Vol 6 Issue 8 by G Plus

@guwahatiplus www.guwahatiplus.com

INSIDE

Volume 06 | Issue 08 Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018 Price `10

60 Years of LGBI airport in numbers

Guwahati girl’s Facebook photo used on WhatsApp for soliciting clients

After sweeping panchayat polls, BJP hopes high for 2019

PG. 5

PG. 9

PG. 12-13

BJP fails to raise its popularity in Assam G Plus News

G File photo of Ugratara temple

iven the results of the Panchayat elections the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has failed to increase its popularity; the results show that they are standing at the same position where they were standing during 2014 Legislative Assembly elections. In the Panchayat elections of 2013, while just considering the Zila Parishad (ZP) member posts, out of the 420 seats, Congress had won 273 seats which is around 60 % whereas the BJP had won only 15 seats.

In 2018, according to the counting of results till 14th December, BJP has secured 181 seats out of 347 and Congress has won 122 seats. So BJP has got around 50% to 55% vote share and Congress remains as the main opposition. But in the last 4 years after the 2014 general elections, the BJP

stands at the same position with around 50% to 55% vote share. In 2014, BJP had around 50% vote share and the same situation was observed during the 2016 legislative assembly elections. Therefore, the popularity of BJP in Assam has remained static and has not increased whereas in states where any party comes to power, its popularity increases. For example, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, on gaining power in West Bengal, has tremendously increased its vote share; its vote share at present has increased from 50% to 80%. Even the Congress, in Assam, witnessed a huge popularity boost in 2011, but the same is not happening with BJP. n

Ugratara Temple squabble in Interesting! public domain, BJP, AGP, Congress & allegations traded AIUDF presidents lose over idol theft G Plus News

emples do have controversies and sometimes these get very ugly with the internal tug-of-war between the various sections trying to control the management on display. There are numerous examples in the country of rivalries and battles inside temple complexes and this time we are witnessing it in the Ugratara Temple. There is enough mud-slinging at the moment and it all portrays the very poor state in which the temple is being actually run. This has indeed become a very sad

journal of events. The controversy surrounding the theft of an idol from Ugratara Temple lingers on and allegations have been made against each other by the factions. There is no doubt that the factions are trying to go for each others’ throats. Recently, an FIR was registered after a certain phone call and it involved a former member of the temple. The former secretary of Ugratara Devalaya Committee, Paresh Kalita, has denied all allegations leveled against him in connection to the Ugratara Idol heist. As per Kalita, there are various elements who are trying to frame him in this case and

Page 11

their constituencies Saumya Mishra and Nehal Jain

nterestingly, in the panchayat polls, all parties failed to put up an impressive performance in the home constituencies of their party presidents. The BJP, which has otherwise performed well overall, performed poorly in its president’s constituency. In Ranjit Das’s constituency Sorbhog, three out of four seats were clinched by the Congress in the ZPC. Further, even in the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) president Atul

Bora’s Bokakhat constituency, the AGP could not do much. In Bora’s constituency, BJP won all the four ZPC posts in Rangamati, Kaziranga, Mahura and Bokakhat seats. In Bokakhat, out of the 20 GPs, BJP got 13 and AGP only got 6 while Congress won one seat. Commenting on the results, party president Atul Bora said that he has accepted the people’s verdict with humility and he also congratulated the BJP on their victory. He added that the AGP will continue to make regionalism politics strong in Assam. Interestingly, former chief

minister, party founder and party president Prafulla Kumar Mahanta also could not save his bastion. Further, Congress president Ripun Bora’s constituency Gohpur, which was under the Congress for the past 15 years, was clinched by the BJP. Similarly, AIUDF’s fort in Jamunamukh constituency with MLA Abdur Rahman Ajmal saw a dismal performance by the party. Out of the 24 GPs, 17 were clinched by the Congress while AIUDF managed to win only one GP seat. Further, all the four ZPCs were bagged by the Congress. n

2 Lead Story Snippets New Development in the Sexual Harassment case against Republic TV correspondent

here have been reports circulating in the media about a case of physical assault by a Republic TV correspondent on a female journalist based in Guwahati. The female news presenter and journalist had registered a complaint at the Dispur Police station based on which Republic TV’s correspondent AnirudhaBhakatChutia was detained for over a day and was later let out on December 3. While the first impre ssion suggests a case of harassment by the accused and the victim is running from pillar to post for justice to no avail, G Plus tries to understand what exactly might have happened. G Plus got in touch with Bhakat and other sources to find out some new developments in the case. “I am not going to comment on this matter. From my side, I just have to say that I am cooperating with the police investigation. Let the investigation complete and I am confident that I am going to come out clean,” said Bhakat. Speaking about the allegations against him that are serious in nature, Bhakat said, “It is just my bad luck. It is more of an ego thing than what it has been made.” Interestingly, as per sources there is a counter FIR against the victim for assaulting Bhakat’s mother at Dispur Police Station. The counter FIR argues and tries to find loopholes in the victim’s FIR. Moreover, months before this incident blew up, AnirudhaBhakat had filed a General Diary entry at Dispur Police Station on 5th of May, 2018, stating that he was being blackmailed by the victim and she may implicit him on false cases. It is also mentioned there that the victim had threatened to commit suicide and implicate AnirudhaBhakat on abetment charges. It seems something has been brewing between the accused and the victim for the past few months and this latest incident is a result of that turmoil and not a one-off thing.

