigaon district of central Assam, Dutta and Baruah hail from Majuli, the district and constituency represented by Sonowal. “There was an FIR lodged against Nitumoni Bora by one Raju Mahanta last night based on which we have arrested him. It was stated in the FIR that he had posted a derogatory comment against the Chief Minister,” Morigaon Superintendent of Police Swapnanil Deka told IANS. The social media team has now questioned the existence of internal democracy in the party. “We have been working very hard since 2014 to popularize the party (BJP) in Assam because we love the party and its ideals. We had launched an aggressive social media campaign against the then ruling Congress, exposing the party and its misrule to the people which in fact paved way for a change of guard in Assam. However, our members were not arrested by the then Congress government,” said a member of the BJP’s social media team on the condition of anonymity.

Video still of the attacker being thrashed by public tion. A case (204/19) was thus registered at Fatasil Ambari police station under section 326 B of the

Indian Penal Code by the victim, Ankita Nandi. Another woman, Deepali

Biswas, was also attacked on the same day and sustained burn injuries in the upper back. However, she didn’t register any official complaint. Similar incidents are also being reported from other parts of the city and the police still seem unaware about the whereabouts of the miscreants involved in these crimes. While there were reports of the women being attacked with acid, commissioner of police Deepak Kumar clarified that the accused had thrown an instant adhesive at the women, not acid. Speaking to G Plus, the commissioner said, “Traces of the substance was sent to the Foren-

sic Science Laboratory for testing and it has been confirmed that it was an adhesive substance that causes the skin to burn. We have also recovered a bottle of Flex Kwik from Malakar’s possession and have sent it to the lab to see if it matches with the sample.” The crime chart of Guwahati also reveals that the law and order situation is deteriorating in the city. The number of cases being registered in the city has been increasing tremendously over the years. Over 17,000 cases were registered in the city in 2018, while close to 16,000 and 13,000 cases were registered in the previous years, 2017 and 2016, respectively. n

10 Governance

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

Govt forms 8 clusters to provide insurance benefits to farmers Antarixa Bhardwaj

he government of Assam has set up eight clusters under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY) to provide

insurance benefits to farmers across the state. The scheme is expected to cover at least 5 lakh farmers in 2019-20. The districts of the state have been divided into 8 clusters, which are arranged in accordance to the risk profiles of the crops.

Agriculture Insurance Company of India Ltd (AIC) will implement the PMFBY scheme in six of the clusters, while HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Ltd will be responsible for the remaining two clusters. Speaking to G Plus, an official from AIC said, “The clusters

are arranged in a way that the risks are equally distributed. The arrangement aims to ensure that one cluster just does not share the risk and the other just the profit. We have already issued bids for the clusters, rates of which are different.” Agro-climatic factors have

also been considered while creating the clusters. There are six agro-climatic zones in Assam, including North Bank Plain Zone, Upper Brahmaputra Valley Zone, Central Brahmaputra Valley Zone, Lower Brahmaputra Valley Zone, Barak Valley Zone and Hill Zone. n

5 lakh farmers to be covered As part of PMFBY, the government of Assam aims to cover approximately 5 lakh farmers in a year, which means it would cover 2.5 lakh farmers each in one crop season. However, the scheme seeks to cover the maximum number of farmers who grow the crops notified by the government in a notified area during a notified season. For this ongoing season of Kharif, the government has selected black gram, xaali paddy and jute as the notified crops. In addition, the government under PMFBY has approved Rs 25 crores as waiver of share of farmers’ premium. The PMFBY coverage in Assam has gradually increased over the years. During the 2018 Kharif season (July-October), the scheme covered over 25,000 farmers, as opposed to the over 87,000 farmers covered in the 2018-19 Rabi season (October-

March). The AIC official further added, “Generally it’s not easy to predict which districts would benefit the most. But looking at the previous graphs and data, Dhubri, Golaghat and Nagaon would benefit the most from the scheme.”

Aims and objectives

Through PMFBY, the government of Assam primarily aims to expand crop insurance in Assam. The scheme also seeks to provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event of failure of any of the notified crops due to natural calamities, pests and diseases. In addition, PMFBY proposes to stabilise the income of farmers to ensure their continuance in farming. Launched in January 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, PMFBY has replaced two existing schemes - National Agricultural

Insurance Scheme and Modified NAIS. The AIC official told G Plus, “The PMFYB actually is a better version of both the NAIS and the modified NAIS. This scheme is a more advanced scheme and it includes the features of the previous schemes that are being scrapped. “In addition to the older features, PMFBY has added some new features to the scheme as well. The features in the scheme would benefit the farmers more as compared to the previous schemes.”

File photo of a farmer in a paddy field of Assam The government of Assam has provided full subsidies on the premium to the farmers under PMFBY. This means that if the

farmer grows the notified crop on up to 1 hectare of land, the farmer would be able to buy the insurance with only Re 1. n

T- Series Stage Works Guwahati to host orientation & interactive session Lighter and faster G Plus News @guwahatiplus

- Series Stage Works Guwahati, an academy of performing arts and film making is holding an orientation programme and interactive session for students, aspiring

actors and film makers of the region on June 15. The session will feature renowned Bollywood actors such as Rajpal Yadav, Govind Namdev and Abhijit Lahiri as guests. The event will begin from 11: 30 am at the institute, located on the 4th floor, Guwahati Central, Zoo road, Guwahati.

The academy offers a number of courses. Under Performing arts, they offer Singing, Dance, Acting, Modelling and Portfolio and Instrumental. Under Technical Film and Television, they offer Camera and Lighting Technique, News Reading and TV Anchoring, Still Fashion Photography, Screenplay Writing, Film and

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Video Editing, Direction, Production and Audio Sound Recording and Mixing. Under Diploma courses, Integrated PGD in Film and Television, Integrated UGD in Film and Television and a One Year Diploma in Acting are offered. For post production courses, they offer 7:1 Movie Sound

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Guest Column

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

The Value of Time

GUEST COLUMN

The author, in this Part – III of his Entrepreneurship Series, stresses, among other things, that there is much more to the smart phone in terms of utility in business than just being used as a social media tool.

n old adage says “Time = Money” but for the majority of people, this equation is a very difficult one to solve. While everybody has time, it’s a mystery to a large segment on what to spend the said time on and more often than not, we end up wasting it. Let me take up from where we left off in the last issue - the phone in your pocket. An average Indian looks at his phone for more than 50 times a day (usually on WhatsApp or Facebook or some other form of social media) and spends, on an average, 4 hours a day being engaged with it, if not more. This is time wasted and it’s not me who’s saying so but literally any successful person rarely engages in social media unless it’s driving forward his targets. For a long time, I was accused by many to have literally “gone dark” on social media – it was true, I couldn’t afford to waste time on SM, unless it aligned with my work requirements.

If you’re an entrepreneur or want to be one, a few questions – How are you engaging on Social Media (SM)? Is SM driving you for its benefit or are you driving it for your benefit? How many SM apps do you have on your phone? How many “work apps” (like LinkedIn, Udemy, BHIM, TracR etc.) do you have? Do you play games on your phone? How many WhatsApp videos do you watch in one day? When was the last time you learned something relevant

Understanding the value of time and utilizing it are two different entities. Value is again perspective – what’s of value for me, might not be value for you. This is where learning meshes with experience to deliver specific value. to your business on an online video? Have you ever been able to apply any knowledge learnt online to save money or earn money online? When was the last time you gained/earned more money over your usual paycheck/ profits using only your mobile? For any person wishing to be an entrepreneur, understanding business viability starts with understanding the value of your time. You as a person have a limited amount of time in a day – 24 hours to be exact. Of these 24, 8 are necessary for sleep and another 6 are required for everyday activities like eating, traveling, bathing/chores. An average human being has about 10 productive hours for working. Most successful people (entrepreneurs or workers) work about 12-14 hours by multitasking and using technology to save time. For any entrepreneur, anything saved (time, money, effort) is a profit. For an existing entrepreneur, running a business is usually a full-time effort and he/

she already knows the value of time and is always on the look-out to make a profit by saving some. For either person, understanding the value of time and utilizing it are two different entities. Value is again perspective – what’s of value for me, might not be value for you. This is where learning meshes with experience to deliver specific value. For example - a local kirana store owner, learning to use an e-wallet or a banking application would offer tangible benefits of time, cost and money (often referred to as opportunity cost). An average shop-owner deals in cash which has to be accounted for, transitioned to a bank account every day or week and balance ledgers need to be maintained. Which is why, most stores (including small kirana businesses) now have a computerized billing system (in India, more than Assam or NorthEast – we’re still in the process). It just makes better business sense. However, most businesses are still cash-heavy and do not wish to transition to digital transactions, for various reasons. Fear of liability, crashes in online systems, loss of profits, undue transparency, extra charges by banks are some of the reasons usually given. However, the truth of the matter is simply ignorance on the part of everyone. The merchants and customers are unaware of the security protocols, benefits of such systems and usually even the banks are unwilling to inform them about the advantages for fear of losing traditional means (in which they have invested heavily) or worse, losing control over merchants and customers who can make payments/ settlements with minimal bank interference. If both customers and merchants/store owners read more news, were following latest SM updates (relating to their business), they would be aware of the various schemes/subsidies

offered by the government, which ensure no one loses out. If anyone googled “digital payments” or “extra charges”, they would find numerous videos and articles online which clarifies this and helps both merchant and customer in getting the best value for their product/service. This is merely an example.

