G Plus Vol 6 Issue 46 by G Plus

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Volume 06 | Issue 46 Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019 Price `10

INSIDE

100 days of Modi 2.0 fails to uplift Assam’s economic scenario

GMC renews allotment of 47 parking lots in the city

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Recognition of Assam’s long suffering from the illegal migrant onslaught Mukul Gogoi

he most “controversial” man in Assam today, the NRC coordinator, Prateek Hajela, a 1995 batch IAS officer responsible for the publication of the

Assam alone as a small state has singlehandedly absorbed 24 years of unabated “illegal immigrants” into its fold between 1947 and 1971. final list of the NRC, must also be a relieved man. The task, bestowed on him since 2015, under the constant supervision of the Supreme Court, has been completed. Whether the completed final product is error free or not is up for interpretation but by and large, the general populace of Assam has heaved a sigh of relief, notwithstanding the “expected” positions taken by various organisations, both political and apolitical on the “erroneous” NRC list. Whatever be the outcome

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NRC Final List

at the end, Hajela will be remembered as the person who took upon the task to give an identity to the people of Assam through an onerous exercise and Assamese should not forget that he meant well for Assam.

Cutting Across Party Lines

Whether “erroneous” or “error-free”, the single biggest fact this entire NRC exercise has brought to the fore is the undeniable fact that Assam has faced an onslaught of illegal immigrants, primarily from Bangladesh since March 24, 1971. This exercise, incidentally, has also brought all political parties, whether the ruling BJP or its principal opposition in the state, INC, on the same side of the table in their claim that the NRC final list is an erroneous one with the state finance minister even announcing that the state government would appeal to the Supreme Court, the primary force behind updation of the NRC list, for re-verification of the final published list.

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Fancy Bazar old jail parking closed, shops and outlets bear the brunt

With SC monitoring NRC process, can police file cases against Hajela? G Plus News @guwahatiplus

fter the final draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) list was published on 30th July 2008, the Supreme Court had then expressed its displeasure with the NRC state coordinator Prateek Hajela and Registrar General of India (RGI) Sailesh for speaking to the media reprimanding them for statements made to the media on the NRC modalities while nothing had been informed to the court. As a result, the NRC coordinator refrained from speaking to the media when the final draft list was published. But, as soon as the NRC final list was published on 31st August last, various political parties are

questioning the intent of the NRC coordinator and also slamming him for alleged “discrepancies” in the final NRC list. All Assam Goriya-Moriya Yuva Chatra Parishad (AAGMYCP) filed an FIR and in the complaint, they alleged, “Even when people had correct documents NRC coordinator Prateek Hajela intentionally excluded the names

Police say that such cases are registered according to certain guidelines of the Supreme Court of India. of Goriya, Moriya and many indigenous sons of the soil.” Reacting to such allegations and cases, a highly placed source working closely with the NRC secretariat, talking to G Plus said, “These cases will be quashed in the court of law.” The source also raised questions how the police can even file a case against the NRC process when the same is being monitored by the Supreme Court of India. Reacting to the statement, the police said that the cases are registered according to certain Supreme Court guidelines.

Commissioner of Police, Deepak Kumar, talking to G Plus said, “It is according to the Supreme Court guidelines that the police need to register all the FIRs and accordingly an FIR was registered as the complainant came to us with the complaint.” On being asked if the case will be investigated, he said that the investigation will be

done according to the law. In Dibrugarh, the police registered a case against Hajela and other NRC officials on the complaint of businessman Chandan Mazumdar who was upset over his exclusion despite his mother making it to the list. In Guwahati, a case was registered under sections 167, 506 and 34 of the IPC after a complaint from AAGMYCP. The law will take its own course but the question remains that when the apex court is monitoring a process, can the process be questioned or protested against as NRC is a mammoth process which took around four years to be completed?

Lead Story

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

100 days of Modi 2.0 fails to uplift Assam’s economic scenario G Plus News @guwahatiplus

Lok Sabha seats were captured by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the last Lok Sabha elections proving that the people of Assam continue to have huge expectations from the BJP government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the first 100 days of Modi 2.0, the special status of Jammu & Kashmir stands altered, triple talaq comes under the purview of law, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act has been amended and the Right to Information Act diluted. On the

“The people of Assam expected a lot and accordingly voted in favour of the BJP, but if the current economic slowdown is not resolved the expectations of the people will not be met,” Rajkumar Tewari, state BJP executive member. economic front, however, the first 100 days haven’t met the expectations. State BJP executive member, Rajkumar Tewari, talking to G Plus said, “The people of Assam expected a lot and accordingly voted in favour of the BJP, but if the current economic slowdown is not resolved the expectations of the people will not be met.” He also said that he is from Fancy Bazar and understands the issues the business class is going through and according to him there is “Mandi” in the market. “Only making roads will not help and even if the poor are getting rice at Re 1 per kilo, the quality of the rice is not checked,” said Tewari adding that in the last 100 days the Narendra Modi government did not address the main issues which is price rise and poor business environment. He said that the people of Assam expect that prices of commodities be reduced and the business environment should be bettered

Modi 2.0 being sworn in at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in May, 2019 to further earn the trust of the public. It is not every day that you wake up to the news that one of India’s most well-known businessmen has died. It is during the last 100 days that 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. The issues are even chorused in Assam. 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 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 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 2024-25, and results from economic surveys for the fiscal year 2018-19 have shown that to attain that goal, India needs to sustain a real GDP growth rate of eight percent. The government whereas appears uncertain whether the country is actually undergoing an economy slowdown or not. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who was in the city last Thursday, addressed the media for a very miniscule duration. In the short conversation with media persons, Sitharaman gave a detailed account of government measures to boost the economy. However, when asked if the Indian economy was passing through a slowdown, she replied, “I may not able to answer it at this moment.” The answer comes across as very strange. Being the finance minister of the country, she was not able to state if the economy is slipping into recession.

One of the worst hit sectors of the economy currently reeling is the automobile industry. According to media reports, Maruti Udyog, which acts as an indicator to measure the sales and profits of the automobile industry sector as a whole, has reported diminishing sales for the past few months. In

Various organisations have sacked many employees as a cost cutting measure. A local unit of a national media house located in Guwahati sacked around 60 people at one go. July itself, the company saw a drop in sales by 36 percent. Other industry giants such as Mahindra Tractors saw a drop in 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. “Automobile sales have decreased drastically in Assam,” said a senior official working with the automobile industry in Guwahati. Talking about Guwahati, various organisations have sacked many employees as a cost cutting measure. A local unit of a national media house located in Guwahati sacked around 60 people at one go. “60 of us were asked to leave in one day,” said an employee under condition of anonymity. He was working in the local unit of a national media house. No doubt the Modi government earned praises with moves like abrogation of provisions of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir, zerotolerance policy against terrorism by introduction of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment bill and turning the Triple Talaq bill into an Act. The first 100 days of Narendra Modi 2.0 government have seen hectic engagement with foreign leaders carrying out diplomacy which is likely to set the tone of foreign policy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited seven countries in his second innings to strengthen bilateral relations. With the Neighborhood First policy, PM Modi has visited Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, UAE, Bahrain, France and most recently Russia. “The 100 days of Modi 2.0 government proved that the worst days of the BJP have started in the country with people suffering under recession and economic downfall,” said state leader of opposition Debabrata Saikia. Therefore the Modi 2.0 government immediately needs to work on improving the economy of the sate and the country before the voters get disappointed. n

Cover Story

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

NRC Final List: Recognition of Assam’s long suffering... fROM Page 01

he Congress, on the other hand, has taken a somewhat confused stand with on one hand, the former chief minister, Tarun Gogoi claiming credit in the past that it was Congress who initiated NRC implementation process, while on the other hand, its national leaders, including the irrepressible, Shashi Tharoor, indirectly denouncing the entire exercise through a tweet wherein the Congress leader basically bracketed nationalism and xenophobia together only to be separated by a thin line by quoting Rabindranath Tagore. The tweet, if nothing else, only shows the ignorance of our national leaders not only to the plight of the indigenous population of the state but also to the fact that two union home ministers - one from UPA and the other from NDA - declaring

publication process received from the general population of Assam irrespective of their religious affiliation. Some media publications went up to the extent of widely publishing the “Genocide” watch for Assam as if the Assamese population of Assam were waiting with their “Hang Dangs” (The Sword) to kill all “NRC excluded” at the first sight, thereby signalling to the world that Assamese people are savages and this, in spite of the fact that Assam alone as a small state has singlehandedly absorbed 24 years of unabated “illegal immigrants” into its fold between 1947 and 1971. These “genocide” watchers have repeatedly failed to highlight the fact that while for rest of India, the citizenship cut off year is 1951, it is 1971 for the state of Assam, which clearly points to the magnanimity shown by the Assamese population repeatedly time and again. Has any other border state in

huge number of refugees from Bangladesh but the homogeneity in culture has made the process less painful. The aggressiveness of certain sections of national media against the Assamese people can also be gauged by the fact that repeated articles denounced the NRC exercise as an exercise to rid of its Muslim population, basically terming it as an anti-Muslim process, not realising that today probably more Hindu Bengalis have been excluded from the final NRC list than Bengali speaking Muslims. Further, these experts and journalists repeatedly resorted to fear mongering by predicting violence in the aftermath of the publication but have been forced to eat crow when Assamese people have shown exemplary conduct as against “xenophobia” and ‘genocide” taglines “bestowed” on them. Will they now apologise for such acts of indiscretion against a populace who have

Shashi Tharoor’s tweet that just doesn’t seem to be appropriate to the current Assame scenario in parliament that Assam is home to millions of illegal immigrants. By denouncing the process, these leaders have only thrown the people of Assam to the woes of uncertainty. Well, in the run-up to the publication of the final list of NRC for Assam since the publication of the first draft, on 31st July, 2018, the word “Xenophobia” has been liberally used primarily by the national media in the context of the widespread support the NRC

India shown such magnanimity in absorbing “foreigners” into its fabric as Assam has done thereby jeopardising the future security of its own people in terms of resources, heritage and culture? The only other state which showed such magnanimity, Tripura, today lies battered under the onslaught of immigrants and its original inhabitants have become a minority in their own land. Bengal too has absorbed a

been forced to resort to agitation for every legitimate demand of theirs since 1947, be it their inclusion into an Independent India to a bridge over Brahmaputra

to expulsion of illegal immigrants from the state? Not Irresponsible, Neither Bigoted Assamese people are not irresponsible and bigoted as is being portrayed by some selfstyled keepers of democracy in mainland India. Assamese people had fought equally for an independent India along with the rest and therefore no one can claim that the Assamese people are any less in loving their motherland. What irks the Assamese is the indiscriminate accusations by certain sections of media and experts without any basis on the ground. Assamese people are not immune to the fact that those excluded from the list need humane treatment and hence they have welcomed the home ministry’s missive that all excluded will be treated equally at par with the rest as of now. So, within Assam, a certain section has already

requested the rest that in the name of humanity to absorb the excluded ones. Rest be assured that Assam will rise to the occasion again with another exemplary act of passion in the near future like it did when it accepted 24th March, 1971 as the cut-off date for detection of “illegal immigrants” that entered Assam till then and thereby by a single stroke of the pen, it absorbed millions of illegal immigrants into its fold who otherwise would have been persona-non-grata in the mainland India. Assam now has to move on from this episode and focus its energy on the implementation of the Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, for which a committee has already been formed. Assamese people need protection to protect its culture, to protect its heritage and to protect its resources and they don’t want to become minority like a Tripuri in Tipraland.

4 In The News

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

GMC renews allotment of 47 parking lots in the city T Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

GMC has recently allotted 47 new roadside parking lots in Guwahati General elections delayed the tender process for leasing parking lots These will remain valid till March 31, 2020 Most of the parking lots are roadside city parking areas Four are located under the flyovers on the stretch of GS Road These include, Bhangagarh, Ganeshguri, Ulubari and Six Mile Guwahatians have complained of unauthorised parking fee collectors

he Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has recently allotted 47 new roadside parking lots for the year 201920. The officials feel that this would help in managing the increasing traffic in the city. Every year, the process of allotment of parking lots by the GMC is complete by the end of March. However, authorities informed that this year the tender process to lease out the parking lots was postponed due to the Lok Sabha elections which were held in April in the state. The civic body leases the lots from April 1 which remains valid till March 31. “This year, we had opened the tenders in June and started the process of allotting the parking by July,” an office assistant at GMC, Anishur Rahman, informed G Plus. He added that they had floated the tenders for a total of 50 parking lots in the city, out of which three remain to be allotted. These include the ones in Pandu Port Road, Betkuchi wholesale fish market and on the GS Road. Authorities said that they had allotted 45 parking lots during the previous year (2018-19). A majority of the newlyallotted parking lots are roadside city parking in different areas of

Parking facility under the Ganeshguri flyover | G Plus file photo the city. Some of these are located along the GS Road, Maligaon, AT Road, Paltan Bazar, and GNB Road among others. Apart from these, there are four parkings which have been allotted under the flyovers on the stretch of the GS Road. These include, Bhangagarh, Ganeshguri, Ulubari

and Six Mile. The current parking fee as set by the GMC is Rs 5 for the first two hours for two-wheelers and Rs 5 is added for every subsequent hour thereafter. For the four-wheelers it is Rs 10 for the first two hours and Rs 5 per hour is added for the subsequent hours.