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

Despite panchayat poll win 2019 remains uphill task for BJP G Plus News

hief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal, might be patting his own back for winning the panchayat polls but the 2019 Lok Sabha elections might not be a cakewalk for his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP performed poorly in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and the nation believes that “Pappu” (as Congress President Rahul Gandhi is fondly trolled on social media) can not only dance but make others dance too. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) spokesperson Rituparna Konwar said, “Congress is set to perform better during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls; the BJP won the panchayat elections only because the ruling party is in power in the state and they came up with many schemes and packages for the rural areas just before the polls.” He expressed that in the 2013 panchayat elections, when Congress was in power, the party received more than 80% vote share which has not happened with the BJP now. BJP, according to Konwar, received only around 50% vote share and in 2013 it only had around 15% vote share. Talking to Guwahatians, it has come to light that the Modi (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) Wave is gradually decreasing as people are unhappy with the BJP government for various reasons. A businessman based in Fancy Bazar, who is also a BJP leader, talking to G Plus under condition of anonymity said, “The business class is unhappy with the BJP government as the market is witnessing an unprecedented

BJP members celebrating at the party headquarters in Guwahati after the panchayat poll results | G Plus Photo recession.” He expressed that the sales has taken a dip and the price of commodities is increasing. In the last four years the business class has only “suffered” with moves like demonetisation, unplanned Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation and too much interference in people’s life, the BJP leader said. A city-based businessman, Kedar Nath, said that after the defeats in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the BJP should understand that the people are not happy. Nath said, “In 2014 and 2016 my entire family voted for BJP but in 2019 I might not.” Enquiring about the reason, he said, “I have become virtually bankrupt over the last 4 years.” Nath has a transportation business which was doing pretty well till 2014. But in the last four

years he has come into huge debts and he claimed that it is all because of the various BJP government decisions. Along with these there are issues in the state like the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 and to consider the latest situation in the country, even a top official like Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor, Urjit Patel, has resigned being clearly unhappy with the BJP government. Citing personal reasons however, Urjit Patel had resigned as the Reserve Bank of India governor. His resignation came against the backdrop of increasing tensions between the finance ministry and the Reserve Bank of India. Urjit Patel, 55, who took over as the 24th Governor of the central bank on September 5,

2016, had the shortest tenure for a governor since 1992. He was hand-picked by the BJP-led government after his predecessor, Raghuram Rajan, was denied a second term. Even the Hindu groups are not content with the BJP government as many Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) members left and joined Antrarashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP) which will soon announce a political party. A Guwahati-based source in AHP said, “The new political party will field candidates for member of parliament (MP) elections against the BJP across the country in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. So the BJP needs to really give a relook at its strategy before the 2019 elections besides shedding any complacency that might have set in. n

Addl Chief Secy meets representatives of media houses

dditional Chief Secretary to the Govt of Assam, Information and Public Relations Department, Kumar Sanjay Krishna, presided over a meeting with the office bearers of North-East Newspaper Society and representatives of some leading media houses at the conference room of his office today. The meeting discussed on government advertisement and other related matters. Kanaksen Deka, President of North-East Newspaper Society and Editor of Dainik Agradoot deliberated at length on advertisement rate, speedy clearance of advertisement bills, new adver-

tisement policy etc. Rajib Prakash Baruah, OSD, Information and Public Relations Department said that the government has recently increased the budget of advertisement from Rs 1.40 crores to Rs 2.50 crores per month and mentioned various measures taken for timely payment of advertisement bills. Additional Chief Secretary

Kumar Sanjay Krishna said that necessary directions have been issued for payment of advertisement bills on time. He also stated that the draft of new advertisement policy will be published soon and it will be finalised after accommodating opinions and suggestions of concerned stakeholders. The office bearers of North-East

Newspaper Society and representatives of media houses expressed their satisfaction over the initiatives taken for timely clearance of advertisement bills. They also offered some suggestions in this regard. Subroto Sharma, Managing Partner, Dainik Janambhumi; Rahul Rajkhewa, Director, The Sentinel; Pranab Kumar Talukdar, GM, GL Publications Limited; Rishi Baruah, Business Development Manager and Pankaj Baruah, Asst. Advertisement Manager, Asomiya Pratidin; Manjil Borgohain, Collection Manager, Assam Tribune Private Limited were present in the meeting. n

In The News

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

71% Indians have weak muscle strength, Assam follows footsteps Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

ajority of Indians suffer from weak muscle strength and 68% Indians are protein deficient, revealed a latest health survey. “According to our latest survey with IPSOS, a leading global market and opinion research firm, around 68 per cent of people have lower protein content in their body than adequate and 71 per cent of the people have poor muscle health,” InBody Clinical Executive Dr Ankita Ghag said in a statement. The survey stated that poor muscle health and protein deficiency in the body has a correlation.

The study was conducted across eight cities namely DelhiNCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmadabad, Lucknow, Patna and Hyderabad covering 1,243 people. The respondents were a mix of working and non-working individuals of 30 to 55 years. G Plus spoke to a few experts in the field of health and found the

Carbohydrate rich diet leads to formation of more fat. Further, a lack of protein in the diet leads to muscle depletion. Therefore, lack of protein and poor muscle health are intrinsically related to each other

We are a carbohydrate predominant country. Further, most of us get our sources of protein from non-vegetarian sources and milk, both of which are expensive for an average Indian. So, you have a population which eats very little protein Dr Rakesh Periwal

scenario to be similar in Guwahati as well. According to Dr Rakesh Periwal, a city-based critical care medicine and sleep specialist, residents of Assam and Guwahati too suffer from similar medical problems. He attributed it to the high consumption of carbohydrates by the people of the state as well as the country. “We are a carbohydrate predominant country. Further, most of us get our sources of protein from non-vegetarian sources and milk, both of which are expensive for an average Indian. So, you have a population which eats very little protein,” Dr Periwal told G Plus. He further added that for vegetarians, it is very difficult for them to fulfil the daily recommendations for protein from their resources. As per the American standards, it states that protein need is one gram per kilogram body weight. For instance, if somebody weighs

50 kilograms then the person is required to consume at least 50 grams of protein every day. However, experts are of the opinion that it is very difficult to meet the average daily protein standards for a vegetarian in India. “Even a litre of milk only provides 18 to 20 grams of protein,

thus making it impossible for vegetarians to meet their protein standards while on the other hand, food items abundant in protein are expensive. This makes us gravitate more towards carbohydrates,” said a personal trainer and nutritionist based in Guwahati. He added that carbohydrate rich

diet leads to formation of more fat. Further, a lack of protein in the diet leads to muscle depletion. Therefore, lack of protein and poor muscle health are intrinsically related to each other. He further added that good amount of exercise is needed to synthesise protein in the body and to for good muscle health. n