Coming back to the machine in your pocket. How to add value to your time? If you are looking to be an entrepreneur, knowing your market is crucial – anything you wish to invest your time, effort or money, needs to be wellresearched and understood. The online world has an immensity of information that has never been equaled since the dawn of time and it’s mostly FREE. Read about your product/service, watch videos/tutorials about the same, sign-up for free courses online (research again) and most importantly, interact with proven leaders of the field and seek advice/guidance. Spend a minimum of 2 hours a day on reading something new, learning something new. But this must be applicable. Without applicability,

Debashish Goswami any new skill/knowledge has very

little value. If you’re already an entrepreneur, the same advice applies but with more emphasis on creating networks, finding mentors and opening up to flexibility of diversification on existing product/service lines to ensure sustainability or decisive growth. With both approaches, a good idea is to maintain a learning log book to set a habit of learning and applicability. Just like maintaining accounts gives cohesion to expenditure and supports savings, a learning log ensures a step-by-step movement towards knowledge and application. Above all, start cleaning your phone – delete entertainment apps and games, curtail your social media presence (unless it’s aligned to your work) and pay attention to your watch – 10 hours a day is all you have. Sitting on the toilet to watch a funny animal video on WhatsApp will not further your cause. n

ONGC job aspirants create ruckus in Chandmari, Guwahati G Plus News @guwahatiplus

undreds of job aspirants created ruckus on the streets of Chandmari area in Guwahati on June 14, after they were deprived of appearing in an examination organized by ONGC. The aspirants came from different parts of the state,

including Digboi, just to appear in the exam. It has been alleged that the institute, where ONGC conducted the exam, does not have sufficient number of computers. Many students could not sit in the exam due to unavailability of computers at GATE Institute in Chandmari, where the exam was held. Police and CRPF personnel were called in to control the

students who took to the street to stage their protest. The protest caused massive traffic in the area, leaving commuters stranded for hours on the street. The protesters demanded a clarification from ONGC. n

12 Governance Snippets Husbandwife arrested for running sex racket in Guwahati

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

Free dialysis service to begin in 18 hospitals in Assam The service will be introduced from this month in a total of eight district hospitals as part of the first phase Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

ity police have arrested one Mrigen Nath and his wife Mamoni Nath for allegedly forcing their 13-year-old minor to practice prostitution from Pragati Nagar in Guwahati. The arrest comes in tandem with the ongoing investigation of the Panjabari sex racket which was busted recently. According to reports, police have also recovered many objectionable items from the possession of the accused. It is to be mentioned that on June 12, Satgaon police arrested the prime accused Maina Gowala and Madan Mohan Deuri Bharali, a Sub-Divisional Officer of the Agriculture department for running the sex racket at Namghar path in Guwahati’s Panjabari area.

Kailash Kher to perform at Ambubachi opening ceremony

enowned folk and classical singer, Padma Shri Kailash Kher will enthral the devotees on the opening ceremony of the Ambubachi Mela. This was informed by ATDC Chairman Jayanta Malla Baruah during a press conference on June 12. “Ambubachi Mela 2019 will be inaugurated by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on the evening of June 21. Kher will perform the devi vandana during the opening ceremony which will be attended by Union Minister of State for Tourism Prahalad Singh Patel, Assam Tourism Minister Chandan Brahma, State Health & Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, and other distinguished guests from in and around the state,” said Baruah. Additionally, Sadhvi Aditi Bharati of Divya Jyoti Sanstha will perform the Devi Bhagwad Katha during the festival of spirituality. The Katha will be performed everyday from June 22-28, 3 PM onwards.

n a relief to kidney patients, the Assam government is set to start free dialysis facility in as many as 18 government hospitals, announced state health & family welfare minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently. The service is being introduced

The scheme will be extended to seven hospitals in the second phase and three hospitals in the third and last phase. as part of the Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme under the National Health Mission. The Assam government signed an agreement with Apollo Hospitals, Chennai on February 5 under the public-private partnership mode to implement this programme for a period of five years. In the first phase, the free service will be started in eight hospitals including SMK Civil Hospital in Nalbari, Mangaldoi Civil Hospital in Darrang district,

Tezpur Medical College & Hospital and Kanaklata Civil Hospital in Sonitpur district, LGB Civil Hospital in Tinsukia, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College in Barpeta, Morigaon Civil Hospital, and Bongaigaon District Hospital. The minister said that the facility will be introduced in all eight government hospitals by June 20. Following this, the scheme will be extended to seven hospitals in the second phase and three hospitals in the third and final phase. Apollo Hospitals will Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma addressing the media on the occasion | G Plus photo be paid Rs 1,296 for each dialysis session in the the use of harmful fertilizers and Additionally, Jorhat Medical first year by the government and pesticides is causing the rise of College, Karimganj and Golaghat the rate will increase by 8 per cent such diseases in the state. civil hospitals will be covered in after each year till the completion Further, a total of 105 Hemothe last phase, added Sarma. of the contract. Dialysis machines for Pradhan The health minister further In the second phase, free Mantri National Dialysis mentioned that the state has seen dialysis service will be extended Programme have been allocated a rise in patients suffering kidneyto Sivasagar Civil Hospital, BP for all 18 centres in Assam. The related ailments. He added that Civil Nagaon, North Lakhimpur minister added that till now, 45 Assam government will seek the Civil Hospital, and civil hospitals machines have been installed help of Indian Council of Medical of Dhemaji, Diphu, Dhubri and across eight hospitals for the first Research (ICMR) to conduct a Goalpara by the second week of phase. survey in the state to find out if July. n

Residents suggest improving government health facilities

hile the state government’s move has drawn appreciation from Guwahatians, many of them have also expressed their concern over the poor quality of health services offered at government facilities. Keshav Todi, a Guwahati resident told G Plus, “People fly to Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore Delhi and Mumbai because of the inefficient service in the sector. Being a sufferer of sub-standard quality treatment in Assam, I would just request the authorities to improve the quality of the technicians and related doctors.” Further, another resident, Chandana Sharma, pointed out the problematic attitude of doctors and hospital authorities towards patients in government-run hospitals. “Doctors and staff should be trained to be polite and patient.

Government schemes are good and beneficial for public but people are treated so badly that availing these benefits under the scheme becomes more painful due to the attitude and behaviour of some of the doctors,” she said. According to a G Plus survey conducted last year, at least 84% Guwahati residents do not have faith in government hospitals and prefer going to private hospitals or clinics for treatment. According to the results of the survey, 73.3% respondents said they preferred to get themselves or their family members treated at private hospitals. Further, 11% of the population said they usually favour going out of the state for medical treatment. On the other hand, merely 15.7% participants said they preferred to go to government hospitals. Experts feel that at a time

While the move has drawn appreciation from Guwahatians, many also expressed their concern over poor quality of health services offered at government facilities. when the state government is laying a lot of emphasis on improving the overall medical facilities and infrastructure in Assam, it still has a long way to go to gain the trust of a majority of the population in public healthcare. The government hospitals in

the city remain overburdened with an ever increasing number of patients going to them for treatment not only from Kamrup (Metro) but from all over the state. To add to this, staff shortage and lack of adequate infrastructure in several government-run hospitals prove to be major impediments in providing quality care to patients. These factors often lead people to opt for moving out of the state for treatment if they can afford it, say experts. A resident of Chandmari, Utpal Das, said that the government should have a proper mechanism to check that the really needy patients receive the benefits of the scheme. Ashmita Choudhury, a student from Guwahati termed the initiative as revolutionary and said that if implemented well, it would really be beneficial for the needy in the state. n

Guest Column

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

Modi 2.0: Hopes and Challenges

n 23rd May 2019, history was once again created in the Indian subcontinent. For the second consecutive time, the NarendraModi led BJP government was destined to take charge in the centre. The BJP government won with more than 300 seats in the general LokSabha elections, which directly or indirectly hinted the denizens’ desire to see NarendraModi as their honourable Prime Minister once again. Modi’s win was also important in another way as well, since the win in 2014 was tagged by many critics as the people’s desire to choose an alternative to Congress’s diabolic run that revolved around corruptions and scams. In fact by winning in 2019, Modi directly proved that the 2014 win was not a fluke, as people of India wanted a strong and robust nation with no corruption. However if we carefully scrutinize the first term of the NarendraModi led government then we would definitely witness certain issues that were probably left unsolved in its first tenure. For a common person, it might look like none can be as good as the BJP-led government, but a deep analysis would surely reveal some shocking facts. A recent report released by The Business Standard, dated 31/5/2019 stated that India’s unemployment rate had risen to 45-year high of 6.1% in 201718. And this report has indeed

Issues like improving the education sector, enriching the livelihood of the farmers, nourishing the agricultural sector, removing poverty etc would all add up as other pivotal challenges in front of the government. come as a major setback for the government, especially because creating job opportunities and getting the denizens employed was one of the primary agenda of BJP’s election campaigns. In fact, even the honourable Prime Minister, in his election speeches seemed really enthusiastic in making full use of the human resources available in the country, but in reality things went astray. However, this issue seriously needs to be confabulated and tackled by the government in its upcoming tenure, or else India’s unemployment issue would simply remain as an uncurable headache. Moreover, another national daily, The Hindu, reported that India’s GDP growth slowed to a five-year low at 5.8% in January-