GMC officials mentioned that each year they usually increase the parking fee by a marginal 5-10 per cent but they have not done so this year. Traffic congestion and haphazard parking has been one of the major causes of concern for Guwahatians for a long time now.

Unauthorized parking collectors sans uniforms sprout

here have been a few reports of unauthorised persons illegally collecting parking fees at various areas from the motorists. Some complaints have also surfaced that these persons also charge the motorists arbitrarily or according to their whims. “I have been charged Rs 40 for parking my car for around two hours on the GS Road, whereas the actual amount should not exceed Rs 25,” said Dhrubajyoti Bora, a Guwahati resident. A few Guwahatians have also informed that these unauthorised persons do not even issue a proper receipt. “Earlier I used to see some GMC parking attendants wearing uniforms, but now there are hardly any attendants who wear uniforms, making it difficult to distinguish between authorised persons and those collecting fees illegally,”

A parking agent in uniform is a rare sight today | G Plus file photo Diganta Sharma, a city resident told G Plus. On being asked about the uniform for parking attendants, the GMC officials said that they have not received the supply of uniforms for the past three years. They, however, mentioned that those who take the parking

lots on lease sometimes provide the parking attendants with a uniform or caps. “A meeting in this regard is going to be held and a decision could be taken to introduce the uniforms from next year onwards,” said office assistant at GMC, Anishur Rahman.

Authorities also mentioned that they, too, have received complaints from motorists related to overcharging of parking fees on roadside parking or illegal charging of parking fees. Speaking on the same GMC authorities informed that based on the complaints received, they take the necessary action required. “Upon receiving the information, our enforcement teams reach the spot and conduct an enquiry. If someone authorised by the GMC is found to be carrying out unscrupulous activity like overcharging, we give them a warning as the first step,” said a GMC official. On the other hand, a few parking areas under the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA)

remain underutilised in the city. For instance, the multi-level automated car parking facility situated in the middle of the city’s Zoo Road area continues to wear a deserted look as people are unwilling to park their cars inside the facility. The facility, which is located near Sraddhanjali Kanan on RG Baruah Road, is the first multilevel automated car parking facility not only in Assam but also in northeast. Built with an investment of Rs 14.38 crores, the parking facility can accommodate 302 fourwheeler vehicles and 25 twowheeler vehicles at a time. However, even after nearly two years of its inauguration, the facility is hardly being used by the locals. G Plus had earlier reported that GMDA officials feel that this is because people do not want to change their lifestyle by welcoming a high-level facility.

Poll

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

Guwahatians irked over shopping malls charging extra money for carry bags: G Plus Poll G Plus News @guwahatiplus

hopping malls and established retail chain shops charging extra money for carry bags from customers after purchase of merchandise, has been a topic of debate since the past few months now. Even though shopping malls and retail outlets continued to charge extra for the carry bag, the issue gained a lot of traction after a consumer filed a complaint at a consumer court in Chandigarh after being charged Rs 3 for a paper bag by Bata India Ltd. The court ordered the company to pay Rs 9,000 as fine to the customer. Legal experts say that the retailers should not charge money for the carry bag if they have their brand’s logo or advertising on it. G Plus conducted a poll asking the readers if they have been charged extra money to pay for carry bags at retail stores and shopping malls. A total of 3,500 participants took part in the poll. Out of this, a clear majority of 95 per cent said that they have been charged extra for the carry bag while 5 per cent said that they didn’t have to pay any extra money for the carry bag by retailers. A majority of the participants were irked by the retail shops asking consumers to cough up extra money for carry bags. “Actually, we the people of Assam are very much aware about false self-esteem. To raise voice over genuine issues we feel ashamed and mall owners take advantage of our weakness,” said Rupak Choudhury, a Guwahati resident. Another participant Hrishikesh Baishya mentioned, “Almost all malls are charging for carry bags. Vishal charges Rs 15 for one carry bag made of some nylon type materials. Big Bazaar too charges Rs 10. This should be made free to all customers irrespective of the bill amount.” A few also argued that if the retailers are advertising their

brand then they shouldn’t charge extra. “If they are advertising their brand by putting their name on the bags, then why should one pay for it?” asked a city resident. Another respondent mentioned that he once asked a retail outlet about the extra charge and they replied that since the bag did not have any advertisement, it is chargeable. “If the brand name isn’t advertised on the bag it’s legal to charge for the bag. That’s what they have to say,” said Arshad Basit. A few people also mentioned that they have even raised this concern with the authorities but to no avail. “I have asked the mall authorities about it, but they

Are shopping malls charging extra money from consumers for carry bags? Have you faced such a situation? No

Votes

3.5 K yes

95 %

Snippets City hotel organizes street play as part of Employee Celebration Week 2019

ovotel Guwahati celebrated employee celebration week from August 26 to August 29. With the 5th edition, this year’s theme of “Diversity & Inclusion – We are Many. We are One!” the hotel celebrated these 3 days with great pomp and ceremony. With a host of activities that included day outings, sports, adventure treks, nature trails, awareness on water conservation and food wastage etc, the Novotel team shared this special day with 12 deaf and dumb children from a Guwahati-based group called “Youth for Job.” However, this year’s major attraction of the celebration was the inclusion of a street play. The street play was organised on the occasion with the storyline touching on the important topics of women empowerment, educating the girl child, women and child trafficking and drug abuse. The play was performed by a local theatre group of 10 persons called “Platform.” The motive behind organizing the play was to create awareness amongst common people on these topics which need our attention and concern.

TET 2019 to be conducted on October 20

Representative image of shopping carry bags say that they have been advised by the management,” said a Guwahati resident. On the other hand, a few respondents also advocated for consumers to be mindful of the environmental impact of generating so much excess waste and urged people to carry their own jute or cloth bags while

shopping to avoid the hassle. “Amidst this hue and cry, why don’t we stop and ponder for a while? Do we really need more plastic bags to choke our mother earth? What if we could carry our bags from home? The problem will be solved with multiple benefits to our environment and to our pockets,” said Suman

Agarwal. In the same vein, Ruptrishna Borooah mentioned, “The malls should in fact charge more money so that people stop buying or asking for carry bags. This was to make people habituated in carrying their own bags to reduce pollution. Hope people understand that bit.”

he state government will conduct the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2019 for lower primary and upper primary level on October 20 in view of a Gauhati High Court order. Online applications for candidates that have permanent residence in Assam have been opened by the government for those intending to appear for the two papers. The opening for receipt of the online application is September 2 and the last date of receipt for the same is September 17. The e-admit will be issued on September 30.

6 Concern Snippets Kamakhya Temple second runner-up in Phase I of Swachh Iconic Place Kamakhya Temple in Assam has secured its place as the second runner-up in the Swachh Iconic Place in Phase I under the Swachh Bharat Mission initiative. The award for the same will be presented at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Friday, September 6. The Swachh Iconic Place is based on keeping the premises of some selected iconic places of heritage in the country neat and tidy. It is being coordinated by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in association with the Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Tourism and the respective state governments. The initiative is being coordinated by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in association with the Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Tourism and the concerned State governments. In order to keep the iconic places of heritage in the country clean, the central government had added a number of such places in the list of Swachh Iconic places in three phases. The iconic cultural places included in Phase I of this initiative are the Kamakhya Temple, Vaishnodevi Temple, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Taj Mahal, Tirupati Temple, Golden Temple, Manikarnika Ghat, Ajmer Sharif Dargah, Meenakshi Temple and Jagannath Temple.

PUBG Mobile India’s 2nd group finals to be held in Guwahati

UBG Corp has announced that the second chapter of the PUBG Mobile India Tour 2019 will be held in Guwahati. The Guwahati finals will be held on September 8 at Maniram Dewan Trade Centre. Among the 2,000 selected teams, the top 20 teams will battle it out in the Guwahati finals similar to the Jaipur chapter. From the participants in the Guwahati finals, the best four teams will be selected who will compete at the national finals in Kolkata to claim the prize pool of Rs 1.5 crores. It is to be mentioned that the second chapter of PUBG Mobile India Tour 2019 has had over 4,00,000 games played across online and in-game qualifiers and the Group B pool has seen over 50,000 squads across India.

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

After Jorhat lynching, demand for doctors’ protection intensifies Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

Demand for protection and security of doctors has intensified after attack on doctor Doctors and teachers at GMCH took out a rally to protest Dr Deben Dutta’s death They have demanded proper implementation of Assam Medicare Service Persons Act Other demands include better security of doctors serving in rural areas Also, increasing the number of doctors in periphery hospitals is demanded IMA Assam is deciding on the future course of action, said sources

ollowing the lynching of a 73-year-old doctor in Assam’s Jorhat district, the demand for protection of doctors and their security has intensified across the state. Doctors and teachers at the Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) took out a rally on Tuesday to protest against the death of Dr Deben Dutta. Dr Dutta was beaten to death by a tea garden worker’s family and others, allegedly after the worker died during treatment at a hospital in Teok Tea Garden. Assam Police has arrested 31 people including the main accused since then in connection with the case. Following this, the Assam State Branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) called for a statewide withdrawal of medical facilities in the state from 6 AM of September 3 to 6 AM

Doctors sitting in protest in Guwahati in support of their demand for greater protection | G Plus Photo of September 4. Members of the Medical College Teachers’ Association and Junior Doctors’ Association took part in the rally and participated in the 24-hour long strike by IMA. However, emergency medical services remained operational during the strike. Close to 250 doctors as well as teachers had participated in the rally to express their solidarity with the continuous attacks on doctors by relatives and family members of patients and to demand for their various rights. General Secretary of the Junior Doctors’ Association at GMCH, Dr Dipanjan Goswami, informed G Plus that the GMCH doctors observed the strike by boycotting services. “The OPD (out-patient department) and major OTs remained closed on Tuesday and only the emergency services were operational,” said Goswami. He added that one of their major demands includes ensuring the safety of doctors by proper implementation of the Assam Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Protection of

Violence and Damage to Property) Act in the state. Another doctor at GMCH told G Plus , “The Assam Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Protection of Violence and Damage to Property) Act has been enacted since long but the conviction rate under this is very poor.” She added that people who become violent with doctors get arrested but are very easily released on bail once the matter cools down. Some of the other demands include better security of doctors serving in the rural areas as well as increasing the number of doctors in the periphery hospitals. “Usually, in a lot of periphery hospitals, there is only one doctor who has to work for 365 days of the year, and this puts immense pressure on them. In the case of Teok hospital too, Dr Deben Dutta was the only doctor and he had gone to have lunch when the serious patient arrived and expired,” said Goswami adding that this is a problem which needs immediate attention from the authorities.

It is to be mentioned that Dr Deben Dutta had retired a long time ago but was serving the patients on an extension at the tea estate. Additionally, sources revealed that the IMA state branch is currently deciding on the future course of action. IMA officials have reportedly also voiced their concern to the health & family welfare minister and to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, informed sources. “If they do not receive a favourable response, then they are planning a total shut down of medical services state-wide. However, the IMA has not released any official statement as yet,” said the source. The doctors are of the opinion that such instances of physical assault on doctors are taking place with alarming regularity and need strict action against the perpetrators to ensure doctors’ protection. In June, the doctors in Guwahati and across Assam had boycotted the violence against doctors in West Bengal and demanded immediate and strict action against the perpetrators.

City

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

Construction of alternative road to Kamakhya Temple ongoing in full swing

he construction of an alternative road to the Kamakhya Temple is ongoing in full swing. The project work will connect Pandu Temple Ghat to Bangshi Bagan and is expected to be completed within three years. A budget of Rs 14 crores was sanctioned for the same. The Public Works Department (PWD) had begun work for an alternative road to Kamakhya Temple in January last year. PWD minister Himanata Biswa Sarma took to twitter to announce the development works in the project. “Good morning, nothing better to end this series. Glad to share this sight of the ongoing work on an alternative road to Maa Kamakhya Temple at #Guwahati

The progress of the new road leading to Kamakhya Temple under North Guwahati State Road Division. This was muchneeded. Thank you all very much,” tweeted Sarma.

