G Plus Vol 6 Issue 43 by G Plus

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Volume 06 | Issue 43 Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019 Price `10

INSIDE

45 city hospitals/clinics implement bar code system for bio-medical waste disposal

PG 10

PG 04

3 years on …

Promised ‘HIGH’ still awaited... Is heritage liquor a govt gimmick? ‘Lengthy paper work process, lack of support’ upset producers G Plus News @guwahatiplus

he Assam government’s promise of promoting traditional local brews continues to remain a dream three years after the state finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claiming to bring up products to compete with Goa’s Feni and Russia’s

27 city restaurants served closure notice in 13 days

Vodka. Meanwhile, the producers who are attempting to produce heritage liquor are rather upset with the government for the lengthy paper work process and lack of support.

Detailed story continued on Page 2. Includes the views of the state excise department.

Photo feature: Guwahati celebrated the 73rd Independence Day with great fervour

PG 12-13

Lead Story Snippets

School bus accident in Guwahati, driver and students injured

Kendriya Vidyalaya Khanapara, Guwahati bus driver along with a few students sustained minor injuries after the school bus lost control and met with an accident. According to parents, the original school bus driver had sent a substitute in his place and due to this substitute’s negligence the bus banged straight into a road divider pole. One of the students alleged that the school authorities have been neglecting the Hatigaon route for a long time. “The condition of the bus is not good. We have repeatedly asked to change the bus but the authorities keep on changing the driver,” said a guardian. In the meanwhile, the injured have been taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. A case has been registered under Hatigaon Police station for further enquiry.

ASTC to operate around 1,000 electric buses

ssam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) plans to operate around 1,000 electric buses which will be provided by Indian distributer of the Hungarian firm, Csepel Holding in phased manner. ASTC Managing Director Anand Prakash Tiwari said talks are in the final stages and an agreement is likely to be signed shortly. According to a report, Csepel Holding will lease out these buses on an opex model where ASTC will be the lessee with no capital expenditure involved. The company will provide the buses and ASTC will operate them. However, in return, an amount will be paid to them monthly. It is to be mentioned that Csepel Holding will also set up the charging stations for the buses and carry out the maintenance which will be borne by the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

Heritage liquor a govt gimmick?

n a promise made in the state’s annual budget for 2016-17, state finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that while the tribal brews were healthy and possessed high medicinal values, the government was looking to conduct proper research on these brews, ensure standard manufacturing practices and packaging them in such an attractive manner that these would compete with Feni and Vodka. Sarma had then however had not specified when this dream would turn into a reality. The policy was notified in May 2017 after amending the Assam Excise Act 2000. The fee for a license had been deliberately kept low at Rs 5,000. Even though the excise department has kept the fees low, producers feel that the government is not doing enough to support what can turn out to be a great industry. An upper Assam based producer, Akash Jyoti Gogoi, owner of North East Agro Products and Services, talking to G Plus said, “The government has kept the paper work process for heritage liquor the same as Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL). There is no special support other than a lower fee.” He explained that it’s been quite some time that he had applied for the license but every second day the excise department would require some more or some other paper. He said that it should have

Representative image of heritage liquor of Assam the technology takes time. Gogoi expressed that if everything goes well enough hereafter and if he gets the license his product will be in the market by December. The government does not have to spend a single penny for these projects, whereas it is expecting to generate huge revenue if the projects are successful. Again, nothing has been said about the tax in the rules. The producers do not know how much they will be taxed and they hope and suggest that if for two years the product would be tax-free,

been a single window process but here things are different. The applicants need to submit no objection certificates (NOC) for everything - pollution certificate, food quality report and so on. He said, “The producers are local, the ingredients are local but still the process requires huge scrutiny creating a huge chaos.” He said that since the last one and a half years he has been trying to procure the licence but he is facing problems only due to the process. He is trying to produce rice wine and preparing

the production will be better. “The government keeps saying that start-ups will be extended help, but in reality, if startup subsidy is taken from the government, the production of such products (heritage liquor) might take around 3 to 5 years,” said Gogoi. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Assam government is trying to develop local industry as a policy, it seems they are not doing enough to help the startups. Dreams of many ideas are shown but the reality is different.

Trying best to help heritage liquor producers, claims excise department

efuting the allegations made by the heritage liquor producers, the state excise ministry claimed that it’s leaving no stone unturned to help these entrepreneurs. Public Relation Officer (PRO) to the excise minister, Shailendra Pandey, talking to G Plus said, “Excise deals with duty of products and as soon as the heritage liquor rules were discussed it was made sure that the license fees are minimal and accordingly the excise act was amended.” He claimed that very soon the department is mulling to further amend the excise rules so that the paper work for heritage liquor is no more a lengthy process. The state excise minister, Parimal Suklabaidya, said that the state government is welcoming all the interested manufacturers willing to produce heritage liquor. But till now they have received applications from only two parties – one from Ahom

traditional drink producers (Xajpani) and one from Dimasa traditional drink producers (Zudima). The excise department cannot help in the production of the liquor as it deals with only duty and not production. The excise department is also mulling to amend the excise rules so that illegally distilled liquor (Sulai Mod) will be totally banned in the state which will directly increase the demand for heritage liquor, said the excise minister’s PRO. He revealed that there are around 13 types of traditional liquor available in Assam and if produced and packaged properly, it will be a multi-million rupee industry.

Tribe

Local name (Liquor)

Substrate used Local name

ADIVASI

RICE

DABAI

HARIA

DIMASA

RICE

HAMAO

ZUDIMA

AHOM

RICE

XAJAR PITHA

XAJPANI

MISHING

STICKY RICE

APONG KUSURE

APONG

MISHING

RICE AND HERBS

BODO

RICE

EMAO

KARBI

RICE

THAP

ARAK/HO/ HARLONG

MEITHEL

RICE

HAMEI

CHAMELI

APATANI

DRIED MILLET/ BOILED RICE

EPO

CHU

NEPALI

RICE/CORN

MARCHA

JARR

ANGAMI

STICKY RICE

YEI

PEYAZU

KHASI

RICE

U PHANDIENG

SONOWALKACHARI

RICE

FATIKA, MOD

CHAI MOD

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

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Governance

4 Health

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

45 city hospitals/clinics implement bar code system for bio-medical waste disposal Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

total of 45 hospitals and clinics in Guwahati have so far implemented the bar code system for biomedical waste which is meant to help in keeping a track of the quantity of biomedical waste being collected, treated and disposed. Authorities informed that the implementation in other hospitals and clinics in the city is currently ongoing.

Bio-medical waste can be infectious since it consists of discarded drugs, syringes, sharp waste, microbiological and biotechnological waste, human anatomical waste and animal wastes among others and thus requires proper handling and disposal. “The implementation of the bar code system is ongoing in full swing in different hospitals as per the Bio Waste Management Rules,” said DN Das, member secretary at Pollution Control Board of Assam (PCBA). Bio-medical waste can be infectious since it consists of discarded drugs, syringes, sharp waste, microbiological and biotechnological waste, human anatomical waste and animal wastes among others and thus requires proper handling and disposal.

Bio- medical waste at GMCH | G Plus photo The union environment ministry had extended the deadline for implementation of the Bio Medical Waste Management Rules 2016 till March 27, 2019. According to union ministry of environment’s guidelines for bar code system for effective management of bio-medical waste, the bar code system would help in tracking of bio-medical waste from source of generation to intended destination for final treatment and disposal. Further, it would also enable daily checks on the stakeholders involved in the bio-medical waste disposal process. With the introduction of the new bar code system, the identification of source of bio-medical waste generation becomes easy and authorities are able to monitor waste generation, collection, transportation, treatment and disposal online.

The PCBA is implementing the bar code system in Kamrup (Metro) district in collaboration with Fresh Air Waste Management Services Pvt. Ltd. The authorities began implementation of the new system since January this year. For this, Fresh Air Waste Management Services Pvt. Ltd. conducted awareness drives in different hospitals and clinics to sensitise them about the process. It is to be mentioned that a few instances of bio-medical waste being dumped illegally came to fore during the last year. In one such instance, bio-medical waste was found dumped illegally at Hatisila in December 2018. The incident came to light when the locals complained to the police about the disposed of syringes, needles among other waste materials which they found near their vicinity. Following this, the police

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reached the spot and even detained a man in connection with the case. An official of Butterfly Software (which is involved in bar coding system in healthcare facilities) informed G Plus, “We are implementing the bar code system in various hospitals on a continuous basis and all the hospitals in Guwahati should be bar coded by the end of the year.” He added that every single bag generating out of a healthcare institute can be tracked and weighed as a result of the system. As per the bio-medical waste rules 2016, every healthcare institution treating 1,000 or more patients in a month, has to obtain authorisation from the PCBA for generating, collecting, receiving, storing, treating, disposing or handling of biomedical waste. As per sources, there are

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several hospitals and clinics which are yet to obtain authorisation from the PCBA. The absence of valid authorisation by the PCBA means that hospitals not following mandatory norms related to proper treatment of biomedical waste could lead to such hazardous waste being mixed with the regular municipal waste, say health experts. It could also result in the absence of records with the hospitals for the generation of day-to-day biomedical waste. According to a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in 2016, only 17 per cent of the hospitals, clinics and nursing homes in the state have obtained authorisation from the PCBA. Out of a total of 1,014 health care establishments in Assam, merely 178 have applied for authorisation from the PCBA which is a clear violation of the mandatory norms. The guidelines on enforcement of barcode system for bio-medical waste state that for each bag scanned by the bar code scanner, all information including label information, date, time and weight of each bag will be automatically transferred to centrally located bar code based waste management system software. It further states that there should be no scope for manual intervention of the operator of the waste picker with respect to the data transfer. n

City

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

Tata Magics charge arbitrarily and need to be regulated, feel Guwahatians Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

uwahatians have complained of a lack of regulation on the plying mode and fares charged by the Tata Magics (shared passenger carrying vehicles) - the widely used form of public transport in the city. Commuters say that they are often overcharged by these minivan drivers over longer distances. The regular

They bully the customers and say that there’s no stoppage in certain places and thus they won’t stop if we pay them the standard amount and demand higher fares,” a harassed passenger.

Road but the drivers insist on charging no less than Rs 20. “When people raise their voice against the excess fare charged by them, they talk to the passengers very rudely. During one instance, I told a driver that I would complain but he said that he wouldn’t budge and I could do as I please,” said Deka. Animesh Kalitam, a resident of Narengi, who travels by Tata Magic on a regular basis had a similar story to relate. He said that while the

An overloaded Tata Magic in Guwahati | G Plus photo passengers also complain of them being rude and misbehaving with passengers. Nitupan Deka, who travels often on the Jalukbari to VIP Road stretch, told G Plus that he has often been charged arbitrarily by Tata Magic drivers. “I travel frequently from Jalukbari to VIP Road on Tata Magic and I’ve seen that the drivers charge excess fare from the customers. They

usually target students as maximum students are from outside Guwahati and are unaware of the exact fares along these routes,” said Deka adding that there is an examination centre on the VIP Road where a lot of students come every week to appear for different banking and other examinations. Deka further informed that the fare is usually Rs 15 from Jalukbari stop to VIP

passenger vehicle drivers ply without any trouble during the morning time, evening travel become troublesome for passengers.