March 2018-19, falling behind China, especially due to poor performance in agricultural and manufacturing sector. And if we consider this fact seriously, this is not at all good especially for a welfare state like India. Therefore, the government should soon come up with new innovative policies to once again revamp the degrading GDP for the betterment of the nation. However, amidst all these issues, the newly elected Finance Minister of India might just come up as a ray of hope, since Nirmala Sitharaman, a highly qualified economist, might just turn around the scenario in favour of India. Nevertheless, the challenge still exists to be dealt with. A government can never become successful, until and unless its home ministry works properly. The Home Ministry of India also has some of the major challenges to tackle, and in real sense it would be under the scanner of each and every Indian citizen. Issues like internal security, scrapping of Article 370 and 35A in Jammu & Kashmir, the Ram Mandir issue, the National Register of Citizens, the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016 etc have, of late, raised a great deal of hue and cry. Be it in Jammu & Kashmir, Ayodhya or Northeast, the respective issues in their respective places have all created tremendous tension. Although the honourable Supreme Court, on March 6 2019, reserved its order on invocation

of Section 89 of the Code of Civil Procedure to attempt a court-monitored mediation in the decades-old Babri MasjidRam Janmabhoomi title suit, the Hindu parties had opposed the idea of mediation, while the Muslim parties’ lawyers voted for negotiation. Thus the Home Ministry has some of the grave issues to tackle and all those issues must be dealt in a scientific way since even the slightest of error might destroy the peace and harmony of the nation. The case for the Defence Ministry is no different either. The conspicuous fact is that India has been attacked numerous times by terrorists and also by Pakistan in the form of retaliation. Although India has replied to terrorism in a bold way, the Defence Ministry must be stronger and more diplomatic. Thus considering everything, including India and China’s bitter relationship, every possible effort must be made by the Defence Ministry to procure the Rafale fighter aircrafts as early as possible. Along with this, border security must be enhanced, armies must be provided with as many facilities as possible and most importantly security of India from every aspect possible must be the top priority. Meanwhile, the good news is that the new minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar is already being seen as a messiah and it would be interesting to

GUEST COLUMN

Bishaldeep Kakati see the policies that he would undertake in order to maintain India’s foreign relationships, especially with China. Along with all these major issues, other issues like improving the education sector, enriching the livelihood of the farmers, nourishing the agricultural sector, removing poverty etc would all add up as other pivotal challenges in front of the government. Therefore, the next 5 years would be the real game changer for India. If the government becomes successful in tackling the issues, a new unified India would emerge in no time. These next 5 years might also be consequential for the people of Northeast and Assam as well in terms of CAB, 2016 and NRC or insurgency. But all that the government needs to do is to come up with policies that would never hurt people’s sentiments. And if the opposite happens, then the government might also have to come across people’s wrath that was once instrumental in discarding the Congress government. n

Assam IRS officer pens book on heritage of Assam G Plus News @guwahatiplus

n IRS officer from Assam, Padmapani Bora, has written a coffee-table book on the heritage of Assam called, “Discovering the Heritage of Assam.”

The book is a combination of nature, culture and traditions which symbolizes the true essence of the state. “The book is an effort to culminate all cultural heritage sites of Assam in one place. There’s been many books that have focused on the popular places here (in Assam), but I wanted to write something where the lesser

known, but equally relevant places are also showcased,” said Bora. The foreword of the book has been written by Bollywood superstar, Amitabh Bachchan. “Highly thankful to Amitabh Bachchan ji for writing the foreward of my book, which he wrote in only 3 days. It really adds value to it and makes it all the more special,” said Bora. The coffee table book has been divided into five broad chapters ancient period heritage, medieval period heritage, modern heritage, natural heritage and living heritage. All these chapters in the book have been accompanied with beautiful photographic presentations and informative illustrations on the various heritage sites of Assam. Another highlight of the book is that this is the first time that an international publisher like Penguin Books is bringing out a coffee table book on the heritage of Assam. Bora added that being published by an international publisher like Penguin Books is an advantage

as it helps to reach out to readers globally and to bring them closer to Assam’s rich art, natural and cultural heritage. “It’s a small attempt on my part to bring out the many significant heritage sites of Assam which are

lesser known to the outside world in a single platform and to make our generation and people from the region responsible towards our heritage. Every one of us has a responsibility to protect our heritage,” said Bora in closing. n

14 G Talk E

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019 T

World Cup woes

he first thing one would think of when it comes to the Cricket World Cup is the nagging, persistent and incessant rains especially because India is the clear favourite to win the Cup and has performed in its opening two matches as the champion designate. That it had to split a point with New Zealand and not collect the full points by beating them was woeful enough. Statistically speaking though, India has never beaten New Zealand in a world cup match held in England, but that is besides the point here.

The rains however are just the starting point of the woes for the selfrespecting Indian cricket fan. Earlier during the India VS Australia match, when the sun shone bright, we had to contend with a new variety of woe: the ungainly sight of one Indian fan and the manner of displaying his revelry while supposedly “enjoying” the heroics of his team. WhatsApp went ablaze when the Indian fan dressed in a full tri-colour costume complete with a Tiranga turban had the impudence to actually get himself videotaped displaying his genitals and urinating sitting right in the stands, thereafter covering himself up and then getting on his feet to cheer the Indian team with a smug sneer on his face. Woeful

sight and woeful sense of nationalistic fervour! Another video showed an Indian fan dressed in the Indian team jersey, holding the Tricolour in his hand, sitting astride a Kangaroo furry and continuously pummelling it (in an apparent metaphor of the Indian team on way to victory over Australia). It made for a disgusting sight that amounted to virtual disrespect of the hard work of the Indian cricket team. In contrast were the Japanese football fans and their behaviour in the last FIFA World Cup despite their country’s loss! They actually took the trouble of cleaning up their trash from the stands that they occupied and it gave the world a deep insight into what a truly cultured and civilized race was all about. The actions of the two Indian fans mentioned above certainly do not represent the entire Indian fraternity and fan behaviour but the same actions have brought shame and a sense of disgust to the entire country. The two would be well advised to behave themselves next time round; the world has already seen their woeful upbringing! Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali

Guwahati this June - traffic snarls, water-logging and Ambubachi Mela With the temperatures soaring in Guwahati, the city has let out a cry for help this summer. Temperatures have already peaked to 38°C with the “real feel” exceeding 45°C. But with the Brahmaputra right next to us, it is obvious that when there is scorching heat, rain will follow. The heavy downpour on the morning of June 14 should be a lesson for the week that lies ahead. The city administration seems unprepared for the upcoming monsoon season, which includes the week-long rainfall during the Ambubachi Mela. The heavy downpour triggered flash floods in several parts of the city and with unattended “development works” around the city, water-logging followed. “Unfinished business” is now taking a toll on city’s commuters. The JICA-funded project has left several stretches of roads in a dilapidated condition and no one is taking responsibility to complete the project having dug up the roads haphazardly. The major construction work for dividers along the GS Road has taken its toll on the morning and evening commute. The arterial route of the city has been facing major traffic snarls for over 4 weeks now. This unplanned approach and the administration’s unpreparedness for the monsoon raise questions about city departments not working in tandem. Because “Minister Sir” personally looks into the construction of dividers and flyovers, it seems like the other projects were abandoned. Might I direct his attention to stretches of roads on Rupnagar where roads have been dug up citing electricity cable laying work and now, there is not a single labourer in sight over the past week? Let us not forget the temporary and make-shift dividers that are being planted across the city in the meantime. Traffic management has been at an all time low and this unplanned approach has not helped either. As city dwellers flail their hands about, they also keep themselves satisfied with the clichéd response, “Good things take time.”

Sidharth Bedi Varma @sid_bv

Air Pollution: Proactive actions required

n 5th June 2019, the UN-led World Environmental Day was celebrated with the theme “Beat Air Pollution.” And air pollution is certainly reaching disturbing levels! It is reported that approximately seven million people succumb to air pollution related ailments worldwide each year. Out of this, Asia-Pacific region accounts for about four million. And children are the worst sufferers as air pollution compromises their health the most. Every year as Diwali and winter approach, Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) grapples with heightened air pollution, contributed partially by burning of crop residual stubbles in agricultural fields of neighbouring Haryana and Punjab, construction activities, vehicle tail pipe emission and falling ambient temperature which trap pollutants. One indeed feels sorry for the residents of NCR. Thanks to the media, the plight of residents of NCR receives wide attention. However, the situation is no less alarming in several other cities of the country; India has the dubious distinction of having 14 of its cities listed among the 20 most polluted cities in the world! If one considers dispassionately, our own Guwahati city too does not fare very well on this count with dusty streets and smoke belching buses, trucks and autos which run on diesel and indiscriminate burning of garbage etc. The situation will progressively get worse. The issue of air pollution hardly receives any attention it deserves. One sincerely hopes that we are not waiting to be confronted with an NCR like situation before we start to act on fire-fighting mode. The government may do well to initiate proactive actions which, inter-alia, could include, (i) Improve the mass transport system which includes improvement and expansion of the bus system and in the long term expediting the Metro Rail project. People would need to

rHigh prices of fish

O pinion Barun Barpujari

be encouraged to use the public transport system to extent possible instead of private vehicles. This would only be achieved if the service quality improves; (ii) Initiate action to progressively switch over from

