Vol 6 Issue 7

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Volume 06 | Issue 07 Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018 Price `10

Trinamool Congress plans ‘dhamaka’ in 2021

Irked Guwahatians not applying for claims in NRC updation process

PCBA monitors show Guwahati air as most polluted between 6 PM to 8 PM

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2 Lead Story

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

Trinamool Congress plans ‘dhamaka’ in 2021

Broad hints towards a Bengali CM in Assam

G Plus News

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rinamool Congress (TMC) has vowed to form the government in Assam in 2021 and has started testing the waters by contesting in the currently ensuing panchayat polls. But observers feel that there might be a long term hidden strategy of the party.

The present chairman of the Assam Pradesh Trinamool Congress (APTC), Gopi Nath Das, talking to G Plus said, “In 2021 there will be a dhamaka (blast) in Assam and TMC will play an important role in forming the government.” Das said that TMC will contest from all the seats in Assam even in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

On enquiring if TMC is planning for a Bengali chief minister in Assam, Das seemed to put on act of annoyance questioning, “Who told you?” He said that it will be the legislature that will decide who should be the chief minister.

However, Das did not completely reject the question. He said, “We will contest the elections in 2021 and Assam will see a change.”

Talking to G Plus, a political observer under condition of anonymity said, “TMC is spending a lot of money in Assam to build its image. Moreover, with the

issues of National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship (Amendment) Bill making the rounds, TMC wants to play communal politics by wooing the Bengali voters.” The source further confirmed that after the recent killings of five people in Tinsukia, TMC had sent its team to the spot with a purpose.

The source explained that if TMC makes its presence felt in the state by 2021 and wins even 25 seats in the Bengali dominated areas of the state, with an alliance with AIUDF and Congress Party, a Bengali chief minister taking charge of the state is a distinct possibility.

TMC is known for communal politics in West Bengal and in national politics. Two states that the party could target are Assam and Tripura after West Bengal because of the huge Bengali population in these states, the source expressed.

Meanwhile, several sociocultural organisations of Bengali Hindus in Assam plan to field Bengali candidates in all 14 constituencies in the state in the Lok Sabha elections of 2019. A team of representatives from Bengali organisations in Assam and West Bengal met West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on November 1 to have a preliminary discussion.

Accordingly, the groups are working on the strategy. n

File photo of a Trinamool Congress rally

TMC fields 179 candidates in panchayat polls; tests its strength

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ssam Pradesh Trinamool Congress (APTC) fielded 179 candidates in the ongoing panchayat elections and it is just the beginning of a political plan it has for Assam.

APTC president (minority cell) Asraful Arif Sikdhar, talking to G Plus said, “179 candidates are fielded in the panchayat elections after a thorough ground work.

We are hopeful that all these candidates will win because the candidates were given tickets after calculating their chances of winning the elections.”

The party fielded candidates in districts like Hailakandi, Cachar, Barpeta, Dhubri, Sonitpur, Goalpara, Kamrup (Rural), Nalbari, Dholeswar and so on.

Most of the areas selected by the party for fielding the candidates are Bengali (both Hindu and Muslim) dominated.

TMC roping in retired teachers to join the party

T Mamata Banerjee Sikdhar said that the membership of TMC is increasing in Assam and the panchayat election is a big test for the party.

By the 2019 Lok Sabha elections the party will be seen as a major political party in Assam, a TMC source claimed. n

he Assam Pradesh Trinamool Congress (APTC) is trying to influence all the retired academicians and teachers to join the party and especially Bengali academicians and teachers.

A source in one university of the state, talking to G Plus said, “Trinamool Congress (TMC) is trying to rope in retired teachers for strengthening the party.” The source said that in Barak Valley many retired teachers have already met the party senior leaders and will soon officially join the party.

The source said that for 2019

Lok Sabha elections the TMC will field prominent teachers of many constituencies and it seems the party has already selected its candidate from Silchar constituency.

The teacher is a retired professor from Assam University, the source revealed.

Similarly, Didi’s (West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee) party is also in talks with some teachers in Guwahati and accordingly the candidates will be given tickets.

TMC is likely to contest from all the 14 Lok Sabha seats and the enrolment process is going on in full swing. n

City

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

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Education, awareness critical to empower people with disabilities: minister

S Differently abled persons staging protest on International Day of Persons with Disabilities | G Plus Photo

Differently-abled persons stage protest on International Day of Persons with Disabilities Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

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he International Day of Persons with Disabilities was observed across the globe on December 3 last.

However, the situation in Guwahati was more on the sombre side that day as differently-abled abled persons from across the state staged a protest at Dighalipukhuri over Assam government’s failure to fulfil their various long-pending demands.

Several organisations under the

banner of Pratibandhi Suraksha Sangstha Assam (PSSA) protested and chanted slogans against the unfulfilled promises of the government.

The organisation has been demanding Rs 1,000 as monthly allowance, which was announced by the state government last year.

In February last year, the state government had announced that around 5 lakh differently-abled people would benefit from the move. The officials had informed last year that registration for the beneficiaries had already begun.

However, members of PSSA said that they are yet to receive the allowance.

Further, regarding jobs, the

protestors have been demanding advertisement for 4,419 posts meant for persons with disabilities that are lying vacant. They informed that as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, 4% reservation for persons with disabilities should be done.

“The state government was supposed to publish an advertisement for the vacant posts for persons with disabilities

by September 30. The same was even given in writing by the social welfare minister but nothing has been done in this regard till now,” Nripen Malakar, secretary of PSSA told G Plus.

He added that they have a total of 21 long-pending demands. This

apart, they have also asked for pension benefits and free housing facilities to be given to differentlyabled people of the state.

International Day of People with Disability is sanctioned by United Nations which is celebrated internationally. It aims to increase public awareness as well as understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities.

The theme for International Day of People with Disability for 2018 was “Empowering persons with disabilities and ensuring inclusiveness and equality.” n

Call for action against police brutality

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urther, one of their major demands includes action against those police personnel who were involved in manhandling the differently-abled protestors in October last during a demonstration.

“On 5th October last, we were protesting at Dispur Last Gate against the government’s inaction over filling up the 4,419 vacant posts meant for persons with disabilities. However, the police assaulted us and lathi-charged

at us while we were holding a sit-in demonstration,” informed members of PSSA. Following this incident, the PSSA members lodged a case at the Assam State Human Rights Commission and also gave a written complaint to the director general of police (DGP), chief minister as well as the chief secretary.

“Even after such a shameful incident, the government still displayed a negligent attitude towards us and no action has been

taken against anyone till now,” said Malakar.

He added that when there was a security lapse on the part of the police during Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi’s visit to Kamakhya Temple, some officials were promptly suspended.

“We have demanded strict action against additional deputy commissioner of police (ADCP) Amitabh Basumatary, subinspector of Dispur police station, Nipu Kalita among others, but nothing has been done as of yet,”

said the protestors.

Ironically, in 2017 observing the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu launched Deen Dayal Divyang Sahajya Yojna in Assam for the benefit of Divyangjan.

They have now given an ultimatum to the state government till December 10, after which they said they will launch a massive state-wide protest if the authorities fail to take any initiative on their demands. n

peaking during a seminar organised in the city as part of the celebrations of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities, state social welfare minister Pramila Rani Brahma said that higher education is critical for empowerment of people with disabilities.

The minister also stressed on creation of awareness among people. She also highlighted the need for the government to focus on implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.

Further, Jishnu Baruah, additional chief secretary, social welfare department, spoke about the recent initiatives undertaken by the department for creating barrier-free access, pension scheme and project reach out and respond. Admitting that a lot needs to be done in the sector, he said that the department was working on setting up a skill development training centre for people with disabilities and a central university on disability in the state.

Students with disabilities from Government BDS Deaf and Dumb School and Guwahati Blind High School, representatives from Hemophilia Society, Bikalanga Unnayan Parishad, All Assam Disabled Persons Association among others were present during the occasion. n

we were protesting at Dispur Last Gate against the government’s inaction over filling up the 4,419 vacant posts meant for persons with disabilities. However, the police assaulted us and lathi-charged at us Member of PSSA

4 Concern Snippets Animation movie to be made on Mahapurush Madhabdev

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

Students suffer as Sonaram School remains closed for elections Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

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he life of Mahapurush Madhabdev - the 15thcentury scholar from Assam will be immortalised on the silver screen as an animation movie based on the life of the scholar and is set to hit the big screen soon.

The film has been directed by Biswajit Pathak and Gaurabjyoti Pathak while it has been produced by the Ramani Chitram Memorial Trust. Further, Dalim Pathak is responsible for giving the concept of the animation movie and the music has been directed

by Gunindra Nath Ozah, Jiten Basumatary, and Hemendra Nath Das. Madhabdev was a disciple of the 15th-century saint-poet from Assam Srimanta Sankaradeva.

Madhabdev is known for his book of hymns Naam Ghosha and he has also written a number of songs called Borgeet.

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tudents of Sonaram Higher Secondary School in Guwahati are suffering as the school is being used by the Assam State Election Commission for the panchayat elections. The strong room has also been set up in the school.

Classes were called off in the school since November 26 till the end of elections. The vote counting will take place on December 12.

However, the students of the school are set to undertake their annual examination December 20.

Bulli Gogoi Bhuyan, the district elementary education officer of Kamrup (Metro), informed G Plus that in Guwahati, only Sonaram Higher Secondary School has been used for the panchayat elections.

“The school will remain shut for 20 days due to the panchayat elections which will result in great loss for students, especially when their annual examinations are around the corner. This will also reflect in the poor performance for our school during Gunotsav next years,” informed an

assistant teacher of the school.

Gunotsav is an initiative of the state government which aims at improving the overall quality of education in primary schools.

Under the scheme, external evaluators consisting of the chief minister, other state ministers and officials visited and marked the schools. The overall assessment was based on academic achievements of students and co-curricular activities comprising the morning assembly, formation of student parliaments, use of library books by students, conduct of physical education classes, availability and utilisation of school infrastructure and other facilities, and participation of school management committees in school activities were a few criteria taken into consideration for the evaluation.

The teacher added that five teachers of some important subjects have been absent for the last two years because of NRC duty.

Further, experts say that since teachers are usually involved in such government projects, it hampers the academic calendar. This, in turn, negatively affects the quality of education in government schools.

At least 72% Guwahatians

Main entrance of Sonaram School | G Plus Photo choose private schools over government schools, revealed a survey conducted by G Plus called ‘Let’s Talk Guwahati’. Around 10,000 people participated in this month-long survey from different localities of the city.

When asked which school they would prefer sending their children to, between government and private schools, a whopping 72% Guwahatians voted against government schools saying they

would prefer private school education for their wards.

Around 75 per cent primary schools in the Kamrup (Metro) district scored low grades during the first phase of Gunotsav.

According to data provided by the Assam Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Mission (ASSAM), a total of 708 elementary schools in the district were evaluated under the scheme, out of which 534 schools scored C and D grades. n

New road repairing system jeopardizing commuters at Odalbakra Hiranya Barman

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new system of repairing the main road at Odalbakra in the city is giving residents of the area a harrowing time.

The Public Works Department (PWD) has been carrying out repair work of Kahilipara Road for about 3 months now. The road had been lined with tar before it was pitched and metalled to its final shape. Everything was well and good till then. However, the PWD left a few sections of the road simply with the lining for up to 2025 days before pitching to its final shape.

Haphazard repairing of the road is also brewing trouble for the commuters who use the road on a daily basis. People who commute by two-wheelers are the worst sufferers. According to the shopkeepers and residents, the lining of tar has led to many fatal

accidents of two-wheelers that fail to maintain balance while traversing on those parts of the road.

“I have never seen this system before. The PWD has kind of lined the road with tar before metalling it to its final shape. After lining up the road they have left it unattended for about 25 days. This kind of lining has turned out to be very dangerous for commuters. As many as 3-4 two-wheelers meet with accidents by losing their balance during the day,” a resident said.

“We are thankful to the PWD for carrying out repair work of the road. But this kind of repair is not at all acceptable. They have lined the road and left it unattended for about 25 days. Commuting on the lined parts of the road has become extremely risky. I fell 2 times last week near Hayat Hospital,” Banikya Chowdhury, a resident of Odalbakra said.

This reporter himself is a victim of the haphazard repairing of the

The under repair road at Odalbakra | G Plus Photo Kahilipara Road. He met with an accident near the power plant while he was traversing from the Odalbakra to Ganesh Mandir.

Unable to maintain balance while trying to overtake a tempo the

two-wheeler skidded leaving him battered and bruised.

“They repaired the Kahilipara Road section by section. Without repairing a section properly they tend to move to another

section. They dug a section, lined it with tar and without pitching started digging another part.

They don’t repair it at one go.

Almost the whole road has been repaired to its final stage but the Odalbakra section of the road has been left unattended for about 25 days. We feel like PWD has abandoned the Odalbakra part, as mostly people belonging to the Bengali community reside here,” Debobrata Paul, a resident of Odalbakra said.

“The situation turns further grim at night time. I was going to Jyoti Chitrabon via Odalbakra. I was not aware of the road repair being carried out. When I tried to overtake a four-wheeler in front of the Hayat Hospital I went off balance. My two-wheeler literally went off track and I skidded with my two-wheeler into the drain.