“They bully the customers and say that there’s no stoppage at certain places and thus they won’t stop if we pay them the standard amount. They demand higher fares,” mentioned Kalita. He further added that he has often gotten into quarrels with the drivers but to no avail. “They just don’t listen and most of the time sport a foul mood. So many passengers do not confront them,” said Kalita. On the other hand, as

per authorities, the last fare revision of these passenger vehicles took place in 2012. Secretary of Regional Transport Authority, Bapan Kalita, said that while there are regulatory mechanisms in place to check the plying of Tata Magics, they have received several complaints against these drivers. “District transport office has the authority to take action against them and they would do it if they find it appropriate,” said Bapan Kalita. n

6 Concern

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

The sweeping recession: How and why the Indian economy is suffering Harshita Himatsingka @HHimatsingka

t is not every day that you wake up to the news that one of India’s most wellknown businessmen has died. On July 31, the country woke up to mourn the loss of VG Siddhartha, the founder of the popular coffee chain, Cafe Coffee Day. Since his death, speculation has been rife that he may have even taken his own life as he could not cope with the pressures of running his business and was at a loss, literally. And while his demise is a great loss to all, it brought to the forefront some important issues regarding the present economic condition of the country. Based on a recent report by The Times of India, data compiled by the World Bank has shown that India has slipped to the seventh place in the global GDP rankings in 2018, losing its spot to France, which is now placed in the sixth position. It should be noted that in 2017, India had made its place as the sixth largest economy in the world. Based on figures for the year 2018, India’s GDP was at $2.7

It is to be mentioned that the current government has devised a plan for the country to emerge as a $5 trillion economy by 2024-25, and results from economic surveys for the fiscal year 201819 have showed that to attain that goal, India needs to sustain a real GDP growth rate of eight percent. trillion, while in the previous year, the country’s GDP was $2.65 trillion. Based on the report, many economists and experts from the field have stated that the decline in position was due to “currency

Representative image fluctuations and slowdown in growth.” Even though India remains the fastest-growing major economy in the world, its growth has been estimated to slow down to seven percent in the current fiscal year. It is to be mentioned that the

current government has devised a plan for the country to emerge as a $5 trillion economy by 202425, and results from economic surveys for the fiscal year 201819 have showed that to attain that goal, India needs to sustain a real GDP growth rate of eight

percent. However, since the government is currently struggling to maintain a steady growth rate, the ground realities have to be looked into to ascertain if the $5 trillion economy is a far-fetched dream or an attainable goal.

Post-budget analysis

t has been almost six weeks since union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced her maiden budget for the year 201920 which promises sustainable economic revival for the country. However, based on various reports across numerous sectors of the economy, the situation currently seems grim. One of the worst hit sectors of the economy currently reeling is the automobile industry. A report by Quint stated that Maruti Udyog, which acts as a denominator to measure the sales and profits of the automobile industry sector as a whole, has reported diminishing sales for the past few months. In July itself, the company saw a drop in sales by 36 percent. Other industry giants such as Mahindra tractors saw a drop in

Representative image sales by 12 percent, while Ashok Leyland saw a drop of 14 percent.

Similarly, other companies in the automobile sector have noticed a

downward trend in sales starting from 10 percent to 30 percent. According to experts, this shifting trend in the industry is extremely harmful for the Indian economy as a whole because the automobile sector provides for 10 percent of India’s economic growth. It has also been reported that around 280 car dealerships in India have shut down its offices and more than 30,000 people working in this industry have lost

their jobs. Based on another recent report by The Hindustan Times, Tata Motors in Jamshedpur is another company hit by the bad times because of the market slowdown. It received 40 percent less orders this financial year as compared to the previous year. The company has gone through a series of block closures, almost four times this year up until now to contain production. To add to that, it has been reported that approximately 30 steel sector companies just in that particular area are also on the verge of shutting down. The report by Quint also stated that since 2002, the month of July this year saw the highest drop in the share market. Shares fell from anywhere between 10 to 50 percent and even the biggest and most successful companies were not spared from this downfall.

Concern

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

Constraints in the city

ust like anywhere else in the country, Guwahati too has been hit by recession. Almost all sectors of the economy have witnessed this shift and some, if not most are struggling to stay afloat. G Plus spoke to some individuals in different spheres of the economic sector to find out how their businesses are keeping up in this current recession-hit environment. Speaking to some prominent businessmen in the city, G Plus found that dealers of passenger vehicles have been facing the brunt of the situation for almost nine months now and commercial vehicle dealers are not far behind as they have also witnessed a downward trend in sales since the past two-three months. “There has definitely been a drop in sales, and it has been prevalent for the past few months. This has also caused a drop in sales for manufacturing and other related

industries as one thing is related to another and a drop in one section almost always results in a drop in the other section as well,” said a prominent businessman in the city. He stated that since interest rates have increased exponentially, production has to be controlled so that there is no surplus, as there is currently no demand because of a lack of purchasing power. When asked if there is any solution to this problem, the businessman explained that the government has to make better policies that support the industry and the businessmen. GST rates have to be cut down and interest rates have to be lowered so that the market can pick up and get moving again. G Plus also reached out to some real estate experts in the city who stated that the surplus problem exists in this sector as well. There are a number of completed flats that are lying unsold across the

Snippets Road mishap at Baghmari, public allege Himanta Biswa’s convoy of killing two

wo bikers were killed as they were hit by a truck at Baghmari in Biswanath district on August 15. According to a report, the incident took place at around 8.30 PM on the national highway in front of a petrol bunker. The injured were rushed to a hospital at Tezpur where they were declared dead. The deceased duo has been identified as Bipul Majhi and Susen Jogdula. In the meanwhile locals in the area alleged that it was the convoy of Assam Finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that was involved in the accident. A large number of people gathered at the spot and protested against the minister. It is to be mentioned that the Assam Finance minister and convenor of BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), clarifying the air around the incident, said that he, along with other police officials, had actually helped the victim in getting first aid in a nearby hospital and it was not his convoy but a truck that was involved in the accident. Speaking to media Sarma said, “I saw the bike hitting the truck and after seeing the ambulance I stepped outside and asked the DC to arrange for treatment of the injured and the victim was given treatment at GNRC through the entire night.” “It’s unfair to spread false news. Along with me, many others were present in the convoy. Why would everyone tell a lie?” Himanta added.

metropolis and there is no one to buy them. Because of this, tax volumes have decreased and just like the automobile sector, sales have gone down on a huge scale. It should be noted that this is also the condition in most major cities of the country which indicates a serious concern. While speaking to small businesses in the city such as retail shops and saloons, G Plus found that the footfall in these sectors have also diminished in the past few months. A clerk from a popular retail store mentioned that people hardly come in to purchase anything these days and several common MNC stores are found to be empty on most days. If customers do show up, it is for very need specific purchases and they rarely ever overspend. Same is the case with personal care in the city. Except for a few popular saloons that witness a good customer footfall, most others are facing losses and

some have even had to shut down their businesses because of other cheaper facilities available. Cinema halls in the city are also facing a similar problem. One need not look further than their movie booking app on their phone which will show the user that on any given day now, one is likely to get tickets for almost any popular movie show. This was not the case a few years or even a few months ago, but now that people have limited resources and other options, they do not prefer to spend money on something that can be availed at a later time for free. Therefore, while such financially depressing periods frequently occur and economic sectors get through it, the current period seems cloudy because the new policies on tax collection that the government is aiming for is leading the economy to a downfall. Since there is no buying power, there is no consumption

The government has to make better policies that support the industry and the businessmen. GST rates have to be cut down and interest rates have to be lowered so that the market can pick up and get moving again,” feel businessmen in the city. which is leading to an excess in surplus, which in turn is leading to a stagnant economy bereft of any investment opportunities because of high interest rates and poor returns. Thus, this is a vicious circle that our current economy is stuck in and has to find a way out.

8 Governance

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

NE strategically located in govt’s plans of multimodal transport, trans-Asian railway

here is no denying the fact that a robust transportation and communication network is a pre-requisite for rapid industrialization and socio-economic development of a region. It is also a twentieth-century realization that development of any one mode of transportation alone is not going to adequately serve the changing economic and political necessity globally. The need is for synergy among various modes of transportation and communication to support rapid economic growth of the so-called developing countries in the new millennium. A massive change is happening in the transportation sector in the northeast under the Act East Policy of the government. Some of the changes have become visible, but most of them are yet to become apparent as the scheme of the things are so huge that it would take a few more years to actually materialize. Nonetheless, the intention of the government is clear and if the present plans fructify, hopefully in another 5 to 10 years, the socio-economic scenario of northeast would be permanently altered making it the doorway to south-east Asia.

SAGARMALA India is a vast country strategically located in the middle of the major east-west trade route connecting southeast Asia with Europe and America. Our country has a 7,500 km coastline touching 13 states but adequate road and rail connectivity linkage to the ports were not developed in tandem with port development.

To ensure post-led development, the Ministry of Shipping, in April 2016, had adopted a National Prospective Plan called

modal hubs. Northeast finds an important place in this scheme of things as one of the waterways planned for

Figure - 1

at particularly improving connectivity in border areas and far flung areas with an aim of quicker movement of cargo and boosting exports. One of the selected economic corridors is the Northeast Corridor tagged as EC-44. One of the focuses of Bharatmala is improving connectivity in the northeast

GUEST COLUMN

Jayanta Kumar Sarma to waterways for efficient movement of industrial and agricultural produce saving time and cost. Railways have already taken steps to develop Silghat as a terminal station. Bharatmala also has plan for developing 24 Multimodal Logistical Parks, including one at Guwahati, where rail, road and waterways

Figure - 2

“Sagarmala” touted as “Building Gateways of Growth.” The essential component of this plan was to create adequate linkage to ports, thereby reducing logistical cost and to help industries become competitive and thus accelerating economic development. The cost per tonne kilometre of moving cargo by inland waterways can be 60 to 80 per cent lower than by road or rail. Sagarmala envisioned first developing a number of major and minor ports along the east and west coastlines of the country and then developing inland waterways, roadways and railways connecting these ports through some multi-

development was through Brahmaputra linking Dhubri with Sadia (Fig-1).

BHARATMALA To complement Sagarmala, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had unveiled a massive road-connectivity project called Bharatmala in October 2017. Under the project, construction of almost 50,000 km of highways categorized as National Corridors, Economic Corridors, Inter-Corridors and Feeder Routes were targeted across the country. It is the second largest highways construction project in the country since NHDP, aimed

and leveraging synergies with Inland Waterways already identified on Brahmaputra. The plan for improving connectivity in the Northeast under Bharatmala includes development of Northeast Economic Corridor connecting state capitals and development of seven waterways terminals on Brahmaputra River (Fig-2). These terminals have the scope for being developed as multimodal transport hubs with facilities for trans-shipment of goods from road to rail

would be interconnected for making economies of scale in transportation available. One more interesting feature of Bharatmala is the plan for seamless connectivity with our neighbouring countries. Here also, the Northeast would play a pivotal role. The plan envisions an integrated Bangladesh– Bhutan–Nepal–Myanmar and Thailand corridors with transit through Bangladesh for improving connectivity and making the Northeast a hub for East Asia (Fig-3).