4 Poll Snippets NF Railway launches ‘Rail MADAD’ App to help passengers lodge complains

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

Good governance and development should be the agenda for the northeast region Chetan Bhattarai

ailway Minister, Piyush Goyal has launched a mobile app, ‘Rail MADAD’ in keeping with the digital initiatives of the Government of India. This app will help streamline the passenger grievance redressal system in the Indian Railway system. ‘MADAD’ is an acronym which stands for Mobile Application for Desired Assistance During travel. This application will help digitize the entire complaint management system. Through this app, passengers will be able to easily register their complaints through mobile phones or the web. Complaints registered online can be registered through railmadad.in. This new service will also provide real-time feedback to passengers on the status of complaints. When passengers will register a complaint on this app, they will get an instant ID through SMS, followed by another message that will let them know of the action being taken by the Railway authorities. Passengers can also use the medical helpline, child helpline, women’s helpline and other helplines provided on the app. The app also allows people to upload their photos while registering complaints. When complaints are registered, they are sent to relevant field officers for immediate action. To make sure that all kinds of common complaints are covered, 20 complaints types for “Register my complaint for station” and 15 for “Register my complaint for train” are being made available apart from directly calling the facility. Each type of complaint also has a sub-complaint option which has to be selected by the passenger.

Nepal bans Indian Currency above Rs.100

he Nepal government has decided to ban Indian currency above Rs 100, according to a report published in Kathmandu Post on 13 December. According to the report, the government has asked Nepal citizens to refrain from keeping new Indian note of Rs. 2,000, Rs. 500 and Rs. 200 denominations.

s soon as the trends started pouring in from the five states that went for assembly elections it was pretty clear that the Congress party had the edge in three states. Later during the day, it could only win Chhattisgarh comfortably while it was a neckto-neck fight in Rajasthan and a seesaw in Madhya Pradesh, where it finally managed to win. The change was in Mizoram where Congress lost its last bastion in the northeast and adding to its misery, five-time sitting MLA and chief minister, Lal Thanhawla lost from both the constituencies he contested from. Also, the Mizoram loss completed the Congress-mukt slogan of the BJP in the northeast. By the time this poll went on air and was done with, we also had the Assam Panchayat polls results coming in that showed BJP leading in majority of the seats. Keeping the poll mood in mind G Plus wanted to know what people felt about the Congress wins and the Mizoram loss, thereby making northeast Congress-mukt. The G Plus poll had over 1,100 participants and just like the Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh results it kept on seesawing till we got the final figures. Opinions and comments started flowing in all our social media channels. Of the over 1,100 participants, 58% believed that the Congress will not be benefitted much from these wins in the coming 2019 general elections. A total of 42% respondents believed that the poll results in these three states are going to help the Congress gain ground in the northeast. The majority respondents (58%) were of the belief that the Congress had been there in the northeast since independence and can be held responsible for the neglect that the region went through. The major problems of militancy and illegal migrants happened during the unending Congress tenures and the northeast remained treated like it did not exist. Respondents also blamed the Congress for not developing the region and keeping it alienated from the rest of the country. They also felt that the results of the three states in favour of Congress was mainly due to anti-incumbency as both Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have been under BJP rule for 15

Supporters at a BJP rally during panchayat polls | G Plus Photo

Do you think Indian National Congress’s win in three major states will change the #CongressMukt status in North-East in 2019 General Elections?

Yes

42% Votes

1.1K No

58% years and Rajasthan is famous for changing governments every five years. So, the respondents felt that this was not an indicator that Congress would get an edge in the northeast in the 2019 main battle. Some respondents felt that these defeats will help BJP prepare better with introspection for the coming polls. Others opined that the Congress had been given multiple tenures by

the people of the northeast and it was time BJP and other parties needed to be tried. They felt that the present BJP government has been continuously trying to get engaged with the region with central ministers flying in and out every other day. They felt that BJP was at least trying to make use of the DoNER ministry for the benefit of the whole region. The respondents

mostly were interested in good governance and development of the region and wanted an all round development of the region. Respondents (42%) who agreed that Congress was going to be benefitted in the northeast by the recent wins in the Hindiheartland felt that the Narendra Modi magic was waning and people would like to see Congress back. Many disliked the idea of Congress-mukt Bharat as they felt that democracy should take in all and should not wish the end of a major political party. Many opined that rather than worrying about clearing Congress out the ruling governments should work to clean the system, end corruption and bring in improvement in major sectors like education, health and commerce. The respondents wanted more avenues and jobs rather than the divisive politics that is so rampant and prevalent in the whole region. Some of the respondents were very harsh with their opinions and believed that after the BJP government came to power a lot of religionbased politics have come up in the country. Moreover, the G Plus findings show that people are aware of which direction the wind is blowing and will choose their sides taking into consideration their agenda of good governance and over all development. n

City

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

60 Years of LGBI airport in numbers G Plus takes a look at the Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport that turned 60 earlier this year and is now set for major expansion

45,513

Aircraft movement in 2017-2018

47,21,422

Passenger movement in 20172018

3.8 million

Number of passengers handled in 2016-2017

36%

Percentage Increase since 2015-2016

796

Average movements per week, including domestic and international travel

11,400

Approx. Daily passenger movement

Established as Civil Aerodrome Guwahati, Borjhar

Present terminal building was constructed

1958 1993

1958 Commercial operation started

Wheel chair facility

Medical Infirmary Room

2018 2001

Renamed as Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport

2018 Became first airport in NER to export air cargo in overseas market

LGBI Timeline

500

Parking capacity (cars)

16800 sqm

3rd conveyor added

Area of old terminal building

90,000 sqm

Area of New Terminal Building

850

8 checking counters with feeder conveyers added

Peak hour passenger capacity inold terminal building

3100

2 aerobridges being added

1232 crores

Departure Security Hold Area (SHA) expanded

Peak hour passenger capacity innew terminal building Cost of new terminal building

Present status

First Floor Security Check Area has been added

New ELDIS-RADAR system installed

Escalator and Elevator being added

4 passenger boarding bays added

Departure and Arrival toilets modified

Local artwork and sculptures added

New Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (ASMGCS) added

Enhanced bird menace and animal prevention measures added

LGBI in Numbers

Operating Airlines Mobile Charging Facility

LGBI airport awarded 2nd Position for Swachhta Award on theAAIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 23rd Annual Day celebration.