The situation in Guwahati will progressively get worse. The issue of air pollution hardly receives any attention it deserves. One sincerely hopes that we are not waiting to be confronted with an NCR like situation before we start to act on firefighting mode. diesel driven buses to electric buses as is being done in several other states. Necessary infrastructure to charge/swap batteries to be put in place; (iii) The government is usually the biggest procurer of goods and services and hence it needs to progressively switch its mobility requirement, at least within the city limits and near about, to e- vehicles; (iv) Incentivise switching over of diesel driven autos to e-autos; (v) Initiate actions to curb the flow of earth along with rain water from the surrounding hills on to the streets of the city; this would reduce the dust level. While this would seem to be impossible, it is certainly possible to considerably reduce its magnitude; (vi) Vehicle mounted vacuum cleaners to be procured and accumulated dust removed from the main streets, to start with, say, on fortnightly/monthly basis. This would reduce the dust level considerably; (vii) Start a broad based people’s movement to segregate waste at source and arrange processing of solid waste; garbage burning must be made illegal and stringent action taken against perpetrators, including

levying fines, need to be resorted to; (viii) PCBA needs to install real time monitoring stations of pollutants like NOx, SOx and suspended particulate matters (PM 10 & 2.5) at strategic locations with display of real time data for creating public awareness and initiating corrective measures. Presently it displays data only at its office. (ix) A widespread awareness campaign needs to be undertaken to sensitize people on the ills of air pollution and what they need to do to combat it. The inhabitants of this city are also expected to behave responsibly post sensitization; (x) Progressively shift over ground power lines to underground so that trees could be allowed to grow unobstructed beside the roads; this would also add to the beautification of the city if the plants are tastefully chosen. The above is only an indicative list of actions that need to be initiated and followed through. In most likelihood, the cost of the deleterious effect of air pollution on the health of people is not well documented for Guwahati city. But it certainly burns a significant hole in the pockets of people residing in polluted environment on account of medical treatment thereof. And we are not even talking of the resultant deaths! The government of the day needs to be sensitive to this and must act now! (The author is a former Executive Director from Indian Oil Corporation Ltd and is presently a consultant in the social sector)

Letter to the Editor

Fish, as we all know, is a staple item in the traditional Assamese cuisine. Today, the prices of fish have risen to the extent where its consumption can only be called a luxury. The local fish that we purchase are very expensive. Is it due to inadequacy of cold storage in the region or due to a lack of fisheries, is a fact unknown to me but we can surely see that the local fish are certainly pricey as compared to the fish which are imported from other states into Assam. The fish imported have also the taxes included in their price which must be paid at various check posts. Is this due to regions such as Andhra and Bengal having more fisheries, better cold storage facilities or tax relaxation? We have also seen a gradual decline in the availability of regional fish that once formed an integral part of our cuisine such as Koi, Channa (Goroi), Stinging Catfish (Singi), Small fresh water fish like Puthi, etc. Is fish really getting expensive or are we as consumers getting overexploited by the sellers? Rifa Deka Royal Global University, Guwahati

In Focus

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

PUBG addiction fast becoming a real threat, proving fatal for teenagers

t should be noted that recently, during late May, the World Health Organization (WHO) had updated its official diagnostic manual and included “gaming disorder” as an addiction disorder. According to WHO, “gaming disorder” in a person has been defined as someone who “loses control around gaming, prioritizes gaming over other interests and daily activities, and continues gaming despite negative effects on work, schooling, family life or social relationships.” Players Unknown Battleground, popularly known as PUBG, has become a talking point in the country - and for all the wrong reasons. The game’s Facebook page has around 5.1 million followers, around 1.35 million followers on Twitter and around 3 million followers worldwide. The game often hosts online competition giving away attractive prizes amounting to crores of rupees which often draws the attention many gaming bugs. Recently this month, a 15-yearold class 10 student allegedly committed suicide after he was not able to play the online Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) game.

According to sources, the deceased committed suicide after his mother, aggravated by her son’s continued PUBG addiction, locked his cell phone away. While his mother was away from home, the kid hung himself to death for being deprived of playing his favourite game. The deceased was a student of Faculty Higher Secondary School, Amingaon and hailed from

Bhaskar Nagar area in Guwahati. A UD (Unnatural Death) case (261/19) was registered at Fatasil Ambari police station in this regard. In a similar incident, a 16-yearold boy from Neemuch, Madhya Pradesh, died of cardiac arrest after playing PUBG on his phone for six hours continuously on May 28. According to a report by The

Times of India, the boy, Furkan Quereshi, lost a “battle” in the game, became agitated and started shouting before collapsing on the floor. Following the incident, he was rushed to the hospital where he was declared dead on arrival. His brother said that Furkan was addicted to the game and would sometimes play it for 18 hours a day. Furkan was a class XII student

and son of Harun Rashid Quereshi. Speaking to G Plus, Loya Agarwala, one of the leading counsellors and personality development consultants in the city said, “The game or any other game is highly addictive as it releases a hormone which is neurotransmitter and which, after a certain level, keeps on moving up boosting the hormone more. This makes people play more and spend more time on the game.” In addition, playing the game for a long time affects the physiology of a child and is responsible for numbing the brain reducing the capability of the brain by 60 percent. Young children who are exposed to such violent games at a tender age are very vulnerable as they have higher chances of developing a violent attitude due to the constant exposure to such games. Thus, it remains to be seen how things go in future both for the gaming company and gamers. And most importantly, how it will affect the kids and their psyche. Is the game really bad and influencing kids negatively? Well, all we can say for now is that everything needs to be monitored and individuals should view matters with a sense of responsibility. n

The perpetrator of the acid-like attack in Guwahati carried out on a woman on June 1 last was arrested. He was caught by the public, beaten up and then admitted to the hospital. Guwahatians reacted to the same with comments on G Plus’s FB page. Puja Jha

Action should be taken against crime as well as the criminal. There should be a rule where the buyer of acid has to submit a form mentioning his name, address, purpose of use along with identity and address proof so that the user can be traced if there is any misuse of it. It’s a serious crime and keeping a trace of it is very important. Good that the culprit has been caught otherwise so many girls could have been his victims. Severe action should be taken against this boy.

Rana Das

We condemn mob revenge and then we participate in it. If, in the name of justice, we commit another crime, then justice is another name for revenge. There is a law and punishment. Let him face it. We shouldn’t interfere in that process.

Anurag Chakraborty

If he is guilty, I have no problem with such punishment. But I hope he is guilty and not someone innocent who got caught in this mob violence. The guilty should be punished in such a way that the next person will not even dare to think of committing such an act. I know a victim (from Assam) who was attacked with acid. She had to undergo multiple painful operations. Her one eye is not proper now. It is very painful. The crime requires exemplary punishment. Only then they may stop. People are losing their morality.

Kakoli Sarkar

Why is there no step taken by the government on unrestricted sale of acid? Nobody can procure sleeping pills without a prescription. But is there anybody to regulate the sale of acid which has been used repeatedly for scarring the lives of many innocent girls? These are important things that government should look into. Girls have started feeling unsafe in the city because of such acts.

Rupam Dutta

Acid or not is immaterial. Throwing something at anyone is by itself a dastardly act. Police can’t prevent these crimes, rather they can only react to such situations unless we act as civilised ones. Massive action on erection of streetlights in the city is required for the safety of the citizens rather making useless expenditures to beautify Guwahati under the Smart City Project funds where coloured paver blocks are laid on existing footpaths, road dividers are heightened!

Aakash Paul

Good to know that the girl is safe. And the culprit should be given exemplary punishment. Indian law won’t punish the culprit - just 6 or 7 years in jail or less than that. So, it does mean that culprit will fly like free birds even after the incident and henceforth he will be encouraged to do the same again.

16 Feature

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

Is technology the answer or the question?

echnology is breathing into our lives today and we breathe it out! Can we think of a life without a smart phone or the Internet? We are getting smarter and devious as well. So we circulate false news for propaganda, this has acquired a status - fake news. There is a halo around it and a de-

E-learning, that is electronic learning, is a much more complex process of interaction, synchronous and asynchronous learning. It engenders the philosophy of multiple classrooms in consonance with anthologies of open and distance learning. sign behind it. It is used to falsely propagate, incite or define person and persons. And the vehicles for such malice are what is known as social media sites meant for networking among peers, friends, writers, artists and colleagues. Let us pause here. Facebook insisted in its beginnings to trace old friends to reconnect with. LinkedIn expressly mentions not to “befriend” people you do not know. Now people are using it to hound new enemies. There is an inversion of what it was meant to be originally. WhatsApp groups

are used to sensationalise news and in the process murder it. What is perhaps frightening is that the virtual world is replicating, even substituting the real world. So you wave, yes you wave at your virtual friend or even your real friend. But you don’t need to meet him or her to wave. You can do it on your mobile phone. Time and spatial realities are new myths or the new realities. Reality has been imposed upon a myth. The world is never so fabulous as now. There is no need for children to read fables or fairy tales. They are all around you ubiquitously on your laptop, mobile or some techie pad or the other, with the Internet of course driving them. There is no need for aesthetics or artistry, there is Siri for you to do the talking and answering your inane questions. Who says we are living in a global or a post global world? We are living in a self-obsessed local world, solely “me” driven. Books can be published anywhere on the Internet, not only e-books but mebooks, read-my-books. The emphasis is on “Me” and it should be there anywhere on the www and people should know this. Knowledge then is through information and circulation which is enforced and not by means of appreciation. Appreciation comes through ‘likes.’ Never have we been more self-congratulatory. Never have we been so narcissistically driven

because of technologically abetted-metaphorically put, I phones. There has never been such a technological boom as now, but also crisis. The crisis is here: making an end in itself rather than a means to an end, the arts, poetry, fiction and related imaginative processes. Yes there are online expressions of art and aesthetics, we have e-books but the virtuosity of the printed word gets missing and is lost in this jungle of the I, the me, my interview, my face, my book. In the process of stealing the limelight or the thunder silent plodders, workers, writers and artists miss out on this aggrandising and belligerent networking. And education? We have the much vaunted e-learning where for school students someone lectures and displays videos. So there is further separation of the classroom which, in the normal situation in schools in India, is separate because of elitism, affordability and hierarchies. Technology has no time constraint. But we have. Can we continuously keep on cutting and pasting, or our children to do their homework? But e-learning that is electronic learning is a much more complex process of interaction, synchronous and asynchronous learning. It engenders the philosophy of multiple classrooms in consonance with anthologies of open and distance learning. It

is also meant for disadvantaged learners socially, economically and those living in remote areas. Alternate sources of learning such as open access journals should be the high points of educational access today. Adults and children now share a common world the world of mobiles and excitement. Real knowledge or the pursuit of happiness cannot come through such excitement. They can come through the quieter pleasures of life such as philosophy, arts, music, reading and writing. We can afford all these through the Internet but not as slaves. The robotic era has indeed dawned. Man as machine is no longer a postulate but a hard reality. Very soon we will be planning visits to the moon uncomprehending its innate physical beauty, what we see of it and the metaphor it has created for the poet, lunatic and the lover. The Internet and the mobile have become more than status symbols, political and social insignias to pursue relentlessly ideologies, mind you not free thinking ideas. Hence a timewarp between past and present is created. We watch reality shows which are bizarre and