Assam government initiated the construction work keeping in mind the excessive crowd during Ambubachi Mela.

Now fly to Bangkok from Guwahati in less than 3 hours

The flight will depart from okAir, a ThailandGuwahati at 01:40 am and will based carrier, is all arrive in Bangkok at 06:00 am. set to launch its direct “We are delighted to announce non-stop flight from the launch of direct flights from Guwahati to Bangkok twice a week, starting from September 22, 2019. The flights would be operational on Thursdays and Sundays from Guwahati, while it would fly from Bangkok on File photo of a NokAir passenger aircraft Wednesdays and Saturdays. Guwahati to Bangkok offering a NokAir has also announced convenient connection to both a special introductory offer for business & leisure travellers. This a limited time period which is our first step in the exciting includes complimentary hot journey and we look forward meals and 20 kgs free baggage to adding more frequencies allowance. & destinations in the near Tickets for the flights are now future,” said Pukhraj Singh on sale and bookings can be done Chug, Managing Director, Group through online portals and via Concorde. travel agents.

8 City Snippets City life progresses as usual during 12hr Assam Bandh

he Rashtriya Bajrang Dal (Assam Unit) had called for a 12-hour state-wide bandh on Friday, September 6 in protest against the National Register of Citizens (NRC). According to reports, the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal has demanded the scrapping of the final NRC list and wants the preparation of a fresh citizen register with 1951 as the cut-off year. With the bandh receiving mixed reactions in the state, Guwahati’s city life has been seen progressing as usual without much hassle or disturbance. With rumours of news circulating of a fake bandh call, the Assam Unit of Rashtriya Bajrang Dal president confirmed that they have called for the bandh. However, some miscreants are spreading fake news of it being a hoax. It is to be mentioned that earlier, the Gauhati High Court had directed the police to lodge FIRs against organisations that call for and enforce bandhs. The court also observed, that “general public continue to suffer the depredations of the bandh organizers so much so that even doctors attending to their duties have not been spared.” Meanwhile, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has made it clear that neither their party nor Bajrang Dal has called for a bandh.

Rs 1.75 lakhs looted in broad daylight

nidentified miscreants looted Rs 1.75 lakhs from a man near Maligaon area in Guwahati on Friday, September6. According to reports, motorbikeborne miscreants snatched the cash bag from one Biswanath Dutta from outside HDFC Maligaon branch and manage d to fle e from the spot. Meanwhile, the victim, Dutta has lodged a complaint at Jalukbari Police Station and an investigation is underway. It is to be mentioned that this is a second such case registered with Jalukbari police within 15 days. Earlier on August 22, unknown miscreants looted Rs 2 lakhs from a parked car in Maligaon area of the city.

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

Fancy Bazar old jail parking closed, shops and outlets bear the brunt Samridhi Gour @guwahatiplus

Residents face trouble as old jail premise remains shut GMDA planning to develop botanical garden in the area GMDA will also provide separate space for parking in the proposed garden The work related to the project will start in the month of October Due to lack of parking space the business outlets are facing losses Street vendors always targeted in Fancy Bazar

Parking in the Fancy Bazar old jail premises remains closed and the area has not been accessible over the last couple of months. The parking was closed after the Ambubachi Mela created trouble for the visitors. The site was open during the mela because three camps were set up at the Fancy Bazar old jail site to accommodate 20,000 devotees. A senior officer from Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) speaking to G Plus on the condition of anonymity said, “The parking is closed because GMDA has no plans to extend the area for parking purpose, and that land was not allotted to become a parking place for the residents and the visitors on a permanent basis. It was just temporary parking that

An aerial view of the Old Jail parking facility as it existed | G Plus Photo was provided and the land belongs to the jail authority.” He added, “We are planning to develop a botanical garden for the city in the old jail premise. This will also have a separate space allotted for parking.” The source said that although the plan of turning the old jail premises into a botanical garden has been on since 2016, the garden however will be open for the citizens in the mid of 2021. “The work related to tendering and architects for the same would be visiting the place for preparing the plan on the botanical garden during the month of October and November. And the construction would start during the month of December,” he mentioned. A shopkeeper from Fancy Bazar told G Plus, “Due to lack of parking space our sales have gone really low. Back when the jail premise was allotted for parking, people were tension-free about their vehicles but now they are always in a hurry to leave because of the uncertainty of GMC people towing the vehicle.”

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He added “We would like to request the concerned authority to do something about the parking problem. I have been a resident of Fancy Bazar for a long time and the parking issue is creating a lot of mess now. We, as a family, own three vehicles and parking them again becomes an issue for us on day-to-day basis.” The commercial activities is huge in Fancy Bazar and due to lack of parking space people are less likely to walk in for shopping which has bad hit their sales. Nowadays stores offer exclusive parking for their customers so that they can be tension free and need not look for a safe place for their vehicle. That however is impossible in Fancy Bazar. Farzana, a citizen of Guwahati, told G Plus, “I was very reluctant when I was asked to accompany my granny and mom to Fancy Bazar for sari shopping. I did ask them to shop from any shopping mall rather than visiting there. Every cab driver hesitates to accept a pickup and drop from Fancy Bazar.”

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The citizen was also very aware of the fact that parking could solve a lot of problems in the related area. The entire Fancy Bazar doesn’t have parking which makes it really difficult for people to commute in the area. The roads are already narrow and if people want to park on the roadsides it becomes very congested and creates a lot of traffic snarls. Street vendors are also targeted in Fancy Bazar; they are repeatedly asked to move when the police are out on patrols. The vendors have a hard time managing and even their profits and earnings take a hit because of lack of space and the constant shifts that they need to make. A resident from Fancy Bazar told G Plus, “The GMDA should allocate space to the residents and visitors till the work of the garden and adjacent parking is complete. The space would be operational in the middle of 2021 and an alternative should be provided as soon as possible to facilitate the commuting of people in the area.”

In The News

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

GMC collects Rs 2.84 lakhs as fine in August Samridhi Gour @guwahatiplus

GMC enforcement team has collected Rs 2,84,180 in August as fines GMC flying squads levies fine of Rs 500 on spitting or littering in public places GMC reiterates segregation of waste by all commercial establishments etc Two flying squads work in shifts to ensure cleanliness in the city Seeking people’s participation GMC has taken to rewarding people for sharing photos The flying squads have collected Rs 59,180 from 25th July to 30th August In August 50 people have been felicitated with Rs 100 and 14 with Rs 500

he Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) flying squads, which were entrusted with the duty to ensure cleanliness and hygiene in the city, have collected a total of Rs 2,84,180 for the month of August as fines. The municipal body, through its flying squads, had already imposed a fine of Rs 59,180 from July 25 till August 30. Further, the enforcement team has collected a total fine of Rs 2,84,180 for the month of August from traders. GMC flying squads would fine people Rs 500 in case they are found spitting or littering in public places. The special force will look into the matter. As per the guidelines of the GMC, there should be segregation of waste maintained for all commercial establishments, institutions, traders, and shops functioning under this jurisdiction. Further, if the rule is not followed and the repetition of the same offence is found, the trade license of the errant

File photo of the GMC office at Kachari, Guwahati establishment will be cancelled by the corporation. However, it has come to notice that the rule was not followed which made GMC come up with the flying squads. Each flying squad consists of six members which move around the city for inspection. The squads also look into the garbage collection system of the city. The squads are equipped with a vehicle and all necessary equipment to clear out garbage dumped on roadsides from different areas of the city. There are two squads consisting of six people each and they work in shifts; one shift works from 6am to 1pm and the next shift from 1pm to 8pm. For active participation of all the city people, GMC has taken out policies of rewarding people for sharing photos of people littering garbage or spitting in public areas. The reward has been classified into two categories: people who send photos of littered areas are awarded with Rs 100 and Rs 500 is awarded to people who send in photos that have people captured spitting or littering in public areas. GMC authorities told G Plus that the majority of fines have been collected from the commercial outlets that serve food. After implementing the rule of segregating the waste in different bins, the commercial food industry did not take it seriously and did not even have proper facilities for disposal of waste. Most of the people fined did not even have trade licenses. Debeswar Malakar, commissioner of GMC told G Plus,

“We have not yet received any pictures of people spitting in public spaces, though people do spit at places. We received a lot of pictures where people are littering waste all over the public spaces.” He added, “The flying squads have collected Rs 59,180 from 25th July to 30th August only by penalty imposition for the garbage dump. And our enforcement team collected Rs 2,84,180 in the month of August from the traders without trade license, for not keeping dustbins in their premises, for not keeping their premises clean and for placing stalls on the footpaths.” The commissioner further said, “For the month of July we have rewarded 55 people with Rs

100 and 6 people with Rs 500. And in the month of August 50 people have been felicitated with Rs 100 and 14 with Rs 500.” GMC has strictly warned the owners of all the commercial spaces which have been operating without the trade license, to get the license ready within the allotted time (15 days), or else the space would no longer be functional. Several NGOs are also working in this cleanness drive and even they have been felicitated. Till date three NGOs have been facilitated by the GMC. The fine collected is used to reward the citizens who have been sending photos. The authorities informed that in the near future, GMC will be taking out guidelines that will be implemented for the water bodies. People would be charged/ fined starting from Rs 2,000 to Rs 25,000 for throwing garbage in the water bodies. And if people still continue to commit the same mistake, again and again, an FIR will be lodged against them and they will be put behind bars for three months.

10 Ward Watch

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

Dilapidated roads in Manipuri Basti add to residents’ woes Devi Singh Lane and KC Patowary Lane in Manipuri Basti area paint a sorry picture, making everyday life of residents difficult. Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

Devi Sigh Lane in Manipuri Basti area lies in terrible state Road remains uneven and large potholes make matters worse Residents say it’s impossible for emergency services to enter the lane KC Patowary Lane in Manipuri Rajbari going through similar ordeal Minor accidents of locals have become common Rains create mud and sludge across the road PWD authorities blame water supply project officials

he dilapidated road condition of Devi Sigh Lane in Manipuri Basti area in the city is making life difficult for the residents. The 700-metre stretch of road has been lying in a shambles for the past several years, claim locals. The road is located in the heart of the city at Manipuri Basti, right adjacent to the Solapara Road. The road remains uneven and large potholes have made matters worse for the residents who are facing trouble in commuting to their places of work, schools or colleges. There are close to 500 people who reside on the lane. “This road lies in a pathetic state. No emergency services like ambulance or fire tenders can enter the road due to its dilapidated condition. I am not even able to take out my car from the house,” said Mrinmoy Mukherjee, a resident of Devi Sigh Lane while talking to G Plus. He added that the road is

Devi Singh Lane in Manipuri Basti is a sore sight | G Plus photo unsafe for two-wheelers and even pedestrians to cross. Locals claim that the road was entirely dug up three years ago by the authorities to lay down water pipes. However, it was never properly constructed again, as a result of which it remains completely uneven, informed

locals. Another resident of the area informed that the rain worsens the condition of the stretch as it fills up with mud and sludge and becomes flooded after even a short spell of rain. Locals told G Plus that several minor accidents of the residents have also taken

place on the road. Further, the lack of streetlights is also a major issue in the area. The residents also complained that Devi Sigh Lane only has one streetlight through the entire stretch of 700 metres. Mukherjee said that they have written to the Guwahati Municipal Commissioner repeatedly but no action has been taken till now. “We have sent letters to the GMC twice requesting them to take necessary measures but they have paid no heed.” The locals of the area have also approached the MLA and GDD minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya but could not get a favourable response.

KC Patowary Lane presents a picture of neglect

ot far from the Manipuri Basti area, KC Patowary Lane in Manipuri Rajbari area in ward number 14-B of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), too presents a sorry picture. The residents of the 500-metre stretch of road relate a similar story where the road was dug up but was not restored and constructed properly after the work was over. “Nearly two years ago, the entire area of KC Patowary lane was broken down in order to replace the pipes for supply water passage. Since then, there hasn’t been any initiative taken till date regarding the reconstruction of the road. They did a shabby work of placing a few tiles randomly which doesn’t serve any purpose,” Subhrajyoti Basak,

student and resident of the area told G Plus. He further added that several locals have fallen and injured themselves while trying to cross the road which lies in a terrible state. “My father was riding a twowheeler and he fell and injured himself. Many other residents, too, have faced small accidents on the road. There have also been cases of pedestrians twisting their ankles while walking on the uneven road, it has almost become a routine for the locals here,” said Basak. Another resident, Pramod Talukdar said that even the cab drivers refuse to enter the lane, given the condition of the road. Driving on the road has also become a stressful affair for the residents of the area. “We don’t even have enough space for two

KC Patowary Lane: a picture of neglect | G Plus photo cars to pass by simultaneously from both sides of the road,” said Talukdar. Further, a number of twowheelers parked along the side of the road add to the issue. There are close to 500 residents

currently residing there. “During a rainy day, the situation becomes much worse as these potholes become filled with mud and the entire area gets waterlogged, increasing the water level which then seeps

into the houses of the nearby residents,” Basak informed G Plus. He said that he had also written to MLA and minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya almost a year ago, but did not receive any reply. On the other hand, the PWD officials blamed the company authorities which are carrying out the water supply project, for digging up the roads and not maintaining them properly afterwards. Dilip Hazarika, a PWD official said, “There is a lack of coordination between the authorities who have been given the responsibility to carry out water supply work in Guwahati. They are creating a chaos and without informing us, start digging the roads. We are looking into the matter.”