I suffered injuries on my hands and legs. I should thank God that I was not hospitalized,” a biker that met with an accident 2 days ago said. n

Governance

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

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Irked Guwahatians not applying for claims in NRC updation process Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

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n the final draft National Register of Citizens (NRC) released on 30 July 2018, the names of 40,70,707 had been excluded. Since then, more than 120 days have passed and shockingly approximately 35 lakh people have not approached any of the NRC Seva Kendras claiming to be Indians with further proof.

Certain sections of people, to all appearances, are so irked by the entire NRC updation process that they’ve decided to purposely not apply for claims and objections. The irritation levels have become such that they are virtually throwing a challenge to the government to disprove the genuineness of their citizenships despite them not figuring in the NRC. “I had submitted all the documents required for NRC, including the legacy data back in 2015. Yet, in the final draft released, my name had gone missing. The names of my wife, our children as well as grandchildren had all been published correctly but they somehow missed my name. Now, I do not have the time to again stand in queues and submit the same documents all over again.

So I’ve decided to not apply for claims,” Sunil Jain, a businessman from Guwahati told G Plus.

Further expressing his discontent with the entire process of NRC, he added, “I think it’s the fault of the government and they should be the ones to address the issue and figure out how the name of one member of the family was excluded from the list, instead of harassing the public.”

The process of receipt of application forms for the National Register of Citizens (NRC) started on May 2015 and ended on August 2015. A total of around 3.29 crore people of Assam had applied for inclusion of their names and around 6.6 crore documents were submitted by the applicants, out of which around 5.5 lakh documents were sent to different states for verification.

After thorough screening of the documents, the partial draft of NRC was published on December 31, 2017 in which the names of around 1.9 crore people had appeared. The remaining draft was earlier scheduled to be published on June 30. However, owing to floods in various parts of the state, the publication was delayed by a month.

The final draft NRC published on July 30, 2018 contained names of around 2.89 crore people. The names of over 40 lakh people were left out of the NRC after the publication of the two drafts.

NRC officials had then said that this list was only a draft and no deportation would take place according to it. The public were

now given a chance to file for claims and objections – those left out of the draft citizenship list were to re-furnish documents for inclusion in the final list of NRC. The process of filing claims and objections for these 40 lakh plus people who were excluded from the complete draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, started on September 25 and was scheduled to end on November 23. However, the deadline was later extended to December 15 by the Supreme Court of India.

Surprisingly, even after more than two months of the claims and objections process being kicked off in the state, only 4.6 lakh people have, until now, come forward to claim the inclusion of their names in the final list. A whopping 34.4 lakh people from Assam who had originally applied for the NRC (National Register of Citizens) have gone missing.

Among the missing people who haven’t applied for claims is another businessman from Guwahati, Manoj Jain. Jain, who had submitted the legacy data of his 10-member strong family, informed G Plus that while eight of the members’ names have appeared in the complete draft NRC, his and his mother’s names have been excluded.

Explaining to G Plus why he hasn’t applied for claims yet, Jain said, “I’m a sole proprietor of my business and it’s very difficult

Decorated army officers excluded from NRC not applying for claims

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ozens of people from Assam, who spent the better part of their lives having served the country, have been left out of the final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). While some of these decorated army officers have filed for claims, a few have decided against doing so.

Sana Ullah Ahmed spent his life in the Indian Army, only to be excluded from the final draft of the National Register of Citizens published in Assam. Similarly, former Indian Air Force sergeant Sadullah Ahmed and his two sons, aged 15 and 22, have also been excluded from the list. Ahmed, speaking to media, explained that when he joined the armed forces, the Air Force verified all his documents to make sure he was Indian.

Fifty eight year old Azmal Hoque, a retired junior commissioned officer in the Indian army, along with his

son (who's currently in military college) and daughter (a student of army school) were also left out of the NRC. When they realised that there were dozens of other armed forces personnel who had been excluded from the list of Assam citizens, some of these army personnel decided to protest as a group, hoping it would put greater pressure on the government, and also protect each individual from any threats.

While there are army men whose names have not featured in the draft NRC, there’s another retired army officer, Pushp Paul Singh, who informed G Plus that he didn’t apply for the NRC in the first place, let alone applying for claims. He said, “I’ve served for years in the Indian army but my army documents are not accepted as a proof of my citizenship. When a person is enrolled in the Indian army, their nationality is first verified but since those documents were not

being accepted, I did not apply for NRC.” Bir Bahadur Thapa, who retired from the Army after serving for 32 years and was bestowed with the honorary rank of lieutenant for his outstanding service, along with seven other residents of Assam, challenged the exclusion of their names and family members from the NRC before the Supreme Court in September.

The bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi had then said, "All the cases of eight petitioners prima facie indicate different superfluous reasons of noninclusion of genuine Indian citizens. It is a classic example of how numerous genuine Indian citizens are wrongly excluded by the authority despite submission of all valid documents."

The government had said that there is no need to panic as those excluded from the draft will not be deported or arrested immediately and asked them to apply for claims. n

for me to leave everything and stand in queues for hours at the seva kendras. I want to question the government how they could find flaws in my documents, when they couldn’t find flaws in those of my wife who wasn’t even born or brought up in Assam? How did they verify the citizenship of my children by not verifying my own citizenship?”

Similarly, some of the women in the city informed G Plus that while their names had not featured in the list, they haven’t been able to apply for claims as their documents Retired army officer Azmal Hauque showing his army are not in Guwahati documents | G Plus Photo and they might not reach here before the process ends. ministry are baffled to see that “In the final draft released, the about 35 lakh people have gone names of all my family members missing. With less and less were published excluding me number of people coming to the and my mother-in-law. Our NSK in the last few weeks, this documents are all in Rajasthan figure is unlikely to show a very and we will only be able to redramatic change in the last one furnish them once the documents week, said the NRC authorities. arrive in Guwahati,” a woman It’s time that the government anonymously told G Plus. takes into account its shortfalls in this regard and provides the With just one week to go requisite answers to the questions before the closure of the claims raised by the public surrounding and objection process, the NRC the National Register of Citizens. n authorities and the union home

6 City Snippets Novotel’s new gastronomic affair

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he 24X7 coffee shop ‘The SQUARE’, at Novotel Guwahati has come up with an elaborate lunch set menu starting at just Rs 699.

Delicious dishes also known as ‘The SQUARE’ Specials such as Paneer Khurchan with Saffron Rice, Chicken Spaghetti Aglio Olio, Subz Jalfrezi with Laccha Paratha, Porcini Rissotto, Malwani Chicken Rassa with Mint Paratha, Baked Yoghurt Crunch, Gulab Jamun, Moong Dal Halwa, Chocolate Noir Cake, Walnut Chocolate Brownie and much more are a part of this exclusive set menu.

The guests can chose three options from the elaborate set menu. They can pick any 2 for just Rs. 699, any 4 for just Rs. 999 and the entire set menu for just Rs. 1099.

Venue - ‘The SQUARE’ Level 1, Novotel Guwahati, GS Road Timing- All Days of the Week; 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM Call 7578000511, for reservations

Batsman Rohit Sharma rejoices at the birth of a rhino in Assam

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he Indian batsman, Rohit Sharma, who has been advocating for rhino preservation by supporting WWF’s conservation activities, was excited about the birth of a rhino in Assam.

It is to be mentioned that his recent involvement in multiple rhino conservation campaigns have gained immense popularity and following on social media.

The ace run-scorer took to his Twitter handle to share the news of a newborn baby rhino whose mother was recently moved from Pobitora to Manas Sanctuary.

“A BABY IS BORN and I’m thrilled to share the good news! Xavira, this mama rhino, was moved from Pobitora to Manas as part of @ WWFINDIA’s #IndianRhinoVision to make more homes for rhinos in India. I bat for Rhinos! Join me:http://join.wwfindia.org/rhino #Rohit4Rhinos,” he posted across social media platforms.

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

Robin Hoods spreading food, education, smiles across city’s underprivileged Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

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team of students and young professionals from Guwahati have become part of a nationwide initiative that aims at creating hunger-free India. The volunteers, commonly known as Robins, are part of the Robin Hood Army that has been working selflessly towards the upliftment of the underprivileged by providing them with free food and education.

The Guwahati chapter of Robin Hood Army actively kicked off in June 2018 by Surya Pali, a student at National Law University, Guwahati. In the six months of its inception the city, the army of 200 Robins has served over 6,000 people.

Their idea is to beat hunger and bring out the best of humanity using food as a medium.

“I always saw a lot of food being wasted and thrown away at my college mess and decided to do something about it. When I learnt about the Robin Hood Army, I decided to initiate the movement in Guwahati. From what started with two volunteers is now an army with hundreds who keep thriving to serve the society,” Surya told G Plus.

Currently, the organization has

Spreading cheer and happiness | G Plus Photo tied up with multiple restaurants and hostels across Guwahati that provide them with food. The organization does not accept monetary donations and only distributes the food or donations in kind that it receives from its restaurant partners and donors. Among the most active donors are GMCH Hostel, GCC Boys Hostel, Cotton University Hostel and restaurants Rasa and Cuba Dining.

The Robin Hood Army is a volunteer-based zero-funds organization that works to get surplus food from restaurants and the community to serve less fortu-

nate people. The organization is currently spread across 103 cities in India as well as 12 other countries. The organization, consisting of over 16,500 volunteers, has served food to over 9.2 million people so far.

While the volunteers come from various walks of life (mostly students and working professionals), they reach out to the lesser fortunate sections including homeless families, orphanages, night shelters, homes for abandoned children, patients from public hospitals, etc.

“The best feeling of happiness

is to see someone else smile because of you. This is what I have received after joining Robin Hood Army. It’s just been three months since I joined the organization and they’ve already been the most happy days of my life,” expressed Diksha Dhar, a volunteer of the army.

Apart from serving food, the Robin Hood Army recently started its academy in the city to empower street children with basic primary education. The Robins of the Guwahati chapter conduct regular classes everyday from 3:30 PM to 5 PM at the Guwahati Railway Station for the children living in nearby slums with the aim to introduce and drive the spirit of learning in them. The purpose of the academy is to be a bridge between the street and schools, by giving children the tools and knowledge to go to school.

The army believes that while meals provide energy and focus, educating the poor will make them truly independent. The academy, which started on November 24, has successfully enrolled over 25 slum children so far and the numbers are growing each day.

The next step, a Robin informed G Plus, is to open more such academies at other slum areas including Railway Gate No 3 and Bharalumukh in order to reach out to many more children. n

Robin Hood Army kicks off #NoKhaliPet campaign to fight against malnutrition

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obin Hood Army will be marking the Human Rights Day via its social initiative #NoKhaliPet, which aims to feed 1 lakh underprivileged people across the country.

The campaign, which kick started on November 29 is spread over 10 days and will culminate on Human Rights Day which is observed on December 10.

The collection of food has already begun in the city, with the team of Robins collecting raw materials such as dal, rice, atta, salt, oil, milk and potatoes from different households. Their distribution is scheduled to take place on December 9 and 10.

Guwahatians can be a part of the campaign and contribute their bit by sending information

have collected a total of 52 kgs rice, our society. The #NoKhaliPet to the Robin Hood Army on their 30 kgs dal, 40 kgs atta, 25 kgs salt, campaign aims to reinforce Facebook page or the numbers 15 litres oil and 25 kgs potatoes. the reality of the prevailing provided in their posters regarding The food items have all been challenge of hunger and excess food in hotels, banquets, stored at a godown in caterers, Fancy Bazaar which upcoming belongs to one of the wedding to Hunger is a crisis that has almost a billion people in Robins of the Guwahati collect food as its grip. It kills more people each year than diseases chapter. well as regarding The aim of the donation of raw like AIDS, malaria and terrorism combined. Every campaign is to feed grains, legumes 10 seconds, a child dies from hunger and it has approximately 1,500and pulses. The been found that 82% of hungry people live in 2,000 underpriviRobins will then countries with food surplus, not food shortages. leged people in the themselves city. For the purpose, collect food from Statistics also suggest that one-third of the food distribution camps the location produced around the world is never consumed. will be set up at three provided. different locations Commenting namely Fancy Bazaar on the entire Gate No 3, Bhootnath and encourage Guwahatians to make campaign, Surya said, “We have Kamakhya Railway Station a difference.” always been at the forefront from 11 AM onwards on both As on December 4, mid way of creating campaigns that the days. through the campaign, the Robins give impetus to the growth in n

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

City

GMC organizes ‘I Love Ghy’ orientation programme at Don Bosco School Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

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ith a view to create awareness about better waste disposal practices among students, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) organised an orientation programme on waste management at Don Bosco School on December 6, Thursday.

The orientation program was addressed by Monalisa Goswami, Commissioner of GMC; Dr Pradip Baishya, Specialist in Waste Segregation and Assistant Professor at Assam Engineering College along with other officials from GMC.

and hygiene. As a step to promote and propagate the idea of ‘Swachhata’ (cleanliness), the GMC is organising orientation programmes across various educational institutions.

Similar programs were earlier organised at Cotton Collegiate, Sanskriti the Gurukul, Guru Nanak High School and Happy Child High School. It shall be conducted in other schools and colleges too over the coming months.

In every school and college, two Swacch Heroes are being selected from amongst the students, who will build up a team and take up the responsibility to keep the school and its nearby areas clean.

Speaking earlier during the launch of the ‘I love Guwahati’ campaign, GMC Commissioner Monalisa Goswami said, “I appeal

Students attending the programme at Don Bosco School | G Plus Photo Addressing the children, Dr Baishya said, “The philosophy of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle to minimise waste should be adopted in every aspect of life, be it school, office or home. Segregate before it is too late and recycle today to save our city tomorrow.”