Ananya S Guha unreal. We share news with such alacrity that they become indigestible. The print media used to a certain sobriety cannot cope with it. So what do we do? How do we throw the virtual out of the real? A rhetorical question. We cannot. Very soon the dichotomy between man and machine will blur into horrendous proportions with all the talk about robotics and machine made men. But Man will always remain the social animal he was meant to be and he should make the most of it! (The author worked as a Senior Lecturer and Head of Dept of English at St. Edmund’s College, Shillong. He holds a doctoral degree on the novels of William Golding and evinces a keen interest on Indian Writing in English)

Be observant, brain tumor can strike at any age Tejus M N Rao

he more knowledge we have acquired in the medical sciences, the more diseases we are coming across. While the increase in awareness has been a boon, the changing lifestyle is introducing us to an ample number of illnesses that either was not known earlier or didn’t exist. Tumors have become among the most dreaded words in not just the medical word but even otherwise. One of the most serious forms of a tumor is the brain tumor which is a group of abnormal cells that initiate in the brain and can destroy brain cells and even damage cells by pressing on other surrounding parts of the brain, causing swelling and enhanced pressure inside the skull. Abnormal growth of brain cells forms a tumor which is likely to hit the brain parts responsible for controlling certain body functions and can cause a buildup of spinal fluid. However, the primary brain tumors generally do not spread outside the brain tissue. Not all brain tumors are cancerous, some are benign too (non-cancerous). A significant transformation

has been that brain tumor is no longer restricted to just the age, they can occur now even in children. One major concern with brain tumors among children is the lack of awareness around it and the misconception that it does not occur in children. However, brain tumor affects young and old alike and must be looked out for. A 10-year-old boy suffered in the hands of the same scenario where neither his parents nor his teachers could rightly identify his symptoms, and further enhanced the tumor. Rahul (name changed), was put in a boarding school as he was mostly seen as a child not listening to anyone and constantly having a lot of complaints from his teachers. Taking the

advice of the teachers and neighbours, Rahul’s parents admitted him to a boarding school hoping to get him back on track. But his irregularities worsened at the boarding school and he was found to be more disoriented with little ability to concentrate. He regularly complained of severe headaches and vomit but the teachers took it as escapism from classes. Once his aunt visited him at the boarding school and saw him down with a fever, Rahul was taken to a nearby hospital and diagnosed with Typhoid fever. However, for further investigation, Rahul’s aunt brought him to the hospital. Rahul was presented with recurrent episodes of vomiting for a few months which were put down to him avoiding school/ boarding school. He also had an abnormal gait which was put down to him being naughty and on examination, he also had a squint. All of these symptoms prompted an urgent MRI scan which revealed that he had been struggling with a brain tumor. “It was not a sudden problem. The child had been showing symptoms but no one noticed. He even had an alcoholic gait; he used to sway while walking. Due to this delay of 7-8 months, the tumor had grown near the brain stem,”

informed Dr. Rao. The case in points highlights how crucial it is to be observant of your child or any loved one’s behavioral changes and instead of putting them down try to look deeper into the problem, helping them come out of it before it is too late. The signs and symptoms of a brain tumor usually vary based on the size of the tumor, its location and the rate of growth. Some general symptoms that could indicate a brain tumor are:

Frequent, persistent headaches, alongside the feeling of increased pressure inside the head

There could also be a new onset or change in the pattern of headaches Abrupt vision problems, blurring, and abnormal eye movement A fuller soft spot in babies Seizure even without any history of it and more in those who have a history of seizures Loss of appetite

Difficulty in balance, swaying while walking Weakness of limbs, lethargy or loss of sensation Memory problem, confusion in routine things Behaviour changes Rapidly enlarging head, in babies or toddlers Eventual loss of movement or sensation in a leg or an arm Hearing problems Treatment for brain tumors in children is different from that for adult brain tumors. It thereby becomes very important to register the expertise and experience of pediatric specialists in neurology and cancer. However, the most important factor still remains the awareness that is required around brain tumors, more specifically around pediatric brain tumors and the observant responsibility that the near and dear ones around the affected person have. (The author is a ConsultantNeurosurgery and Endovascular Neuro Intervention at Columbia Asia Hospital, Whitefield) n

Trotter

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

Perth spends $279,000 on toilet Taiwanese cyclist’s for Instagrammers odyssey: Around the world in seven years

rom the pastel-hued houses of London’s Notting Hill to the view of New York’s Manhattan Bridge from Dumbo, there are certain spots in cities across the globe that have become tourist attractions in recent years largely due to one factor: their Instagrammability. A slightly more unusual example of these sites in Australia is a small blue boat shed found on a river in Perth. It may not sound particularly exciting, but the Crawley Edge Boat Shed on the Swan River, just off busy Mounts Bay Road, provides a stunning backdrop for photos and has become a popular destination for Instagrammers. In fact, the boat shed is the most photographed building in Perth. The problem is, it’s not particularly easy to get to. You have

to cross the dangerous Mounts Bay Road on foot in order to reach Crawley Edge Boat Shed, and there are also no toilets nearby. The area is now feeling the consequences of over tourism, all because of one boat shed. “There has been an increase over the past few years of visitors to this area, with tour buses as well as self-driven visitors stopping here for photo opportunities,” Perth city council said adding, “The closest public facility is located at the Narrows Gardens which is 2.4 kilometres [1.5 miles] away.” Many visitors to the area try to use the toilets in a nearby restaurant, Zafferano’s, but the manager has become increasingly aggravated by the situation. “The manager of this restaurant has raised several complaints, as these visitors are disrupting his

regular business and the patronage to it,” the minutes from the most recent city council meeting stated adding, “He has documented occasions of verbal abuse and vandalism from members of the public as well as additional costs associated with the additional usage of his toilet facility.” So, the council has decided to build new toilets, specifically for the people visiting the boat shed, and it has been deemed a “priority.” (Source: insider)

American anti-abortion laws force woman to give birth to baby without brain or skull

woman’s right to choose has become increasingly limited in the United States, especially with the recent illegalization of abortion in Alabama. In the midst of this environment, a US doctor who chose to remain anonymous recently published an essay that explored how unsuccessful childbirth can be debilitating to a mother. Abortions are now totally illegal in Alabama unless the baby is considered a danger to the mother’s health. Unfortunately, this not only leads desperate women, financially or mentally unfit to care for their offspring, to seek out dangerous, non-professional alternatives but also facilitates the birth of children destined for difficult and short lives. The disturbing account documented a woman pregnant with an infant suffering from anencephaly, a condition in which a child is born without a skull or brain. The birth defect has a zero-percent

survival rate and annually affects 1,206 pregnancies in the US. The harrowing account described the woman, already far along in her pregnancy, visiting a doctor for the very first time quite late in her pregnancy because it simply hadn’t been possible for her to seek medical advice earlier in the current US healthcare system. Once the doctor discovered that her child had virtually no chance of surviving upon birth, the essay explored how futile a doctor’s role is made in this situation by US laws. Nobody, including the mother or her doctor, was able or allowed to do anything about such a condition, thus eliminating the idea of “choice” in America.