News This Week

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

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

Final NRC excluded 19.06 lakh people

The final NRC list was released on August 31. A total of 19,06,657 people were left out of the final list which was made available for viewing at NRC Seva Kendras. This also includes those who had not applied for claims and objections. Further, a total of 3,11,21,004 people were included in the final NRC list. Further, those left out of the final NRC list can appeal before the foreigners’ tribunals within a period of 120 days.

New Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019 comes into effect

The Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2019, which was passed by the Parliament on August 5, came into force from September 1. The new bill primarily focuses on increasing penalties for traffic violations by 5 to 10 times in different cases. The legislation has introduced stricter punishment for various traffic related offences as well as higher penalties, including a compensation of Rs 5 lakhs for death and Rs 2.5 lakhs for grievous injury in motor vehicle accident case. It also proposes Rs 10,000 fine for not giving way to emergency vehicles, driving despite disqualification and drunken driving. Aggregators found violating driving licences will be fined up to Rs 1 lakh.

E-tickets bought through IRCTC gets costlier from Sep 1

The Indian Railways restored service charges on e-tickets bought through IRCTC from September 1. According to the August 30 order issued by IRCTC, it will levy a service charge of Rs 15 per ticket for non-AC class and Rs 30 for AC class, including first class. Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be applicable separately. Earlier, the service charges were withdrawn three years ago to promote digital payments, an initiative by the Narendra Modi-led BJP government. Officials at IRCTC said that after service charges were discontinued, IRCTC saw a 26% drop in internet ticketing revenue in financial year 2016-17.

Excluded people from NRC to continue to enjoy all rights as earlier: MHA

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), on September 2, said that those excluded from the NRC (National Register of Citizens) will continue to enjoy all rights as earlier, like any other citizen. They would continue to have right to employment, education and property among others, the spokesperson of MHA tweeted. The MHA further mentioned that those left out of the NRC will not be detained under any circumstances till they exhaust all remedies available under law.

P Chidambaram sent to Tihar Jail for 14 days

Congress leader P Chidambaram has been sent to Tihar Jail for judicial custody in the INX Media corruption case. A special court has sent him to judicial custody for 14 days till September 19. The court directed the senior Congress leader to be kept in a separate cell in jail since he has Z-level security. Chidambaram has also been allowed to carry medicines by the special court. He will also get adequate security in the jail. The former finance minister had also filed an application before Delhi court seeking to be provided with a separate cell with adequate security. As per reports, Chidambaram will be lodged at jail number 7 in the Tihar Jail.

Oman defeats India by 2-1 at WC qualifying match in Ghy

Rohit Sharma to launch ‘Rohit4Rhinos Campaign’

Teachers conferred with National Teachers Award

Stall where PM Modi once sold tea to be made into tourist spot

India lost their first game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against Oman 1-2 at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in Guwahati on September 5. Rabia Alawi Al Mandhar’s late strikes (82nd min and 90th min) helped Oman to race to victory at the qualifiers match against India and cancel out Sunil Chhetri’s 24th-minute strike. It is to be mentioned that the last meeting between India and Oman was a friendly match in December 2018, which ended in a goalless draw. India is currently ranked 103rd in the world and Oman is ranked 87th. India will now travel to Doha to face Qatar in their next FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifier on September 10.

To help cultivate awareness for the need to conserve the greater one-horned rhinoceros, Indian batsman Rohit Sharma is launching “Rohit4Rhinos” campaign in partnership with WWF India and Animal Planet. On September 22, celebrated as World Rhino Day, Sharma will launch his campaign on Animal Planet and he has pledged to do his part to save the vulnerable species from going extinct. Based on a report, Sharma said that it is our duty as co-inhabitants of the planet to protect other species that exist alongside us. He added that the future depends on us and that we should do everything possible to ensure that future generations are able to “enjoy the rich biodiversity this world has to offer.”

President Ram Nath Kovind presented 46 teachers with National Award from all over India on the eve of Teachers’ Day on September 5. The 46 teachers were shortlisted by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) for the year 2018. The basic eligibility for getting selected was that the teachers who are nominated must be working in a government recognised school of India. The national-level awards are given to teachers on this special occasion to celebrate the unique contribution of some of the finest teachers in the country and to honour those who have not only improved the quality of school education but also enriched the lives of their students.

The tourism ministry of Gujarat has decided to revamp the tea stall in Vadnagar where Prime Minister Narendra Modi once sold tea in his younger days into a tourist spot. According to reports, state tourism minister Prahlad Singh Patel visited PM Modi’s hometown, Vadnagar and decided to develop that stall into a tourist spot among other places in order to promote tourism in the town. It is to be mentioned that the stall will be protected with a glass cover and also, there are no plans to change the form or the condition of the tea stall yet.

Chandrayaan 2 to land on Moon on September 7

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan said that India’s second lunar exploration mission will land on the moon on September 7. PM Modi will witness the landing of Chandrayaan along with 60 students who have been selected from across the country on the basis of a space science quiz at the ISRO Centre. It is to be mentioned that Chandrayaan-2 is India’s second lunar exploration mission after Chandrayaan-1. Chandrayaan 2 took off aboard the most powerful GSLV-Mk-III rocket from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on July 22.

12 City Snippets Assam woman stripped and beaten in police lockup in Gurugram

woman hailing from Assam was allegedly stripped and beaten in the lockup of a police station in Gurugram on Wednesday, September 4. According to reports, a 30-yearold woman who worked as domestic help in the upscale DLF Phase 1 area, was taken to the police station on Tuesday, September 3 after her employers accused her of stealing. The husband of the accused alleged that upon reaching the police station, she was taken to a room, stripped and beaten up brutally with belts and batons and was forced by the investigating officer, (ASI) Madhubala, to confess to a crime that she did not commit. The woman and her husband also alleged that the police hit her in her private parts. Meanwhile, a group of people from the northeast region staged a protest outside the office of Gurugram Police Commissioner, Mohammad Akil, which prompted the officer to order a departmental enquiry against the four accused policemen, SHO Sawit Kumar, ASI Madhubala, HC Anil Kumar and woman constable Kavita.

Amit Shah to visit Guwahati on September 8

nion Minister of Home Affairs, Amit Shah, will reach Guwahati on September 8 for a two-day visit to attend North East Council (NEC) meeting where the progress and status of the ongoing and upcoming development projects will be assessed. The NEC was restructured in July last year through the nomination of the home minister as its chairman. It is to be mentioned that Amit Shah will be making his first visit to the northeast after taking over as union home minister.

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

HC Road, Jorpukhuri Road in Uzanbazar remain in a shambles since 5 months Samridhi Gour @guwahatiplus

esidents of HC Road and Jorpukhuri Road in Uzan Bazar have been suffering for the past five months in the absence of a proper road. The 300-meter stretch has been in a pathetic condition due to the slow pace of construction of its footpaths. In the absence of a proper road, the residents and the owners of the commercial outlets have expressed their woes. Diganta Baruah, a street vendor who has been working here for the past few years told G Plus , “The construction work is going on for the past five months, but the progress is really slow. The footpath is the only thing that has been constructed in all these months.” He added, “Whenever it rains, we face a lot of problems due to water logging. The water level rises to such an extent that it gets into my room too. The number of potholes has increased. People cannot walk freely and due to stagnant water a lot of small accidents also take place.” His business partner added, “When the vehicles pass from here the water splashes all over and the pedestrians face the brunt of it. The PWD contractors have accumulated huge piles of stones all over the stretch in the last week and have not showed up thereafter t get the work ahead.” He added that even he met

HC Road at Uzanbazar is a case of deliberate negligence in work ethics | G Plus photo with an accident last week and said that the work needs to speed up. “I see school children struggling every day here, and the aged people struggling a lot just to get to the other side safely,” he mentioned. On the other hand, Abhijit Deka who owns a pharmacy located on the same stretch of road told G Plus , “My shop is not situated at the road level, so there are fewer chances of the water getting inside. Still when the water clogs, there is always the chance of water splashing on the customers visiting my shop.” Residents have claimed that that the construction work

has now stopped for the past several weeks. They mentioned that there have been several instances of people slipping and falling while trying to cross the road that is now normally filled with mud and sludge. On the other hand, an officer in the Public Works Department (PWD), Dilip Hazarika, told G Plus , “The work would have been completed by the month of August but then ongoing work of laying down pipelines all over Guwahati is going on. That is again creating this mess for us.” He added, “Due to the lack of coordination, we are never

updated about their work. We always want our city to function smoothly but when it comes to priority between roads and water, people always go with water.” The stretch of land that is under construction has a school too. There is always an inflow of students coming by different modes of transportation which creates chaos on the road, and creates a lot of traffic thereby making it an accident-prone area. The lack of coordination between the water pipeline companies and the PWD is developing to be a major concern for the city now.

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Partly Cloudy

T-Storms

32°26° C

31°26° C

30°26° C

31°26° C

SATURDAY Scattered T-Storms

33°26° C

Guest Column

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

Remembering Bhupen Da... BB: Your suggestion to upcoming singers?

Bijaylakshmi Baruah

BH: Be serious in life.

ears have rolled by since Dr Bhupen Hazarika (fondly Bhupen da to all) passed away. His absence has created a big void in our cultural life, but his presence is always felt in our hearts. This attractive personality with his ever smiling face was a perfect artist for the masses (gana silpi). His presence used to make a big difference to any occasion, such was Bhupen da. A true artist, his heart was soft and kind and throughout his life he tried to restore harmony among all spectrums of people of Assam by rendering his voice and work. He was immensely loved by all tribes of people because for him, all were his brothers and sisters. He did not know how to differentiate; he only knew how to sing the songs of humanity, the song of the soil, the songs of love and yes, the songs of unity. The most fascinating characteristic of Bhupen da’s personality was his humility, his down to earth character. I took a few interviews of him and talked to him regarding various issues, but I feel Bhupen da well expressed his personality, his feelings and his likings through ten random questions which I had asked him a decade ago. On the occasion of

BB: Your memorable moments? BH: When strangers come up to me in an alien place and express their love for me. Such moments are more memorable for me than awards. When I heard Japanese versions of my song in a street in Tokyo, I felt proud. Likewise, when a burkha-clad woman came to me at the airport and asked me if I was “Dil hum hum Bhupen Hazarika?” I felt happy, those are my memorable moments. BB: How you spend your leisure time? his birthday, I would like to share those ten random questions with the readers of G Plus.

BB: What is the secret of your success? BH: I always look forward and never looked back sadly. BB: What is your

perception of happiness? BH: Laugh and enjoy life. BB: What makes you sad? BH: When people misunderstand me. BB: What makes you cry? BH: In the crisis of my motherland, I sang Buku

Hum hum kore. BB: What is your most valuable possession?

BB: How would you like to be remembered?

BH: (smiles) My heart.

BH: (smiles) With pride, am I right?

BB: If you were not a singer, what profession would you choose? BH: Definitely a journalist.

City lounge to celebrate 3rd anniversary

YX Lounge & Deck, one of Guwahati’s most loved nightlife venues, is celebrating its 3rd anniversary this weekend, starting from Saturday, September 7. The festivities will continue for eight days, with the last event to be held on September 14, informed Varun Vohra, Public Relations Manager, NYX Lounge & Deck. The celebration week is going to an exciting one with India’s number 1 hip-hop DJ, DJ SA playing at the first event of the week-long celebration as part of the lounge’s “Club Nights” theme with added performances by DJ Jupiter and DJ Laksh. The venue also has a line-up of numerous other fun-themed nights such as “Sundowner” on September 8 which will feature performances by DJs G-City Boyz, Cyco, Jupiter, Tony and Laksh. This will be followed by “Patron’s Night” on September 9 where NYX will invite its regular guests

and associate companies to join the festivities and celebrate the occasion which is an “invite-only” party and will feature a cocktail dinner night. On Wednesday, September 11, the lounge is hosting “Ladies Night” where a female DJ, DJ Gordic, will be performing in addition to four other DJs- Jupiter, Laksh, Govind and V-Wish. In addition to that, on September 13, Parwaz, a popular live-band from Guwahati, will perform a live show for the audience, as part of NYX’s “Acoustic Night” celebration. The lounge will end the 8-day festivities with a performance by the number one electronic DJ in India, DJ blot! who was featured as GQ’s 50 Most Top Influential Men 2018. Vohra added that the organisers of the event have also arranged for a lot of giveaways. “We have tied up with B Blunt, the popular hair salon chain, and are giving away several different kinds of vouchers,” said Vohra.