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

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TUE

WED

THU

FRI

T-Storms

Scattered T-Storms

T-Storms

34°26° C

33°26° C

32°26° C

33°26° C

32°26° C

SATURDAY T-Storms

33°26° C

Governance

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

Figure - 3

TRANS-ASIAN RAILWAY (TAR) No other plan has probably proposed more elaborate and grand integration of Asian and European countries as the TransAsian Railway Network plan under the aegis of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). It was during the 1950s that a continuous 8,750 miles (14,080 km) rail link between Singapore and Istanbul (Turkey) with possible further connections to Europe and Africa was thought of. The idea did not go further until 1990 and the end of the Cold War. UNESCAP’s Transport & Tourism Division began work on the initiative in 1992 when it launched the Asian Land Transport Infrastructure Development project. And in November 2006, the Trans-Asian Railway Network Agreement was signed by 17 Asian Nations including India to build a transcontinental railway network between Europe and Pacific ports in China. The agreement formally came into force on 11th June 2009. The Trans-Asian Railway system will consist of four main railway routes which would be connected to realize a seamless network of railway lines from Europe to Asia. The existing Trans-Siberian railway, which connects Moscow to Vladivostok, will be used for a portion of the network in Russia. Another corridor to be included will connect China to Korea, Mongolia, Russia and Kazakhstan. The plan has sometimes been called the “Iron Silk Road” in reference to the historical Silk Road trade routes. The Trans-Asian Railway network now comprises 1,17,500 km of railway lines serving 28 member countries. The TAR plan includes three lines between India and Myanmar

that traverse through Bangladesh. As part of the agreement, India will build and rehabilitate rail links with neighboring Myanmar in projects that are estimated to cost more than Rs 29.41 billion. Bangladesh became a signatory to the agreement in November 2007.

TAR AND THE NORTHEAST TAR plans to connect Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and then Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia and

China with a seamless railway network for future trade and cultural exchange. For this, new lines have to be constructed for some missing links. As can be seen from the figure (Fig-4), Northeast is in the middle of this connectivity plan. The TAR connectivity proposes trans-national railway lines from West Bengal through Bangladesh to Tripura and then from Tripura to Myanmar via Mizoram. Another route proposed is from Imphal to Moreh and then to Tamu in Myanmar. There are some missing links in this scheme and the countries signing the TAR agreement has started constructing railway lines to connect these missing links. Northeast Frontier Railway has already started construction of a railway line from Agartala in Tripura to Akhaura in Bangladesh from where Bangladesh has a railway line connecting Dhaka and Chittagong port. Once this connection is completed, Akhaura would serve as border interchange point for Indian Railways with Bangladesh Railways and Northeast would have a direct link to the Bangladesh capital, Dhaka and the sea-port in Chittagong via Tripura. On the West Bengal side, India Railway has already established four

Figure - 4

international inter-change points with Bangladesh Railways. Indian Railway is also constructing a border interchange point with Nepal. Construction of a railway line from Silchar in Barak Valley to

A massive change is happening in the transportation sector in the northeast under the Act East Policy of the government such that in another 5 to 10 years, the socioeconomic scenario of northeast would be permanently altered making it the doorway to southeast Asia. Imphal is in advanced stage of completion. Another line from Imphal to Myanmar border town Moreh has also been sanctioned. Once completed, we will have a border interchange point at Moreh or Tamu and one can possibly imagine travelling on train from Guwahati all the way to Yangon in Myanmar in the near future.

THE FUTURE There have been increasing international engagements in the fields of connectivity in recent times. For example, a high-capacity undersea cable at Chittagong in Bangladesh providing internet connectivity is connected with Northeast via Tripura. Numaligarh Refinery has built a pipeline into Bangladesh. Bangladesh and Myanmar have opened its road for international drivers from India. Guwahati has got a direct flight with Bangkok. Tripura and Assam have started exporting perishable commodities to countries in the Far East. All the current connectivity plans of the government of India – be it roads, railways, waterways, telecommunication or air-connectivity - as well as that of all international stakeholders’ points towards a multimodal connectivity revolution in south-east Asia. And northeast is undoubtedly is in the middle of the eye of that revolution. (The writer is Guwahatibased Public Relations professional, researcher and Media Communicator. The views expressed in the article are his own). This article originally appeared in Financial Express in a slightly different form.

Snippets Inaugural edition of Brahmaptra Dialogue held in the city

he inaugural edition of “Brahmaputra Dialogue” was organized on August 8, with a fireside chat on “Youth, Development, Economy and Culture: Future of North East and the greater South East Asia region.” The dialogue aims to serve as a platform for young leaders and professionals across sectors to interact and engage meaningfully on areas of mutual interest. The panellists for the dialogue included Dhruv Piyush Goyal (Harvard Business School, ex BlackRock Asset Management, New York); Alpana Choudhury, (Educationist and Director, Student Affairs - USTM Meghalaya); Allwin Agnel (Founder - Pagalguy. com & Angel Investor, Wharton MBA); Atreyee Borooah Thekedath (Founder - Web. com India, Member - Board of Governors, IIITDM Jabalpur, Independent Director - Balmer Lawrie & Co. Ltd.) and Hasina Kharbhih (Founder - Impulse NGO Network/Impulse NGO Enterprises, Ashoka/Aspen Fellow). Apart from the panellists, 23 other young leaders from diverse professional backgrounds were also invited to attend the session, leading to an engaging and lively discussion around multiple areas of interest including overhauling the education system, promoting entrepreneurship, how to scale start-ups, role of social enterprises and non-profits in inclusive development of the region, honing human resources of the region, challenges and opportunities of doing business in the region, promoting northeast as a strategic trade corridor for SE Asia and so on. The initiative was conceptualized and curated by Gaurav Dasgupta and Roshan Farhan. The leadership initiative plans to scale up across New Delhi, Mumbai and North East India with carefully curated events and networking opportunities for young leaders.

10 In The News Snippets Play school students celebrate Raksha Bandhan with Assam Police

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

27 city restaurants served closure notice in 13 days Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

S T

he students and management of Mothers Pride School Guwahati, a premier play school in India, celebrated Raksha Bandhan with Assam Police personnel at Bhangagarh Police Station on August 14. The children applied tikka and tied rakhi to all officers who were on duty. The officers too reciprocated the gesture and gave the children chocolates and juice.

Independence Day celebrated at Don Bosco School, Guwahati

on Bosco School, Panbazar, Guwahati ce le brate d the 73rd Independence Day with a colourful programme at the school football field on the morning of 15th August, 2019. The chie f gue st on the occasion was Shashank Shekhar Shastri, Managing Director, Assam Co-operative Apex Bank Ltd, who unfurled the Tricolour in the presence of school Principal Fr Sebastian Mathew, veteran Salesian Fr CV George, Parish Priest Fr Vincent Xalxo, Vice Principal Fr PLM Joseph, students, school staff, NCC army, navy, scouts as well as parents and guardians. Certificates were also awarded to the scouts and NCC cadets who had excelled and won laurels. A march past event and cultural programme comprising patriotic songs and skits were also part of the programme. The event ended with a formal vote of thanks by school Vice Principal and distribution of sweets.

everal restaurants and food joints in the city have come under the scanner for serving unhygienic food over the past one month raising concerns among people. Officials of the food safety department informed G Plus that the department has served closure and improvement notices to as many as 27 restaurants between August 1 and August 13. Further, out of these 27 restaurants, 15 were operating without license. Most recently, on August 13, a notice was issued to Gam’s Delicacy Restaurant located in Ganeshguri area of the city. According to authorities, the restaurant failed to maintain basic hygiene standards resulting in its closure for seven days for proper renovation. As per the officials of the food safely department, the restaurant used expired spices and stale fish and meat were found in the cold storage of its kitchen. In addition to Gam’s Delicacy, a few other restaurants in Ganeshguri area were also served with a seven-day closure notice. These restaurants include Dichang, Mandakini, Ashirbad Hotel and Laxmi Hotel. “In Ganeshguri area, there are many hospitals and people from the hospitals come and eat food in these restaurants. Hence, we have inspected these hotels and found that the food served here is done so under unhygienic conditions,” said a food safety officer. Prior to this, five other restaurants in the city were issued the seven-day closure notice by the food safety department for failing to abide by the Food Safety and Standards Act, maintain basic hygiene standards in their premises and unauthorized operation.

A food safety oficer during a raid in a restaurant in Guwahati These restaurants included Punjab Cabin, Shubhraj Hotel and Restaurant, Hotel Crown, Basanti Hotel and Chakum Chakum Fast Food. Further on August 3, a notice was also served to the iconic Reboti Chat House located in Panbazar, Nagkata Pukhuri on unhygienic grounds. It was found that the kitchen was not in hygienic condition and lacked sufficient space. In addition to the kitchen, the infrastructure of the overall restaurant was also not maintained in a sound condition. Authorities informed that they keep conducting continuous random checks in various restaurants and eateries in different parts of the city. “We had received complaints from some of the customers at some of these places and then decided to inspect them,” said

senior food safety officer, Tarun Das. He added that apart from this they also conduct random checks in nearby food joints as well. Das said that in most of these restaurants, the major issue was low hygiene standards maintained in the kitchen and sub-standard food quality. “In addition to having an unhygienic kitchen, many of these restaurants also face problems of drinking water. During our inspection we have found that some places do not have safe drinking water or some do not use filtered water,” Das further added. Food safety officials mentioned that in order to ensure that the restaurants which have been served with improvement notices show an actual improvement in the quality of food and hygiene standards, they inspect the restaurants again after the period

of seven days. The restaurants are allowed to re-open only if the inspectors are satisfied with the overall quality of the food joint. In some cases, the restaurants also had to remain shut for an extended period of time after the seven-day period. Further, the department is also mulling over starting a helpline number wherein the general public can register their complaints regarding any restaurant. A proposal has already been submitted to the state government in this regard. In the wake of recent mushrooming of restaurants and food joints across the city, the officials said there are several restaurants which are conducting business without license and are unregistered. For this, they conduct random checks of restaurants.

Training on hygiene needed: Restaurant owners

n the other hand, while the restaurant owners have appreciated the government’s initiative to maintain safety and quality standards, they feel that the government should take other measures too apart from just issuing a closure notice. Debo Barman, member of All Assam Restaurant Association and owner of J14 fast food chain informed G Plus, “It is good that the government has issued

these notices because there should be some regulatory body to look after the parameters related to hygiene. But it is more important for them to educate the people involved in running a restaurant. A lot of restaurants don’t know what the basic criteria for hygiene are.” Restaurant owners feel that the authorities should consider conducting some workshop or training for restaurant

employees which would help them in the longer run as imposing fines on restaurants would only be short-term measure and would not serve a greater purpose. “After conducting such drives the government should mark and classify restaurants according to the quality and hygiene levels maintained by them. They could mark them as A, B or C grades where the most hygienic restaurant will be

categorised as A,” said Barman. All Assam Restaurant Association was formed in July this year with the objective to become a single voice organization to represent the restaurant industry in Assam. The association works towards the development of the restaurant industry and to find solutions for the difficulties faced by the stakeholders at different stages of their operations.