The woman experienced the first sensations of a miscarriage. She returned to the hospital where the doctor and his team helped her through the birth of a dead, headless child. “The baby is born with no skull, eyes like gumballs too big for their sockets,” the doctor wrote. “Alive, briefly. It hurts to look. Grotesque is all you can think, but you cannot say it. Thinking it calms you inside so you can calm everyone else. That is your job. To lead, to calm. Because everyone is upset.” The essay continued, “Some of the nurses need you to fix it, to save this baby with the magic of medicine. You remind them that he is very premature, that he has no brain, that he cannot survive. This is not an ambiguous diagnosis. You encourage the mother to hold her child, but she does not want this bond. She cannot see the deformed creature she birthed, because once seen it cannot be unseen.” (Source: allthatsinteresting)

34-year-old woman cut free from toddler’s plastic car with a bread knife

woman somehow managed to get wedged inside her toddler cousin’s plastic ride-on Little Tikes car. Zoe Archibald, 34, climbed into the toy for a joke, but ended up so stuck that there was no way out. She tried to wriggle free for an hour, but in the end the whole car had to be sacrificed to set her free. Her nephew Matthew Shepherd-Bull, 26, who filmed her release, said, “There was no way she

could get herself out. She was in there for an hour. We had to cut the back off the car to get her out. No matter what we did she wasn’t able to get out. Everyone found it funny, even Zoe. She was a bit panicked but mainly found it funny. It was just a joke. Her dad had to cut her out. The best thing we could find was a bread knife… It took about 15 minutes to cut through the plastic.” Zoe, from Brechin, Angus, Scotland, got trapped during a family

gathering after she joked about how she thought she could fit into the tiny plastic car. (Source: metro.co)

t was four years ago when Jacky Chen embarked on a challenge after quitting his job as an electronics engineer: riding his bicycle across the world. The 40-year-old Taiwanese man has now traversed the Americas, Europe and parts of the Middle East, sleeping in his tent or finding places to rest his head through apps like Couchsurfing. In recent days, Chen has been in Jerusalem, taking in the sights and plotting his next rides on his red and black Merida Wolf 3 cycle. “This is an adventure,” he said of his reasons for setting out on the journey, which has so far taken him to 64 countries and across some 54,000 kilometres (33,750 miles). He hopes to visit 100 countries and travel 100,000 kilometres before he’s done and estimates it will take him about another three years. Speaking at Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives, a panoramic view of the Dome of the Rock and the Old City in the distance, Chen said he prefers not to do much research on

places before his arrival so he can have his own initial impressions. Some of the toughest moments he has had so far involved travelling through snowy weather, he said. But in terms of danger, Chen said he has experienced very little apart from nerve-wracking moments when cars and lorries pass too close to him on the road. He began in the US state of Alaska, has seen Machu Picchu and Paris, and now heads to Jordan before crossing to Egypt and cycling down the eastern side of the African continent. He will then move on to Asia to complete his odyssey. “The amazing thing is always the people I meet,” he said, with the words, “I am Jacky. I come from Taiwan” written on the back of his shirt. (Source: malaymail)

TikTok addicted 24-yearold commits suicide after husband scolds her for it

twenty-four-yearold woman from Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu has committed suicide after she was scolded for spending too much time on TikTok video app. Anitha, who hailed from Perambalur, recorded a video of her drinking the pesticide. She was married to 29-yearold Palanivel and they have a four-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son. Before committing suicide, she recorded her statement in which she asked her husband to take care of their two kids. Palanivel, who was in the agricultural trade, had moved to Singapore a few years ago for work. Anitha was introduced to the app by her friend. Her family members alleged that she was neglecting her family and children due to her addiction to the app. When she went overboard while using the app, the family informed her husband who later called and tried to reason with her to restrict its use. However, the family claims that Anitha refused to let go of the app.

In an unfortunate event, while she was busy on the app, her daughter got hurt while playing even as Anitha remained oblivious of what was happening around her. The family members yet again urged her husband to intervene in the matter and ask her to take care of the children. When Palanivel called her up, he yelled at her over the phone regarding the incident. He is believed to have told her that he would destroy her phone. Upset at the scolding, Anitha took the extreme step and consumed pesticide while recording it on video. She was rushed to Ariyalur Government Hospital at first and later to a private hospital in Trichy, but she did not respond to treatment and died. (Source: zeenews)

18 Review

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tessa Thompson, Liam Neeson, Rafe Spall, Kumail Nanjiani, Emma Thompson Director: F Gary Gray

Movie Review

Cinepolis, Christian Basti

02:45 PM

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Men in Black: International (English), 3D

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The Secret Life of Pets 2 (English), 3D 09:05 AM, 12:15 PM, 02:00 PM

Khamoshi

09:15 AM, 04:35 PM

t takes special effort for a 2019 film to be out-woked by its 22-year-old predecessor, but that is exactly the sort of relationship Men in Black: International shares with the original film, which is still as relevant today as it was in 1997. MiB: International is a shockingly unambitious film; unfunny, unmemorable, and for most of its two-hour duration, utterly unbearable. It is at once overly complicated, yet plotless - which leaves you with the decidedly upsetting feeling of being left behind, but with absolutely no desire to catch up. It’s a lose-lose situation, one that even the usually reliable Chris Hemsworth can’t correct. He’s paired with his Thor: Ragnarok co-star Tessa Thompson here, but the film has absolutely no idea what to do with them. Want odd-couple banter? Sure. Quips

and hijinks? Why not. How about some romance? At this point, I don’t even care. MiB: International, in addition to discarding the wonderfully absurd tone of Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones’ original trilogy of films, fails to utilise the proven chemistry of its two leads. It anchors them to a screenplay so shoddy, that it almost seems as if they signed on to a different film altogether, but were contractually obligated to shoot another. And it feels strange to even blame director F Gary Gray for this misfire, because not a single moment of the film has any of that swagger that defined some of his previous work - even the largely forgettable The Fate of the Furious. At least that film had the decency to double down on the silliness of its set-up - who could forget Dwayne Johnson nudging a nuclear missile off

Bharat

09:20 AM, 11:00 AM, 02:25 PM, 05:35 PM, 08:45 PM target? - but MiB: International is the latest victim of a condition that I’ve decided should be called ‘Marvelitis’. The Men in Black films have further distanced themselves from the wonky sensibilities of director Barry Sonnenfeld’s original with every new entry. His three films in the series were known for having had notoriously difficult productions, but things always ended up working out, which is why he kept getting invited to return. But with no Will Smith to fall back on, and without the involvement of several key behind-the-scenes figures such as production designer Bo Welch and maverick makeup artist Rick Baker, MiB: International is like going to a famous chef’s restaurant, and learning that they died, years ago. Review from Hindustan Times.

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Nokia 3.2

he Nokia 3.2 is the company’s latest attempt at offering an affordable phone that looks to strike the right balance between features, experience, and price. The phone packs a large display with a modern water drop notch design and a large 4000mAh battery. On top of that, the Nokia 3.2 offers a stock Android experience with the promise of timely updates. The phone is available for Rs. 8,340. Design: The phone has a polycarbonate unibody with curved sides that extend all the way to the 2.5D curved glass on the front. The rear panel looks like glass and has a reflective finish. The right side has the volume rocker and the power button, which also doubles as a notification light. The power button here has a thin white strip in the middle that lights up when a notifica-

tion arrives. There is a dedicated Google Assistant button on the left, a feature that is hard to find on a phone in the sub-Rs. 10,000 price segment. A single press brings up the Google Assistant, while double-pressing the button opens a page populated with contextual information and suggestions based on your activity and location. You can choose to disable the Google Assistant button, but you can’t remap it to perform any other task. The rear camera module is ever so slightly raised, while the fingerprint sensor sits below it. The bottom of this phone has a Micro-USB port and speaker, while the 3.5mm headphone jack can be

found at the top. On the left, you will also find the SIM tray, which can house two Nano-SIMs and simultaneously a microSD card of up to 400GB capacity. Specifications and Software: The Nokia 3.2 packs a 6.26-inch HD+ (720x1520 pixels) display with a 19:9 aspect ratio and a water drop notch at the top. This new phone is powered by the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 429 processor. The Nokia 3.2 comes in two variants — the base variant with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage priced at Rs. 8,990, and a higher-end variant with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage priced at Rs. 10,790, which is the one we have for review. For connectivity, there’s 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS/ A-GPS, FM radio, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a Micro-USB port with OTG support. Authentication is handled by face recognition and a rear-mounted

fingerprint sensor. Surprisingly, the 2GB RAM variant of the Nokia 3.2 misses lacks a fingerprint sensor. This phone packs a single 13-megapixel rear camera with an f/2.2 aperture and 1.12 micron pixels. Selfies are handled by a

fixed-focus 5-megapixel camera with an f/2.2 aperture and 77-degree field of view. On the software side, the Nokia 3.2 is a part of the Android One programme and runs Android 9 Pie. The Nokia 3.2 offers a large 6.26-inch HD+ (720x1520 pixels) display with a density of 269ppi. Verdict: The Nokia 3.2 is targeted at folks looking for a phone with a large display suitable for multimedia consumption, and also one that packs a large battery that easily lasts over a day. And even though the display quality could have been better, the Nokia 3.2 delivers on those two counts. Review from NDTV Gadget. n

Fiction

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

A heart for destitute kids

hey picked up recyclable materials from the street, garbage dump, market or from trash bins. They were a group of four minor rag pickers between 7 to 10 years of age. They meet at a point and start picking rags in the railway colony. They picked up anything which fetched them money, such as paper, cardboard, plastic, iron scrap, tin containers and bottles. Nupur, the eldest one helped the other three minors to identify the retrievable bits and pieces. She walked alongside them with a rod, tied with a piece of magnet to fish out salvageable iron bits. Their extreme poverty forced them to enter this profession to stay alive. Arpan, a Vivekananda school student often saw them roving and collecting scraps from unhealthy plunk. Seeing them wandering all day in search of rags, slinging huge plastic sacks on their slender shoulders made his tiny heart cry out in pain. They went through a very tough time searching all over to eke out their livelihood. He scrupulously watched their untidy and dirty clothes and careless hair, while standing on the side of the road. Very often, he saw them meet with injuries and fall sick due to toxic substances and sharp materials while they scrounged with bare hands as well as their bare feet. It is also a hard truth that no credibility is given to these deprived rag pickers who play a vital role in the waste management system, especially in urban areas.