Around 300 students from class 6, 7 and 8 participated in the program along with the teachers of the school. The students of Don Bosco took a pledge to keep the surroundings clean and preach the mantra of cleanliness and hygiene to their friends and family.

Speaking on the occasion, Father Sebastian Matthew, Principal of Don Bosco School said, “We are happy that GMC has organized this workshop in our school. It is very important that students take up responsibility on such causes and we as guardians should always support them, in order to make the city green and inhabitable for all.”

This was a part of the ‘I Love Guwahati’ campaign which the GMC had launched aiming to create awareness among the citizens on the importance of cleanliness

to all citizens, if they love Guwahati, to come forward and help the GMC in segregation of waste. They must dispose waste segregating them into organic and non-organic waste. Green coloured bins are for disposing organic waste while blue is for non-organic waste.

Please help the GMC in making the campaign a success.”

Officials informed that youth, being the future torch-bearers of the nation, need to be moulded and guided properly to run the nation smoothly. Keeping this in mind, GMC has targeted all schools and colleges of Guwahati for the orientation programmes.

The Swachh Bharat Mission organizes Swachh Survekshan every year wherein all the urban local bodies (ULBs) are ranked on basis of cleanliness standards of the city. Guwahati has been participating in this competition for the last three years and the officials are trying their best to raise the city’s ranking. These orientation programmes are one of the steps that GMC has taken to promote and propagate Swachh Survekshan 2019 in the city. n

“I Love Guwahati” campaign at Don Bosco School (L); Fr S. Matthew (R) | G Plus Photo

7

8 City Snippets Assam State Zoo’s newly brought hyena breathed its last

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ne of the hyenas that had been brought in to the Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden breathed its last today morning. The hyena couldn’t survive in Guwahati for more than 12 days.

Two hyenas had been brought in from Ranchi recently - a male and a female. While the female hyena was able to cope up with the change of atmosphere, the male hyena got sick soon after its arrival in Guwahati.

“Due to the sudden change of climate, both the hyenas got sick initially but while the female hyena showed a positive graph and recovered from it, the male hyena sadly did not. It first caught fever, then went into coma and finally passed away on Thursday morning,” Tejas Mariswamy, DFO of the Assam State Zoo informed G Plus.

He further added that when an animal is taken to a new place, it tends to get stressed and finds it difficult to cope.

The Zoo, on November 24, had exchanged animals with the Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park in Ranchi and brought in a pair of ostriches and striped hyenas in exchange for an eight-year-old male panther and three leopard cats.

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

India is the most vacation deprived country, Guwahatians agree Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

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ndia is the most vacation deprived country in the world, as per Expedia Vacation Deprivation Survey.

The survey was spread across 19 countries with India specific findings analyzing how vacation deprived Indians are, how do they take their holidays, do they utilize all or prefer working, feel guilty of taking vacations and take into account the work pressure while deciding their vacation, according to an IANS report.

One of the main reasons behind this is the poor enforcement of labour laws and a sense of insecurity among people regarding their jobs which often prevents them from taking longer breaks to go for a vacation Anirban Kalita, Guwahatian

SBI account hacked in Guwahati, loses Rs. 76,000

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ybercrime is on the rise in the city and this time the criminals picked up a resident of Guwahati.

Cyber miscreants allegedly looted Rs 76,000 by hacking the SBI account of one Ananya Lahiri.

According to members of the victim’s family, they received an SMS about the withdrawal of the amount from an ATM located in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

G Plus spoke to a few Guwaha-

tians and found that the situation is similar in the city. The employees informed that they shy away from utilising their official leaves to the fullest owing to a number of factors.

“Firstly the concept of weekends does not exist in many companies in Guwahati as most of them remain closed only on Sundays. I feel that the employees need at least two days off for rest and most importantly to complete pending work like paying bills,

bank work and other official and household chores,” said Anirban Kalita, who works in sales in a Guwahati-based firm.

He added that most of the jobs these days are target-oriented wherein the employees are given certain targets to achieve which makes taking breaks even more difficult.

Another employee working with an educational institute in the city said that even he does not fully avail all his official leaves in a year.

“One of the main reasons behind this is the poor enforcement of labour laws and a sense of insecurity among people regarding their jobs which often prevents them from taking longer breaks to go for a vacation,” said he informed.

Another Guwahati-based private firm employee told G Plus, “We are 24X7 on duty and never really switch off from work. In such an environment, there is no peace of mind and we definitely feel the

need to take breaks at least twice a year.”

She added that it will lead to brain drain and minimise productivity of employees.

According to the Expedia Vacation Deprivation survey, as many as 53 per cent of Indians take fewer vacation days than they get and

We are 24X7 on duty and never really switch off from work. In such an environment, there is no peace of mind and we definitely feel the need to take breaks at least twice a year.

A private firm employee

35 per cent do not take leave as work schedule does not allow for vacation or there are not enough staff to cover, said a statement.

Staff shortage emerged as one of the major reasons behind employees not taking enough leaves.

This year 68 per cent people cancelled or postponed their vacations due to work. The survey throws light on the reason as to why Indians are vacation deprived and what factors play an important role in their travel decisions.

Also, Indian workers do not take all vacation days and rank fifth when it comes to leaving their vacations unused after Japan, Italy, Australia, New Zealand.

Further, 68 per cent of Indians end up cancelling their vacation due to work with 19 per cent fearing being seen as less committed and 25 per cent fearing that they will miss out on important decision-making and 18 per cent living under the perception that successful people do not take a break. n

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Sunny

Sunny

Sunny

Mostly Sunny

Sunny

Mostly Sunny

26°/13° C

26°/13° C

26°/13° C

26°/13° C

26°/14° C

26°/15° C

SATURDAY Sunny

26°/13° C

Feature

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

9

Off-road fun under the winter sun Northeast is fast turning into an outdoor and motorsports haven thanks to the renewed energetic atmosphere in most of the states.

There has been a remarkable growth in motorsport activities (mostly rallies) in the state.

Chetan Bhattarai

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inter is the best time for all outdoor activities as there is no rain to disturb your itinerary.

Between all this basking in the winter-sun talk, last year I chanced upon a car rally that was happening in the city. Actually, it started from the city but drove through various types of terrains and ended at Kaziranga National Park. It was held for the first time and was called the Northeast TSD rally and it is back.

The stretch has been chosen and the organisers swear by what they have to offer. Get ready to drive through jungles, rolling hills, dusty highways, picturesque locations and remote destinations that only a few chosen get to see.

Get your calculator and the stop watch. Calculator and a stop watch? Yeah, that’s what is going to help you become the winner, plus some driving skills.

Before we move into talking about experiences of the rally let’s just read what TSD actually is.

About TSD Rally (TimeSpeed-Distance) TSD or Time-Speed-Distance rally is a type of motorsport where one is driving each segment of a course within a specified time at a specified average speed following specific route instructions. This tests your car’s reliability and responsiveness, a driver’s skills and ability and a navigator’s accuracy. TSD Rally is full of adventure, excitement and challenges as the participants don’t have any idea about the route which includes off road, village roads and hilly terrains and surprise tests set up by the organiser at any point of the rally. A TSD rally is one of the few motorsports permitted on public roads.

If not a race then what

TSD is not a race to be ahead, but this inadvertently means that the cars aren’t doing break neck speeds. In fact, they usually stay well within the permitted speed limits. What’s the point of a race where cars aren’t doing 100 Kmph?

TSD is more about fun and some mental maths.

In a TSD Rally, each team of two people – a driver and a navigator – is given a set of route directions to follow, and the speeds at which they should travel the route. The route will generally consist of rural and quieter back roads.

The whole objective is to travel the correct route at the correct speeds, and arrive at ‘checkpoints’, also known as TC (Time Control) precisely on time.

It was very exciting and we were the senior most in this rally. After coming back we have decided to take part in all the rallies and we are already gearing up to take part in the Indo-Asian rally that goes through Myanmar to Thailand.

Moreover, the arrangements were very neatly done and we look forward to enjoying it again this time.”

For Kamal Borah and PC Bordoloi, age never is a factor when it comes to driving, nor are their families worried about these gentlemen taking part in a sport that is mostly seen as something where young drivers try their skills. “My wife is very encouraging and it was she who chose the vehicle for me. I bought the vehicle just before the rally.

She in fact, motivated me to take part in it as she knows that I love driving.”

There were young drivers, new drivers, veterans and there were ladies who had a lot of fun during the event.

Anindita Hazarika, a health food entrepreneur teamed up with friend Anjana Rai and decided to

How do you win?

If you are very close to the correct time of arrival you may be the winner. Well, arriving too early at a checkpoint will hurt your score, so does arriving too late.

Participants take

For 63-year old Kamal Borah who owns a printing press, this is a rally he would not miss. In fact, after this rally he is determined to take part in all the rallies that take place in this region. He has another senior citizen PC Bordoloi (73), who runs an electrical firm, as his navigator.

“This was our first time in a rally and we really enjoyed it. I love driving and when I heard about this rally, I decided to take part in it. We went there for an experience as it was happening for the first time in the northeast.

I and my partner PC Bordoloi were very happy to be in this rally. This was something new and different and I would personally admit that had I missed this rally I would have missed something in my life. I drove my newly-purchased Honda VRV and Bordoloi took care of the calculation part as a navigator.

check out what it was all about.

The duo chanced upon a banner in a shopping mall and immediately knew it was their calling.

“It was my first experience as a navigator and my friend Anjana Rai was the driver. As this was a TSD rally, it was not much about speed. Here, navigation is very important. A navigator is the one who calculates the time required to travel the distance. It is a very crucial role and I was doing it. If you miss the calculation then no matter how fast you drive you are not going to win the rally.

“We are going this year again and have already registered.

We are planning to even start practicing. I think it will be more exciting as I am more aware about the tricks and what to do. The whole route and plan was full of

surprises and the organisers have promised more excitement and adventure this time. Last time, there were less female participants but I think this year will see more women participation.”

About women driving Fortuners and Range Rovers in an off road rally in northeast, Hazarika had this to say, “Our husbands are very supportive and they know about our passions. It was only for one night, so my husband took the responsibility of taking care of the kid. I and my navigator friend are avid travellers and we travel a lot and we also drive a lot, so it was very natural for us.

We are happy that we managed the fourth position on our first try and we won the women’s title as well. The family is proud of it.” n

10 Concern Snippets Rare, complicated, cardiac surgery at Nemcare

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

A brief story of cattle smuggling The major issue is not catching those transporters, but what to do with the seized cattle?

If all the cattle are seized, it will need a lot of space and food. There is lack of planning on the part of the government as to what they want to do with the seized cattle.

The police face a dilemma as to what to do with the cattle as they need a lot of attention. Lack of government-run gaushalas and provision of fodder and veterinarians for the bovines becomes a major concern. There is lack of planning on the part of the government as to what they want to do with the seized cattle.

Not all is stolen and even if the animals have been stolen it would be very difficult to trace the owners as the animal would have changed multiple hands by the time police gets hold of the consignment. So, the police now, apart from policing, have the additional burden to take care of the cattle.

Chetan Bhattarai

The holy cow and its economic divinity

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complicated, rare cardiac surgery was performed successfully on 16th November 2018 by a team led by internationally-renowned cardiac surgeon from Assam Dr. Apurba Kumar Sarma at Nemcare Heart Institute & Research Centre, Guwahati.

The 28-year-old patient Lakhyajit Saikia from Nagaon was diagnosed with Marfan’s Syndrome. It is a rare genetic disorder of the connective tissue and can cause problems in the eyes, joints and heart.

Involvement of the heart is the most serious complication which over time can cause the aortic dilatation and finally rupture which is fatal. The heart valve may become floppy and leaky leading to various symptoms.

Having breathlessness for last few years Saikia consulted at various cardiac centres in NE region and Bengaluru where the high post-operative complications and mortality rates up to 80-90% were explained to the family.

The cost of the surgery was unaffordable to the family which was said to be between Rs. 8-10 lakh.

They then came back to Guwahati and consulted Dr. Apurba Kumar Sarma who heads the Nemcare Heart Institute, Guwahati. Dr. Sarma decided to operate upon the patient after proper evaluation and adequate preparation for operation.

‘BENTALL DE BONO’ surgery was performed on 16/11/2018 which involves composite graft replacement of the aortic valve, aortic root and ascending aorta with re-implantation of the coronary arteries into the graft.

Two cardiac anaesthesists, Dr Jitumoni Baishya (worked in Fortis Hospital, Banglore) and Dr Uttam Kumar Sarma assisted Dr. Apurba Kumar Sarma during the operation.

The post-operative course was un-eventful, the patient has been relieved of his cardiac symptoms and is ready for discharge from the hospital. It is an encouraging news for the cardiac patients of the region who require complicated surgeries.

With the BJP government coming to power in the Centre reports of harassment to cattle businesses started pouring in. People got killed while transporting cattle from one place to the other. Mostly, it was about cows and the widely condemned gau-rakshaks were blamed for most of the assaults on cattle transporters. Without getting into the communal angle of the cattle (read cow) business we can have a story on what it is and why it survives everything.

Cattle business is the oldest of the businesses and it has survived all odds. In fact here in Assam, it has flourished, as transportation in motorised vehicles has given the traders speed. Sashtras have mentioned that the cow is a divine animal. If you ignore the ritualistic part in Hinduism, the cow is definitely a divine economic animal. All its parts are useful, starting from the milk to the dung, and of course, the gaumutra (urine). Veterinary experts have time and again delivered reports on the usefulness of this animal.