BH: I don’t have leisure time. When I don’t work, I like to write or draw, sketch.

Yes, you are right Bhupen da, you will be alive in our hearts with love and respect. n

Snippets 2 Turkish nationals arrested in Mumbai for ATM frauds in Assam

olaba Police arrested two key members of a Turkish gang that have been installing skimming machines in ATM kiosks to clone debit and credit cards to steal money. Based on a report by the Times of India, the Assam cyber police have stated that the two arrested were involved in over 60 crimes in Guwahati and Assam. The duo has been identified as Abdul Halik Yurgan (42) and Eurah Igdi (33). Assam Police had notified Colaba Police and alerted them about the presence of the Turkish nationals in Mumbai and also provided them with photographs of the accused. As of now, Colaba Police are trying to ascertain if the two have also been involved in similar cases in other cities as well.

14 G Talk E

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019 T

Our well greased DTO

isiting government offices located in Guwahati for personal work is often considered a potentially daunting experience; such visits are often procrastinated upon, kept in abeyance. One is often overcome by the probability of having to navigate through a surging crowd of people – all in a rush – and thereafter with the possibility of the work not getting done due to any number of reasons. And so, one is often tempted to resort to middlemen (commonly called dalal) and fork out some extra money thereby avoiding paying the visit. Work gets done this way as well but need not be – at least not at the office of the Regional Transport Authority or the DTO. I had the occasion of visiting the DTO to renew my car’s registration certificate (RC). I was determined to visit myself just to get the experience – good or bad – of what it was like get work done there. And was I in for a most pleasant experience! Leaving the heat of this week, ambience and surroundings aside, renewing the RC was an exercise of clockwork and clinical precision. It just took a little bit of my common sense to identify the right window/counter

(numbered serially to minimize confusion) to go to and thereafter, it was a step by step tour of a number of counters that included two visits to the cash counters in between. The soft spoken counter clerks were most cooperative, wasted no time, and exuded a sense of desire to work well and fast and get things done. And the best part was there was no indication or expectation whatsoever from any of them towards some small palm greasing to get a file passed. In fact, I could not see any lunch breaks either from 11 am to 4 pm that I was there. The only experience that I came back armed with and which needs to be shared is to buy the relevant form from one of the many support shops that are outside the premises, get your paper work/documentation correctly done and xeroxed and buy a file cover with a string tag from them so that you can save some trips up and down the stairs. Also, some change needs to be carried to tender the exact amount. Well, the DTO functions like a well-greased machine and other government offices can indeed emulate it. Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali

Slump of the automobile industry

he automobile sector is down, but is it a real indicator of how poorly the economy is performing? The auto industry has made the headlines for the past few weeks about how the lack of demand is affecting one million jobs across manufacturing, distribution and dealerships across the country. While there is a lack of demand and the economy is down, it is important to point out that the auto industry should not be a key indicator for the economy’s performance. The auto industry has grown steadily for the past 20 years. 20 years ago, the purchase of a vehicle was seen as “making a statement.” However, this is not the case now. At the cost of generalizing, families who had one car around 15 years ago, now have 2 cars and 2 two-wheelers with them. Buying a car is today a necessity. Now, after 20 years, saturation would be obvious. The streets are occupied with vehicles twice their capacities. Metros such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, New Delhi, Kolkata or even smaller cities like Guwahati are living with horrible traffic conditions. Driving is no longer pleasurable, and if you ask your friends about driving in the Delhi and they would certainly add some colour to it. Secondly, rising fuel prices, poor taxation norms and price rise altogether have only added to the woes of the auto industry. The decision of buying a car is a 5 to 7 year investment and with so many cars on the streets already, where is the space to accommodate more? So where does the industry go from here? The auto industry must try to focus on alternative solutions which should not be limited to EVs. Auto giants can attempt to improve public transportation and making “commute” a better experience. Auto industry has long focused on selling individual units and that space is now full. It is important that the streets are made clutter-free and a more public friendly approach is opted for.

Sidharth Bedi Varma @sid_bv

Minimalism: The millenial’s guide to opulence

e’ve all heard the saying, “Less is more.” The ‘Minimal’ is more visually appealing; it is aesthetic. What is ‘Minimalism’? Why is it so appealing? Is it because we’re all

The reduction of physical and materialistic possessions may be minimalistic to an extent, but it is not minimalism in itself. Minimalism is when we list down things that add value to our lives. looking for ways to de-clutter our lives? Throughout history, we humans have fought to free ourselves. First, to free ourselves from tyranny, next to free ourselves from oppression, then to free ourselves from the societal norms but today, this generation fights for a different kind of freedom through ‘Minimalism’. Freedom or lightness from purposeful limitation is the new ‘in’ thing. As our world continues to grow more and more complex with each passing day, minimalism offers a stress-free life with less distraction, less clutter, more freedom and most importantly, more time. These are things people search for more desperately today than ever before. The modern concept of Minimalism makes one look at all worldly possessions as tools. Once we start to see these things as tools, we can slowly watch the fondness or attachment that we have towards that materialistic substance fade. If we observe the teachings of Buddha closely, we

will find that Buddhism, in fact does preach Minimalism. The reduction of physical and materialistic possessions may be minimalistic to an extent, but it is not minimalism in itself. Minimalism is when we list down things that add value to our lives and keep these things, while ridding ourselves of everything else that does not add any value to us. In the 21st century, we love owning materialistic things – a fancy car, a big house, branded clothes, expensive jewellery and status symbols to display our nominal value. What about intrinsic value? It is in search of this intrinsic value of ours that the new generation has adopted minimalism. To calculate the true worth, of what truly adds value, an escape from all other clutter. In a world where everybody is a part of a rat race, of trying to prove their worth through materialistic

possessions, minimalists look for ‘freedom’. In a world where everybody wants to have followers and have numerous relationships, minimalists keep a small but tightly knit circle. This does not mean that they do not have relationships, it simply means that they know who the ‘tools’ are and who truly add ‘value’ to their lives. They know whom to keep close and whom at bay, whom to make a priority and whom to let go of. Minimalists are always in search of ways to free themselves, looking for freedom from the fear of ruining things, freedom

rEarly school timings

O pinion Rifa Deka

from fear of losing someone or something dear to them, freedom from isolation and emptiness. Minimalists conquer this fear by looking at things through fresh perspectives. When things become tools – to satiate hunger, to reach a destination, to get the job done, that is when they know they’re out of the rat race, and that is what leads them towards the road less travelled by. So many people understand today that less consumption leads to utilizing fewer resources which in turn equals to exhaustion of earth’s resources at a much slower rate. There are so many other reasons behind why minimalists do what they do. Living on tighter budgets has become a lifestyle for some in this age of stagnant wages and ever increasing rate of unemployment. People have begun to re-evaluate their purchases; they have learnt to differentiate between what is essential and what is not. People are tired of carrying the load of debt on their shoulders and have now decided to break out of this vicious circle. They are aware that wastage is not an option in a world where poverty, malnourishment and income inequalities still exist. Technology has a huge role to play in the minimalist movement. We once had a radio transistor, a calculator, a wall clock, a calendar, a television set, a personal computer, notepads, telephones, pagers, so on and so forth. The inherent necessity of keeping all these physical items in our home is now a thing of the past. Today, one smart phone does it all! If this isn’t minimalism, then what is? Besides, how can one explore the world if one’s belongings don’t fit into one single backpack?

Letter to the Editor

Recently, the chief minister of Assam made an appeal to schools in Assam to start early in the morning, compared to present timings. This is extremely welcome. The schools in Assam start late compared to other parts of the country. In the other parts of the country, and even in the metros, where students have to travel long distances, the schools start early. This helps in multiple ways: (1) students get more day time for various activities, (2) schools avoid normal office timings, etc. The sun rises earlier in these parts of the country and it is prudent that we use day and natural light to the maximum extent possible. Educational institutions should be nudged so that they can start early and end early. The Union Government has not yet agreed on a separate time zone for this part of the country, but has given a free hand to have a choice of timings. It is important that we use day light and energy to maximum extent possible instead of following the timings of other parts of the country. Even the state government offices can start early, say by 8.30 am, and thus end the day by 3.30 pm. This would be a prudent move for the benefit of the general populace. A Bhuyan, Nagaon

In Focus

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

Brahmaputra Pushkaram Festival returns after 12 years, Guwahatians dissentful G Plus News @guwahatiplus

he government of Assam is planning to celebrate ‘Brahmaputra Pushkaram,’ a 12-day mega river festival from November 5 until November 16, 2019. This will be the second biggest river festival to be celebrated in the state ever after Namami Brahmaputra. According to reports, the mela will be held on the ghats of Brahmaputra starting from Bharalumukh to the Fancy Bazar area. 50,000 sadhus and monks from out of the state are expected to participate in the mela and the government is expecting a footfall of 2-3 lakh people who will take part in the festivities. Brahmaputra Pushkaram is a festival of rivers and it pertains to the 12 important rivers in India, namely Ganga, Yamuna, Narmada, Chambal, Kaveri, Beas, Tapti, Godavari, Chenab, Krishna and Saraswati. This festival occurs once every 12 years for each river. Earlier, Brahmaputra Pushkaram was

Namami Brahmaputra being celebrated in Guwahati in 2017 held in 2007. It is believed that Pushkarudu, also known as Pushkar God, who is powerful enough to make any river holy, will travel with Jupiter during this time, as Jupiter travels from one zodiac sign to another. While a festival is always good fun and brings people together, the people of Guwahati did not take kindly to the idea of the 12-

day celebration. On the various social media platforms of G Plus, Guwahatians have vehemently expressed their dissent of the idea with some citizens comparing it to the last year’s disastrous Namami Brahmaputra festival and also stating that this money can be better utilized to address various issues in the city including roads,

develop flash flood prevention techniques, drainage problems etc. “When most people are condemning this extravaganza of spending and wastage, then why go for it? Nobody but the government alone wants a version 2.0 of Namami Brahmaputra. Kindly use public money for better things that will help

resolve burning problems. We need good roads, scientific drains, solutions to water crisis, more job opportunities and world class healthcare facility in Assam. For God’s sake, stop tampering with our rivers and other assets of nature for personal gains of a few. NRC failed, Namami Brahmaputra flopped big time and now what??? Please learn your lessons well,” said Rimi Phukan, a native of Guwahati. Others along the same tangent stated that this is only a gimmick by the government to divert the public’s interest in these times of crisis. “The best divergence politics played by BJP ever. Always divert the prime issues from common people. They know how to make people fools by these kinds of stupid events. Till now they haven’t even shared the outcome of Namami Brahmaputra. The fault is of our common people who are easily manipulated and get emotionally bound by this kind of diverted politics. Grow up people and raise your voice against these kinds of agenda,” said Parag Choudhury, another citizen of Guwahati. n

The news of the Brahmaputra Pushkaram Festival returning after 12 years to Guwahati and the elaborate 12-day celebrations planned thereof caught the ire of many a Guwahatian. Amit Garg

Now this is the cultural mindset of Assam’s people. It’s very sad to see the way people are reacting. These people are worried about public money but they don’t understand tourism and stuff. If the government spends money on such events then what will the government earn? Nothing. Soon these people will raise questions on Ambubachi Mela and what not! Will these events stop development of the state?

Rizwan Uz Zaman

Government should share the outcome of Namami Brahmaputra first. This is not in our priority list at all. Can the government start spending people’s money judiciously? Another VIP movement, traffic, pollution, waste and what not! Instead this money should be used for installing garbage and silt traps in all the tributaries of Brahmaputra. Don’t know why don’t they think and act. Hopeless!

Prasant Kumar Ojha

The river is doing fine but not the city. Water is running deep and so is pollution. Why not use that huge lump sum on some profitable things? To control pollution or to plant trees.

Arnabjyoti Bhagawati

Dear government, please put 100% rebate on our income and other taxes that you take from us. We don’t pay taxes for taking decisions for performing utter nonsensical activities. Please stop right away. Start dredging of the river, put modern cleaning methods rather than wasting our money. There are so many good things to do. Start with those works.

Aditya Todi

Not again! Last time was a disaster and it makes no sense doing this again. Rather spend that money on making Brahmaputra pollution/plastic free and try to make more embankments. Pump the Bharulu River faster into the Brahmaputra. Rain bursts continue to make the Bharulu River overflow at Tarun Nagar and ASTC stand. Just look at these scenarios and take action rather than coming up with such stupid ideas.