As the destitute children grew up, their behavior as well as approach in seeing themselves started changing. They began to chew and smoke tobacco and consume country liquor with other colleagues of the same community without getting interdicted by anyone. Sometimes, Arpan broke into tears when he saw them sitting together, consuming food-waste collected from a pile of garbage. However, gradually he developed a helpful disposition towards them. Every so often, he would bring toffees for them or biscuits from his pocket money. He loved to talk to them and was eager to know of their well-being. Thus, he became an identified face who ardently thought about them. Seeing him at a distance, they would run around shouting “Arpan da, Arpan da” and asked him if he could give them anything to eat. As soon as they got his nod, they

would hop and shout with joy and accompany him to the shop. They hardly found him emptyhanded while he was on his way to school. Those poor children also felt delighted to meet Arpan everyday at a fixed time. Sometimes his diminutive head was indoctrinating them to go and attend the nearby government school where there is a provision of mid-day meal. They said, of course they went to the school for a few days, but stopped in-between because it was hard to survive with a scanty single meal for the whole day. Hence, they decided to continue to pick rags and sell those to the middlemen for their living. Arpan observed that they didn’t get much attention from their families and they didn’t heed their parents’ advice, as they met their own expenditure. Very often, they spent their nights sleeping on pavements or in shacks because of their weak links with their families. One day, while Arpan was on his way home, he saw three of them involved in a fight, while Nupur was trying to disperse them off by standing in-between them. The cause of the fight was in regard to a valuable find amidst a mound of rubbish which was claimed individually by all three rag pickers. While they saw Arpan coming

near them, the fight Rabin Prasad Kalita was almost clogged and they itinerant buyer approached him for a convenient directly from households, shops solution as to who should own the and offices. Though he started it find. It was probably an earnest independently, his relation with respect paid to Arpan which he the other three guys was not over earned over a period of time of yet. cordial closeness with them. As they grew up, their behavior Occasionally, Arpan used to as well as their approach to see call them to collect some reusable themselves started changing. used clothes and footwear which They began to chew and smoke were earlier worn by him and his tobacco along with consuming sister. Therefore, he informed country liquor with many his father Siddhant about his other colleagues of the same promise to help those destitute community without getting kids. A couple of days later when interdicted by anyone. Nupur and her colleagues came One evening, teenaged Nupur up to their railway colony quarter, walked up alone to Siddhant’s Siddhant greeted them with some home with shaky legs under palatable dishes along with some the influence of liquor in search available support as assured by of Arpan da. Siddhant was him. Seeing them leaving his astonished to see her in that home happily, Siddhant‘s heart sleazy condition. Although was filled with enormous peace she was boozed up, yet she and tranquility. At the same time, maintained her prudence while he was equally concerned about enquiring about Arpan. their future too. When she found out that Arpan After a few years of empathetic stays far away from them, she said, association with these street “Okay uncle, please convey our children, Arpan had to move out good wishes to him and also tell of the city to Chandigarh for his him that we were remembering higher studies. And thus, their him.” Concurrently, she mumbled everyday flocking with Arpan to herself, “Lest Arpan da would came to an end. have been here today.” By the time the older among the Before Siddhant could say three boys grew up enough anything, she walked out to ride a tricycle, wobbling all the way. Siddhant he started stood still for a couple of minutes collecting looking at her until she was waste swallowed up by the dark. as an That evening, Siddhant found himself in an awkward and helpless state of mind which banged him with many unanswered questions. There are thousands of Nupurs all over who are exposed to addiction, physical abuse, eve teasing and exploitation by outsiders. Teenage girls are the most insecure amongst the street children while they are in search for their basic needs like food and shelter. Thereafter, she was not traceable for almost a year. One fine morning, suddenly she appeared at Siddhant’s home with her sparkling bridal silk sari accompanied by a smart young man. Siddhant was surprised to see her smiling face after a long span of audio-visual separation between them. This time too, before he opened his mouth to speak, she and her just married bridegroom touched his feet and asked for his blessings. Siddhant invited them in and blessed them for their long union of conjugal life and offered them some cash as a token of love. Then they said goodbye with a heart full of happiness and left holding each other’s hands firmly to start a beautiful nuptial life. (The author is a freelance writer and presently works at the Indian Audit & Accounts Department in Guwahati)

20 Fun Jayashree Bose

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

16th & 21st June will be great days to share ideas with seniors and connect with them. On 21st June, schedule your important meetings. On 15th June, you will be emotionally hurt by colleagues or superiors. On 17th June, you could have a fall out with a superior or someone at work.

Lay low on 15th June, as you are bound to have disagreements with people at work or there could be changes at your work place. Avoid making any promises on 15th & 18th June. 17th & 19th June will be great days to connect with seniors & share your ideas with them, host important meetings on these dates.

The first half of your week will be slow, but the second half will be great. For good results, host your meetings, share ideas with superiors & network with business associates on 18th, 19th & 21st June. Avoid any Sunday meetings on 16th June. On 20th June, nothing will go according to plan.

15th, 18th & 19th June will be great days to connect with seniors & share ideas with them, you could host important meetings on these dates. You could have issues with seniors or extended family on 17th June, don’t get into a confrontation. On 20th June, be careful while dealing with the opposite gender.

16th & 17th June will be great days to share ideas with seniors & build a relationship with them, host important meetings on 17th June. On 18th & 21st June, you could have issues at your workplace with seniors or clients. Avoid getting into a confrontation.

17th & 21st June will be excellent days to schedule important meetings. On 16th June, you could have a small get together with your colleagues, seniors & parents. Your seniors will be receptive to your ideas on 16th, 17th & 21st June. Avoid hosting any meetings especially with seniors on 19th June. You are bound to have disagreements.

15th, 18th & 19th June will be great days to share ideas with seniors or simply just connect with them. You could schedule important meetings on these dates. Watch your words & actions on 20th June, as you could have disagreements at work.

19th June will be a great day to build a rapport with seniors & people at work, host important meetings on this day. On 18th & 21st June, avoid making any promises as you will have to live up to them. 15th June will be a slow day for you. On 20th June, you will be betrayed by someone you trusted.

Avoid hosting any meetings on 20th June as things will not go according to plan. You will have issues at work, with your superiors or clients on 19th June, try not to get into a confrontation. 17th June will be a great day to build a rapport with seniors & people at work, host your important meetings on this day.

Watch your words & actions on 17th June as you could create your own problems. On 18th June, you will be emotionally hurt either by your parents or seniors & might have a disagreement with seniors or work associates, not a day to schedule important meetings. 21st June will be a great day to connect with seniors & share ideas with them, host important meetings on this day.

Watch yourself on 15th & 21st June, avoid making any promises or getting into a confrontation. You could have disagreements with seniors or work associates; this is not a day to schedule important meetings. On 17th June, you will be emotionally hurt either by your parents or your seniors. 18th June will be a slow day for you.

15th June is an ideal day to mingle with seniors, people at work & build your work network. On 16th June, you will be emotionally hurt by colleagues or superiors. Be careful with your words & actions on 19th June as you will create your own problems.

Sudoku 9

5 6

4 5 2

9 4 9 6 9 7 3 9 2 7 2 6 5 2 3 7 4 5 7 4 1 7 4 3 1 6 2 2 3 1 9 1 1 5 6 2 4 1 8 4 6 7hard Daily Sudoku: Fri 14-Jun-2019 5 6 3

3 6 2 8

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

Daily Sudoku: Fri 7-Jun-2019

Steven Spielberg

Valletta, capital of Malta

Doctor from the latin word, “Docere”

Jharkhand

Bharatiya Janata Party

Meghalaya

Pukhlein made with rice and jaggery is a delectable dessert from which northeastern state?

Which is the largest political party in the world with more than 100 million registered members?

Which state of India literally means “bushland” or “land of forest?”

Which profession gets its name from a Latin word meaning “to teach?”

Which Mediterranean city is the smallest and southernmost capital of the European Union?

Which famous movie director’s first completed short film is this?

Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Dilbert By Scott Adams

curio-city

9 last 1 5week 6 8solution 4 7 2 3 6 7 3 1 5 2 4 9 8 3 5 7 1 6 2 4 8 9 8 4 2 9 7 3 6 5 1 6 2 4 5 8 9 7 3 1 3 8 1 7 6 5 9 4 2 8 9 1 7 3 4 6 5 2 2 9 6 4 3 1 5 8 7 1 6 2 3 7 8 9 4 5 7 5 4 8 2 9 3 1 6 7 8 9 2 4 5 3 1 6 5 6 7 2 4 8 1 3 9 4 3 5 9 1 6 2 7 8 4 2 9 3 1 7 8 6 5 9 7 3 6 5 1 8 2 4 1 3 8 5 9 6 2 7 4 2 Sudoku: 1 Fri814-Jun-2019 4 9 3 5 6 7hard Daily

5 4 6 8 2 7 1 9 3 Daily Sudoku: Fri 7-Jun-2019

curio-city

easy

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

Word of the week lulu knackered adjective noun [loo-loo] [nak-erd]

any remarkable British or outstanding Slang. person exhausted; or thing. very tired

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

Horoscope of the week

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 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 | June 15 - June 21, 2019

Vaastu: Spiritual remedies Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

piritual chants and rituals can transform the energy of a place. They have the power to neutralise negative energy. Yantras also have similar powers. Many ill-effects of Vaastu can be averted by placing the puja room in the northeast but this should not be made heavy by constructing platform etc. It is recommended not to keep photos of deities at places other than the puja room because there may be negativity in other areas like the kitchen or bedroom. Needless to say, a toilet or dustbin in the northeast will have all the illeffects of Vaastu. If there is a defect in the northeast, the Durga Yantra is very helpful in removal of the same. Lord Shiva should be worshipped regularly. Whenever there is a defective north like a heavy structure or blockage, a well can be dug in the north to lessen the Vaastu defect. A Budh/Kuber Yantra

can be installed in the north on a Wednesday because Budh or mercury is the ruler of north along with Lord Kubera. If the west is not kept higher in comparison to the east, the owner is financially and physically affected. Sri Mahakali Yantra can remove such a defect. The Varun Yantra is also very useful in the west. Water bodies in the south are detrimental for ladies and finances. The Mangal Yantra can remove defects in the south. A statue of Lord Ganesha having its trunk towards the right side can be kept in the south. Depressions in the southwest can affect the owner, the spouse and the eldest child. A statue of Panchmukhi (five faced) Lord Hanuman can provide protection from defects in the southwest. The statue of a white-coloured Lord Ganesha on the main door is also very good. The owner of the house should chant the Rahu Gayatri mantra regularly. If the east is higher, it will affect the children and arrest the growth of the family. The Surya Yantra can nullify defects in the east. The owner should do Surya Namaskar

daily and chant Mantra at sunrise.

the

Gayatri

Father’s Day: DIY Gift Ideas

Feels like the first sip of coffee in the morning doesn’t it? Like the first slice of chocolate cake, Or the first dish you ever made.