Declared an international airport

1998

Spa Centre

May I help you counter/ Helpdesk

Air India

Light Jet

Jet Airways

Alliance Air

Spice Jet

Druk Air

Go Air

Pawanhans Helicopters Ltd.

Indigo

Numerous Tourist Information Booths

Blue Dart Aviation.

Air Vistara

Child Care Room

Air Asia

Lost and Found Baggage Service Restaurant and Snack bar

Beer Bar

Paro (Bhutan) Bangkok (Thailand)

Other important facilities

Singapore Connectivity outside India

Kolkata

Hyderabad

New Delhi

Jaipur

Chennai

Amritsar

Bangalore

Varanasi

Lucknow

Kochi

Mumbai

Connectivity outside the Region

6 City

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

Snippets Delhi HC bans sale of Medicines Online across India

n a blow to the e-commerce portals selling medicines online, the Delhi High Court has put a ban on it across India. This order will directly impact leading online portals for selling medicines such as Practo, 1MG, Netmeds, WeChemist, and others. According to a report in The Times of India, a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao passed the order on a PIL filed by a Delhi-based dermatologist. The PIL expressed concern over the unregulated sales of medicines on the internet. Lakhs of medicines which are transacted through e-pharmacies every day, pose a huge risk to the patients and doctors alike, it said. The plea also highlighted that the online sale of medicines is actually not permitted under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Pharmacy Act, 1948. “Unlike common items, drugs are highly potent and its misuse or abuse can have serious consequences on human health.” Earlier in September, the Ministry of Health banned the manufacture for sale or distribution of 328 fixeddose combination (FDC) drugs with immediate effect. Besides, it also restricted the manufacture, sale or distribution of six FDCs subject to certain conditions.

Ganja seized at Guwahati Railway Station, one held

he Government Railway Police (GRP) on 13 December apprehended a ganja peddler from the Guwahati Railway Station. The accused has been identified as RokeMondal alias Palash Kr. Mandal (18) of Murshidabad District in West Bengal and was apprehended from platform No.4. According to reports, the accused was on 15960 Down Kamrup Express train from Coach No. 1 with packets of cannabis weighing 12 kgs. The said cannabis was being transported from Dimapur to Khakra, Murshidabad, West Bengal. A case is being registered under N.D. P. S. Act and investigated.

Conversation meet aiming to provide perspective to Guwahati’s modernisation Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

uwahati - the largest urban area in the northeast India with a resident population of approximately 10 lakh people - has emerged as one of the busiest cities of the region. While the nation is marching ahead towards the progress of an economic and infrastructural development, the advent of urban cultures in the cosmopolitan city of Guwahati has transformed the lifestyle of the present generation. High end infrastructure, shopping malls, recreational hubs are adding up glory to the city; but are we really heading towards a smart city? Are the skyscrapers instilling a positive tangent towards the urban-centric development? With an enthusiastic view to discuss, educate, celebrate and converse on these issues the Foundation for Social Transformation is organising their third conversation meet on the 20th of December, 2018 at its office premises situated in Jorpukhuri, Guwahati. The topic for the meet is – “Skyscrapers, the mall culture and a smart city – where are we heading towards?” “The topic chosen will throw light on the current urban issues prevailing in the society. With the

emergence of commercialisation, the city of Guwahati has worn a new look to attract more and more tourists. But contradictory to this fact there has been a great crisis of public spaces, recreational activities, water scarcity, disabled-friendly stations for the general public,” informed Ritupon Gogoi, Executive Director of the Foundation for Social Transformation. The FST, in August 2018, started a series of conversation meets aimed at providing a common platform to share ideas, discuss and educate on the current trending topics emerging in the society. The informal meet is held to bring out positive energies of the youth, influential groups, visionaries and individuals to share their own stories of survival and growth. The 3rd conversation meet focussed on the prevailing urban issues will be attended by students of Royal Global University (RGU), North Eastern Regional Institute of Management (NERIM), media persons and dignitaries from other non-governmental organisations like Zublee Foundation. Foundation for Social Transformation started in 2005 with the mandate to strengthen civil society initiatives for promotions of democratic governance by a voluntary group of like-minded people. Entrenched

in the principles of social and gender justice, FST’s vision is to create fear, discrimination and violence-free communities in the northeast India. Led and managed by people from the northeast itself, FST aims at supporting progressive grassroots initiatives in the region. The foundation is an effort to harness the tremendous potential of the region and channel it towards building robust and resilient communities committed to peace, equality and justice and has a particular focus on women and youth. FST is the brainchild of a few concerned and committed experts drawn from the different states of the region that have come together to deliberate on key issues and possible solutions and thereby conceived and created the organization. Having completed over a decade of its existence FST today is poised to deepen its vision and its work of channelizing energies and knowledge to bring about social transformation. Based on its principles and vision, FST works on the thematic issues of enhancing rural and formal economy, protecting environment and natural resources, ensuring gender and social justice, and promoting the rights of marginalized groups. It supports small organizations and individuals to contribute to this journey.