Most of the leather business revolves around this species. You can’t get that many alligators for your purse, you see. The holy cow is everything for a small poor family. It provides for the nourishment through milk and milk products. The dung is used in the farm and has proven to be rich manure for the crops, especially the vegetables. Once it is dead or butchered the meat is used for consumption and the leather is used for making various goods.

Even the bone is used in the food processing industry.

There are cows who give milk and there are others who grow old. But what about the bulls and other male members who, due to the rapid mechanisation in farmlands, are losing their jobs – yes ploughing! The good old mere desh ki dharti song where it says bailon ke gale mein jab ghungroo brings back memories of farmlands ploughed with bulls walking to the sound of jingles from the ghungroo. So, we know that those bulls were revered and were like family.

That was about the usefulness.

Now, let’s talk about the smuggling (or un-organised trading) where all the stakeholders are making money. We will take the case of Assam where if we go by media reports, the state has turned into one big cattle smuggling haven.

The organised guys

Cattle being transported by boats at Dhubri district | G Plus Photo Some of it may look true but not much water holds ground.

Villagers still rear cattle in their homes in the state and the number of births can be overwhelming.

If a calf is born and the farmer already has a power tiller the new-born becomes a potential investment to be sold off later for a neat sum – more the merrier.

For a poor villager, a sum of Rs. 8-10K depending on the health and basic stats for a two-year old (only local calf not the Jersey) is a good trade. Cows give birth once a year, some are biennial, rest you can calculate.

The smuggling, rescue operations and the plight of the seized cattle

There have been reports of incidents of cattle smuggling to Bangladesh from Assam. The government looks concerned but the transportation continues under the nose of the administration. BSF looks after the border and it is its duty to ensure that such consignments are seized. We should not forget that Assam’s share of border with Bangladesh is 263 km and 119.1 km of this is riverine. That’s quite a length of border to look after. Take an example of Karimganj in Assam bordering Sylhet in Bangladesh and sharing a 92 km border, of which around 41 km is riverine.

The smuggling or the transport route can be from as far as Lakhimpur-Dhemaji to Bangladesh. Though the gaurakshaks tip off the police when

they get information, that is just a once in a while thing. As per a report submitted in the Assam Assembly, cattle seized during 2016, 2017 and 2018 is 5056, 265 and 536 respectively and the number of arrested persons are 240, 170 and 60 respectively.

If you look at these figures it just means that from 2016 the number of seized cattle came down drastically.

According to reports by an intelligence agency the illegal cross-border trade is said to be worth Rs 5,000 crore annually.

That’s a lot of money for an unorganised sector. An animal’s price may go up to ten times by the time it reaches the potential buyer in Bangladesh.

The major issue is not catching those transporters, but what to do with the seized cattle. If all the cattle are seized it will need a lot of space and food for it to survive.

The high demand of cattle in neighbouring Bangladesh makes it a lucrative business. It takes a spike especially during the Ramadan month as the demand grows manifold.

A large number of cattle have been recovered, people have been arrested and vehicles seized. But that does not deter the traders to keep going. The whole business is run by entrepreneurs who devise their own business routes and contacts. Police can’t be solely blamed for this trade as they have to maintain law and order and other duties.

The challenge is post-recovery of the illegally-smuggled cattle.

Across the border, transport of cattle is due to the demand of beef and the leather industry in Bangladesh. The usual hawala routes and the normal bribing the consignment process is the practice. All sorts of tools are used to transfer the cattle to Bangladesh. Tricks innovations, locally made bamboo cranes to fling the animal directly above the high fences, not to mention the tunnels.

Though the trafficking routes are secret the police do sometimes get hold of the smugglers but it’s all dynamic. Sometimes there are fights with the cattle smugglers and even the police are attacked.

The Association

We have the All India Livestock Traders and Transporters Association (AILTTA) which has been asking for a high-level probe into the smuggling of livestock from Assam to Bangladesh. Their main worry is that the smuggling is eating into their margins.

They have made allegations that some of the illegal traders are working with the police to gain free passage. They also allege that despite having licenses to transport the police harass them at various border checkpoints near Bangladesh.

Conclusion

The cattle smuggling is here to stay because our border arrangement with Bangladesh is not shoot at sight like with Pakistan. So, this business will continue till the whole border is fenced and the river routes are monitored with high-tech surveillance equipment. Though news keeps on coming about latest development on border fencing and state-of-the-art equipment for checking infiltration but then again, our expanding trade with Bangladesh might just legalise the whole cattle business in future. n

City

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

11

Getting chatty with Sorabh Pant Less is More

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Plus speaks to buzzing comedian Sorabh Pant whose recent show in Guwahati was a houseful affair about how comedy is now a sought after genre in the entertainment space in the country.

5. How was it like working with a north-eastern start-up like Fukra Entertainment Group?

It was great fun. I enjoyed myself. Much luck to Fukra for their next shows. Guwahati should keep coming out and supporting them and Indian comedy. I look forward to coming back.

1. How did you get drawn towards comedy? How did the journey begin for you?

I always loved comedy growing up - because my family is a little insane. Sometimes the jokes were intended, sometimes not. I don’t know why people call it a journey a journey is intentional - mine was a coincidence. I was a TV writer who transitioned somehow. Won’t give myself much credit.

2. Where do you get inspiration from for your jokes?

There’s a drunk guy under my bed - he whispers them to me (laughs).

3. Which stand-up comedians

6. What process do you use while writing the material for the stand up?

do you look up to?

Bill Burr is currently my favourite and he has been for a few years now. Lots of my contemporaries in India too. And also my wife…who tends to inspire a lot of my on-stage jokes.

4. What goes through your mind each time before you get on the stage to perform?

Paisa account mein pahunch gaya na? To be honest, you’re just trying to ascertain the crowd and get into a fun mode and be calm and happy.

No one process. I have two notepads that I write jokes and initial thoughts into. If that got into someone’s hands - I think I will lose a fan or two. But, mostly as I grow into being a comedian, the best or the most fun jokes tend to be those that I have conceptualized in my head and then just execute onstage.

7. Audience’s reaction is vital to a stand-up comedy

performance. What do you do when you do not get the desired reaction or laughs from the audience while performing?

I enjoy it. It took me a long time to realize that a crowd not laughing is a different challenge.

I’m good enough now to not be too worried about it!

8. Your future plans?

I’m working on a show called Sorabh Reviews Anything - where I review anything. The title is the modus operandi. TV shows, films, games, sports, all of them. Mainly I’m just working on developing my standup, taking some time with it.

Honing the sets and making them fun for me and the crowd.

9. How has your experience been this time?

It was fun. I look forward to coming back!

Questions by Saumya Mishra

Food Cart in Guwahati serving lip-smacking Ramen and Fried Oreos!

Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

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ith the will to pursue their love for cooking and trying to change the street food perception in Guwahati, two friends Antara Mahanta and Aprajita Singh have come up with a one-of-itskind food cart in the city that specialises in Ramen and Fried Oreos.

Aprajita and Antara are two girls from Charaideo and Sivasagar respectively, who are now the proud owners of Yatai, a food cart that has of late awed everyone in Guwahati. With their delish food that comes at a shoe-string budget, they have already won the hearts of many in the city in just 10 days since their inception.

Located in front of Gangotri Complex, AIDC, Guwahati, Yatai marked its first day on November 25. Ever since its opening, the food cart has grabbed attention of youngsters and adults alike.

While youngsters are going gaga over the new variety of dishes introduced, adults are especially liking the fact that the food here is homemade and healthy; be it the whole wheat noodles or sauces, the duo prepares them all at home.

“Our main aim is to introduce food items that aren’t easily available in Guwahati and change the street food culture here. We saw that the street food culture in the city is highly dominated by a few varieties of food and asked our friends if they’d like to feast on something new. Their positive response gave birth to Yatai,” the duo informed G Plus speaking about the inception of their food cart.

Yatai currently sells three varieties of Ramen – vegetarian, chicken and pork priced at Rs 120, 140 and 150 respectively. The ramen is lip-smacking good to have in the winter evenings and the best part is the home-made noodles that taste absolutely amazing and serve as a treat for all the health conscious people out there.

However, the showstopper is

Yatai food cart and its owners | G Plus Photo their Fried Oreos (priced at Rs 60).

The duo has given a makeover to our all time favourite Oreos and turned it into a succulent hot dessert. Dipped in a rich batter, deep fried and dunked in a thick chocolate sauce, their fried Oreos

are a must try! These soft, gooey and luscious fried Oreos - that have won the hearts of everyone who's tried them - are sure to light up your mood.

“We’re amazed by the enormous response that Yatai has received so

far. Every day since the opening, the food has sold out 100% and we’re actually finding it a difficulty in meeting the demands.

If Guwahatians keep pouring in love as they are, we might open up more franchises soon,” exclaimed Aprajita, while speaking to G Plus.

Yatai has a fluctuating menu and have limited number of servings every day. So grab your plates of ramen and fried oreos before they're all sold out and a new dish is introduced into the menu!

Aprajita and Antara, who met each other in Guwahati where they were both pursuing B.Com from Gauhati University, share the common love for food. After graduation, Aprajita Singh completed her M.Com from Symbiosis College of Arts and Commerce, Pune and did a Diploma in Food Production from Goa College of Hospitality and Culinary Education. Antara Mahanta completed her M.Com from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata and is currently pursuing Diploma in Food Production and Patisserie from IHM, Guwahati. n

12 In The News

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

PCBA monitors show Guwahati air as most polluted between 6 PM to 8 PM Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

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n a day, the air quality level in Guwahati is at its worst between 6-8 pm as the pollutants in the air (PM 2.5) is recorded to be the highest on an average during 6 to 8 in the evening.

This was revealed by analysing two months’ data obtained by the continuous air quality monitoring station at Pollution Control Board of Assam (PCBA) and the results showed that Guwahatians are most prone to toxic air during the evening hours.

Further, according to the data, the city’s air pollution levels showed an increasing trend over the past two months. The average PM 2.5 level in the month of

October in Guwahati was 53.36 while this increased sharply to 97.9 in November.

PM 2.5 are fine particulate matters suspended in the air measuring two and a half microns or less in width. There are around 25,000 microns in an inch.

Presence of high levels of PM 2.5 in the air reduces visibility and causes the air to appear hazy and can pose serious health-related risks among people including respiratory issues.

The highest PM 2.5 level as recorded in an hour in October was 290, whereas the lowest was 1.

Further, as per the data the highest PM 10 level for October was 1000 while the lowest PM 10 level in October was 18. PM 10 is another air pollutant which is particulate matter measuring 10 micrometers or less in diameter.

Currently there are six air

Air pollution at Jorabat caused by industries | G Plus Photo quality monitoring stations in Guwahati and 23 stations all over the state which help in measuring different parameters of air quality.

The PCBA recently inaugurated a continuous air quality monitoring station in Guwahati, the first-of-its kind in northeast.

Officials informed G Plus that the real-time data which is generated is reflected on display boards in

two different places in Guwahati.

“The continuous ambient air quality monitoring station measures PM 2.5 particles including eight other parameters on air quality. Through the station, data is generated every second and the air quality, according to the time of the day, will be available to the people,” Gokul Bhuyan, senior environment engineer of PCBA

told G Plus.

Earlier, the pollution control board had only one monitoring station to measure PM 2.5 particles. However, they plan to inaugurate two more stations in the coming days, but it will not reflect continuous data and will only show the average data of 8 or 16 hours, said authorities. n

Pollutants in Guwahati much higher than the prescribed level

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Girls covering their faces while walking on the street in Guwahati | G Plus Photo

he PCBA data showed that during November, the pollutants in the air- both PM 2.5 as well as PM 10 were recorded to be much higher than the prescribed level.

As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the prescribed safe limit for PM 2.5 is 60 micrograms per cubic metre and for PM 10 it is 100 micrograms per cubic. However, the average PM 2.5 level as recorded for November was 97.9 while the average PM 10 level was 162.2.

Guwahati was selected as part of 102 non-attainment cities by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Non-attainment cities are those cities in which the prescribed Ambient Air Quality Standards as set by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) are violated.

The ministry of environment had released a draft of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in April this year. In the draft, Guwahati had featured among the “non-attainment cities” along with Nagaon, Nalbari, Sibsagar and Silchar from Assam.

A total of 94 cities had earlier been identified as non-attainment cities.

The NCAP is a national programme to tackle the increasing air pollution across the country. It suggests several measures to reduce air pollution levels in a collaborative approach.

Accordingly, Guwahati was mandated to make the air action plan to better its air quality. However the plan is yet to materialise.

“The APCB has made an action plan and we have sent it for review to the central pollution control board (CPCB). But the Supreme Court ruled that the air action plan for each of the cities will have to be viewed by a six-member committee,” Monoj Saikia, senior environmental engineer at PCBA informed G Plus.

He added that this will then be approved by the chief secretary. However, the six-member committee is yet to be formed to review the air action plan.

One of the major impediments for authorities working in the field to improve the air quality index for Guwahati has been the lack of availability of proper data on air pollution.

“Before this, there was only one

The city’s air pollution levels showed an increasing trend over the past two months. The average PM 2.5 level in October was 53.36 while it increased sharply to 97.9 in November.

continuous monitoring station for PM 2.5 which is why people did not have access to data related to air quality index. The extent of pollution hence cannot be fully understood unless there are multiple meters set up in the city to measure PM 2.5 particles,” said an expert.