Nakibul Hussain

Dear government please don’t waste our tax money for these kind of things. If you really want to celebrate something then clean our city drains and make our Brahmaputra clean. Take some actions on soil erosion and make our river a tourist attraction like places in Russia, US and UK.

16 Buzz

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

Assam boy to represent India at World Armwrestling Championship in China

onoj Debnath from Assam has been selected to represent India at the World Championships

(China Armwrestling Open) to be held in Shenzhen, China from September 12 to September 15. Debnath is a qualified and registered athlete with the

Unified Rating of Professional Armwrestling (URPA). He is also currently ranked World No. 1 in the 63 kg men’s category.

City youths participate in worldwide protest against climate change

everal city youths took to the streets of Guwahati to participate in the third climate strike near Gauhati Commerce College from 3 pm under the banner “Fridays for Future” on Friday, August 30. This movement was started by 16-yearold environmentalist. Greta Thunberg, in Sweden and presently this revolution has spread to more than 110 nations. The theme for the protest was the burning Amazon rainforests. The participants made banners to make people aware about the importance of rainforests and how the present condition of the Amazon rainforests can alter the climate of the planet. The issue of Aarey forest in Mumbai, which has been ordered to be cut down by the BMC in

Mumbai for metro rail project, was also raised. Around 30 people participated in the climate strike. These participants will also organise the Global Climate Strike in Guwahati that will be held in more than 110 nations on September 20. “The organisers for the climate change strike are reaching out to

students from different colleges and universities to talk about climate crisis in today’s world and how important it is to stand strong and push the authorities to take bold steps in the direction of reducing fossil fuel emissions, solving the national water crisis, the problem of floods in various states etc,” said one of the organisers of the event.

Inter College Youth Festival at GU concludes

auhati University (GU) Inter College Youth Festival, 2019 kicked off at the university’s premises on Sunday, September 1 with a 4-day long programme and ended on September 4, 2019. The festival was organised by the Post Graduate Students’ Union under GU’s Sports Board. The youth festival at GU is centrally organised after zonal festivals are held at four different zones. This year, around 700 participants from 63 different colleges participated in the festival after being selected at the zonal level. At the inaugural programme, Chief Guest Professor Pratap Jyoti Handique, Vice Chancellor, GU hoisted the GU flag. Attending the programme, Lurinjyoti Gogoi, General Secretary, AASU, in his speech, said that GU Inter College Youth Festival is a noble

platform where students can showcase their talents. Dipanka Nath, President, AASU inaugurated the cultural procession and praised the students for their vibrant cultural rally showcasing the cultural traditions of Assam. Attending the programme Dr

Ranjan Kr Kakati, Director, Students’ Welfare, GU and Secretary GU Sports Board welcomed all the participants and team managers. The programme was attended by Secretary, University Classes, GU, Dr HK Nath and PGSU President Luckymoni Boruah, General Secretary Nayan Jyoti Gogoi and host of other dignitaries.

Assam girl bags silver at 73rd Senior National Aquatic Championship 2019

hivangi Sarma from Assam has won the silver medal in the 400 m freestyle event at the 73rd Senior National Aquatic Championship 2019 held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

Her timing at the tournament was 4:30:55 minutes. Sarma is all set to represent Assam at the 10th Asian Age Group Swimming Championship in September this year and she has also qualified for the Khelo India Youth Games 2019.

Feature

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

Kongthong: A place where people don’t call your name, but sing it Gunjan Sharma @guwahatiplus

hen a child is in its mother’s womb, parents delve into finding the best possible names for the coming new born. They put in a great deal of effort to find the best name for their child. Naming ceremony is also organised where a new-born is officially given a name. This practice is followed by

Every tune is born with the birth of a child and stays with him through his life. A tune once assigned to a person is not repeated,” said Rothell Khongsit speaking to G Plus. Rothell is the community leader and secretary of the indigenous Agro Tourism Cooperative Society Ltd Kongthong, the society which has been working to promote the unique tradition of Jingrwai Lawbei. Adding further he said, “These tunes are unique as they come straight from a mother’s heart

recognize me with. I am proud to say that since time immemorial till today we are practicing this unique cultural custom,” said Rothell. He added, mothers assign different tunes for every child and it is seen as an expression of maternal love. Each tune traditionally has two versions - a smaller one and a longer one. The tune is easier to call our friends or relatives when we are far away as the tune is unique to each individual and it doesn’t create any confusion. “This practice has been going

in the dense forests or in the rivers, and if they hear somebody’s name being called out it makes the person sick. So, the tunes are used to call out to people, as a way of protecting them. In the hills sound and echoes travels far which helps in calling people even if they are physically not close by. One’s name may not be audible but the tune is easily audible. “This unique practice has also been helpful to the villagers. Some folk tales depict how people were saved from thugs because of the

When a child is born the mother composes a song or a small tune which becomes the child’s official tune. They have their official names too but this tune is their identity in the village. All the villagers call each other by the tune assigned to them. different countries differing over cultures and religions. But it is only in Kongthong where, when a child is about to be born, the mother starts preparing a unique tune for the child - a tune which is its name, a mark of identity that begins and ends with the individual. Even though the people of Kongthong have common names like us, this tune is their special identity which is unique to each individual in that village. Kongthong is a calm and beautiful village nestled in a remote area of the Khasi Hills. It is located in Khat-ar-shnong Laitkroh Tehsil of East Khasi Hills district in Meghalaya, India. It is situated 28 kms away from the office of subdistrict headquarter Khatarshnong - Laitkroh block and 56 kms away from the district headquarter, Shillong. According to 2011 census, there are 567 people residing in Kongthong. Until a few years back one had to trek in order to reach the village but today one can easily reach the village by car. The same however, is time consuming as the roads are small and not well constructed. “When a child is born the mother composes a song or a small tune which becomes the child’s official tune. They have their official names too but this tune is their identity in the village. All the villagers call each other by the tune assigned to them.

A panoramic view of Kongthong village

Peace and calm reigns supreme for her new born child. Each tune is different from the other and represents different people. Each tune or Jingrwai Lawbei in their language becomes a permanent one only after ensuring that it is different from all others.” Jingrwai Lawbei means a song from the mother’s heart. Jingrwai means song and Lawbei means the first mother of the clan. “My Jingrwai Lawbei or tune is what the people of my village

on since generations. Each tune is thirty seconds to one minute long. One may not call out the whole tune but just its title which is enough to be recognised,” said Rothell speaking to G Plus. Explaining he said, the tunes are generally inspired by nature and birds and other living beings. People of the village are not sure how the practice started, but there is a belief among the villagers that there are unseen ghosts and spirits

unique method of using tunes to call out people in the village. As the village is surrounded by forests if any fellow villager was stuck with the thugs he would inform his mates by humming the unique tune assigned to them and his mates would rescue him”, said Rothell. Though the village has started to receive some recognition in the past few years, until 2013 the roads connecting the village didn’t exist. After the visits of several researchers and journalists the villagers saw the potential of tourism development. The villagers along with the heads started making small guest houses of bamboo so that the tourists who visited could stay in the village and enjoy its beauty. Talking about growth of tourism in the village Rothell said, “When we initially started making bamboo guest houses for tourists, the villagers didn’t like the idea but now when the tourists are coming

and buying our products they are supporting it. We can now sell all our organic products in our own village to the tourists who visit us. People of the village have realised that this will help us upgrade both our income and lifestyle. And it will also encourage us to work hard and upgrade our agricultural production. The services and products that we sell will help us gain employment in the village itself and have a better standard of living.” Numerous tourists from India and around the world have visited Kongthong. Countries included USA, Germany, France, Russia, Israel, New Zealand, China, Bangladesh and Thailand to name a few. Tourists visit the village throughout the year, but mainly between March and August, Rothell told G Plus. The major agricultural produce of the village include honey, betel nuts, bay leaves, oranges, jack fruit, pineapples and white and black pepper to name a few. All the agricultural products grown in the village are organic and indigenous, produced without the use of any pesticides, Rothell told G Plus. Currently there are three lower primary and one upper primary school in the village. Hence for further studies children have to go to the other parts of Meghalaya. On July 30, 2019 BJP MP Rakesh Sinha, during the zero hour of Rajya Sabha, urged the government to make a heritage library in Kongthong and requested for a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage tag for the unique whistle IDs that every child in the village has. During his visit an elderly women from the village created a tune for Narendra Modi inviting him to visit the village. “We feel that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits our village we will be known worldwide because of his growing popularity among the people of India as well as around the world,” said Rothell. Speaking about UNESCO’s special tag Rothell said, “If UNESCO is willing to give us the special status of intangible cultural heritage they should include the other villages too who have the same tradition. There are a few other villages nearby who claim to practice the same tradition. I am not sure about it but we have to find out.” The village has a pleasing beauty. It is surrounded by water falls, small ponds, root bridges and more. People go to camp in the village or stay in the guest house in order to enjoy the beauty of Kongthong. The mesmerizing natural beauty and the unique culture of whistling have not only made the village of Kongthong special but it also stands as a mark of Incredible India.

18 Review

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

Starring: Sushant Singh Rajput, Shraddha Kapoor, Varun Sharma Director: Nitesh Tiwari

Chhichhore

irector Nitesh Tiwari, back on the director’s chair after the massive blockbuster Dangal, does all of that. He is that first-bencher who would meticulously take down all notes point-by-point and vomit them back on the answer sheet sans any creativity. Chhichhore is a classic case of that very learning the formula to success by rote but not knowing how to apply it in real life syndrome. The film starts with Aniruddh and Maya’s (Sushant Singh Rajput and Shraddha Kapoor) son involved in a tragedy after failing

BOOK

to secure a coveted seat in India’s top engineering college, unlike his father and mother, who were rank holders. This leads to a reunion between Aniruddh and his college friends - Varun Sharma as Sexa, Tahir Raj Bhasin as Derek, Naveen Polishetty as Acid, Tushar Pandey as Mummy and Saharsh Shukla as Bevda. The tone of the film is as inconsistent as it can be. In one scene, you will see Sushant sobbing while talking to his son, and in the next, he is planning pranks with his friends in college. The transition is not seamless. Director Nitesh Tiwari aims to have both

- past and present - tracks run parallel to each other, but it simply doesn’t work. The sudden change of the background score from melancholic tunes to upbeat music too doesn’t help the audience understand what Nitesh is trying to do with the film. Sushant’s performance as the middle-aged father is nothing less than a caricature. Even when the doctor explains to him his son’s condition, he sits there with a blank expression. He sobs, tries to wipe his tear-less eyes, but just fails to convince the audience that he is heartbroken. Shraddha, as Maya, isn’t much convincing either. The actress has one expression for every mood, and by now, we have seen too much of that one expression. Along with that, the film’s script also limits her character to being just a pretty face who is always present to cheer for her boyfriend from the stands. Varun Sharma delivers yet another remarkable performance in Chhichhore. He gets the best punchlines in the film and he delivers them in his own unique style. Naveen Polishetty and Tushar Pandey also leave an imprint with their performances. The writing isn’t all too sloppy. Some scenes will manage to you crack you up, but they are stuffed with cliches. Imagine every punchline that a college drama can have and some more. Now imagine all of them stuffed into a film. Chhichhore is that. Chhichhore is a one-time watch and is for those who are are still hung up on their college life. But it is no 3 Idiots. You might want to call your college buddies after the film. (Review from India Today)

HEAVEN DESCENDS ON OUR EARTH Author: Manik Saikia

Jayanta Madhav

he future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams: Eleanor Roosevelt! Their minds awash with a dream to transform the world to one free of war and terror, two educated Gen Next youths Alex Mandela from South Africa and Charles Hope from US set out to bend history in pursuit of peace and harmony, and save humanity from the scourge of global warming. Igniting the imagination of youths across the globe through the boundless web of information

technology the duo succeeds in exhorting and uniting them onto a common platform called OneWorld- aspiring to wipe out conflicts from human society! As the youth world over go all out to revolutionize public life, drifting steadily away from intolerance to endurance and materialism to compassion, OneWorld’s sublime message of universal oneness and fraternity soon resonates across the global community shaping public opinion for a conflict-free world. Eventually the UN too comes around and years after it has adopted drastic changes with farreaching global impact on defence reduction and poverty

alleviation concurrently with the governments of the world, the day finally dawns on Alex and Charles when world leaders decided to bury the discordant past and bid goodbye to war and enmity - embracing a new era of nuclear elimination where all have clean water to drink and fresh air to breathe! Infused with enduring peace, amity and goodwill there is now all-encompassing human progress across nations brought in by sweeping technological collaborations transcending national

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boundaries virtually turning them into a One World co-existing with nature, bereft of emotional boundaries. Bordering on utopian as it does, Manik Saikia’s Heaven Descends on Our Earth is by far an honest attempt to have a perspicacious look at the vileness of social evils afflicting humanity and how, given the will, mankind could bring joy to the sorrowful hearts of the world. Ingeniously mingling science with nuanced imagery the author has succeeded in weaving a positive optimism around the narrative, rendering it an impressive read.