One of the first indigenous philanthropic organizations in the northeast region, FST has built a wide network with different organizations in the region. Through its work, FST has been able to reach out to some of the most remote areas and communities in the region. The FST functions as an enabler between the donors and the change makers. A large number of individual and organisational donors provide fund for various projects, which are varied out by change makers who’re working in their respective areas. Some of the donors of the organisation are National Foundation for India, US Consulate, Action Aid, Global Fund for Community Foundations, American Jewish World Service and Human Capability Foundation. The foundation also organises Peace Awards every year in association with National Foundation for India wherein they honour 5-6 peace makers to promote leadership among young leaders working in the states of northeast and provide them with all the necessary support. The award also enables access to participatory learning workshops which include training and support of the chosen awardees along with a minimal financial support ranging within 75 K to 1 Lac rupees to execute the projects they undertake. n

Governance

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

Assam gets $60 million ADB loan to reduce floods and the riverbank erosion The program will fund a combination of structural and non-structural measures in the three subproject areas of Palasbari-Gumi, Kaziranga, and Dibrugarh along the Brahmaputra River.

he Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a $60 million loan Agreement recently to continue financing riverbank protection works, renovation of flood embankments, and community-based flood risk management activities in critically flood-prone areas along the Brahmaputra River in Assam. The Tranche 2 loan is part of the $120 million multi-tranche financing facility (MFF) for the Assam Integrated Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Management Investment Program approved by the ADB Board in October 2010. The signatories to the loan agreement were Sameer Kumar

Khare, Additional Secretary (Fund Bank and ADB), Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, who signed on behalf of the Government of India; and Kenichi Yokoyama, Country Director of ADBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s India Resident Mission, who signed for ADB. After signing the loan agreement, Khare said that the program is aimed at increasing the reliability and effectiveness of flood and riverbank erosion risk management systems in flood-prone areas of Assam, strengthening the disaster preparedness of the communities, and developing institutional capacity and knowledge base for flood forecasting. Speaking on the occasion, Yokoyama said that the Project

People during a flood in Assam | G Plus Photo 2 under the program will fund a combination of structural and non-structural measures in

the three sub-project areas of Palasbari-Gumi, Kaziranga, and Dibrugarh along the Brahmaputra

River which include 20 kms of riverbank protection works and upgrading of 13 kms of flood embankments. The non-structural measures will cover community involvement and community-based flood risk management activities through establishing and training disaster management committees for strengthening local disaster preparedness and emergency response. The Project will continue to support the institutional capacity development of the autonomous body anchored to the Assam Water Resources Department, named Flood and River Erosion Management Agency of Assam (FREMAA), and Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), as the executing and implementing agencies for this Project. The loan will have a 20-year term, including a grace period of 5 years, an annual interest rate determined in accordance with ADBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lending facility based on the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), and a commitment charge of 0.15% per year. n

8 City

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

Pre-school children participate in GMC’s ‘I love Guwahati’ campaign

he Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), in its endeavour to create awareness on the importance of waste segregation and management, is organising orientation programmes in various school and colleges of Guwahati. This time, however it went a step further in taking this initiative forward by organising the orientation in St Thomas Pre School, Guwahati on 13th December. The orientation programme was addressed by Monalisa Goswami (Commissioner), Manojit Bujorbaruah (Executive Engineer, GMC) and Utpal Sarmah Boruah (GI Specialist, GMC). Around 72 students aged between two and five years participated in various activities that were planned by GMC to instill the idea of cleanliness and hygiene in young minds. The teachers of the school equally participated in the activities to encourage the children. Activities included the differentiation between dry waste (like chocolate

School students at the I Love Guwahati campaign | G Plus Photo wrappers, chips packets) and wet waste (banana and orange peel) in blue and green dustbins respectively. The activities were

done in a playful manner so that the children learnt the art of waste segregation from this stage itself. Later food items were distributed

amongst the children. “We are really thankful to GMC for choosing our school and educating our students on waste segregation. The child has a tender mind and now is the time to mould

them and shape it for future. If the lessons of cleanliness and hygiene are taught from now on, then it will make a good habit for them that will last in the later stages of life,” said one of the teachers of the school. The Guwahati Municipal Corporation had launched the “I Love Guwahati” campaign in the city which intended to create awareness on the importance of waste segregation and management. These orientation programmes are one of the steps that GMC has taken to promote and propagate Swachh Survekshan 2019 in the city. This has also been organized in Cotton Collegiate, Happy Child High School and SanskritiThe Gurukul, Don Bosco High School, Guru Nanak High School earlier. “We aim to work with the young minds of the city so that tomorrow they take this mission forward and make Guwahati the cleanest city and Assam the cleanest state in the world,” said, GMC officials. n

Four new F&B outlets opened at LGBI Airport

nhancing passenger facilities at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport, Guwahati, four new food and beverages (F&B) outlets were opened on 13th December, at the different areas of the airport here. Anuj Aggarwal, Member - HR, Airports Authority of India was the chief guest on the occasion who inaugurated the outlets named Air Beans. Informing about the facilities added

to the airport, Aggarwal said that AAI is opening such counters and outlets in other airports across the country in clusters. The idea is to enhance the passengers’ facilities and their convenience. Addressing the media, Aggarwal said that other airports in north-eastern regions will also see similar kinds of facilities in the coming days. AAI is committed to provide the best available facilities to

the flyers in the entire AAI Airports despite certain challenges, he added. At the LGBI Airport, the outlets have come up at arrival visitors’ area, security check-in area, security hold area at ground floor and SHA at first floor of the airport. It was a long pending demand of the people flying through the airport in the area as the Guwahati airport is considered to be the gateway to the northeast India and adjoining areas. n

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Mostly Sunny

CLoudy

Rain

Mostly Sunny

Sunny

26°/17° C

24°/16° C

18°/15° C

24°/14° C

24°/12° C

SATURDAY Sunny

27°/16° C

In The News

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

Guwahati girl’s Facebook photo used on WhatsApp for soliciting clients s top-end cyber criminals are busy using the internet to commit high-profile cyber crimes, smalltime Guwahati-based criminals are using the social media to make a quick buck by getting into people’s pages wwand downloading their personal information and images. Those uploading photos on Facebook (especially ladies) need to be careful with their personal settings as petty criminals are busy downloading the photos and using them for nefarious

sending the messages. The phone belonged to Azad’s wife and he was using it for circulating the messages. The culprit, Abul Azad had been downloading and using images of women and girls from social media sites and then created messages on WhatsApp that he further circulated for luring males to talk and meet with beautiful ladies. Even rates were placed for the images that ranged from Rs 1,500 to Rs 3,000. Once the police switched on the cell phone they were

purposes. Recently, the media reported about a Guwahati student who had registered a complaint at the Dispur Police Station that her image was used in the online portal OLX for illegal activities. In a fresh incident, another Guwahati girl was surprised and horrified to find her image from Facebook circulating on WhatsApp in a message format, that, too, with a rate to meet and talk with her. Her friends brought this to her notice and she immediately went to the police. The victim registered a case with the Chandmari Police Station and provided a screenshot of the message. The Chandmari Police Station officials started tracing back the messages and found the original number from which it was being circulated. Based on the call records the police then picked up a couple, Abul Azad Ansari alias Bhokua and his wife Monjuara Begum from Amiya Nagar and recovered the cell phone used for

in for a surprise as they could find all the photos of the victim and many more such images and messages from the phone. According to the officer-in-charge, Chandmari Police Station, Biren Chandra Deka, “We recovered all the photos of the victim and many more images and messages from the phone. The surprising part was when we switched on the phone. Immediately, calls started pouring in from potential customers wanting to meet the girls. So, we requested the victim to receive the customers’ call.