This then result in lack of data for the authorities to make policy interventions on, he added. n

In The News

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

13

Smoke emissions from city buses in Guwahati contributing to pollution | G Plus Photo

Guwahati would emulate Delhi’s pollution levels if efforts are not taken

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xperts revealed that Guwahati with its increasing pollution levels, escalated by vehicular emissions, and with the setting up of new industries, will soon emulate New Delhi if some concrete steps are not taken to curb the pollution levels.

Guwahati’s pollution scenario, escalated by the increasing numbers of vehicles and with the setting up of new industries, can soon compete with the Delhi’s air quality, said an environmental expert.

According to a study by the World Health Organisation (WHO) updated in September 2017,

According a study by WHO, Guwahati stands in the “High” category with 85.6 Pollution Index on a scale of 100.

Guwahati stands in the “High” category with 85.6 Pollution Index on a scale of 100.

The report based on a massopinion based data had revealed that air pollution, drinking water pollution and inaccessibility are marked at high category, while dissatisfaction with garbage disposal and unhygienic waste disposal practises are marked at very high category.

According to the WHO report,

air pollution level in the city is 75 out of 100, which puts the city into the high category of pollution.

There are basically six atmospheric pollutants or components of Air Pollution Index (API), namely sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), PM 10, PM 2.5, carbon monoxide (CO), and ozone (O3) that are measured at the monitoring stations throughout each city.

“Guwahati’s condition is not as grim as Delhi, but it is still worrisome. While Delhi reaches a whooping 700 in API during the Diwali season, Guwahati, despite having ample reserves of flora in and around, too reaches above 300 in the index.

Guwahati’s normal API is within the permissible limit of 100-130,” said an environmentalist based in Guwahati.

As per the National Air Quality index set by the Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the 51-100 API is considered ‘good’ while Guwahati falls in lightly polluted category of 101 to 150; New Delhi and Mumbai fall under the highly polluted category of above 300 API. n

Awareness, participation from all takeholders needed

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xperts feel that one of the major priority areas for the state government should be to check pollution emitted by vehicles plying in the city.

“For this, the state transport department should be asked to strictly implement ban on vehicles which are more than ten years old from plying,” said an official.

He further added that the emission levels from various industries located across the city should be monitored.

Additionally, the fragile ecology of the place warrants that environmental concerns should be taken care of.

“We need to take continuous measures to keep air pollution in check. Since pollution affects every citizen, participation from all stakeholders is required for effective implementation of policies,” said an environmental engineer.

According to a report by the Assam Science Technology & Environment Council (ASTEC), air quality monitoring station at Bamunimaidan revealed the presence of respirable suspended particulate matter (RSPM) and suspended particulate matter (SPM) well

As per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the prescribed safe limit for PM 2.5 is 60 micrograms per cubic metre and for PM 10 it is 100 micrograms per cubic. However, the average PM 2.5 level as recorded for November was 97.9 while the average PM 10 level was 162.2

above the prescribed limit since 2008.

The presence of sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen was, however, within the permissible limits at all the monitoring stations.

The report goes on to say that Guwahati has one of the highest black carbon pollution levels in the country which is due to rapid urbanization and poor environment quality control. n

14 G Talk E

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Wet days in December

ell, it’s the wedding season and so, time for celebrations. All weddings in the city witness months of rigorous planning so that these significant milestones in any family remain as memorable events for both the hosts and the invited guests. Specific dates for the various wedding rituals are decided way in advance and guests are invited accordingly.

Whether we like or not, discuss freely or discreetly, the cocktail party has become an important ritual – or rather, an intricate part in the modern weddings of the city.

And why not? Guwahati is known for its capacity to guzzle and we at G Plus have done stories upon stories stating facts and figures of liquor consumption by us Guwahatians. In this context, the sudden announcement of dry days for whatever reason of local or national importance by the administration is akin to throwing a spanner in the works. Things go haywire for the hosts who suddenly become unsure whether to stick to theplanofholdingthecocktailand thus do something illegal or cancel it outright and thereby make the event that bit less memorable.

But then, just to clear up the

confusion to the extent possible, the rules state and I am quoting verbatim from the The Assam Excise Rules, 2016: “No sale or consumptionofliquorinany“ON”and “OFF” licensed premises shall take place on Dry Days … The licensed premises shall remain closed and no business shall be transacted on … dry days.” However, if a cocktail party was already planned at a licensed premises – say a hotel or a club of the city - and its date earmarked to guests, the government provides for a “one-day permit” that is issued by the excise department and which can be taken just to ensure that the happiness of the hostsandguestsdoesnotturnsour.

This provision however, does not feature prominently in the rule book. Nor does it say explicitly whether liquor consumption at a private residence on a dry day would also mean breaking the law.

Also, there is no clarity on whether the licensed premises mean the whole hotel or club or just the demarcated area where the bar is located.

Well, dry days or otherwise, December is here when Guwahati is thoroughly wet. All we need to do is enjoy responsibly.

Swapnil Bharali Editor

Satellite TV, toh life jingalala?

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arly December, Doordarshan had announced that it would start its streaming services in HD. DD also announced that it is starting a new channel titled DD Roshni which is an educational channel, presented in association with Microsoft Aspire School Program and will present live television and Skype lectures in the classrooms to assist teachers in BBMP schools. BBMP is the Bengaluru equivalent of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation.

We’re living in times where virtually every rural household has a satellite dish despite a thatched roof and this is a smart initiative to educate more kids who lack resources.

Drawing a parallel to this, the condition of government schools in Assam is extremely poor. Leaving aside the poorly colored and peeling walls, teachers have been deputed on NRC and Election duty which is a wasteful engagement of their time. There is already a clear shortage of good teachers in government schools.

Why add to the burden of the school while hampering a child’s education?

Private schools are putting their best foot forward when it comes to providing holistic education for children. This however comes at a sizeable fee which everyone cannot afford. Clearly, government run schools are okay with a lackadaisical attitude towards their students and it doesn’t look like it is their fault completely. There is only so much you can do if your school is taken over on the order of the government, not to forget the fact that the government conducts an annual examination to rank the performance of the government schools - Gunotsav. It is like the government wants to pat their back for having done a poor job.

Poor education affects these children and we can never achieve a poverty-free and literate India if these basic requirements are not met.

Also, DD continues to deliver the most accurate and sensible opinions to better educate people rather than the 9:00 PM debate shows that everyone is glued to over their dinner tables. Period.

Chetan Bhattarai

Vexed migrant issue – possible solutions

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rom verifiable statistics, it is an indisputable fact that immigration from East Bengal/East Pakistan/Bangladesh to Assam occurred. The intercensal data from ‘51 to ‘71 shows Hindu population growth in Assam as higher than Muslim growth and the only logical answer to this is that Hindu migrants outnumbered Muslim migrants during this period.

From the late 1960s to 1971, there was a twist in the tale. The Bengali Muslim revolt against their western Urdu masters started. Two sets of people, apart geographically, but united by religion for over 2 decades, started to come apart due to language. India saw the strategic opportunity and seized it. It played the perfect host to Bengali Muslim separatists of East Pakistan and used the local Indian immigrant Muslim of Assam as the perfect cover. Tiger Siddique - close aide to Mujibur Rahman - found refuge in Assam. Thus, vigil became a little lax and Assam became the centre for Bengali Muslim antiPakistani activity. Linguistic discrimination and economic conditions back home gradually opened the gates for a new round of immigration into Assam from East Pakistan. With the formation of Bangladesh in 1971, the floodgates opened. The hostile neighbours of 24 years suddenly turned into a friendly country.

Free travel initially followed by lax restrictions later, encouraged migrations to Assam from the war torn devastated economy of Bangladesh. Moreover, lakhs of

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s it feasible to throw out 1 crore people (I got this figure from Himanta Biswa Sarma’s recent startling allegation that AGP, by signing the Assam accord, had legalised 1 crore Bangladeshis)?

refugees who were given shelter for over a year in Assam simply disappeared from the camps once the war got over in March 1971.

All this was reflected in the sudden spurt of Muslim growth in Assam post the 1971 census.

We must remember that post ‘71 there had been a fall in Muslim fertility in the whole country. Yet the growth rate in Assam surged.

Hence, it can be concluded that Muslim growth in Assam post ‘71 has to be from cross-border infiltration.

Now the bottom line or the statement I want to make: Many, if not all indigenous people of Assam believe that Muslims specifically Bangladeshi Muslims - are the biggest threat to their future existence within the geographical area that they want to call their own. The demographical change in 9 districts with Muslim overgrowth only helps to justify the fear. So, the safety lies in either throwing out all Bangladeshi Muslims from Assam or at least disenfranchising them. This logic forgets the basic fact that Assamese speakers including all indigenous language speakers are a minority in Assam.

Disenfranchising the Miyas does not take away their right to be counted in census and should they declare their mother tongue as Bengali instead of Assamese, as they are doing now, Assam will have to become a Bengali speaking state. If we do not accept them halfway or keep insisting on disenfranchising them, there is no reason why they would not do so in future! The other alternative is to throw them out of Assam - lock, stock and barrel. But is it feasible to throw out 1 crore people (I got this figure from Himanta Biswa Sarma’s recent startling allegation that AGP, by signing the Assam accord, had legalised 1 crore Bangladeshis)? Let them have their own reasons, schemes, whatever for declaring Assamese as mother tongue but the fact is we need them for our numbers.

Coming to my next conclusion, would ‘51 instead of ‘71 really make much difference as stated by many? I respect Matiur Rahman from the core of my heart and I know he is a true Jatiyotabaadi.

However, the rest of the brigade are either schemers or gullible

rTest for BJP, Congress, AGP and KMSS

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O pinion Navanil Barua

players. They are doing this ‘51 and ‘71 business just to confuse and delay the settlement of our vexed problems for a solution would jeopardise the political fortunes of many an aspiring or established leader. It is clear that even if the cut-off date is changed from ‘71 to ‘51, the majority of Muslim immigrants will stay unharmed unless you can push back to the unrealistic 1826.

Secondly, the Muslim migration between ‘51 and ‘71 is relatively insignificant, hence the Assam Accord actually legalised only 6 lakh East Pakistanis, both Hindus and Muslims (with majority being Hindu).

The only way forward now is: 1) To very diligently identify and expel all post 1971 infiltrators, irrespective of religion, humanely or otherwise. Make the NRC process foolproof so that not a single person coming after 1971 finds his or her name in the NRC. Let there be no time limit set for such corrective exercises. Let’s settle 1971 first, ‘51 or 1826 can wait for a while.

2) Respect settlers wishing to assimilate.

3) Implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord for indigenous population (meaning people who have no other geographical entity of their language and culture sans Assam).

4) Put an end to the D-Voter business. One is either a voter or not a voter. One cannot be doubtful voter for decades together. If one remains a doubtful voter and yet no action is taken other than disenfranchising, it’s a serious administrative and judicial lapse.

(The author is a neurosurgeon by profession and a socio-political activist by choice)

Letter to the Editor

he ongoing panchayat elections in the state are a litmus test for BJP, AGP, KMSS and Congress.

After coming to office in 2016, the real assessment of the performance of Sarbananda Sonowal government in the last two and half years will done. The AGP, which after a long wait of 15 years, returned to power would closely monitor their base in the state. Though AGP fared considerably well in the last assembly polls their success is attributed to BJP by general consensus. This time the regional party is standing alone and it will be another test of their strength before the 2019 polls.

The Congress, after their drubbing in the last assembly polls, would be keen to stamp their presence among the masses and keen to establish its presence in non-minority dominated places. Lastly, KMSS under Akhil Gogoi is hell bent on kicking BJP out from power and it did everything under the sun to create negative vibes amongst the rural voters against the government spending crores in protest programmes against the government. One thing is sure that this election is a dress rehearsal for the 2019 parliamentary polls in Assam. Till the 12th December results day we keep our fingers crossed.

Gaurrav Chowdhury, GNB Road, Guwahati

In Focus

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

15

Suranjeet Choudhury Illusionist, Educationist, Social Worker

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uranjeet Choudhury, popularly known as Illusionist Jeet, is a well known magician from Guwahati. The young artist has, in a very short span of time, made a mark in the Indian magic circuit. He is recognized as a mentalist, a close up magician and a street magician whose strengths lie in card and coin tricks.

Born in Guwahati to Binod Choudhury and Anamika Choudhury, Suranjeet underwent primary education up to class 3 at Sankardev Vidya Niketan, Nagaon before moving back to his hometown where he studied at Sankardev Vidya Niketan, Guwahati until class 10.

Suranjeet then went on to pursue higher secondary education in science stream from Asom Jatiya Bidyalay. He then studied Civil Engineering from Royal Global University (RGU).

At a very young age, Suranjeet developed an interest in the art of magic. The more magic shows he saw, the more his interest in becoming a magician grew.

“I developed an interest in magic watching magic shows during melas organised in the

city. Afte r the shows, I use d to meet the magicians out of curiosity and also buy the tools they used to try and figure out the tricks. My parents thought it was a fad that would wear off.

But here we are, years later, and the fad hasn’t worn off yet,” the magician exclaimed, speaking to G Plus.

Suranjeet soon got engrossed in learning new tricks and performing them in school for his friends or at family parties. The journey that started when he was a young child studying in class 6 has now come a long way. He has performed at cafes, restaurants, corporate parties and various other events – in Guwahati, Delhi, Kolkata and Tinsukia.