Trotter

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

Man sets own jeep on fire for TikTok

video that has gone viral shows a man burning his own jeep for a TikTok video. The man can be seen casually burning his jeep right in the middle of the road while another person records the deed. As the vehicle burns, passersby can be seen swerving their vehicles to avoid the flames. Moreover, the guy has burnt his vehicle right in front of a fire station in Rajkot. Rajkot Police has arrested the man, Indrajeet Singh Jadeja,

and booked him under various sections. It is not yet clear whether the video was posted

on TikTok by Jadeja himself or by the person recording

the act. Police said that Jadeja runs a rented shop a stone’s throw from the place. He is being interrogated and the motive behind the act is being ascertained. Jadeja may have burnt the vehicle in frustration, police said. Hunt is on for the person who recorded the incident. Rajkot Police has taken a serious note of the incident. “The accused will be given exemplary punishment,” said Manoj Agarwal, Commissioner of Police, Rajkot. (Source: indiatvnews)

Jharkhand doctor to be sacked for prescribing condom for stomach ache

doctor in a government hospital in Jharkhand’s Ghatsila is set to be sacked on charges of prescribing condom to a 55-year-old woman for stomach pain in July this year, officials have said. The dismissal order against Ghatsila subdivisional hospital (GSDH) surgeon, Dr Ashraf Badr, came after a three-member probe committee formed by the East Singhbhum’s deputy commissioner (DC) confirmed the charges against him in its report. Dr Badr was on a one-year contract. “The order to dismiss accused Dr Ashraf Badr has come from the state health department. We will put it in the meeting of the district health society as soon as the DC returns to the city,” East Singhbhum’s civil surgeon, Dr Maheshwar Prasad said. The deputy commissioner is the chairperson of the district health society and he is away in Sweden for an international seminar. “He was dismissed from the service earlier also for several charges of misconduct but was

reinstated only after a written undertaking of not repeating mistakes,” Dr Prasad said.

The woman had alleged in her complaint that Dr Badr had prescribed “Condom Nirodh” for stomach pain on July 23 and asked her to visit the pharmacy when she consulted him at the hospital. DC Ravishankar Shukla formed a three-member team that submitted its report on August 2 confirming the charges against Dr Badr. Sources said Dr Badr has been charged with misconduct in the past and was once dismissed as well. “He would not conduct an autopsy of the dead bodies at Ghatsila post mortem house and

refer all such cases to MGMMCH (Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College and Hospital) in Jamshedpur, causing many problems to GSDH authorities and families of the deceased. He was earlier also charged for teasing and flirting with a nurse,” a source said. Dr Badr, however, said he will challenge the decision of his dismissal in the high court. “The said probe is a farce and carried out to implicate me as part of a conspiracy. They have done after being bribed by private nursing house owners whose business was hit after I started regular gynaecology and general surgeries in GSDH. I had not written any such prescription and the registration slip put against me is fake,” said Dr Badr. “I had filed general diary against the MO and a nurse in Ghatsila police station (PS) one and half month ago for conspiracy to implicate me in a false charge of teasing and flirting with the said nurse,” he said. (Source: dailyhunt)

Switzerland’s smallest museum is a window in 600-year-old house

oosesagg Museeum, which translates into “Pant Pocket Museum” in English, is perhaps the smallest museum in Switzerland - indeed in the world too. There’s no admission fee, but there’s also no admission at all, because the entire museum is contained within a two-feet-bytwo-feet window covered with an iron grill in the door of a 600-yearold house, located in a narrow pedestrian alley in Basel’s Old Town. Every few months, new items appear in the window at 31 Imbergasslein (Ginger Alley). The

Vergeat family has been living in this house for 35 years and have run the museum for 24 years. Many of the displays come from the couple’s own assemblage of memorabilia but they welcome outside contributions. “I am the creative director of this museum and my wife takes care of the administrative part. She is responsible for what has to be displayed. Apart from that she takes care of the promotion of this museum through social media and answers the calls of people from all over the world eager to display their collections. She selects the things and then it’s my job to place them in the museum,” Matthias said.

Dagmar has been fond of collecting things since her childhood and this is reflected in a room just behind the museum - objects hang from the ceiling and are arranged in display cases; wrist watches surround bottle stoppers with carved faces; there are tea eggs, a spectrum of plastic sunglasses, Rubik’s cubes, toy televisions, bells and Dagmar’s most favourite collection of kings. (Source: ndtv)

83-year-old grandma loves using Tinder to find younger men for casual sex

n 83-year-old isn’t looking for grandfather type matches. She wants younger men. “Younger men, they get off on getting a woman off – very different from when I was younger,” Hattie explains. The New York-based mum-oftwo and grandma are in tune with her body and sexuality. A former dancer, Hattie was married for over 25 years and says she and her ex-husband had a “wonderful sex life.” Missing the intimacy and embracing the casualness of modern dating, Hattie exclusively goes out with men many years her junior. “I s****, I sleep with, I make love with many men and not one of them has said, ‘I want you for my life’,” she says. Hattie says that she is often referred to as a “cougar” but is trying to reverse the negative preconceptions attached to the lifestyle. “Cougars, as I see them, are not beasts of prey, they are an exquisite animal,” she says. “I’m never on the prowl. I never approach a man, men always approach me.” Hattie has a steady selection of casual lovers she connects with through

dating apps such as Tinder. Since she began using the app eight months ago, she claims to have met close to 50 men. Her Tinder bio reads: Hattie, 83, fascinating older beauty. Seeking a steady younger friend/lover for a shared life of adventure and passion. No pro-Trump and no players. The youngest man she has been with was aged 19, although she insists she believed he was older. Hattie is currently dating Shaun, 33, making him 50 years her junior. After the split with her exhusband, Hattie put an advert in the newspaper seeking younger men to sleep with. She claims she was inundated with messages and had to “audition” the potential partners. When she began dating, she had hoped to find a meaningful connection with another man. (Source: metro.co.uk)

Artist’s stunning 3D street art has astronaut walking on moon in Bengaluru

n a telling post, painter Baadal Nanjundaswamy recreated a scenario of an astronaut walking on the surface of the moon filled with craters on a Bengaluru street replete with potholes to depict the poor infrastructure in the city. Nanjundaswamy represented the scenario through his stunning 3D street art in a 56-second video and shared it on Facebook. An astronaut appears to walk on the moon layered with craters in the video and as the camera zooms into the scenario, you will see that the backdrop is actually a street in Bengaluru filled with potholes. An auto drives past the street that hosts what appears to be residential buildings and shops on the other side. “Hello BBMP Commissioner,” reads Nanjundaswamy’s caption of the post that has gone viral within a few hours of being made available online. BBMP or the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike is the administrative body responsible for civic amenities and certain infrastructural assets.

Within four hours, Nanjundaswamy’s post has been viewed over 56,000 times and garnered 1,400 likes. It has also been shared almost 2,500 times and the internet is delighted to watch it. “Just amazing,” a user said while another added, “Excellent....No words to appreciate.” One of the users also said that Nanjundaswamy’s art is a “nice initiative to make the government work”. Bangalore-based Baadal Nanjundaswamy is celebrated for his artwork so as to attract the attention of the civic authorities. In June, Nanjundaswamy planted a life-sized crocodile in the middle of a street in Bengaluru after civic authorities failed to repair a pothole. In 2018, Nanjundaswamy had drawn a cobweb around a pothole to help civic authorities notice it. (Source: indiatoday)

20 Fun Jayashree Bose

8th & 13th September will be great days to share your ideas with seniors & connect with them. On 13th September, schedule your important meetings. On 7th September, you will be emotionally hurt by your colleagues or superiors. On 9th September, you could have a fall out with a superior or someone at work. 7th, 8th, 10th & 11th September will be great days to connect with seniors & share ideas with them; you could host important meetings on these dates. You could have issues with your seniors or extended family on 9th September, don’t get into a confrontation. On 12th September, be careful while dealing with the opposite gender.

Lay low on 7th September as you are bound to have disagreements with people at work or there could be changes in your work place. Avoid making any promises on 7th & 10th September, as you will have to live up to them. 9th & 12th September will be great days to connect with your seniors & share your ideas with them, host your important meetings on these dates. 8th, 9th & 12th September will be great days to share ideas with seniors & build a relationship with them. Host your important meetings on 9th & 12th September. On 10th & 13th September, you could have issues at your workplace with your seniors or clients. Avoid getting into a confrontation.

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

The first half of your week will be slow but the second half will be great. For good results, host meetings, share ideas with superiors & network with business associates on 10th, 11th & 13th September. Avoid any Sunday meetings with your workmates or extended family, it will be a disaster. This week will be good for you. 8th, 9th & 13th September will be excellent days to schedule your important meetings. On 8th September, you could have a small get-together with your colleagues, seniors & parents. Avoid hosting any meetings, especially with your seniors on 11th September as you are bound to have disagreements.

5 8 26 4

13 37 9 5 6 7 2 32 5 9 1 2 9 2 6 2 9 Daily Sudoku: Fri 6-Sep-2019

8 5 7

7 26 7 5 5 6 4 8 9 37 3 67 8 99 5 3 6 1 8 very hard 9

Daily Sudoku: Fri 30-Aug-2019

7th, 10th & 11th September will be great days to share your ideas with seniors or simply just connect with them. You could schedule important meetings on these dates. Watch your words & actions on 12th & 13th September, as you could have disagreements at work.

11th September will be a great day for you to build a rapport with seniors & people at work, host your important meetings on this day. On 10th & 13th September, avoid making any promises as you will have to live up to them. On 12th September you will be betrayed by someone you trusted.

You will have issues at work with your superiors or clients on 11th September, try not to get into a confrontation. 12th September will be a great day to build a rapport with your seniors & people at work, host your important meetings on this day.

Watch your words & actions on 9th September, as you could create your own problems. On 10th September, you will be emotionally hurt either by your parents or seniors. 13th September will be a great day to connect with your seniors & share your ideas with them, host your important meetings on this day.

Watch yourself on 7th & 10th September, avoid making any promises or getting into a confrontation. You could have disagreements with your seniors or work associates; this is not a day to schedule important meetings. On 9th September, you will be emotionally hurt either by your parents or seniors. 10th September will be a slow day for you.

7th September is an ideal day to mingle with seniors, people at work & to build your work network. On 8th September, you will be emotionally hurt by your colleagues or superiors. Be careful with your words & actions on 11th September as you will create your own problems.

Akhuni or Axone

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

curio-city

6. Identify the country from its flag, one of the only three to have a firearm on it.

Dhondo Keshav Karve

This river originates in the town of Donaueschingen in the Black Forest of Germany at the confluence of the rivers Brigach and Breg and then flows southeast passing through four capital cities (Vienna, Bratislava, Budapest and Belgrade) before emptying into the Black Sea. Which river is this?

Wrestlemania

Mantra 3.1.6. of Mundaka Upanishad starts with which two famous words?

Satyameva Jayate

Created by Vince Mcmahon, which very popular professional wrestling tournament is held annually between mid-March and mid-April in North America with the tagline “The Showcase of the Immortals?”

Danube

While Sachin Tendulkar is the youngest to receive the Bharat Ratna, who is the oldest recipient?