DIY Skinny Tie

When your father walks into the boardroom for a meeting, he’ll always have a memory of you close to him as a DIY skinny tie is functional, fashionable and efficient.

Have you ever tasted sorrow? Feels like a slice of pineapple on your pizza. Or like over salted pasta,

Family Photo Mug

DIY Laptop Sleeve If your dad uses his laptop a lot, a laptop sleeve is the perfect gift to give. You can choose a fabric that matches your father’s style and then make a sleeve out of foam and fabric.

Photobook

Speaking of memories, there is nothing that says love and fondness more than a book that your father can keep for eternity

Have you tasted life yet? Have you ever tasted bliss?

his year, Father’s Day will be celebrated on June 16, Sunday and what better way to show your father that you love him than to make a DIY gift for him. Here are a few ideas:

This gift may be cheesy, but who doesn’t like to keep warm, pun intended (with memories and coffee/tea or your father’s preferred beverage) with a cute mug that has all your smiling faces, because nothing is more special to a father than their children’s smiling faces.

The northwest is ruled by the moon and it controls the faculties

of the mind. Defects in the northwest make one mentally unstable and bring enemies. Those who have defective northwest should observe Mondays and install a statue of Lord Ganesha on the main door which is made of silver or white material. Defects in the southeast create imbalance in the fire element. Keeping Lord Ganesha on the main door can help. Those who are facing financial problems should check their north. A Kuber Yantra installed on a Wednesday in the north and worshipped regularly can bring about huge financial changes. The Sriyantra or Lakshmi Yantra in the east is also very powerful in this regard. This has to be installed on a Friday. But as Kuber is regarded as a Yaksha (demon), this yantra should not be kept along with Sriyantra or other deities. n

Or missing that cheese dip With your garlic bread sticks. Have you ever tasted happiness? It’s just like the cotton candy, with photos of you throughout your childhood. You can never go wrong with a photobook, it’s a timeless gift.

Father’s Day Cheque Book

Make a cheque book for your father with options such as homemade dinner or movie night, which he cash when he wants. Your father will appreciate this gift and you will get to spend more

time with him. It’s a win-win all the way through. n

That melts immediately in your mouth, Or like chocolate It gets over quickly and never leaves you satisfied. To be continued... Antriksh Somany

22 Buzz

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

FLO North East holds mock parliament with MP Queen Oja

n June 11 at Vivanta by Taj, FICCI FLO North East felicitated Lok Sabha MP from Assam, Queen Oja, who is a member and past Chairperson of FICCI FLO North East. In her welcome address, FICCI FLO Chairperson Dr Srutimala Duara said, “We are proud that our member Queen Oja is now a Lok Sabha MP from Assam and we all hope that she will be able to present the issues and problems that Assam is facing today. The mock parliament is being organised to talk about the issues of Assam that we all want to be raised in the Parliament by her. And it is also to be a learning experience for our FLO members of the proceedings in the Parliament.” The felicitation program was conducted by Vice Chairperson, Suruchi Agarwal, who also read out the rules of the parliament proceedings. Queen Oja spoke about her journey as a politician and assured that she would give her best to put up some of the vital problems plaguing this region and work for the good of her state.

City girl bags national scholarship in Sattriya Dance

Joyshree Das Verma was the Speaker of the mock parliament. The members of FLO took their seats as the ruling party and opposition. Some were given the role of various ministers and they too were questioned on different issues related to their respective departments. MP Queen Oja

responded to the questions on tourism development, flash floods, infrastructure problems, terrorism, among others. The proceedings were in Hindi and English. The session turned out to be interesting and stormy. Senior Vice Chairperson Juhie Saboo offered the vote of thanks. n

The team that won the city round included Vatsal Agarwal, Vishesh Bajaj and Saanvi Khaitan. Two students were also given the “Best Speaker” award. A total of three teams from the school participated and all qualified for the quarter finals

and Maha Behes (the national level of Behes). Behes is a non-profit initiative working to promote debate, public speaking and reasoned expression in schools and colleges throughout India and beyond.

ridusmita Dutta, an upcoming performing artist of Assam has recently received a National scholarship under the scheme of Senior Scholarship for Young Artists in Sattriya Dance from Ministry of Culture, Government of India. In 2005, she had also received the Junior Scholarship Award in Odissi dance from Centre of Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), New Delhi. A Master’s student of Department of Performing Arts, Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva Viswavidyalaya, Mridusmita had received her first Master’s in English from Tezpur University. She is the daughter of Pradeep

Kumar Dutta and danseuse Gitika Dutta of Guwahati. Mridusmita had performed in various places in the state as well the nation gaining accolades with each performance. n

Co-curricular institute City school students win regional round in hosts annual function in national debate competition the city

tudents from Sanskriti the Gurukul won the Guwahati City Round at the Behes debate, public speaking and reasoned expression competition held at DPS Guwahati on June 8 and June 9.

un n Learn Arena, an institute that caters to extra-curricular activities, hosted its annual function on Saturday, June 9. The kids enrolled in the institute participated in various events such as dance competition, singing

competition, a play on Kaziranga National Park etc. They even hosted a competitive motherchild cooking event. The participants were of 3-12 years of age. Fun n Learn Arena is an institute which provides a positive impulse to every child and was inaugurated on June 1, 2018. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

Assamese short film ‘Mistake’ to Assamese music composer passes away release on June 16 in Mumbai

ward-winning Assamese short film, Mistake will release on June 16, Father’s Day. The short film has been directed by filmmaker Xahid Khan and has been screened at many national and international film festivals including the 11th International Guwahati Film

Festival, Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival, Inshort Film Festival of Nigeria, South Asian Film Festival, GIDSAFF-18, Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival-18, Las Vegas Film Convention-19, the Emirates Short Film Festival, where it won the “2nd Best Regional Film Award” and it was also selected in the Top 15

category of the 6th BVFF Short Film Contest 2018. The 7 minute 43 second short film is about Paahi, a young girl who messages her boyfriend but accidentally sends it to her father, who has no idea of his daughter’s boyfriend. The movie will be released on online platform, movietonne.

Bollywood director Divya Khosla walks ramp for Assamese fashion designer

ollywood director Divya Khosla walked the ramp for Assamese fashion designer Sanjukta Dutta at the Gurugram International Couture Week 2019 (GICW). Khosla wore a mekhela chador by the designer and praised the talent and creativity of Assamese handloom weavers. The director stated in her Twitter account: “Thank u everyone for all the love u gav on my look. It was a pleasure walking the ramp @GICWIndia wearing the most beautiful #MekhalaChador & showcasing the talent & creativity of the handloom weavers of Assam on such a platform.” Earlier, Dutta had designed an Assam silk gown for Top Model

usic composer par excellence, Viccky Goswami, who originally hailed from Tezpur, passed away in Mumbai last night, June 12, battling cancer. Goswami was suffering from stomach cancer, last stage, when he passed away. A resident of Mumbai, his achievements have largely remained unknown in Assam. He was the first Assamese to win a Zee Cine Award for the background score of “Tere Naam,” a RAPA Award, MTV Award, “Best Ad Film” Award at the Cannes Film Festival and the “Best Jingle Award” for Audi A7. He is also the composer of Idea Network’s signature tune, composer of Radio Mirchi’s signature track. He did the background score for Salman Khan starter, “Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha,” background score for Shahid Kapoor’s “Dil Mange More,” background score for Amitabh Bachchan starrer, “Pa.”

for a red carpet event at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival.

full,” arranged for instruments and other requirements for iconic song, “Paree Hoon Main” and did the very first tribute song for Dr. Bhupen Hazarika. He is the son of late Durga Goswami, founder of Hotel Luit, Tezpur.

Actor Dilip Kr Das receives Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Award ilip Kumar Das, an actor and social worker from Assam’s Nalbari district, was honoured with the prestigious Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Award on Sunday, June 9. He was honoured at the National Samata Conference 2019 in Gangtok, Sikkim.

United Kingdom winner Ingrida Ilgine, which the model wore

In addition to this, he has also composed a staggering 2000 adjingles, including jingles for Airtel, Bajaj, Wonder Marbles, World Cup track, Pepsi, Audi, Wateen Network and Phillips. Further, he composed the famous track for milk, “Doodh hai wonderful, pii sakta hoon roz glass-

The award was presented to him by Samata Sahitya Academy, a national organization by the Bhutan Education and Development Minister, Thakur S Powdyel. Das has continued his efforts to help the poor students of Assam financially and has made significant contributions in the field of acting.

24 Catching Up

G PLUS | June 15 - June 21, 2019

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