While pursuing higher secondary education, Suranjeet started performing professionally during Bihu and Durga Puja. He has since performed at multiple eateries of the city including Shanghai Salsa, Vivanta by Taj, Radisson Blu and Alfresco Grand. He has also received the award for ‘Second Best Magician in Northeast India’ during a competition organised by the Northeast Magic Association in 2016.

The turning point, however, in the magician’s career was when people started recognising him for his shows that they saw on TV – Magic Moment with Vikram (Prag Channel) and Illusionist Jeet (News Live). He said, “When people started recognising and appreciating my works, I realised that magic is what I want to continue doing.”

Suranjeet, whose magic has been influenced by renowned mentalist Peter Turner, believes that to do

magic, one needs to understand two things – science and psychology. “Once you learn one trick, you can innovate with multiple tricks on your own instead of copying the tricks of other magicians,” he told G Plus.

G Plus put up a story in its last issue with the headline “Missing postmaster, missing mails, Beltola PO in a mess.” The story drew a lot comments on social media mostly critical of the current mode of functioning of the city’s postal department.

Prabal Bharali Not only in Beltola, the whole postal system in Guwahati is on a dead track due to work culture of employees. My Speed Post from Khanapara post office was not delivered for two months also my Aadhaar card was undelivered for three months. I personally collected it from the post office. The postmen and other staff just come at 11 am and then enjoy tea and leave at 2 pm. Out of 30 days, they have 25 days’ link failure in PLI counter. And at the end of the day there is no point complaining because they won’t shed their damn care attitude. Everything goes on “Lahe Lahe.”

High time to privatise this sector.

Mousumi Barman I was sent a post from Housefed and I reside in Bhetapara but they could not deliver my post even after 1 month (here the distance between the sender and receiver is only a mere 2 kms). When I went in search of my document, they had to search for 3 hours and after that I finally got my post - that too in a torn and crumbled condition. Beltola PO is just a mess. At least someone raised a voice against these people.

Just hope some strict action is taken against these people or the PO should be closed everywhere. What is the point of wasting so much money when these people are going to act like a wasteful resource?

Hiranya Bairagi I have been to this Post Office in Beltola several times but every time one will hear one thing - link failure. I mean seriously? The whole year is link failure? And no post master and also such a pitiable condition of service. Don’t understand why the government is not looking to this matter. It’s a serious concern. We people have so many important documents but we feel it’s not at all reliable now. I wish the respective officials have been through this news of G Plus and take some strict action as soon as possible. And also great work done by G Plus with this news as I have hardly seen any media house covering the present scenario of PO of Guwahati.

Poromjit Singha Not only in Guwahati but in other districts too. They used to call us and ask to come over to the post office to collect the mails. Seriously? Are we supposed to do that? And the excuse they give is, “We have no idea about the address you have given.” They are not maintaining the responsibility and duties at all. The very first thing that comes to my mind is on what basis did these people get their jobs? It’s like during their interview they must have been told: “Kaam’t fhaki marile he sakori pabi.”

Rohit Singh Sikarwar Earlier when a postman had to walk/paddle kilometres, they delivered at the right places and also on time whereas today, when they are provided with motorcycles for delivering, they are very reluctant to deliver items. And now you have to go to the post office to enquire about your mails and get it yourself. If we ourselves have to only go and fetch our items it’s better to pay us than these employees working in the POs.

16 Feature

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

A hero called Nikib I first met this wonderful man, Nikib, when I wanted to visit a salt lick in the jungles beyond Balijan which was then a small settlement in Arunachal Pradesh bordering Assam. It was a long time ago in the year 1971 when I had started to manage our small family tea garden near Gohpur, and in winter with a lot of free time I could indulge in my hobbies of fishing and hunting every weekend. The river Boroi was full of game fish like the Mahseer and other species like Broker (like Carps) and Trouts. The nearby jungles of Balijan had plentiful deer like Sambar, Barking Deer and Hog Deer besides wild boars; and of course the game birds like the Wild Fowl, Green Pigeons and the bigger imperial pigeons.

Within my first year itself I was able to manage a great team to go out on these camps comprising the garden’s head

I fully agreed to his conditions of never entering the area which he was going to show me alone without his permission, never to kill animals for the purpose of selling and to limit my forays to two times a month.

fitter, a local log contractor and a couple of young men with whom I had grown up in the garden since the time I was in school.

I had heard about the legendary salt licks in the forests which the local Nishi tribes knew well and guarded the routes to the same by setting up dangerous traps and hence I needed to befriend Nikib first before I could roam these forests at will. I went to meet him in his homestead consisting of a couple of houses for his two wives, children and a barn for some domestic animals. It was late in the evening when I arrived at his place in my jeep and met him for the first time. It happens sometimes when you can strike a rapport with someone straightaway with some common interests and hunting was the key to our friendship.

He welcomed me into his house which I could enter by climbing up a log ladder cut in notches as their homes were all made at least 5 feet

above the ground to keep thm safe from snakes, insects and even wild animals. After the customary rice beer served in a bamboo cup we broke the ice and I was able to win his trust.

I fully agreed to his conditions of never entering the area which he was going to show me alone without his permission, never to kill animals for the purpose of selling and to limit my forays to two times a month. Thus I continued with our common pursuit and his trust in me grew as we got along. But it was only one full year later that I heard his story and it seemed like a fairy tale.

One night, after an early shoot, he told me the story of how he moved to his present location which was pretty far from his native settlement: about a full 2 days’ trek along the Boroi River.

It was during the early 1940’s during the World War II when an American pilot crashed into a forest canopy near his village.

The bang was loud enough and the village elders sent a team to investigate the cause of this noise. They discovered the accident site as the burning aircraft was emitting smoke; to their utter surprise they found the pilot alive but severely wounded with a broken leg and he was bruised all over. He was lucky as the impact of the crash was cushioned by the trees and somehow he was thrown out of the aircraft during the impact, badly hurt but alive. The villagers took him to their village and the local chief ordered his men to bandage his broken leg with sticks so as to keep it in place.

Somehow the pilot managed to explain his predicament to the chief. He took out some paper from his pocket and scribbled a few lines with charcoal stating his condition and asking for help. By sign language he implored them to get his note to Dufflaghur tea garden which was the closest to the accident site and which the pilot remembered from his briefing at Missamari from where he had taken off on a mission.

Nikib was chosen for this job and together with another youth they both set out on the walk of their life … the 2 days’ trek they managed to do overnight and the missive was handed over to the then manager of the garden. He, in turn, informed the local authorities at Halem who communicated the message to Missamari. Help arrived after two days to Dufflaghur and with a local person who knew the Nishi language a bit, Nikib escorted the relief team consisting of a medical person and another two persons to their village. Luckily the injured pilot was recovering but there was a danger of his gangrene setting in on his wounds besides the blood loss. The relief party immediately took the decision to administer first aid and then strap the pilot to a rough cradle made of wood and twine and removed the wounded man to Dufflaghur, again with Nikib taking the lead. From the garden they took away the pilot by jeep to Missamari and by the grace of God he survived and was able to return home to America in due course.

Nikib was hailed as a hero and as a mark of gratitude the tea garden

management and the government allotted him some land next to the garden where he established his own house and started his family. After hearing his story I was indeed moved and grew to admire this simple man who had performed the great feat in saving the life of a total stranger who had literally fallen out of the sky into their village. I had kept in touch with Nikib till 1998 when I last met him. By that time he had five wives and seemed very contented with life. His eldest son was sent to study in “Tiffin College” (St. Stephen’s Delhi) and he had been there for five

Ranjan Kumar Choudhury

Nikib was chosen for this job and together with another youth they both set out on the walk of their life … the 2 days’ trek they managed to do overnight and the missive was handed over to the then manager of the garden.

years. Nikib requested me to try and meet him there if ever I was in Delhi. Unfortunately I could never do that and the last I heard of Nikib was that he had moved to Itanagar as he needed medical care due to oldage ailments.

I am sure I will meet him again in the happy hunting grounds when the time comes. n

Trotter

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

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World’s unluckiest restaurant 9-year-old convinces gets hit by car for the third time town to overturn in one year century-old ban on snowball fights

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restaurant in Denver, Colorado, is being forced to assure its customers that it’s not a drive-through after getting hit by a car - for the third time in 2018. The Hornet, a restaurant in Denver’s Baker neighbourhood, says no one was injured when a car crashed into the eatery at around 2 am on Saturday morning.

“No really... not a drive-thru,” the restaurant said in a now-deleted Facebook post. On Instagram, The Hornet shared a picture of the scene of accident, which shows a BMW sitting inside the restaurant after crashing through its window.The driver of the car was taken into custody, police confirmed.

He is believed to have been intoxi-

cated at the time of accident.

“This year we are cursed,” The Hornet owner Sean Workman told. “We had some staff members that narrowly missed it by a matter of seconds,” he said.

A picture of the scene of the accident, shared on Reddit, has garnered over 1,700 ‘upvotes’

and elicited hundreds of shocked comments. According to Denver Post, The Hornet survived a car crash just two weeks ago, when a driver swerved to miss another car and went straight into the restaurant window shattering the glass.

Before that, in February, a driver rammed his car into the restaurant’s window and patio door. Does this make The Hornet Denver one of the world’s unluckiest restaurants? Perhaps.

But they would have you know they are safe and open again. In an Instagram post shared recently, they assured customers that they are back in business and reminded patrons that parking is in the rear!

(Source: ndtv)

Start-up taking cremated remains of 100 people to space

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San Francisco-based start-up is planning to send the cremated remains of 100 people into space, in a unique celestial memorial. Elysium Space said families paid about $2,500 to have a sample of their loved ones’ ashes placed on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which will be launched into space.

The remains are expected to be launched into space in December.

Traveling into space will be the remains of military veterans and aerospace enthusiasts, alongside those whose families were “looking to celebrate a loved one within the poetry of the starry sky,” Elysium Space said to a daily in an emailed statement.

According to the company’s website, the ashes are first placed in an engraved capsule. “After you ship the capsule back to us we will carefully and respectfully place your capsule in a dedicated spacecraft module,” they wrote.

A 4-inch square satellite called a

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nine-year-old boy in Colorado this week threw his first snowball - legally - after a battle to overturn a century-old ordinance banning snowball fights in the small town of Severance.

Dane Best said he decided to take on local authorities and persuade them to change the law by using simple logic.

“Today’s kids need reasons to play outside,” Best said, as he appeared before the town trustees. “Research suggests that a lack of exposure to the outdoors can lead to obesity, ADHD, anxiety and depression.”

He said the nearly 100-year-old measure, which bans throwing any stone or missile, including snowballs, was outdated and meant any kids throwing snowballs were breaking the law.

“The children of Severance want

an opportunity to have a snowball fight like the rest of the world,” Dane told the trustees. “Kids want to have snowball fights without breaking the law. Kids want to have a voice in our town.”

His arguments won over the board, which unanimously voted to tweak the ordinance to allow snowball fights. After the vote, the town mayor offered Dane his first snowball to throw legally. The boy said his little brother would be his first target and that he would avoid breaking windows.

(Source: cbsnews)

35-year-old man displays bizarre ability to lick his own forehead

35 cubesat will hold the ashes of the 100 people. The family members of those whose ashes are travelling to space will be able to track the satellite’s progress through an app on their phone. They will also be able to send a message along with the cremated remains of their loved ones.

-year-old Yagya Bahadur Katuwal is a bus driver from Urlabari, Nepal, who has taken the internet by storm. He has an extraordinary ability to lick

breaking the internet making him an overnight sensation.

The humble bus driver has now become sort of a celebrity figure in Nepal and his quite enjoying the fame.

But there’s a twist to this. Yagya

his own forehead with his tongue!

Although it sounds impossible, the feat has been achieved by Yagya whose jaw-dropping video of licking his forehead with his tongue has gone viral on social media.

Yagya’s rare skill first surfaced when the locals in Urlabari spotted him in the act. That’s when his tongue-licked-forehead pictures and videos started

has been strictly instructed by his employers to not “show-off” his bizarre ability to lick his own forehead while he is at work as it may scare off children. Yagya now seems to believe that has he has the world’s longest tongue and is the only person who can lick their own forehead. He has now set his eyes on the Guinness Book of World Records.

(Source: timesnownews)

According to a daily, the spacecraft will orbit the earth for four years before it falls back to earth.

This is not the first time that cremated remains have been sent to the stars. In 2012, the ashes of 320 people were launched into space in a mission similar to Elysium’s.

(Source: people.com)

Dubai police officers pull plane to create Guinness record

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group of 77 female police officers in Dubai set a Guinness record when they pulled a 372,142-pound Boeing 777-300ER for a distance of over 300 feet.

The women, participating the annual Dubai Fitness Challenge, worked together to pull the plane the Guinnessrequired 328 feet and earned the official world record for heaviest aircraft pulled

over 328 feet by a team (female).

A Guinness World Records adjudicator was on hand to witness the event and presented a certificate to Maj. Gen. Abdullah Khalifa Al Merri, commander-in-chief of Dubai Police.

Another team of police officers previously set a record last year for heaviest aircraft pulled over 328 feet by a team (male).

(Source: upi)

18 Review

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

Starring: Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey Director: S Shankar

Movie Review

2.0 Rana Pratap Saikia

‘2

.0’ is the latest collaboration between visual auteur Shankar and superstar Rajinikanth. The ambitious sci-fi sequel continues from where the first movie -Enthiran - had left off. It is a parable about the age-old struggle between good and evil, and also serves as a cautionary tale about how mankind’s over-dependence on technology could eventually spell doom for us.