Mozambique

Perhaps the most popular of all fermented condiments of the northeast, it is a fermented paste of soybeans. Which popular ingredient of Naga cuisine is this?

last week solution

6 3 2 5 8 54 71 88 26 49 49 92 13 37 68 15 57 96 82 74 71 28 32 13 55 86 69 44 98 31 27 43 55 69 92 33 14 61 75 26 92 86 79 44 17 Daily Sudoku: Fri 6-Sep-2019 8 5 7 1 3

9 1 4 1 26 79 3 7 18 62 5 4 82 93 1 6 74 48 6 2 7 3 4 8 2

55 67 99

7 53 45 36

99 37 21 11 88 85 74

5 33 56 12 8 very hard 9 4 2 6 medium

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

medium

Daily Sudoku: Fri 30-Aug-2019

curio-city

Dilbert By Scott Adams

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 | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

Word of of the the week week Word chirography knackered adjective [nak-erd] noun [kahy-rog-ruh-fee] British Slang.

exhausted;penmanship. very tired handwriting;

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 | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

The devil-possessed wild boar

t was way back around 1973 when I heard from my brothers about a “spirit” possessed wild boar which was creating a big nuisance in our tea garden bordering the Manas River. We had gone for an intensive grow-morefood program there and were cultivating rice, wheat and various cash crops to augment the income for funds that were required for the development of another group garden where I was posted. In those

By now I was also inclined to believe that this wild boar was indeed having special powers. But I was young then and wanted to get the better of this animal which had kept me awake for all these nights and only shown itself to us for a few seconds! days wild boars could be shot with the permission of the forest authorities as they were considered vermin for crop cultivation. So taking time off for about 7 days we decided to try and shoot this “Deo” Boar which was rampaging around destroying all the cash crops we had planted as well as of the local populace in the area. It was at the end of May, with some pre-monsoon rains, that I arrived on the scene quite excited to nab this animal. But as per the local people’s theory this wild boar was possessed by the devil and could never be killed. It appeared in different areas knowing by some instinct whenever a local hunter was sitting up for it; the boar simply played with everyone, managing to dig up the farms least expected. I first ascertained some of the fields where it was seen and seeing the way it was eating the choicest crops like pumpkins, sweet potatoes and various types of gourd plants besides, of course, the ripening Ahu paddy, I thought that it would be easy to get him. The first night we sat up in a farmer’s house where it had come about a week ago and in all probability would revisit soon. I sat alone outside on a machaan about ten feet above the ground as a wild boar is a very fearsome adversary especially this one which was purported to have the longest protruding tusks

that could rip you up in one charge if it can reach you. So for wild boars it was best to be on a slightly raised platform and not on the ground when one could be vulnerable if the shot misses. I was awake till dawn but the boar did not come at all. A boar is a noisy feeder and one can hear it digging up the soil with its fierce tusks and grunting as it feeds. It was the first of many fruitless and tiring nights for me. The second night my two elder brothers again accompanied me but this time they brought some clothes to be comfortably asleep while I kept watch. For the next couple of nights my elder brother dropped out and my second brother accompanied me. We were rotating the likely spots but to our utter dismay the boar never came to the spot where I was sitting up; to add insult to injury it kept on visiting the areas where we had stayed up the previous nights. It became a game for the boar, and another hunter who had been accompanying me, a garden employee called Jagmohan, decided to do a little puja before we sat up for the fifth night in a row. That night we waited with keen anticipation and I was willing to believe that this time it would definitely show up. It did but only when we left around six in the morning and a man came running to tell us that it had come and I rushed back in the jeep only to see this huge black boar look up once at me and run off into the thicket nearby. It had shown itself to me hardly for about 10 seconds before I could come into range to even pick up my gun. By that

time I had tried to get this animal for over 120 hours, sitting up for it for over 60 hours, working for around 45 hours and sleeping for only 15 odd hours during those five days. By now I was also inclined to believe that this wild boar was indeed having special powers. But I was young then and wanted to get the better of this animal which had kept me awake for all these nights and only shown itself to us for a few seconds! The situation got worse as it started to rain and there was going to be no respite for the sixth night when we had chosen a field which was next to the forest area and I had asked for the machaan to be put up on a small Semul tree. Due to the rain we put up a light tarpaulin sheet on top and settled in for the night. To our horror however the weather turned for the worse and developed into a lightning storm. It was a big trauma to see the lightning bolts unleashing from the sky and waiting to hear the thunderclap deafening our senses. Once or twice the sizzling sound of the electric currents all around us was terrifying and to make it worse we were by then totally drenched. I was scared to hold on to my gun in case it was struck by a bolt and the only option was to buckle down and wait out the storm. After about

twenty minutes of real terror the storm abated and then I was reminded of our purpose of getting the devil possessed wild boar when it appeared for hardly 5 seconds as it sauntered off in the distance with its tail held high as if taunting me. There was no point waiting after the storm and as the rain abated my brother and I walked off silently to our jeep parked some distance off truly beaten that night. My schedule allowed just one more night in pursuit of the pillaging boar and I decided that we would sit up again in the same field where we had sat up the first night. That evening, I went alone and sat up a bit earlier than normal and prepared for a long night. I don’t know how I had the energy to stay awake but towards 2 am I heard the sound of grunting similar to that of a wild boar digging up the ground. We turned on the flash light and saw not one but two small pigs merrily eating up the potato crop. It was not the “Deo” Boar I was after so I did not fire at all. I was now extremely tired out and started hallucinating a bit seeing a lot of wild boars in the darkness. So I told Jagmohan to watch out and wake me up if the boar did appear as I dozed off into a very disturbed rest. Finally it was time to leave and I had to concede that there was something

Ranjan Kumar Choudhury ranjanchou@hotmail.com

in the story of this wild boar being possessed. In the house I calculated the total hours we had spent looking up for this boar. It was stupendous reading of being awake for a total of 138 hours and sleeping for only 30 hours. Before I left to our other garden I wanted to just drive once to see the areas where we had looked for this elusive wild boar; the local farmers all wished us better luck next time and one of them said the reason we failed was because we had declined to acknowledge his special powers and not propitiate the concerned spirits before our hunt. I had to believe him fully as while we were returning to the bungalow this wild boar came out of the jungle area and trotted alongside our jeep vigorously for a full thirty seconds without a care in the world. We were unarmed and it was indeed unnatural as to how it seemed to know this. I just raised my hands in a salute to this spirited animal and silently wished him a long life. Later I confirmed that he was never shot and went on plundering the crops for a few years after which he was not seen or heard of.

22 Lifestyle

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

Vaastu: Mirrors to reduce your anxiety levels Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

irrors reflect light and clear images. A convex mirror is bulged outwards and the image formed by the convex mirror looks smaller than the original size of the object. A concave mirror is bulged inwards and the image formed by the concave mirror looks bigger than the original size of the object. Concave mirrors can ‘suck energy’ while convex mirrors ‘disperse energy.’ Mirrors also help multiply the energy. They are used in Vaastu to reflect negative energy and draw/multiply positive energy. Mirrors can be used effectively in the dining area to virtually multiply food. To add positive energy in food and improve the

atmosphere, an oval or round shaped mirror can be placed in the northeast, east or north of the kitchen. Soothing or meditational music should be played while cooking. But oval or round mirrors should be avoided elsewhere. Mirrors can be used in the garden as the garden represents fundamental laws of nature having light, air, earth, water and sky and create flowers, leaves, stems and fruits. Use mirrors to amplify the house with the fresh, natural and unconditional energy through the garden. Full length mirrors must be used in dressing rooms While getting dressed in front of the mirror, use full length mirrors. They give you a feeling of completeness while using small mirrors leave you feeling broken and incomplete. Mirrors can be effectively used in the puja area as well. The puja area has lot of positive energy which can be tapped. This will

help in meditation and spread vibrant energy in the entire house. Cut in the plot or house is a Vaastu defect. Mirrors can be used to eliminate this defect.

Here are a few precautions you can take in regard to placing mirrors: Cracked mirrors must be replaced immediately.

Mirrors must not be placed right in front of your bed. Mirrors must be avoided right in front of the house. It can attract all energies irrespective of their true nature. Mirrors must be avoided in study rooms as they can be a cause of distraction. Do not place mirrors in the

south, west, southwest, southeast or northwest. Never place mirrors opposite to each other as

it causes impatience and increases restless energy. Avoid mirrors near a staircase.

How to increase your height with Yoga shri shri ravi shankar Founder- Art of Living Foundation.

here is a saying, “I’m not small! It’s the world that’s too big!” Many of us have spent our childhood hanging on the monkey bars or cycling for long hours just to stand shoulder

to shoulder with our father but have failed to do so! Well, this is a case with a lot of us who think that if our height increases by two inches, it would make a big impact on our and others

perspective about the way we live our lives. A recent study tells us that a good height is not only restricted to the physical aspect but is also linked to higher IQ’s, better job prospects and more positive outlook towards life. Another research done in Britain suggests that the parent’s height is an important factor but attaining a good height is not only about the genes. What we eat, how we live and think are equally important. But, regardless of what we eat and how we live, height growth has never been that easy. If the modern cosmetic surgery and other methods are not what you are looking for, then this old fashion can just be your style. Yoga to increase your height: Well, this ancient Indian technique may just be the answer to all your growth related queries in a simple and effortless way! Surprised? Don’t be!

Yoga means the union between the body and the mind. It is a very easy and effective way of healthy living, which helps attain a calm mind and also detoxifies the body. It is practiced by taking one’s attention to different parts of the body through postures with the help of breathing. It also enhances blood circulation and aids in improving the health of body organs. With the mind relaxed and stress free, the body can easily produce the growth hormone which is responsible for the increase in height. Attaining a good posture is also vital and can be achieved by practicing yoga. A couple of minutes spent practicing yoga regularly can help you grow physically and make the mind calmer. Let’s have a look at a few of the postures that can aid you in increasing your height:

1. Bhujangasana (Cobra posture) The Cobra pose stretches muscles in the shoulders, chest and abdominal region. It helps increase the height by aiding in achieving a better posture.

2. Tadasana (Tree pose)

The Tree pose is an ideal posture to lengthen and

straighten the spine to increase your height.

3. Natrajasana (Lying down body twist)

The Wheel pose stretches the lungs and chest, while strengthening the muscles of the buttocks, legs, calves, wrists, arms and spine.

4. Surya namaskar (Sun Salutation)

Cyclic Practice of yogic postures in Suryanamaskar helps to loosen up joints and muscles in a short period of time. Abdominal organs are alternately stretched and compressed, ensuring proper functioning of the organs. This practice also has a profound

effect on the back as it involves alternate backward and forward bends. It also improves spinal flexibility and results in improved immunity. The rate of body growth varies from person to person and depends on a lot of factors. While yoga can definitely help make your body more supple and assist in increasing the height, one should also pay attention to the type of nutrition the body receives. Regular yoga practice will ensure a sound body and mind and good eating choices will aid in maintaining the vigour. Yoga is an ancient art that can do wonders if practiced regularly. Like with any other practice, one must learn yoga the right way from a qualified expert.

Entertainment

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

Two Adil Hussain films to feature at 24th International Busan Film Festival 2019

wo of Adil Hussain’s films, ‘Raahgir’ and ‘Nirvana Inn’ will be screened at the 24th International Busan Film Festival 2019. Raahgir is a “tale of humanity and empathy,” mentioned Hussain on Twitter and has been directed by Gautam Ghose. It features Tillotama Shome and Neeraj Kabi.

Nirvana Inn, a paranormal thriller, will have its world premiere at the international film festival. This movie has been directed by Vijay Jayapal and stars Sandhya Mridul and Rajshri Deshpande. The 24th International Busan Film Festival 2019 will be held from October 3 to October 12 in Busan, South Korea.

Zubeen Garg’s ‘Kanchanjangha’ releases nationwide

ubeen Garg’s Assamese film, ‘Kanchanjangha’ has been released all across India. The movie has been directed by the popular singer and has been released on the occasion of late Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s birth anniversary on September 8. The movie is about a young person who is both ambitious and rebellious and has fought against the system. Earlier, based on reports, Garg had mentioned that his film would be about the APSC cash-for-job scam in Assam. It should be mentioned that Garg’s previous film, ‘Mission China’ was also released on late Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s birth anniversary and is the highest grossing Assamese film of all time.

Rima Das features in Rajeev Masand’s interview with Zoya Akhtar

ell-known film critic, Rajeev Masand interviewed two of Indian cinema’s well-known female filmmakers at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), National Film Award winner Rima

the duo and spoke to them about making movies, their love for telling stories, the challenges and excitement of making movies in the current landscape and how they pour their life’s experiences and observations into their films. Masand mentioned that Rima

Das and now part of the Academy Awards’ jury, Zoya Akhtar. Both Das and Akhtar have had a great year in terms of the success of their films, Bulbul Can Sing and Gully Boy respectively. Thus, Masand caught up with

“is the very definition of ‘Indie’, and Zoya who works with big stars on big budgets, couldn’t be more dissimilar on the surface, but both make films that come from a deeply personal place within them.”

Shillong Chamber Choir performs ‘Vande Mataram’ for Chandrayaan-2 moon landing

hen the entire world was glued to their television sets to witness ISRO’s Chandrayaan-2 moon landing, Meghalaya’s Shillong Chamber Choir accompanied the space research organisation’s achievement with their soulful and patriotic melody of ‘Vande Mataram.’ The song’s latest version has been composed by Neil Nongkynrih, the master of Shillong Chamber Choir and

members of the choir performed their rendition as Chandrayaan-2 landed on the moon. It is to be mentioned that the moon landing was telecast live on September 6 at 11:30 pm on National Geographic Channel, Star Plus and Hotstar.

24 Catching Up

G PLUS | Sep 07 - Sep 13, 2019

PIC OF THE