News This Week

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

A quick round up of the news that mattered during the past week

Minty Agarwal becomes first woman awardee of Yudh Seva Medal

Squadron Leader Minty Agarwal, the woman fighter controller who played an instrumental role in alerting the Indian Air Force about Pakistan’s attempt to intrude into India’s airspace on February 27, was conferred with the Yudh Seva Medal. “From the time Wing Commander Abhinandan became airborne, I was the one who was providing him with the air situation picture. I saw the fading of F-16 blip from my screen,” she told ANI. With this, Agarwal became the first defence officer to get Yudh Seva Medal, which is awarded to recognise distinguished service of a high order during war, conflict or other hostilities.

Government likely to ban sale of loose cigarettes

The Union Health Ministry has re-initiated the process of amending the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) which includes a ban on the sale of loose cigarettes. The earlier draft proposed increasing the fine amount to Rs 1,000, doing away with on-site advertising of tobacco products and removing designated smoking areas from hotels, restaurants and airports. It is to be mentioned that currently the penalty for smoking in restricted areas is up to Rs 200.

Ravi Shastri retained as Team India’s head coach until 2021

The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) announced that Ravi Shastri will continue in his capacity as the head coach of the Indian cricket team. The committee comprising Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy, in a meeting, said that Shastri will be in charge of the Indian cricket team until 2021 World T20. In specialist coaching roles, Vikram Rathour has come on as the batting coach - replacing Sanjay Bangar. There have been no changes in the bowling and fielding department with Bharat Arun and R Sridhar holding their posts respectively.

Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra among top celebrities with most fake Instagram followers: Report

Actors Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra emerged among the top celebrities who have the maximum number of fake followers on Instagram, as per a report by the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP), London. According to the research, Deepika Padukone stood at the sixth place on the list of global celebrities with 48% of her followers being fake or ‘bots,’ while Priyanka Chopra was placed at the tenth spot on the list which stated that 46% of her followers are fake. Currently, Padukone has 37.9 million followers on Instagram, while Chopra has 43.6 million followers on the social media platform.

Single male service personnel to get child care leave

Former PM Manmohan Singh files nomination papers for Rajya Sabha

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on August 10, approved an extension of benefits of Child Care Leave (CCL) to single male service personnel. This is in line with a recent order of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) extending similar benefits to civilian employees. Singh also approved certain relaxations of CCL provisions to women officers in the defence sector. Presently, CCL is only being granted to women officers in defence forces. Earlier, only parents of children below or of 22 years with 40 per cent disability could only avail the CCL. Moreover, the minimum period of CCL that can be availed at a time has been reduced to 5-day instead of 15.

Dr Manmohan Singh filed his nomination papers for a Rajya Sabha membership as a seat in Rajasthan has fallen vacant following the death of Madan Lal Saini, the BJP state president. According to an Election Commission officer, the by-election for the seat shall be held on August 26. The last date to file nomination papers was August 14 and the last date to withdraw is August 19. Earlier, Dr Manmohan Singh was a Congress Rajya Sabha member from Assam for almost three decades. His tenure ended on June 14 this year.

Indian Army wins International Army Scout Masters Competition

Chandrayaan 2 to land on moon on Spt 7: ISRO

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan said on August 12 that India’s second lunar exploration mission will land on the moon on September 7. Sivan added, “On 14th early morning, around 3:30, we are going to have a manoeuvre called trans-lunar injection, by this manoeuvre, Chandrayaan 2 will leave earth & move towards the moon. On 20 Aug, the spacecraft will be reaching the moon and we’ll be carrying out lunar orbit insertion. By this process, Chandrayaan 2 will be around moon on Aug 20, we plan to have series of manoeuvres around moon, finally on Sep 7 we’ll be landing on moon. This is our plan.”

The Indian Army won the 5th International Army Scout Masters competition held at a military station in Jaisalmer. A total of eight teams from India, Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Sudan, Uzbekistan, Armenia and Belarus participated in the competition which was held from August 6 to August 14. According to reports, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was the chief guest for the closing ceremony on August 16.The Army Scouts Masters Competition is a part of International Army Games directed by Russia. It is designed to forge strong ties with friendly foreign countries and enhance team spirit.

Ace wrestler Babita Phogat, father Mahavir Phogat join BJP

Ace wrestler Babita Phogat and her father Mahavir Singh Phogat joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on August 12 at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi ahead of the assembly elections slated to take place in Haryana. Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju, BJP Haryana unit chief Subhash Badala and BJP’s General Secretary Anil Jain were present during the occasion. As per reports, Babita Phogat told reporters at the BJP office, “I am a very big fan of Narendra Modi. I have been his fan since 2014. He has worked a lot for the country. I think everyone would like to join the BJP.”

Tamil Nadu schools forcing students to wear caste bands face action

Following a bizarre practice by school authorities for making school children wear wrist bands of various colours to identify their castes, the Director of School Education has directed to identify such schools and take action against those responsible for the discrimination. The circular also instructed to send a report containing the action taken in this matter. It is to be mentioned that these wristbands, which come in shades of red, yellow, green and saffron indicate whether the students belong to a lower caste or upper caste. In addition to this, rings and forehead tilak were also used as caste markers.

12 Centre Spread

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

73rd

Independence Day 2019 Guwahati celebrated the 73rd Independence Day with great fervour. From the official government function to private celebrations, the city displayed its love for the country and how much it valued its independence. Enjoy the photos from 15th August.

CM hoists the National Flag

The traditional march past

Manifestation of culture

Diversity on display

CM So

Quenching the thirst o

Centre Spread

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

onowal offers greetings

on the hot day

Best contingent at the parade: CRPF

Celebration time: public bike rally

The Veerangana commandos

Honouring the best in police service

Recognition to the Best NCC cadet

In full regalia

14 G Talk E

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019 T

The mandatory NE stint

hile it can be safely assumed that the erstwhile Jammu & Kashmir is on the track of development with the abrogation of Article 370, the union government can now offer its undivided attention to overhaul the northeast and bring it at par with the rest of the country. One area that needs attention is the existing industrial operations of the PSUs and its service policies which may be given a relook and thereafter suitably altered. For long, PSUs that have presence in the NE - like the oil companies in both drilling and refining - have been managed by engineers and administrators who are not from this region. Can’t help it as qualified personnel are not exactly available dime a dozen locally. But a certain service policy states that it is mandatory for engineers and administrators working in such PSUs to serve a threeyear stint in the northeast. I have always wondered about the intent of this rule and whether its purpose is to upgrade the quality of the local human resources through their interactions with these more “qualified” engineers. If that is so, the purpose of the intent has not been served; such people take the threeyear stint as a punishment

posting which cannot be avoided. And so, rather than “serve” the region, they treat it as a fiefdom to throw their weight around, exploit and then leave with a sigh of relief. This service rule is usually applicable to the officers in the middle and top management/ operations and includes both engineers and administrators. Now there is no point blaming an engineer or an administrator from say, upmarket Ahmedabad, who has to come and serve in Nazira (obviously leaving his/ her family behind for reasons of children’s education et al) for being apathetic towards the region and taking the mandatory three-year stint as nothing more than a punishment. From the local perception, there is usually no mass resentment about such officers and engineers serving here simply because they are “irreplaceable” locally. The point of concern is if the policy remains the way it is, would it really contribute towards the growth of the region mired with apathy as such professionals are towards this mandatory stint of “punishment?” The first step towards NE’s growth would be revising this and other similar policies that may be in existence. Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali

Celebrating Independence in troubled times Dude 1: Hey man, I didn’t put up a post for Independence Day. Dude 2: Okay, what about a meme, a WhatsApp forward or an Instagram story? Dude 1: Nope. Dude 2: At least a WhatsApp status? Dude 1: Do people actually do those? Dude 2: Never mind, did you share anything about NaMo appearing on Man vs Wild? Dude 1: No man. Dude 2: Goddamit! You make it impossible to be friends with you. Okay, what about participating in a bike rally or marathon? Dude 1: Nada. Dude 2: Well I’m sorry to say this, but I think you’ve officially qualified as a Class II Anti-National; you didn’t celebrate I-Day, you didn’t celebrate with people on the streets, you didn’t show that you appreciate the freedom that this nation allows you to enjoy. I feel like it is only in the last 5 years of the 72 years of our Nation’s independence that we are in a position to celebrate actual “freedom.” We are liberated from garbage, joblessness, inflation, crimes, terrorism, poverty, communalism and so much more. These are India’s glory days! Dude 1: Are you serious? Dude 2: You doubt the reams of papers that I can present to substantiate this claim? Dude 1: No no! Not at all. Honestly, I am a simple guy. For me, freedom is staying home on a National holiday or driving on GS Road at 60 kmph on a Thursday afternoon. But that’s just me! Dude 2: I’m sorry to do this but the Bhakt Police will now take you in for questioning. Any final words before we say goodbye? Dude 1: Well, I did watch Bharat on Amazon Prime. They’ve been showing me the promo for far too long. Dude 2: Really? Thank heavens! You really are a good man. I take back everything I’ve just said. That gesture is the grandest of all! In fact… Dude 1: …But then again, it was horrible; left it a 1 star on IMDB. Dude 2: GUAAARDS!!!

Apps: New avenues of employment

’m a graduate from a reputed university, but the sad fact is that I could not find any jobs to get myself employed. Life was quite difficult, till the apps over the internet came to my rescue. I’m now designated as a ‘Captain’ and I happily carry passengers from one destination to another.” This statement came from a