Chetan Bhattarai

We asked them to come near the Titan showroom near Chandmari and managed to catch three customers.” “The nexus of Abul Azad’s network can be understood from the fact that the calls came from all over the state and also from far off places like Arunachal Pradesh.

The customers came from varied backgrounds and included some who claimed to be from the army. We spent the whole day tracing these guys. Those we caught came from Rangiya and one came all the way from Lakhimpur to meet the lady,” added Deka. The city police have been

trying their best to maintain cyber security and for that even a Cyberdome has been established in Guwahati. But lack of awareness among the social media users may be one of the reasons that such criminals find a way to exploit the eco-system. Be alert, be safe! n

10 Crime Snippets Air cargo and logistics meet held in Guwahati

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

Guwahati scribe robbed during assignment in Bihar over the response received from the Bihar police. “Police stations in Bihar do not accept FIR in English because they say they don’t understand it. If that’s not enough, they have a very casual attitude towards the complaints and they’re least bothered about solving the cases,” she said. She has alleged that in spite of providing IMEI numbers for the phones along with the FIR, the police showed no hopes of ever finding her belongings. “Madam, ye Bihar hai. Yaha ladkiyan gayab ho jate hai. Saaman milna toh bohut mushkil hai (Madam, this is Bihar. Here girls disappear. It will be difficult finding your belongings),” the police allegedly said.

Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

meeting on air cargo development with end-toend logistics value chain was held by the Industries and Commerce Department in collaboration with Airport Authority of India (AAI) and AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company Ltd. at Assam Administrative Staff College, Khanapara. The objective of the meeting was to improve business, remove obstacles, make export hasslefree and expedite processes to benefit the farmers. The farmers and exporters suggested that air freight charges from Guwahati to Gulf and European Nations should be at par with the freight charge from Kolkata. They also expressed the necessity of cold storage, pack houses, buyer-seller meet, labtesting facility and state organic certification agency. D.K. Kamra, Regional Executive Director, Airport Authority of India (AAI), North East Region, said ‘With the facility of direct custom clearance of air cargo at the Guwahati Airport, the farmers and exporters can send their produce from Guwahati to any part of the globe through Air Cargo.’ ‘Similar cargo complex will come up in Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Imphal and Agartala’, added Kamra. Progressive farmers from various districts, exporters, representatives from NERAMAC, APEDA, private airline companies like Indigo, Spice Jet, Jet Airways were present in the meeting.

Utpal Baruah is the new COO of Kannur Airport

tpalBaruah from Assam has been appointed as the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of Kerala’s Kannur Airport. Baruah had joined the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in 1993 as communication engineer and served several airports including Guwahati, Goa, New Delhi, Hyderabad and Cebu in the Philippines. Baruah studied in Cotton College and did his engineering in Tamil Nadu before joining AAI.

uwahati based journalist, Chandrika Das, while on a central government assignment, was robbed off her belongings in Bihar. Among the belongings stolen were her purse which had cash worth approximately Rs 1000, ATM cards, identity cards and three mobile phones. Additionally, her laptop and other belongings were also stolen from Sandice Compound at Bhagalpur district of Bihar. “I have lost all my belongings and don’t know how to reach home. I request the authorities to kindly understand and make an effort to help,” Chandrika posted on Twitter. She has also tagged the Bihar Police, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Ministry of Home & Family Welfare in her series of tweets. The victim is currently on a central government mission ‘Swasth Bharat Yatra’ (Pan India Cyclothon) as the emcee, for which she’s been travelling across India. She is presently travelling from Bhagalpur to Munger and shall reach Patna on Sunday, December 16. She informed G Plus that the team reached Bhagalpur from Purnea district on Wednesday at around 7 PM. After being welcomed by state officials, health department officials and several NCC cadets, the team kicked off their first activity in the district – an outdoor activation program. Chandrika, who was hosting the

About Swasth Bharat Yatra:

session, returned to the vehicle as soon as the outdoor activation activity ended, only to find that her bag had gone missing amidst all the security arrangements. An FIR was lodged at

Tilkamajhar police station in Bihar stating the details of the incident. However, no steps have been taken so far. The scribe, speaking to G Plus, expressed her discontent

Health Ministry declares all government offices ‘Tobacco-free’

n a recent letter written by Union Health Secretary, Preeti Sudan to the Chief Secretaries of all State & Union Territories, has asked to make government buildings/offices tobacco free in order to protect public health in their specific states.

The letter states that the Union Ministry is willing to provide technical support to states for implementing this policy. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, based at NirmanBhawan, has already taken this initiative and issued a circular for banning use of any form of tobacco in the building. Smoking and spitting of tobacco in the premises of NirmanBhawan is strictly prohibited and is a punishable offence. Taking forward this initiative to help people in large, the health secretary has stated this example

of NirmanBhawan and urged the states to follow the same. According to the global adult tobacco survey 2016-17 (GATS-2) the numbers of tobacco related deaths per day in India are 3,700, which are almost 154 per hour. Tobacco use is highly detrimental to health. It is a major risk factor for Cancer, Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD), diabetes, chronic lung disease, stroke, infertility, blindness, Tuberculosis (TB) and oral cavity etc. The number of deaths every year in India, which is attributable to tobacco use, is 8-9 lakhs. Section (4) of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce Production, Supply and Distribution) Act COTPA 2003 prohibits smoking in all public places. ‘Public Place’ is defined as