As expected, where the film truly delivers is in the technical department and the rich and vibrant visual

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he Nokia 7.1 was launched in India by HMD Global.

The phone comes with a 5.84-inch touch screen display with a resolution of 1080 pixels by 2280 pixels.

This Android One device comes equipped with a display notch, a dual rear camera setup and a 3,060 mAh battery with 18W fast charging. This phone also has features such as a Pure Display panel with HDR10 support, a Snapdragon 636 processor and a rear fingerprint scanner.

The phone has been priced at Rs. 19,999 for its 4GB RAM/ 64GB inbuilt storage variant. Currently, the phone is available only in the gloss Midnight Blue color. It can be purchased on the Nokia website and other mobile retail stores across the country.

Specifications:

In terms of hardware, the dual-sim Nokia 7.1 is part of the Android One program and runs on Android Oreo out-of-the-box.

It has an impressive 5.84-inch

extravaganza with a Hollywood feel to it is handled expertly by the capable hands of director Shankar who does absolute justice to the film’s price tag of Rs 543 crores ($75 million). Also worth noting is that ‘2.0’ is the first Indian film to be shot completely in 3-D and makes use of 2000+ CGI (computer generated imagery) shots.

The all-star ensemble cast sleepwalk through their roles with panache. Rajinikanth convinces in his role as the affable and eccentric genius, Dr Vaseegaran. He further excels as the various versions of the humanoid robot, Chitti, and brings something new and unique to each incarnation. Akshay Ku-

Nokia 7.1

full-HD+ (1080x2280 pixels) PureDisplay panel with a 19:9 aspect ratio, HDR10 support, and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection.

This handset is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 SoC, paired with 4GB of RAM. 64GB of inbuilt storage is available and also expandable via microSD card (of up to 400GB).

Camera:

The Nokia 7.1 has a vertically aligned pair of dual rear camera setup that consists of a 12-megapixel primary sensor, with autofocus and f/1.8 aperture.

It also boasts of a 5-megapixel secondary sensor with fixed focus and f/2.4 aperture. Their parent

mar is suitably menacing in his role as Pakshi Rajan, benevolent ornithologist turned mass-murdering psychopath, and brings some much needed depth of character and credibility of motive as the villain, which action-films have often been found guilty of glossing over.

Amy Jackson as Nila, a “domestic purpose” robot is a real revelation and exudes an innocent sensuality in what could be a potential breakthrough for the actress.

The film raises some interesting questions about our over-reliance on technology (especially cell phones) and how it is harming the environment (especially birds).

The plot is simplistic, although Shankar must be lauded for his singularity of vision and determination in trying to spread the intended message, although it can comes across as heavy-handed at times.

More nuances would have been certainly appreciated in tackling the intended social message – that our callousness towards the environment will eventually lead to the downfall of us all. Instead, Shankar relies on his shock n’ awe action set pieces, scattered throughout the movie, to make his point for him.

The action in the movie, although the film’s USP, fails to thrill at times and some CGI shots although dazzling, are long-drawn out and visually overpowering, which can be exhausting for the audience.

Verdict: Despite its fair share of flaws, especially regarding plot and pacing, the film is quite the romp and deserves to be watched at least once, preferably in 3-D. The fertile imagination of Shankar combines with the effortless charisma of Rajinikanth to deliver a film that is grand in scope and offers state-of-the-art VFX hitherto unseen in Indian cinema. It delivers exactly what it promises: a mindless popcorn action-entertainer that is perfect for a weekend family outing. Dot. n company is also promoting its two-phase detection and Zeiss optics for the rear camera setup, apart from the EIS. On the front end, this phone has a beautiful 8-megapixel fixed focus sensor with f/2.0 aperture and 84-degree field-of-view.

Cinepolis Christian Basti 09435025808

Kedarnath

2.0

10:15 AM, 01:00 PM,

10:00 AM, 11:20 AM, 01:10 PM,

04:20 PM, 07:30 PM, 08:55 PM The Possession of Hannah Grace-English 02:30 PM, 06:45 PM Kedarnath 09:40 AM, 12:20 PM, 03:00 PM, 05:40 PM, 08:20 PM

Mortal Engines-English 10:20 AM, 09:10 PM Pahuna: The Little Visitors-Sikkimese 04:40 PM Suspended Inspector Boro-Assamese 09:00 AM, 06:50 PM Creed 2-English 01:10 PM

Anuradha Cineplex Noonmati 0361 2656968

Suspended Inspector Boro-Assamese 12:45 PM 2.0 02:45 PM, 08:30 PM Kedarnath 10:15 AM, 05:45 PM

Gold Cinema Paltan Bazaar 09854066166 2.0

Connectivity:

The phone has a 3,060 mAh nonremovable battery under its hood with 18W fast charging, which delivers 50 percent charge in 30 minutes. Connectivity options on the Nokia 7.1 include 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth v5.0,

10:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 03:15 PM, 05:30 PM, 08:30 PM

06:15 PM, 08:45 PM Suspended Inspector Boro-Assamese 03:30 PM

Grande Cines Paltan Bazar 09854017771 2.0 10:30 AM, 01:15 PM, 05:30 PM, 08:30 PM Kedarnath 10:45 AM, 01:00 PM, 04:00 PM, 06:30 PM, 09:00 PM Suspended Inspector Boro-Assamese 03:30 PM

PVR Cinemas Dona Planet 08800900009 Kedarnath 10:45 AM, 06:00 PM, 08:45 PM

Galleria Cinemas HUB 09706989143

2.0 11:15 AM, 06:20 PM Kedarnath 09:00 AM, 04:00 PM, 09:15 PM Suspended Inspector Boro-Assamese 02:00 PM

GPS/ A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC, USB Type-C, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Sensors on this smartphone include accelerometer, ambient light sensor, electronic compass, gyroscope, proximity sensor and a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor.

The dimensions of this phone are 149.7x71.19x7.99mm and weight is 159 grams.

Verdict:

The Nokia 7.1 is one of the most advanced and reasonable smartphones from Nokia and parent company, HMD Global. It has a good overall value for its price and includes top design and technical specifications. Its midnight blue is a beautiful and different color and its display adds to its elegant design. However, even though it has sophisticated features to match most smartphones currently available in the market, devoted users of different softwares, might find it difficult to adjust from their older models. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

11th Int’l Guwahati Film Festival from Dec 7

Adil Hussain’s Indian series to be screened at Sundance Film Festival

T

he 11th International Guwahati Film Festival, organised by Gauhati Cine Club, will be held in the District Library auditorium from December 7 to 14. According to the organisers, this time the festival will be held in memory of the late Manik Bora and Munin Barua.

Altogether 28 films will be screened during the eight-day festival where the main focus will be on films from the Asian region.

The schedule includes films from 15 countries and eight languages of India.

The opening film of the festival will be ‘A Letter to the President’ directed by Roya Sadat from Afghanistan. Sadat is the first woman director in the history of Afghan cinema in the post-Taliban era. She ventured into making feature films and documentaries on injustice and restrictions imposed on women.

The closing film of the festival will be ‘Ma-Ama’, a Garo film directed by Dominic Megam

Sangma. It is the debut film of the director and the first film from Meghalaya. It is also the only Indian film to be officially selected in the international competition section of the Jio MAMI Festival 2018.

As part of the event, Cine Club is also organising a short film festival among young filmmakers.

The participating short films will also be screened on the last

19

day of the festival. The festival is being supported by the Japan Foundation.

This was announced at a press conference organised at the Guwahati Press Club on Tuesday, December 4. The press conference was addressed by President A K Absar Hazarika, Vice President duo Mrigen Ch. Das & Ranjib Baruah and Secretary Madhurima Barua.

A

dil Hussain starrer Delhi Crime Story will be screened at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival at Utah in United States.

The series, Delhi Crime Stories, will feature in the Indie Episodic Section of the film festival that will be held from January 24 to February 3, 2019. It is the only Indian series to have been selected in this section of the Sundance Film Festival 2019.

The series, directed by Indo-Canadian director Richie

Mehta, tells the story of the horrific gang rape of a young woman in a bus in 2012 in Delhi and how the Delhi police investigated the whole case.

The film also stars Shefali Shah, Rasika Dugal, Rajesh Tailang, Gopal Datt, and Vinod Sherawat.

Adil Hussain, who hails from Assam, is a noted actor in the global film circuit.

He has acted in acclaimed international films including The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Hotel Salvation, What Will People Say and Life of Pi.

Assam Tourism’s Brand Ambassador Priyanka Chopra in Forbes list of 100 Assam actor’s film to Most Powerful Women be screened at Queer International Film Festival in Mexico

I

Roshni Nadar

nternationally acclaimed actor and Assam Tourism’s brand ambassador Priyanka Chopra has made it to the Forbes list of 100 most powerful women in the world.

Forbes released the 2018 list of 100 Most Powerful Women in the world and four Indian women made it to the list - all from different walks of life.

From India, CEO (HCL) Roshni Nadar Malhotra featured at the 51st position, entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw at the 60th position and Chairperson (HT Media) Shobhana Bhartia was at the 88th position. The 36 year old Chopra bagged the 94th position among the list of 100 powerful women.

The 2018 World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list celebrates the icons, innovators and instigators who are using their voice to change power structures and create a last-

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw ing impact.

Even last year, Priyanka was ranked 7th in the Forbes Top 10 Indian Celebrities List, and in fact, was the only woman on the list.

Forbes said Chopra is “arguably the most successful Bollywood actor to cross over to Hollywood.”

Members of the 2018 Most Powerful Women list represent women in six

Shobhana Bhartia categories: business (27 honourees), technology (18), finance (12), media & entertainment (16), politics & policy (22), and philanthropy (5). In total, the Power Women control or influence nearly USD 2 trillion in revenues and oversee 5 million employees.

The 2018 list spans more than six generations of influential women, with Taylor Swift, the youngest honouree at 28 and Queen Elizabeth II the oldest at 92.

A

ssam’s Aditya Bhattacharjee starred film ‘City of Dreams’, has been recently selected for screening in Queer International Film Festival Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.

The film which focuses on the problems faced by LGBT communities in India has bagged many prestigious awards in many international film fe stivals. The film, directed by Saif Baidya and produced by Shakib Saif and Shabnoor Saif, had earlier been selected for Jio Filmfare 2018 and bagged an award at the seventh edition of Bangalore Short Film Festival.

24-year-old Aditya, who hails from Tezpur, has made a successful career in both modelling and acting.

A graduate in film making from Lovely Professional

University, he had previously made it to the finals of various pageants.

20 Fun

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

Horoscope of the week Grab the opportunity you may come across at the beginning of the week. This eventually may prove to be highly beneficial for your financial position. Ruler of you Sign Mercury in retrogression is likely to delay in implementing the deal, though. Be patient; the right time shall come soon. Career-oriented and professionals need to have a keen eye for errors and omissions.

You may feel like being stuck in some kind of a tug-of-war… may be of thoughts or situations. This is mainly due to the ruler of your Sign Moon, which moves through the 4th House and is influenced by wily Saturn and aggressive Mars. Here, Saturn prompts you to trade cautiously and avoid taking risks. Also, watch your finances before spending unnecessarily.

The week begins on a cheerful note – parties, reunions and socialising are likely to keep you on toes. However, let not all the good times divert you from your objective. As Venus shifts in a watery Sign Scorpio in the 4th House, you will be keen to add comforts to your humble abode and upgrade your lifestyle.

Without sounding preachy, Ganesha wants to convey that faith in yourself and patience are the keys to solve all the problems. The week begins on a beneficial note as planetary alignment suggests umpteen opportunities coming your way to make good money. However, with the ruler of your Sign Mercury being in retrogression, things are likely to get delayed.

The week gives you a chance to follow your passion and indulge in a hobby of your choice. Be it dance, music, art, or writing, it may keep you occupied for most of the time. This has a very refreshing effect on your psyche. In turn, it increases your efficiency manifold and you can work with greater zeal now.

As the week begins, you may become desperate to make it big and reap the benefits of success. As a result, you may feel pressurised and stressed for the same. Basically, you want to satisfy your urge of making huge money and upgrade your lifestyle.

This can be attributed to the influence of aggressive Mars over Moon moving through the 12th House.

You need to be alert and vigilant about the opportunities that you may come across. A delay in response or laid-back attitude may lead to loss of a chance to make good money. The environment at home is like to be pleasant and cheerful. Venus which moves through the 12th House shall prod you to spend money on pleasurable activities.

You may be planning to accelerate your progress to see a steady rise on your career graph. However, obstructing influence of Saturn over the 10th House shall hold you from achieving your objective. Venus moves through the 11th House corresponding to gains in the company of retrograde Mercury.

There are times when unfavourable situations take place without any mistake of ours. This week something similar may take place. In business, you are likely to suffer losses due to a blunder by a key staff member. However, guilty as charged the person promises to stay well-focused from now on.

Career aspects and matters related to profession and business look quite promising this week. Benefices moving through the 9th House is measured as a happy proposition. Progressive forces are likely to work effectively here. Ruler of your sign Jupiter gets combust owing to proximity with the Sun. On being combust positive vibes of Jupiter loses its intensity.

Which Indian festival scheduled to start next year on 15th January is said to be the “biggest peaceful religious congregation of pilgrims” in terms of numbers?

2

Which proverb, used to warn of the dangers of unnecessary investigation or experimentation, was first used by Ben Jonson in his 1598 play, “Every Man in his Humour?”

curio-city

1

3

Which traditional Christmas cake was first made and popularised

by Keiller’s Marmalade in 19th century Scotland?