Apps like Ola, Uber, Rapido, Zomato, Swiggy etc have opened the floodgates of employment for many. In Guwahati we witness hundreds of individuals getting employed over these apps, earning a livelihood by simply providing service. “Rapido Captain,” who is today busy serving people and earning his livelihood. In fact, the good news is that in this era, where unemployment has become a major concern, conscious citizens are now slowly finding out ways to curb the ill-effects of unemployment. However, the credit for this must of course be given to the proper use of internet by some innovative persons. In the current scenario, the unemployment issue of India has left the government in a quandary where it is finding it difficult to come up with the best solutions. In fact, according to an article of India Today dated May 31, 2019, it stated that the National Sample Survey Office’s (NSSO) job survey for 2017-18 had shown a spike in the unemployment rate by over 6 percent, a 45-year high. But the report was not released by the government which termed it as a draft report. But if by any means this report turns out to be true, then we might have to conclude that India might be facing her worst nightmare in terms of

unemployment in the upcoming years. However in this very critical juncture, unemployed individuals are getting some sort of respite, especially because they are getting this unique opportunity to earn money and manage a livelihood without much difficulty or fuss. The effectiveness of using internet the right way has even given a ray of hope to the unemployed individuals, and directly or indirectly, it has also revamped their desperate conditions. The unique concept of coming up with one or the other life changing employment-based app over the internet has been a real game changer. And these apps have turned out to be a boon both for the denizens wanting to enjoy its services, the companies introducing the same and also for those middle persons who are actually helping the denizens to enjoy the comfortable services that these apps provide. Thus when people wanted services to arrive for them at a single click, technology fulfilled their desires, and while doing so it also acted as a mode of employment for many individuals. Moreover, in the present context, almost every individual possesses an android device and it is not at all a herculean task to download an app from the app store present in their mobile phones. Thus the good thing is that from eating to traveling; now everything is available at one’s doorsteps within minutes. However, amidst all these, one thing that the concerned citizens have probably forgotten is the very fact that these apps have not only made lives easier but also have given employment to thousands. Especially for a country like India, apps like Ola, Uber, Rapido, Zomato, Swiggy etc have opened the floodgates of employment for many. And to understand the importance of these apps regarding employment, we might simply take the example of Guwahati, where, on a daily basis, we witness hundreds of individuals getting employed over these apps, earning a livelihood by simply providing service. Thus, in short, we can simply say that these

r Exodus from Congress

O pinion Bishaldeep Kakati

apps, in a very short juncture, have actually refurbished the unemployment scenario of the country to quite an extent. Furthermore, the palpable fact is that because of the operation of these apps, almost every individual possessing a twowheeler now simply doesn’t gossip around tea stalls about their insecure future, but put their hard work in earning higher incomes via these apps, thus giving their best to secure their lifestyles. However, although for a certain section of society, these jobs via the apps are not at all secure, they can never deny the fact that these apps have turned out to be a blessing for all those unemployed individuals who were actually reeling earlier. This entire deliberation would remain incomplete, if we do not bring into conversation the app called YouTube, which has been actually paving the path of earning since years. In YouTube, an individual can simply put videos of things or stuffs that he or she adores - be it videos of cooking or traveling - by opening his or her own channel. If such those videos become successful in engaging the crowd, YouTube offers the individual monetary benefits based on certain terms and conditions. And the success stories of YouTubers are something that is known to one and all. In a scenario, where getting a good job is not at all easy, these apps have opened opportunities of employment for hundreds. Hence, we have to be indeed thankful to these apps for improving our lifestyles, whether by providing us good services or by simply giving us scopes of employment. In the current context, it won’t be wrong if we say that these apps have actually revamped the living conditions of the burgess. n

Letter to the Editor

It appears in the print media that a number of leaders have joined the BJP and this is not a good sign. It will affect the basic principles of the party because those who are joining are mostly tainted leaders who are power hungry people. Those new leaders who joined BJP in the last election do not know much about the sacrifice made by two leaders to bring the party to this level. They are Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani. If the state BJP keeps its doors open for the other leaders to join, they will not be able to give service to the people as they do not have that mindset. Secondly they will be digging their own grave. The very concept of Modi’s dream of Sab Ka Sath aur Sabka Vikas will not be in reality. Krishno K. Borooah, Kharghuli, Guwahati

In Focus

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

Flash floods bring Guwahati to a standstill once more O n 15th August last, while celebrations for Independence Day and Raksha Bandhan were on in full swing, many parts of Guwahati city witnessed heavy rainfall for about two hours which immediately resulted in the city being flooded. The areas affected by the rainfall include GS Road, Zoo Road, Christian Basti, Hatigaon, Chatribari, Athgaon, Ulubari, Chandmari, Noonmati and many more. Because of the flash flood, numerous commuters who were caught unawares by the rains were stuck in prolonged traffic jams and reported kneehigh water-logging in major commercial hubs of the city such as GS Road, Zoo Road, Beltola, Ulubari, Downtown Hospital area, Kahilipara etc. Different parts of the city also witnessed power cuts, which only added to the woes of the citizens. “It’s a normal problem in Guwahati city – a city without any proper urban planning, without proper drainage, big buildings, big cars, it’s a so-called metro city, so-called smart city,

no steps have been taken from the government, and neither are we public aware. Huge amounts of money are only being used for construction everywhere. There are no proper traffic crossings, no traffic rules, no regulations we follow. We only create pollution. All footpaths in the city are occupied by shops, public can’t cross the roads. It is really a shameful situation in

Guwahati. All people busy with their own lives. We the public have no voice to raise against government departments; we do not have any civic sense. The basic features have to be changed. Flash floods or water logging condition still prevail because of poor drainage and unplanned construction. Since the drains are clogged with plastic and so much waste that

we throw, it seems almost a given that flash floods will occur. Actually we public have no sense of environmental protection,” said Minakshi Dutta, a resident of the city.

Govt likely to ban sale of loose cigarettes The Union Health Ministry has re-initiated the process of amending the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) which includes a ban on the sale of loose cigarettes. Followers comment: Indrajeet Baishya

When I visited Kerala in 2015, there was a ban on sale of loose cigarettes. You could buy the whole packet or leave. But the people there haven’t become chain-smokers. The problem is with people and habits. The government can’t do anything and knowing the people of Assam, sale of loose cigarettes will continue even if there is a ban.

Mohit Jajodia

Arunav Majumdar

If you want to ban something then ban it totally, not partially. This type of ideology will not work in Assam. Rather it will strengthen the value of sale for tobacco companies. Such steps won’t help though we know the government never cares for people. Hearing for a long time all tobacco products will be banned but never saw in reality. Still people are consuming and most importantly, children are getting addicted to it.

Not a very smart move by the government. That you do not want people below 18 years of age to get influenced by advertisements and start smoking is understandable. But think if this move can change the way a 35-year-old thinks. A 35-year-old has got the means. He might be stupid, he might be rich or he might be both. Better designate more smoking areas so that others don’t get affected. Heavily penalise people for smoking in public places and take action. And immediately stop pretending you care.

Megha Anand

Jatin Chomal

Rahul Gogoi

Cigarette sale comprises the income of thousands of paan shops in the northeast. Most of them are uneducated and earn a living to provide their children with education and food. This will help this lower section to generate more income and yes of course more tax goes to the government. So, this decision has got nothing to do with people. It was a planned one to get more money from public.

This action will not decrease the cigarette intake. Rather it will increase as the person who was earlier just buying one as a control measure not to end up smoking the entire pack will have to buy a whole packet. Consequences will be that the consumers will have more as compared to earlier leading to more deaths in this country.

They should ban ITC and other cigarette companies but they cannot do this because our government earns a large amount of money from these companies. This is one of the most profit earning businesses. Its costs money and life of human beings. What can be worse than this?

16 Buzz

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

Assam boy finishes 4th at 33rd National U-9 Open Chess Championship

rinmoy Rajkhowa from Assam came in fourth at the 33rd National Under-9 Open Chess Championship organised by the Gujarat Chess Association in Ahmedabad held from August 3 to August 11. In the final round, Rajkhowa competed against Akash G from Tamil Nadu to secure a draw and scored 9 points in 11 rounds. Akash G scored 9.5 points and won the title and Rajkhowa, who secured 9 points along with two others, had to be contended with the fourth position after a tie-

breaker score. Rajkhowa won a trophy and a cash prize of Rs 8000. The president and secretary of All Assam Chess Association, Kandarpa Kalita and Rajib Dhar congratulated Mrinmoy on his achievement.

NGO organizes cyclothon to spread awareness on deceased organ donation

ublee Foundation observed “World Organ Donation Day” by organizing a cyclothon “Cycle 2 Recycle” - with a motive to spread awareness on deceased organ donation among people on Tuesday, August 13.

The cyclothon started at 6 am at the Assam State Zoo & Botanical Garden, and proceeded towards GS Road via Chandmari and Ulubari and back to the starting point, covering a distance of approximately 13 kilometers.

Approximately 30 cyclists, who were accompanied by volunteers and members of the foundation, took part in the event. The event was flagged off by Partha Sarathi Mahanta (Superintendent of Police, Kamrup Rural).

Assam boy wins national youth award in Nwew Delhi

rishna Mohan Singha from Cachar district in Assam won the National Youth Award 2016-17 in the individual category in recognition for his outstanding work in the field of national development and social service. Singha won a medal, certificate and cash prize worth Rs 50,000. He was presented the award by Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Kiren Rijiju, at an event in New Delhi on Monday, August 12 on the occasion of International Youth Day. It should be noted that these awards aim to encourage young individuals and organisations to develop a sense of responsibility to the community and to improve their potential as good citizens.

City school hosts capacity building programme with CBSE

iles Bronson Residential School (MBRS) hosted a capacity building programme in collaboration with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi from August 5 to August 9 as the North East Chapter. A total of 108 delegates from 11 CBSE schools including Sarala Birla Gyan Jyoti (Guwahati), St Clare’s Convent High School (Borjhar), Faculty HS School (Amingaon), Delhi Public

School (Kamrup), SERS Public School (Rangiya), St Anthony’s School (North Guwahati), Nabaroon Public School (Mirza), Pranabananda Public School (Lumding), Heritage Public School (Rangiya), Fatima Convent EM School (Rangia) and the host Miles Bronson Residential School (Borjhar) participated in the programme. The participants heard from various resource persons such as Afreen Alisha Hussain, ex-counsellor, APS, Narangi;

Vinit Lal, Head, Department of Mathematics, NPS Guwahati; Preety Rekha Bhattacharjee, ex-dean, Royal Global School, Guwahati and Maya Choudhury, former principal, Maria’s Public School, Guwahati on topics like stress management, mathematics, life skills and gender sensitivity. In addition, participation certificates were given away to the delegates during the valediction ceremony.

Feature

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

Couchsurfing through Vietnam (Part II)

was in Vietnam for 3 months after leaving my full time comfortable job because I felt I was missing something in life - the excitement, the adventure and something novel. Now you might think: 3 months in a foreign country? Wow! That must have cost him a fortune. But it actually didn’t. My whole budget was 50,000 INR which included flights, food and accommodation. But how did I do that? Is Vietnam that cheap? Well no, it is not cheap. The cost of living is similar to that in India. While travelling, the major expense heads are usually accommodation, food and transportation. I had discussed the aspect of inexpensive accommodation in the last issue of G Plus. Let me address the aspect of food and transportation today to give you a clear view on how you can make your travel a memorable experience without hitting your

for the street food stores rather than fancy restaurants because most of the time, the best food is found on the streets made by the locals rather than some fancy restaurants with foreign chefs. And street food is cheap. But even so, in some places, the locals might want to charge you more if you look like a “typical tourist with fancy hats and sunglasses.” The best way to do that is learn the basic numbers if you have time and go to a stall with local people present already and let the locals choose the food first and only order after you see what they have paid. I used that technique all the time and always got the best price. Another tip, although it may not work all the time. If you are out of the busy touristy areas and you are ordering something from the locals, try to greet them in their own language with your best effort. Try asking for the price in their language and usually (it

get excited if a foreigner comes up to me and asks “ki khobor?” or “kiman daam?” to something I am selling. I would be thrilled and would gift the person something.

pocket hard. I did so.

happened to me a lot of times), they offer free food or a discounted price. This happened with me a lot in Da Lat, Da Nang and Hanoi. I was also offered free meals because I was trying to talk in their language and haggled a bit on the price using their numbers. I was lucky I know but it was worth a try. I understand the feeling, I would

if you are staying in a hostel or at a local’s home, you can cook your own food. You can also offer to cook your native dish to your host or learn some dishes from them. The best way to exchange cultures, right?