Swasth Bharat Yatra is inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s Dandi March and ‘Salt Satyagraha’ of 1930. Through his tireless yatras, Mahatma Gandhi led the nation towards freedom from colonial rule. This yatra aims at leading the nation towards freedom from diseases by cascading the message of Eat Right India to every corner of the country. Flagged off on October 16 this year, the yatra will culminate at New Delhi on January 27, 2019. The yatra comprises a team of 150 ‘Volunteer-Cyclists’ and the convoy includes an ‘Eat Right Mobile Unit’ and a Mobile Food Testing Unit. The convoy is making ‘stop-overs’ in cities and towns and have transit ‘halts’ and activities in over 2,000 locations spread over 100 days. n

Khanindra Kumar Choudhury is the new DCP (West) of Guwahati any place to which the public has access whether as of right or not and includes all places visited by general public namely auditorium, hospital building, railway waiting room, amusement centres, public offices, court buildings, educational institutions, libraries, coffee houses, canteens, banks, clubs and also open spaces surrounding hotels/restaurants etc. Consumer VOICE and Consumers’ Legal Protection Forum, Assam have applauded the decision by Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to declare Government Offices and buildings “Tobacco Free”. n

hanindra Kumar Choudhury, APS, Assam has been appointed as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), Police Commissionerate, Guwahati.

Choudhury was serving as Superintendent of Police at Chief Minister’s Special Vigilance Cell (SVC). In an order by the state government, Choudhury will fill the existing vacancy in the West Police District lying vacant after the suspension of Bhanwar Lal Meena. Bhanwar Lal Meena, then DCP West, was suspended due to lapse of security arrangements during the Kamakhya Temple visit by Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi. n

City

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

Ugratara Temple squabble in public domain, allegations traded over idol theft From Page 1 have been continuously raising issues to divert attention from the reasons that led to the idol going missing. The main idol of the temple and other valuables went missing on 15th November last and later the CID and the police managed to nab the supposed thieves based on CCTV footage. The main idol, however, continues to remain missing. There have been allegations against Paresh Kalita being involved in some way with the missing idol. Kalita, on the other hand, has named one Kailash Sarma who is behind this false propaganda against him. The enmity, according to Kalita, goes back to 2007 when the illegal encroachment of Kailash Sarma over the temple land was removed by the district administration on the orders of the Supreme Court of India. Kalita was the secretary then and saw to it that the encroachment was removed. It also means that there was a long drawn battle between the two parties where ultimately

Kalita and his team finally won. Sarma, according to Kalita, had let out the western side of the temple property to various small business establishments and was enjoying the rent. As the idol theft case is a high-profile case, a Special Investigative Team (SIT) has been set up and the investigators wanted a sketch of the idol to make the identification process easier. As per Paresh Kalita, the SIT had reportedly called upon Paresh Kalita who directed them to meet the Chief Purohit (Chief Priest), Jiten Sarma, who takes care of the idol’s bathing and change of attire. The SIT had some issues connecting to the purohit on phone, so Paresh Kalita called up his on number and as the purohit has some hearing problem the phone was taken over by someone else. Kalita informed the receiver that the SIT wanted a sketch of the idol and might call the purohit and other people in the temple. This, according to Paresh Kalita, was made into a story that he was threatening the purohit with SIT’s influence and it was a misrepresentation of what

3.jpg | G Plus Photo had actually transpired. Kalita blames Kailash Sarma for all of these allegations against him and counters the claims that the present committee had failed to provide safety and security to the temple premises that led to the

idol theft. “The allegations that are leveled against me are completely false. The FIR lodged against me has wrong information. However, I made a call to the chief purohit on December 1. I am assisting

Present Committee breached the age old traditions of the Devalaya: Former Secretary

aresh Kalita also alleged that the present committee members showed lackadaisical attitude in maintaining strict security vigil in and around the Devalaya. “The present committee failed to provide security in around the Devalaya. During our tenure, two security guards – one from the administration and one from our side - stood guard at the Devalaya. There is no sign of security on the part of the present committee,” said Paresh Kalita. Moreover, Kalita also accused the present committee members of breaking age-old traditions of the Devalaya and cited this flouting as another factor behind the theft. “Devotees, out of belief in Devi Tara, pay tributes in the form of sacrifice where ducks, pigeons and

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goats are offered. Some devotees release them – that is another form of sacrifice – on the Devalaya premises. There is no bigger crime than consuming livestock which are actually animals sacrificed in the name of the Devi. The present committee has also laid their hands on a fixed deposited amount of Rs 40 lakh left by the former President and Doloi,” Kalita alleged. “The Devi left the Mandir premises due to the atrocities meted out to her in these forms. The present committee should have arranged for pujas and rituals for the return of the Devi instead of making arrangements for another idol,” he added. The former president also alleged that the present committee members have the tendency to seize the valuables, gold and silver in the treasury of the Devalaya. n

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the Special Investigation Team formed to investigate the idol theft case. It has been wrongly mentioned in the FIR that some Special Branch officials called the chief purohit on December 1,” Paresh Kalita defended. n

No sign of the Idol

he police have extended the search operation for the lost Ugratara Idol to other districts of the state but have not been successful. Though it has managed to recover a lamp and some cash after the accused were arrested on the basis of CCTV footage from the temple premises, the hope of getting the idol back is getting lesser by the day. The accused Babu Basfor, Rohit Basfor, Suraj Basfor, Tinku Ali and Farida Begum have been remanded to judicial custody at the Guwahati Central Jail.