4 Maniram Dewan directed Robert Bruce to the local Singhpo chief Bessa Gam, thus leading to what momentous discovery?

5

For what sporting achievement is Kopa trophy awarded?

6

Identify this Norwegian footballer, winner of the first female Ballon d’Or. Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Wizard of Id By Parker and Hart

3

8 6 9 2 1 6 6 5 4 8 3 2 8 4 2 7 9 8 6 4 6 2

8 8

3 7 3 4

4

2 9

6 8 7 2

7 5 9 1 3 6

Daily Sudoku: Fri 7-Dec-2018

7

7

6

3 1 9 2

1 very hard 4 3

Daily Sudoku: Fri 30-Nov-2018

very hard

3 last 4 8week 6 5 solution 9 1 2 7 7 5 9 2 1 4 3 6 8 6 5 9 4 2 8 1 3 7 2 1 6 7 3 8 5 4 9 3 2 8 1 5 7 4 9 6 5 2 7 9 4 1 8 3 6 4 1 7 9 6 3 8 2 5 1 6 3 5 8 7 2 9 4 8 9 2 5 7 1 3 6 4 8 9 4 3 6 2 7 1 5 1 3 5 6 4 9 2 7 8 9 7 1 8 2 6 4 5 3 8 37 25 99 58 11 67 36 24 4 3 19 53 76 87 92 42 84 56 1 5 8 3 7 9 4 6 1 very2hard Daily Sudoku: Fri 7-Dec-2018

9 7 1 2 8 6 5 4 3 Daily Sudoku: Fri 30-Nov-2018

very hard

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

1. Kumbh Mela, where an estimated 120 million people visited over 2 months in 2013 in Prayaga 2. Curiosity killed the cat 3. Dundee Cake 4. Camellia sinensis var assamica or the Assam Tea 5. Best U-21 footballer. This year’s winner is Kylian Mbappe, selected by a jury consisting of former Ballon d’Or winners 6. Ada Hegerberg

curio-city

Sudoku

(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2018. All rights reserved. (c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

You need to be extra cautious and vigilant about your surroundings. During the week, there may be a situation where in you may be blamed for no fault of yours. At the same time, you should pay heed to the requirements at the home front and attend to the emotional and material needs of your loved ones.

(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2018. All rights reserved. (c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

This week, you shall gain more professionally than personally, foretells Ganesha. Married ones will try their best to keep the partner happy and content. However, you may be highly disappointed and disheartened for not receiving a similar response from your partner. This shall go on for some time; don’t lose hope.

Word of the week scrooch verb [skrooch] to crouch, squeeze, or huddle.

Crossword Across

Down

1 Mood Indigo com­poser, d. 1974 (4,9) 8 Selected passage from larger work (7) 9 Tam o’ Shanter poet, d. 1796 (5) 10 Implement (4) 11 City in Cumbria (8) 13 Frail (6) 14 Slake — assuage (6) 17 Outdated (8) 19 Raid — boobs (4) 21 Cornish city (5) 22 One without illusions (7) 24 Assemble bit by bit (5,8)

1 Buck’s mate (3) 2 Commencement (4-3) 3 Locations for buds or studs? (4) 4 Deadly (6) 5 Hazy (8) 6 Paint thinner (abbr) (5) 7 Prefabricated building of corrugated iron with a cement floor (6,3) 10 Balding (4,2,3) 12 Novelist, Anthony or Joanna (8) 15 Provide with sustenance (7) 16 Two-channel sound (6) 18 Impertinence (5) 20 Ignoble — HQ (4) 23 Old salt (3)

Last week’s solution

Lifestyle

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

12 Vaastu tips for love

T

here are several Vaastu tips for finding love in life. They can be followed using one’s own discretion as desired. Most of them do not have any side effects!

1. The bedroom should be constructed in the south-west direction. It should be painted with light green, light pink or any soothing colour. Feng Shui recommends earth elements like crystals in southwest.

2. A white or light coloured bed sheet with floral designs is best for the bedroom.

Someone wishing to get married can

brings purity. According to Vaastu, wearing red colour brings in lost love and enhances the sexual life as well.

THE TIMES

makes the mind calm. It is a western custom for the husband to kiss the wife goodbye before leaving for work.

This keeps the relationship alive.

6. A house and the rooms should be well lit. Loss of light in the house means sluggishness in love life and relationship.

21

Random, the moment arrives unannounced, As waiting is an element of all that is good, Even news that seems tailor-made fails To evoke the euphoria that the future holds In our wildest dreams and in our fantasies In our hidden crushes and in our fond tales...

7. Idols of gods should not be kept in the bedroom.

The times, they call for recourse in a cloud That is created by our minds which loves

8. All the

the sky Even as all thoughts of the future results in hope As much of the Earth as it is of the heavens, Mortal as we all are, yet we live without fear For, in our minds and hearts, we live forever...

things kept in the bedroom should be neat, clean and tidy. Dirty objects in the bedroom make a relationship stagnate.

use pink or red coloured sheets.

3. Sleep with your head towards south.

4.

A bedroom should always be square or rectangular. This brings peace and love in life.

5. Colour can have different effects on us. Pink, purple and blue are soothing colours. Orange colour

9. Romantic objects kept in the bedroom can bring positive energies and ignite love.

10. Crystals should be used in decorating the house because crystal attracts light.

11. Positive thoughts may be written down in a diary. This will preserve positive energy.

Tips for those wishing to get married: 1. Wear bright clothes and metal jewellery.

2. Sleep in the north western room to maximize your chances of getting married.

3. You may keep a gem tree in your living room.

4. You can try this magic mantra by writing it in red ink nine times daily and reciting it. The mantra is: “The floodgates of my good are now open!!”

Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.

12. The day should be started with a calm activity like puja or meditation. This

Easy home remedies for dry lips in winter Harshita Himatsingka

N

othing says winter like brisk cool winds, hot cups of tea and trendy scarves. However, this cool weather also brings with it dry and chapped lips. Since our lips have sensitive skin and dry out ten times faster than the rest of the skin on our face, it is important to take care of it. Here, we’ve assembled some easy home remedies that will make your lips smooth:

2. Make a DIY lip scrub

Don’t want to spend all your hard earned money on expensive lip balms and scrubs?

We understand your plight and we’ve got

Doesn’t the month of December just make you want to curl up in your blanket and sip a hot cup of tea?

Well, after you’re done, don’t be so quick to throw away the tea bag. You can use the tea bag to put it over your lips as the tannins in the tea bag will hydrate and soothe your dry lips.

the perfect solution for you. Make a DIY scrub at home with just two ingredients, coffee and honey. Mix one tablespoon of ground coffee and honey each, and stir well. Dab this on your lips and massage

To leave the warmth induced by a warm bed, Ah! Only natural that tough times call for action So, unwillingly leaving the comfort of sleep I cajoled my mind into believing I’d have a good day, The fact is that I very nearly did, until sleep calls...

ABYSMAL The depths of reasoning Build walls not easily broken, Even talk fetters out into oblivion As words spoken lose their essence...

We attempt bridging connections

for about a minute and then wash off with lukewarm water. These ingredients will help exfoliate and moisturize dry lips.

Even within, we have the caged being

3. Apply Butter/Ghee on affected areas

Which resonates with perfect longing...

Butter or ghee, a staple found in any household here, acts as a great moisturizer during winter months. Apply either butter or ghee to affected areas and reap the benefits of long-lasting moisturized lips.

4. Use Almond oil

1. Use tea bags

Today, I woke up to find myself unwilling

Almond oil has a lot of known benefits; rich in Vitamin E, filled with antioxidants like Vitamin C and much more.

A lesser known use of almond oil is that it is great to cure dry lips.

It can be used by itself or with a little honey as a natural made lip balm for soft lips.

One can also make a lot of it, keep it in a refrigerator and store it for future use.

Seldom do the doors open without

Yes, the depths assume proportions Felt by the human condition without As within, we try reasoning our way out, For, no reason suffices to explain why...

The depths of each solitary heart is Abysmal...

Arunav Barua

22 Buzz

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

Eminent poet, two authors from Assam bag Sahitya Akademi awards

T

hree literary luminaries from Assam have won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Awards 2018 for their work in different genres of literature.

Sananta Tanti has been selected for the award for his poems ‘Kailoir Dinto Amar Hobo’, Rituraj Basumatary for the collection of his short stories ‘Dwngse Lama’, Loknath Upadhyay Chapagain for his short stories ‘Kino Royeu Upamaa’(Nepali).

The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India which the Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the major Indian languages.

The award will be given at

Kalyan Kumar Das (R) and Amlandeep Das (L) received the veteran’s doubles title of MAAC-All Assam Veteran’s Tennis Tournament 2018 from Jyoti Prasad Rajkhowa, former governor of Arunachal Pradesh on December 2.

The tournament was organised by Northeast Tennis Foundation.

a function in New Delhi on January 29.

It comprises a casket containing an

engraved copper plaque, a shawl and a cheque of Rs. 1 lakh. n

Assam girls selected for National Boxing Coaching Camp for Youth women

A

misha Kumari Bharati of Assam was selected for the National Boxing Coaching Camp for Youth women to be held at National Boxing Academy, Rohtak in Haryana.

The coaching camp will be held from 10th December to 13th January 2019.

Adding to the laurels, Pranamika Bora from Assam has also been selected as a coach for the said camp.

It is to be mentioned that earlier this week, Amisha Kumari Bharti bagged a gold medal in the Girls’ 48-50 kg category in the School Games boxing held at the SAI complex here in Guwahati. n

Amisha Kumari Bharati

Purbaranga – An ongoing drama festival in Guwahati

P

urbaranga, in collaboration with Asam Sahitya Sabha, is organizing the fourth Purbaranga National Theatre Festival 2018 from December 4 to December 9, 2018. The festival will be held at the Lakshmiram Baruah Sadan of the Asam Sahitya Sabha Bhawan.

The inaugural play, titled Mahanagar (The Colours of Life) is directed by Gunakar Deva Goswami of

Guwahati.

Some other directors from Guwahati include Swati S Mittal Suri, Papari Medhi, Anup Jyoti Choudhury and Pranjal K Saikia.

During this sixday event, plays from all over India including West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Tripura and Odisha will be staged. Before the main event, a presentation of a folk drama will be presented from 5 PM and the play of the day will begin at 6 PM everyday. n

Assam Ranji team for Rajasthan match named

T

he Assam Cricket Association, on December 3, announced the 15-member team for the Group C Ranji Trophy match against Ra-

Rishav Das, Rajjakuddin Ahmed, Sib Sankar Roy, Gokul Sharma, Kunal Saikia (wk), Wasiqur Rahman (wk), Romario Sharma, Arup Das, Mrinmoy Dutta, Mukhtar Hussain,

jasthan.

The team members finalised are Amit Sinha who has been retained as captain of the team, Parvez Aziz,

Rahul Singh, Jitumoni Kalita, Ranjit Mali.

The match is scheduled to be playedinJaipurfromDecember6. n

Microsoft and Uber offer lucrative packages to IIT-G students

P

restigious firms from across the world are lining up at IIT Guwahati for placement this season.

One of the biggest packages was from Microsoft who offered the season’s best placement package at the premier technology institute in Guwahati.

The highest international offers at IIT Guwahati were made

by Microsoft and Uber — USD 214,600 (Rs 1.51 crore) and USD 149,900 (Rs 1.06 crore) per annum respectively.

IIT Guwahati officials said students of the institute received around 200 job offers on the first

day of the current placement session itself.

Recruiters which stood apart in terms of number of job offers on day one were Microsoft, Intel, Qualcomm, Goldman Sachs, Sprinklr, SAP Labs, Barclays, EXL, Myntra and OLA. n

Events

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

23

Rajarshi Bhattacharya (DOS), Prakash Pandey, Pradeep Buragohain.

Secretary, Assam Cricket Association, Brandon Toborg, Diageo Brand Ambassador, Anup Kumar Chaudhary, General Secretary for Assam Olympic Association, Supreet Sarkar and Drishti Hatimuria

An evening with Johnnie Walker Manoj Gogoi (Chief General Manager, FCI) along with his wife (bottom left), Ranadhi Sharma with his wife (bottom right) and Novotel officials Devlina Bhattacharya, Instagram influencer

(L-R) Sujit Khare of Narayan Hospitals, Sunit Jain, Pallavi Baruah, Drishti Hatimuria, Biswajit Chakraborty

Guwahati boy Sayuj Jain performing at Underdoggs Guwahati with his band from Mumbai ‘Jo Aur Wo’. The band enthralled the audience with their renditions of some evergreen songs like Saiyaan, Wo Ladki hai Kaha and Inteha ho Gayi Intezar Ki!

Brandon Toborg, Diageo brand ambassador

An exclusive private dinner and tasting session guided by Brandon Toborg, Diageo Brand Ambassador taking select guests through the experience of tasting Johnnie Walker Black Label, Johnnie Walker Gold Label, Johnnie Walker Double Black and Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

Venue Novotel, Guwahati, GS Road

Bollywood actress Yami Gautam was in Guwahati on Thursday to inaugurate the new showroom of Reliance Jewels.

24 Catching Up

G PLUS | Dec 08 - Dec 14, 2018

PIC OF THE

Most shared story of the week

WEEK

Grenade blast in Udalguri district. The blast occurred in the Kamakhya to Dekargaon Inter-City Express.

3 people injured.

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