Food:

For a foodie like me, food is the main head of expense where all my money goes - here in Guwahati and everywhere I visit. Food is difficult to resist, right? But there can be ways to save some bucks in this area as well. Try to aim

If you are ordering something from the locals, try to greet them in their own language with your best effort. Try asking for the price in their language and usually they offer free food or a discounted price. It happens everywhere. Another thing you can do is,

Transportation:

Transportation is something

where it is usually difficult to reduce the cost although there are some tips that will help you immensely. Some simple techniques are booking the tickets in advance (but just know that sometimes booking too early can also be costly). For such situations, you can take help of platforms like Skyscanner, Kiwi, etc to decide and find the best time to book the tickets. You will usually get the best fares. Also, try to choose a bit out of the main touristy seasons. You will find that places will be much cheaper, food will be cheaper and hotels and hostels will give you the best offers. But here also, if you are way out of the touristy seasons, things might get way too expensive as well as there is less sale. So take your time to find the sweet spot. Coming to transportation, there is a popular way that you might have heard of - that is hitchhiking. It is a way where you ask for lifts to

people who are heading the same way. Hitchhiking has its own pros and cons. Pros will be - you get to meet interesting people who are really there to help you, you get more tips and tricks along the way and you save a whole bunch of money. Cons will be - you never know who that person is and how trustworthy he might turn

PRAGYAN BEZBARUAH out to be. So if you are up for an adventure, hitchhiking is one of the best ways to travel and offers a great chance for some meaningful cultural exchanges. Hitchhiking is fun and if you have the patience, the right car will stop for you. If hitchhiking is something you are kind of skeptical of, the most basic way to travel is to take the public transport. Ask and talk to the locals what way you should take and usually you will see that you get from Point A to Point B spending way less money than you had anticipated. I did a lot of travels in local buses with a lot of students. I got the occasional surprised stares from the locals because I was there holding my mobile with Google Translator on and showing the bus conductor to let me know when my stop comes. But it was a fun way to travel. You meet a lot of people on the buses that will come up to you to talk and know about you and eventually make friends with them and share tips and tricks and knowledge. It is the best way to connect. So coming back to the question that I had wondered: Is travelling a luxury? It is not. Travelling is not a luxury. It is a way of life where you choose to learn and share. Travelling is not an expensive proposition if we know the right ways. Yes, here comes a tradeoff if you have limited time, you may not want to spend so much time finding hosts, travelling in slower mediums of transportation or waiting for hours to find the right car to stop for you, or walking through the streets to find the best street food. But then again, my personal opinion, is it worth spending lakhs of rupees only to see the touristy places, to stay in a fancy hotel, to eat from the best places and you come back home with just a lot of pictures from a journey where you didn’t actually interact with the locals and learn about their true culture or shared yours? Think about it. Till then, happy travelling and happy exploring! (The author is a pocketfriendly traveler, a professional photographer and former data analyst and designer).

18 Review

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Sonakshi Sinha, Kriti Kulhari, Nithya Menen, Sharman Joshi Director: Jagan Shakti

Mission Mangal

dream doesn’t become reality through magic, it takes sweat, determination and hard work to make it come true. That’s what Indian scientists at ISRO have gone through for the past five decades, leaving behind their personal lives, making their families second priority and propelling themselves into a pursuit of scientific achievement. One of the glorious chapters in their success story was the 2014 Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), more popularly called the Mangalyaan Mission. Against all odds, India became the first country in the world to break many space and Earth barriers and reach the distant planet in its first attempt. ‘Mission Mangal’ is a film that dramatises and recreates this

glorious chapter in Indian history. Writer-director Jagan Shakti’s film takes complex scientific jargon and simplifies it for the common man. The narrative also cleverly makes use of logic, home science and alternate science to add quirky entertainment into the mix. The storytelling is backed by solid characters in the MOM team, who have scientifically thought out solutions for their real-life problems, too. MOM’s team comprises of five strong women Tara, Eka (Sonakshi Sinha), Neha (Kirti Kulhari), Kritika (Taapsee Pannu) and Varsha (Nithya Menen) who wrack their brains and come up with innovative, low-cost solutions for the Mars mission. Part of the same team are Parmeshwar (Sharma Joshi)

and Ananth (HG Dattatreya). Moments of heightened drama in the screenplay are tailormade to please the audience, especially those who don’t have a knack for theories, equations and numbers. Mission Mangal simplifies its complex subject so that viewers of all ages and backgrounds can engage with the story and the characters. On the flipside, the simplicity does get a bit too convenient on more than one occasion. The narrative could have focused more on the nuances of the mission and the authenticity of the mission control at ISRO. At times, the characters get a bit over-the-top and then on occasions the screenplay gets a bit pedantic. Even the CGI is pretty average. But then, the feeling of patriotism and national pride does eclipse the minor pitfalls of this mission. The performances by the ensemble cast are strong. Akshay Kumar leads the cast with Vidya Balan as the parallel lead. Both actors team up to give measured and engaging performances as scientists who give their heart and soul to realise India’s dream of being a big player in the international space race. They are ably supported by Sonakshi Sinha, Taapsee Pannu, Kirti Kulhari, Nithya Menen. Their team also has Sharman Joshi and senior actor HG Dattatreya, who bring in some moments of levity to the drama. Sanjay Kapoor in a brief cameo, looks outrageous at best. Dalip Tahil, who plays the NASA-return scientist with a half-American half-Indian accent doles out more laughs than advice for the other characters. (Review from Times of India)

Vivo S1

The Vivo S1 sports a 6.38-inch display with a tiny dewdropstyle notch at the top. Vivo has opted for an AMOLED panel, and the Vivo S1 sports an indisplay fingerprint scanner. The display has thin bezels on the sides but the bottom chin is comparatively thicker. The Vivo S1 is available in two colours, Diamond Black and Skyline Blue. It has a laminate back with a striking diamond pattern design and a gradient colour finish. Depending on how the light hits the back

panel, the diamond patterns emerge, which does look catchy. The phone has a triple camera module which protrudes slightly but has a metal rim around it which should save it from getting scratched. Vivo has opted for a plastic frame that is rounded which makes the smartphone comfortable to hold in the hand. The back does not meet the frame seamlessly, and you can feel rough edges when holding the phone. Vivo has positioned the power button to the right along with the volume buttons, and they are all easy to reach.

The Vivo S1 also has a dedicated Google Assistant button just like the one on the Vivo Z1 Pro. The Micro-USB port is positioned at the bottom along with the loudspeaker and the 3.5mm

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headphone jack, while the SIM tray is on the left side.

ivo has launched three variants of the Vivo S1 in India: the entry-level one with 4GB of RAM and128GB of storage; another with 6GB of RAM but 64GB of storage; and the top-end one with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. These variants are priced at Rs. 17,990, Rs. 18,990 and Rs. 19,990 respectively.

Design:

Cinepolis, Christian Basti

Specifications and Software:

The Vivo S1 is the first smartphone in India to be powered by the new MediaTek Helio P65 SoC. The Helio P65 is a mid-range processor based on a 12nm process. It has a pair of ARM Cortex-A75 cores clocked at 2GHz, and six Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 1.7GHz. For graphics, it has a Mali-G52 integrated GPU. The Vivo S1 is a dual-SIM device and has two Nano-SIM slots as well as a dedicated

microSD card slot. Connectivity options on the Vivo S1 include Bluetooth 5, dual-band Wi-Fi, GPS, FM radio, dual 4G VoLTE, and the usual sensors. The Vivo S1 packs in a 4500mAh battery and you get an 18W fast charger in the box. Vivo does install a fair amount of bloatware on the device, and we saw DailyHunt, Helo, Facebook, Gaana, Amazon Shopping, PhonePe, Paytm, and a few other apps preinstalled.

Verdict:

The Vivo S1 is yet another smartphone from Vivo priced under Rs. 20,000. It has an eyecatching design and a quick in-display fingerprint scanner. Vivo does bring the new MediaTek Helio P65 SoC to the table, but it is only marginally better than the MediaTek Helio P70 SoC in a few benchmarks. In terms of processor power, the Vivo S1 is on par with smartphones powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, which can cost as little as Rs. 10,000. (Review from NDTV Gadget)

Trotter

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

Man boards plane to find he is only passenger on flight

rescheduled flight proved to be a blessing in disguise for one passenger after he found himself on what was effectively a private jet. Vincent Peone, a writer and director from New York, thought it was quiet when he arrived for his 7 pm Delta flight from Aspen, Colorado. His flight home to JFK airport had earlier been reorganised from that morning, but for once, the hassle was quite the opposite of a source of misery. Upon reaching the check-in desk, he discovered he was about to enjoy the type of solo flight usually reserved for the few who can afford it. “I had called them and got some information about what was available,” he said. “Coming back (to the airport) at 7 pm meant I would have gotten to see more of Aspen, because it was a short trip anyway, so I took the latter option. “I didn’t know that I was the

only person on the flight. So I arrived at the airport, which is a very tiny airport, and at the desk, they were like, “I don’t know if we even need to make the announcement, because it’s just you.” “I was like, “Oh, no. Do the announcement.” Obviously everyone really enjoyed playing along. Well aware it was thus potentially a once in a lifetime experience, he seized the opportunity to document it all on video. In the clip, which has gone viral on Twitter since he posted it with nearly 30,000 likes and more than 4,000 retweets, airport staff can be seen revelling in the experience as much as he was. “Will the only passenger on this flight kindly board at this time,” a boarding gate assistant asked him. The clip shows Peone being escorted across the tarmac towards the aircraft and he asks a

staff member whether they have ever seen a lone passenger flying before. “Yes, I have,” she replies. Inside the plane, a flight attendant struggles to hide her amusement as she continues protocols as if the 70-seater plane is full. Peone told The Washington Post that although Delta had not reached out to him formally, they quickly fired back to his video on Twitter, saying: “Hi Vincent! That looks like an awesome experience! Thank you for the shout out and we truly appreciate you for choosing Delta! Take care. AJM” (Source: independent)

Homeless in Delhi to Forbes Under 30: Photographer’s post is viral

photographer’s inspiring journey from living on the streets to being featured in the Forbes Asia “30 under 30” list has gone viral on Facebook. Vicky Roy shared his story on the popular Facebook page “Humans of Bombay” where it has struck a chord with thousands. In his post, Roy spoke about how he ran away from home at the age of 11 and arrived in Delhi with hopes of a better life. “But when I came here, I had to rag pick, sell water in trains and sleep in open grounds so that I wouldn’t starve to death,” he said. He added that he worked as a dishwasher at a dhaba and survived by eating other people’s leftovers. This continued until a doctor put him in touch with an NGO called Salaam Balak that helps rehabilitate abandoned kids. “There life got better. I’d get 3 meals a

day, clothes to wear and a roof over my head,” said Roy. “They even put me in school.” It was around this time that a British photographer visited them and Roy was completely taken in by his work.

“I was so fascinated by his work. Living on the streets showed me shades of humanity that I’d never seen before and I wanted to show it in photos just like he did,” he said. So, at the age of 18, the NGO gave him a camera worth Rs 499 and helped him get an internship with a local photographer. After that, there was no turning back. According to Roy, the photographer helped him curate his first solo exhibition titled “Street Dreams,” which put him on

the map. “People started buying my photos and I got to travel the world! I was invited to New York, London, South Africa, and even San Francisco!” he said adding, “I’d never even imagined that I’d be able to change my destiny to this extent.” According to his website, Roy was awarded the MIT Media Fellowship in 2014 and was a part of the Forbes Asia “30 under 30” list in 2016. Since being shared online this morning, the post has collected over 12,000 ‘likes’ and hundreds of comments. “This is amazing! As they say there’s always sunshine after rain,” wrote one person in the comments section. “Congratulations! Well-deserved and inspiring,” said another. A third wrote: “Such powerful story and this depicts the power of hope. Feeling so so good for him.” (Source: ndtv)

Zomato delivers 4-yearold’s request for ‘cars’ and ‘gifts’

ecently, Mumbai resident Irshad Daftari shared a sweet post on Twitter about his four-year-old son, Riaan, innocently messaging food delivery platform Zomato to ask for “cars” and “gifts.” Riaan’s mother, Neeti Daftari, said that he managed to get his hands on her phone to ask Zomato for cars, toys and numbered balloons among other things. Sharing a screenshot of the messages, Irshad Daftari wrote: “In other news, my 4-year-old son thinks that if he messages Zomato with his fav things, they might deliver them to him.” His tweet was widely circulated and made a lot of people smile at the four-yearold’s innocence. It also caught

Zomato’s eye, who took some time off from delivering food to make the boy’s wish come true. Just one day later, Daftari shared an update to say that Riaan received the “best surprise ever” along with a picture of his son playing with a new car. Riaan’s mother told that Zomato delivered a remote-controlled car and a pizza to their family. “It made my son super, super happy,” she said. “It was really sweet of Zomato.” (Source: ndtv)

20 Fun Jayashree Bose

19th & 23rd August will be great days to share your ideas with your seniors or simply just connect with them. You could schedule important meetings on these dates. 19th August will be a slow day for you. On 22nd August, you need to be wary of dealing with the opposite gender. 17th August will be an ideal day to connect with your seniors & share ideas with them. 18th August will be a great day to hang out with workmates or extended family. On 19th August, be careful while dealing with the opposite gender. On 23rd August, avoid trusting anyone with your secrets.

Avoid making any promises on 17th August as you will have to live up to them. 19th August will be a great day to share your ideas with your seniors or simply just connect with them. You could schedule your important meetings on this date. 20th August will be a slow day for you. You could have a fall out with someone from work or extended family on 23rd August. 19th August will be a great day to share your ideas with seniors & host important meetings. On 17th & 20th August, you could have issues with seniors or parents; there could be major disagreements on 17th August. 22nd August you could be betrayed by someone at work or extended family. On 23rd August, be careful of your words & actions as you will create your own problems.

Certified Feng Shui, Chinese astrology, date selection consultant & author, www.facebook.com/geoprinciples

It will be a good week for you. Use 17th & 20th August to connect with your boss & share your ideas. For good results, host your meetings on these dates. On 18th August, you could have a Sunday get together with your extended family or seniors. These are good days for you to grow your business network. On 21st August, just go with the flow. Avoid your extended family & your work mates on 18th August as you are bound to have disagreements. 20th August will be an excellent day to schedule important meetings. Your seniors will be receptive to your ideas. On 21st August, you could feel your seniors or your parents are ungrateful, they don’t appreciate you.

17th & 18th August will be great days to share ideas with seniors or simply just connect with them. You could schedule important meetings on these dates. Avoid hosting any meetings on 19th August as you are bound to have disagreements. On 20th & 22nd August, you could be betrayed by someone at work & emotionally hurt by your family.

On 17th & 20th August, avoid making any promises as you will have to live up to them. On 19th August, you could be emotionally hurt by your seniors or parents. On 20th August, avoid hosting any meetings as you will have disagreements. 22ndAugust will be a great day to build a rapport with seniors & people at work, host your important meetings on this day.

19th, 22nd & 23rd August are ideal days to share ideas with your boss or connect with people at work & family. Host your important meetings on these dates. Avoid socializing or making any promises on 18th or 21st August. Avoid hosting any meetings on 21st August as you are bound to have disagreements.

20th & 23rd August will be great days to build your relationship with seniors & people at work. On 17th August, you will be emotionally hurt either by your parents or seniors. If you are in a habit of grabbing a drink with your seniors, then avoid doing so on 19th August. On 22nd August, you could have a disagreement with your seniors or work associates.

Watch yourself on 20th & 23rd August, avoid making any promises or getting into a confrontation. On 23rd August, you could have a disagreement with your senior or work associate. Share ideas with seniors or generally build a relationship with people at work on 22nd August, host your important meetings on this date.

22nd August is an ideal day to mingle with your seniors, people at work & build your work network. Host your important meetings on this date. Be careful with your words & actions on 18th August as you will create your own problems. Avoid scheduling important meetings on 21st August.

Harry Maguire

Fattened goose liver

Manipur

If you are having foie gras, what are you actually taking?

Identify this footballer, the most expensive defender in the world.

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

Dilbert By Scott Adams

Article 370

curio-city

Which state has an indigenous martial art called ‘Huyen Langlon’?

Elvis Presley

Which branch of medicine gets its name from the Greek words for children and straight?

Orthopaedics

If Michael Jackson lived in Neverland, which star lived in Graceland?

Gopalswamy Iyengar drafted which controversial document in the history of independent India?

1 5

3 8 6 9 57 3 5 3 4 7 7 1 2 5 5 1 1 8 34 1 79 4 6 8 2 3 3 1 8 6 7 6 6 4 1 3 86 4 6 1 Daily Sudoku: Fri 16-Aug-2019 4 2 3 Daily Sudoku: Thu 8-Aug-2019

5 7 91

hard

very hard

last week solution

7 3 1 5 9 96 85 42 23 78 29 57 63 85 31 41 98 74 12 26 15 29 88 34 67 33 62 51 79 45 54 46 37 61 13 62 71 96 48 84 87 13 25 96 59 Daily Sudoku: Fri 16-Aug-2019 8 4 9 7 2

4 8 2 6 11 95 7 1 27 69 4 5 53 76 9 9 34 17 2 8 6 7 8 2 5

42 99 75

6 43 84 38

65 81 79 28 52 33 91

3 86 44 27 1 hard 3 6 5 1

Daily Sudoku: Thu 8-Aug-2019

very hard

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

curio-city 1.

Sudoku

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

Horoscope of the week

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

Word of the week beadledom knackered

noun [beed-l-duhm] adjective [nak-erd] a gratuitous or officious display or exercise of British authority, as bySlang. petty officials.

exhausted; 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

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

Fiction

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

A night atop a tree house I t was early January and the mustard fields were ripening turning the land into a riot of golden hues amongst the green forests. We were camping in a small farm being run by a group of five young men from the town of Behali with whom I had become friends due to my interest in hunting and was using their tree top house to stay the nights

Just as he was making his way down the ladder Probir saw this huge python on the tree branch looking balefully at him. He saw the snake clearly with the torch light and let out a huge cry for help. I was startled and asked him what the matter was and he just muttered “Snake …big snake.” after the shikar in the nearby hills of Arunachal Pradesh. Their farm was a multipurpose one with vegetables, rice, fruits and a small pond for duck and fish rearing. It was located on the edge of the Bargang forest on the bank of the river - a beautiful place just to relax far away from the humdrum lives we lead for our survival. The only fear they had was from marauding elephants for which they had built this quaint tree house to reach first with a ladder to the base floor at a height of over fifteen feet. From this enclosed floor which was used as a store room there was a staircase leading up through a trap door to a small room on top where a group could sleep safely. Whenever I went I was given the use of this tree house and I have spent many nights there. Most nights were incident-free but on some occasions there was a real threat from elephants that used to attack their crops from the open river side area. They also had names for the elephants which made repeat forages. I remember this huge bull elephant in his prime which they named “Ravan.” He used to approach very quietly and often stopped just short of the men who would be sitting around a blazing bonfire. They used to spring up and picking the lighted marshal fires charge at the elephant and fling the lit oil dipped flares towards

its face. The elephant would then turn round and go off to munch their growing crop as if taunting them. Then they would regroup and taking long lighted flares and a very powerful spot light given to them by the WWF as per a scheme to help farmers in such conflict zones, they would fearlessly scare the elephant away. It was a game of life and death and I felt bad watching the scene unfold below me. Other elephants like one called “Nezkata”, meaning one with a cut tail, would come quietly, eat away at the fringes and move off quickly. This elephant was afraid of men as once while coming to feed in a paddy field, a farmer who was guarding his field from a machan cut off the tail of the elephant with a swipe of his machete. Whenever I visited the farm I always gave the hosts some packets of firecrackers from my stock which I used to keep for my camps. I got caught in the middle of action once when a small herd of five elephants came to the farm and in the chase two elephants got separated and came towards me. I somehow scrambled halfway up the ladder and hung on till the two pachyderms passed below my outstretched legs. Near the town of Pabhoi, there was a small saw mill owned by a Bengali family from Kolkata. One brother used to manage the mill works located on an internal road linking Bargang town with Pabhoi Tea Garden. This brother’s name was Ashim and the one who looked after the sales in the big city was Probir. My father had worked with them for timber supplies while building the factory in our garden and since then we were on social terms with the family visiting one another for dinners etc. They made

some excellent Bengali cuisine which I relished and looked forward to their invitations. Once Probir was visiting and was very keen to come with me on a hunt to Dikhalmukh, where they were carrying out logging operations. He had been to a couple of shoots but not at night and on his insistence I agreed to take him along a week later. He was about fifteen years my senior but I requested him that there would be no drinking before the hunt, even if it rained or got very cold. He understood and nodded his assent. So, on the due date, we went off in my jeep, picking up my friend Tirok from the Nishi village inside the jungle. There was a small forest inspection bungalow on a hillock which I used to change up or have a cup of tea/coffee before the walk on foot beside the stream leading to a salt lick about one kilometre away. It was an arduous walk on the boulder strewn river bed which we had to crisscross a number of times. In fact some small fish were touching our legs in the frigid water as could be seen by the light of the small torch we were using to make out our way. Before reaching the salt lick I signalled a stop to catch our breath and then moved very slowly to a high point in the river side on the right from where a good view of the salt lick could be seen. My trusted companion Baruah slowly raised the main spot light and we saw the two eyes of a sambar deer glowing in the distance. It was a long shot, difficult but had to be tried as any movement on our

part would have spooked the deer. I had put in an Eley Alphamax LG shot in the right barrel and a Rotweillor shot in the left. I chose to fire the right barrel due to the longer distance and taking careful aim released the trigger. The sambar deer was hit and with a small jump it slumped to the ground. Tirok was off in a flash and quickly found the deer dead with its tongue protruding slightly; this was a sign that we would be getting another kill that night. Probir was transfixed at the scene and he smiled at me happily that we had got a deer when he was there. It was a mid size sambar buck which we tied to a pole and carried back to our jeep at the I.B. By the time we reached the vehicle all of us were drenched so we lit a fire to warm ourselves. After a hot cup of coffee we revived ourselves and started on the return trip to the tree house to spend the night. On the way we got a nice size hog deer which was in a small clearing eating some Amara fruits and it was an easy target. Probir wanted to celebrate there itself but I had to restrain him as it was better to reach our camp first. In the camp my friends were there and they had kept a nice bonfire going which we gratefully acknowledged and then only enjoyed a drink. The men got to cleaning the deer carcasses and by and by got the dinner warmed up. We used to fry the liver of the deer to munch with the drinks which was a great combination after a

Ranjan Kumar Choudhury ranjanchou@hotmail.com

successful hunt. Later it was time to retire after climbing up the ladder and the stairs. Probir managed fine and we must have fallen off to sleep as soon as we hit the sack tired out as we were. After about 2 hours, around three at night, there was a huge hue and cry as the elephants had come in a fairly large herd of about five adults and some adolescents. They were on the lush paddy that was being harvested and fell upon the balance areas that remained to be cut. It took some time for the men to arrange the flares and the torches and we could see the scene below quite clearly. One of the men slipped and fell but he managed to get up and flee to safety and then in a concerted move the men burst the crackers and scared the elephants away. Probir was definitely shaken up and he wanted to get down to the bathroom. As luck would have it, just as he was making his way down the ladder he saw this huge python on the tree branch looking balefully at him. He saw the snake clearly with the torch light and let out a huge cry for help. I was startled and asked him what the matter was and he just muttered “Snake …big snake.” One of the men who had also spied the python quickly climbed up the ladder and with a bamboo pole he pried the snake loose and it fell down to the ground. It was a medium sized python and the men were able to guide it away from the camp site to the forest trees ahead. However Probir forgot all about the need to relieve himself and climbed back to sleep getting up again only when it was bright and clear. It was a memorable trip for him and he thanked me profusely and invited me to meet him in Kolkata to give him a chance to return the favour, but I could not do so for some reason or the other. Their saw mill also got closed down in time and the last I had heard was that they shifted to supplying bamboos for a paper mill and also started a furniture unit based on cane and bamboo in the Ganeshguri area of Guwahati. My friends of the tree top farm had all switched to growing tea in small plots they owned in their villages and have settled down well. We still keep in touch over phone to reminiscence about those lovely experiences we had together in their farm. And that memorable tree house! n

22 Lifestyle

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

Vaastu: Tips for finance and business Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

aastu can be an important factor in dealing with finance and business related issues. By following some effective Vaastu tips, you can invite profitable changes in your life. Crystals can produce effects of rainbows when sunlight falls and passes through them. So it is very beneficial to hang crystals near the window which gets direct sunlight in the morning. Feng Shui says it is excellent to hang crystals near a window having sunlight for career

growth. Decorative boulders or curved pathways or pebbles increase the movement of financial energy. So when the business is not going smoothly, place these around the business premises. Windows, glass and crystal items should be always kept clean and spotless. Dirty glass restricts the flow of money in business. Clear glass products will reflect clarity in finances.

Vaastu and the cow

Hindus have always had a high regard for the cow. In fact, the cow is treated like a mother because it gives milk. The bullocks are used to plough the fields for cultivation as well as pull carts. So, the cow is an inseparable part of the Indian economy. It is believed that by donating a cow, lots of illeffects can be warded off. That

is why devout Hindus are dead against the slaughter of cows. In Arunachal Pradesh, the mithun or the hill buffalo is reared in place of the cow. It is still used as a currency by the Arunachalis in some remote areas. Vaastu considers the cow to be a part of Indian life and culture. So, it has observed this animal very closely and found the following omens related to it. It is considered to be very good to see a cow while going out for journey. If a cow is seen with the calf after taking bath, then the day will be successful.

vegetables or grass to cows on Wednesday can improve your effect of mercury. Offer soaked gram and jaggery (gur) to cows on a Thursday to get the blessing of Guru or Jupiter. The first made roti should be offered to the cow. Feeding the cow on Friday improves effects of Venus.

If a cow comes near the main door of the house with its calf, then it is found to be a very good omen. There is an interesting observation regarding forecast of rains which is signified by flies and dogs surrounding the cow. However, tears from the eyes of the cow spell illness and bad luck. Feeding

green

Differing views A thought upon the road we are on, It seldom meets at favoured junctures The truth hides behind cemented walls That are put up by raging egos that reside In every being that has walked on this realm The road stops there, where we meet the wall... Undue importance given to the minute, Questions on the self is met with harshness, We let none touch our space which we create Keeping in mind our lofty ideas of the self One day, we find ourselves exposed in the mirror Which is shown by time whose job it is to show... That you speak of things beyond my knowledge Is proof that you and me, we are different, That you choose to look and see something else In words that clearly show what I decipher Is tangible evidence that your way is not mine Is there some common ground for differing views?

Arunav Barua

leafy

Lose Weight with Yoga shri shri ravi shankar Founder- Art of Living Foundation.

e often blame our genes for us being on the wrong side of the scale. Don’t we? But try giving it a second thought and you’ll see that there is a lot in our hands. This article gives you an insight to weight loss with yoga and for those who are swearing by their weight and would look to see a new you next time in the mirror.

The Story So Far…. Weight Loss and Yoga:

Can yoga really help losing weight? The basic fact about yoga is that it is an aerobic exercise which can help you get in shape when done at moderate speed. If you are looking for a serious weight loss then it needs to be done under the supervision of a yoga expert and over a period of time. Advantage of yoga is that it leaves you fresh and new every time you are done with your yoga workout. The reason behind it being the fact that yoga brings your mind, body

and breath on the same platform. This phenomenon makes it more interesting and easy and effective compared to other workouts.

Know The Difference Between Weight Loss/ Inch Loss:

Gearing up for your best friend’s wedding; you start working out before a month’s time so that you are picture perfect on the wedding date. You lost an inch here and there from those places where you wanted it from and you are ready to go. You feel happy about it, the wedding is over and what you notice is that those inches are back where it belonged too after the binging at the wedding. For those who are looking at weight loss, should chalk out a proper plan with the calendar and set small goals for themselves. These goals should be achievable; they give a lot of confidence when achieved and act as fuel to reach the next set of goal.

Minding the Mind:

The secret to weight loss is in getting your act right. We tend to find the solution to weight loss in those pills or bottles and the latest

crazy diets too. But the truth lies in the fact that there is no other alternative to hard work, torching those unwanted calories in a way which is easy on your body and its fun too. For that you need to set your mindset right. For the mind is where it all starts. If you are here then we assume that you mean serious business and honestly looking for an answer to weight loss.

Control Your Weight Before It Controls You:

Age plays an important role in weight loss too, if you are young then the chances of you getting into the shape are high with minimal efforts but it is though for those who are on other side of thirties and looking for weight loss. Once you cross thirties, special attention needs to be given to eating habits. Fats, carbohydrates and proteins are the main contents of any meal. Choosing them wisely over the different meals of the day will help you to go a long way in achieving your goal. Complex carbohydrates and healthy fats can be a part of your breakfast but including the same for your

supper might not be a great idea. Also, tracking your diet can help give you an idea of where your macronutrients are coming from. Remember to track each and every thing which goes in. This will make you aware of what you are having throughout the day and next time will make you think twice before gulping down your favourite cup cake. The more you educate yourself with the food labels, the more you become cautious and avoid them. It’s all about bringing it to awareness. Sticking to your goals and diet plan and achieving those calls for applause. Keep yourself motivated till the goal is accomplished. With your daily yoga routine try to include these over the weekend. Go out with your friends on short trek on the outskirts of the city. Being outdoors help you to be close to the nature and gives you the required break from your yoga schedule.

It’s important to be outdoors as it elevates you, gives you the required break and helps you prepare for the yoga routine coming week. Most important of all is that these activities have helped you torch down calories. You can excuse yourself for the slice of pizza at the end of the day. Plan a beach trip – When was the last when you walked barefoot on the white sands of the blue seas and the froth of the waves kissing your feet? Make the best of the beach trip by walking on the never ending shores and don’t forget to carry your yoga mat. Bicycle anyone? Bicycling is another outdoor activity which gives you a good workout and with friends around you won’t even come to know the distance you have travelled. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

Assam girl thanks Akshay Kumar on popular TV show for donating towards flood relief

girl from Assam, Bornalee Deuri, thanked Akshay Kumar for donating Rs 2 crores for the victims of the Assam floods on the popular TV programme, The Kapil Sharma Show. The episode, which aired on Saturday, August 10, featured movie stars Akshay Kumar, Taapsee Pannu, Sonakshi Sinha and Kriti Kulhari, who had come to promote their upcoming film, Mission Mangal. During the show, Deuri stated that she had especially gone to

show to thank Kumar for donating money for the relief of flood victims in Assam and Kaziranga National Park. Further, she even sang and danced with Kumar and his costar Sonakshi Sinha. Deuri is a playback singer from Jorhat. She has sung the popular song, Babaji Ki Booti from the movie Go Goa Gone. It should be noted that Kumar donated Rs 2 crore for the Assam floods on July 17, contributing Rs 1 crore each to the CM’s Relief Fund and for Kaziranga Park rescue.

Rima Das’s Bulbul Can Sing bags ‘Best Indie Film’ at IFFM

ima Das’s critically acclaimed film Bulbul Can Sing won the “Best Indie Film” award at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) in Victoria, Australia on August 8.

Assam govt likely to host Filmfare Awards

he Assam government, on August 10, said that Rs 300 crores has been sanctioned to promote the state as a global tourist destination. Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, taking to Twitter said, “We have sanctioned Rs. 300 crore to Assam Tourism in the Assam Budget 2019. To promote the state as a global tourist destination, for the 1st time we are exploring the possibility of hosting the @filmfare Awards in Guwahati.” It should be noted that the Filmfare Awards are a set of awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry and is one of the oldest and most prestigious film events in the country.

Das’s film has already been screened at international platforms such as Toronto Film Festival and Berlin Film Festival. Taking to Twitter Rima wrote, “Thank you to the jury of Indian Film Festival of Indian Film Festival of Melbourne @IFFMelb for awarding #BulbulCanSing the Best Indie Film. Kudos to the Festival Director Mitu Bhowmick and the whole team for putting together this unique festival.” It is to be mentioned that the festival will go on from August 8 to August 15, 2019. The festival will screen over 60 films from all across India and the subcontinent in over 22 languages.

Four NE directors bag awards at National Film Awards 2019

our directors from the northeastern region have won accolades at the National Film Awards 2019. Rima Das’s Bulbul Can Sing won the “Best Assamese Film” award, while Dominic Sangma’s Ma.Ama won the award for “Best Garo Film,” Bobby Sarma Baruah’s Mishing won the award for “Best Sherdukpen Film” and Manju Borah’s In The Land of Poisonous Women won the award for “Best Pangsenpa Film.” The winners for the National Film Awards 2019 were declared on Friday, August 9.

Bobby Sarma Baruah

Dominic Sangma

Manju Borah

Rima Das

24 Catching Up

G PLUS | Aug 17 - Aug 23, 2019

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