12 Special

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

After sweeping panchayat polls, BJP hopes high for 2019 Saumya Mishra and Nehal Jain

fter a dismal performance in the recently concluded assembly elections in five states, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) had reasons to celebrate in Assam after emerging victorious in the panchayat polls, the counting of which concluded on Thursday evening. BJP secured the maximum number of seats overall and in Kamrup (Metro) district, it won the polls with a clear majority. The party swept all six seats of Zila Parishad (ZP) members in the district, while it clinched 16 out of 21 seats of Anchalik Panchayat (AP) members. The Congress secured four seats of AP members followed by Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) which managed only one seat. On the other hand, BJP clinched 17 out of 21 seats for Gaon Panchayat (GP) president. Further, it won 134 seats for ward member out of 210 seats whereas Congress managed to win 46 seats for ward member. The elections were conducted in two phases on December 5 and December 9 in a total of 26 districts, including 14 civil sub-divisions. Polling was conducted in a total of 23,505 polling stations across the state whereas the vote

BJP women supporters at a panchayat election rally | G Plus Photo counting was carried out at 40 centres. The party members credit their win to the hard work and meticulous planning over the

Assam Gaon Panchayat Election Results

past one and a half years. BJP Assam general secretary Dilip Saikia informed G Plus that they had set up 27,000 booth committees in the state over the

course of the past one and a half years to strengthen the organisation from the grassroots. “We had started preparing for the panchayat elections a long

Zila Parishad Election Results

Name of the party

Number of seats won

Name of the party

Number of seats won

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)

6333

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)

100

Congress

4604

Congress

Asom Gana Parishad (AGP)

1178

Asom Gana Parishad (AGP)

All India United Democratic Front (AIDUF)

558

All India United Democratic Front (AIDUF)

Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF)

Independent

1547

Independent

Total

14283

Total

Assam Anchalik Panchayat Member Election Results

163

Assam Gaon Panchayat President Election Results

Name of the party

Number of seats won

Name of the party

Number of seats won

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)

715

Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)

706

Congress

486

Congress

533

Asom Gana Parishad (AGP)

All India United Democratic Front (AIDUF)

Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF)

Independent

101

Independent

Total

2199

Total

1669

(The above tables showcase the results as per the latest data released by the Assam State Election Commission on its official website, by the time this article went into print)

time ago. Not only booth committees, but for each page of the voters’ list we have the Panna Pramukh. We have appointed around 3,50,000 Panna Pramukhs for all the 14 Lok Sabha constituencies,” said Saikia. He added that this apart, they had also established Shakti Kendras across the state. A Shakti Kendra is constituted by combining 4-5 booths and the party has formed 6,800 Shakti Kendras in Assam. Another member informed that for the past one year they have been conducting regular meetings in these booth committees to better acquaint themselves with the problems of the people. Additionally, the BJP state president Ranjit Kumar Das informed G Plus, “We have taken the public schemes of both the central and the state governments. Our agenda was development of the panchayat. People have shown faith in us in panchayat after centre and the state, for which we are thankful to the people of Assam.” He added that they conducted a positive campaign based on development and on issues that citizens face living in the villages. “Our main objective is to provide a corruption-free Panchayati Raj System,” said Das. n

Special

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

All eyes now on 2019 general elections

he party officials revealed that the BJP’s preparations for the upcoming general elections to be held next year, are on in full swing. As opposed to the public perception that the panchayat elections are considered a precursor to the parliamentary elections to be held in 2019, the office bearers feel that it is too early to predict anything at this moment. “Since all elections are contested on different issues, one can never be sure. The issues which are relevant at the panchayat level will be different from the state assembly elections and also at the parliamentary elections. So, we will have to work hard to prove our mettle in the general elections,” said an office bearer. Commenting on the results of assembly elections in 5 states which were declared recently, BJP state officials said that they will have to analyse and introspect on the results at the national level. The assembly election results of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Mizoram and Rajasthan were declared recently where

CM Sarbananda Sonowal addressing a panchayat election rally | G Plus Photo the BJP failed to secure majority seats and form the government in any of the five states. “The party will analyse the results of the state assembly

Further, talking about their main agendum for the general elections, party officials revealed that they will be contesting the elections next year primarily on

elections and will reflect on the shortfalls to better prepare for the parliamentary elections,” said Dilip Saikia, general secretary of BJP Assam.

the issue of development. “Our agenda in panchayat elections was also development and in the parliamentary elections too, it will be the same. We want to make Assam corruption-free and will make efforts to work towards it. Be it the panchayat, the state or the parliament elections, people ultimately want development,” said state secretary of the party. He added that since people have voted for the BJP on the agendum of development in the panchayat elections, they are hoping that the people will support the party on the same agendum in general elections. “We are fully prepared to fight and win the elections in 2019. We will try to make all the 14 candidates win this time either on our own or via alliance. Now, the candidates who have won the panchayat polls are our soldiers for the 2019 elections and our army is ready,” added Saikia. The major opposition for the general elections according to them is the Congress and the party members were confident of winning the general elections too. n

Lack of funds, resources to blame for loss: Congress

he Congress party members have passed the blame for their loss in the Assam panchayat elections on the lack of fund, courtesy of being in the opposition. “The Congress party wasn’t very financially sound and we participated in the panchayat elections with minimal resources. So we weren’t expecting the results to go our way,” a party member informed G Plus. In the 2018 Assam panchayat elections, the Congress failed to secure a good number of seats in Kamrup (M) and also across other districts of the state. The party failed miserably at gaining Zila Parishad (ZP) member seats in the Kamrup (M) district, while BJP swept all six seats. Additionally, Congress secured merely four seats of Anchalik Panchayat (AP) and three seats of Gaon Panchayat (GP) president. Even in ward member election, the Congress managed to win 46 seats only, as opposed to 202 seats won by the BJP. Overall, while the BJP took a massive lead, Congress emerged a distant second in the elections. With over 78,000 candidates in the fray for polls, 734 candidates were elected uncontested in the panchayat polls. A total of 82 per cent voting was recorded in the two-phase elections to elect 21,990 GPM, 2,199 GPP, 2,199 APM and 420 ZPM across the state. “Generally, in panchayat polls, the ruling party tends to win the elections. Being in the opposition,

Final report of result of Panchayat Election in Kamrup (M) district Description of office

Total number of seats for which election held

Total number of seats for which result declared

Number of seats won by

ZP Member

AP Member

GP President

Ward Member

210

BJP

AGP

INC

202

134

AIUDF

BPF

Independent

Others

**Out of the 210 ward member seats, 2 contenders from BJP were uncontested, 4 from INC were uncontested and 2 wards had no candidates.

we were expecting about 35-45% seats,” Ranjan Bora, General Secretary of APCC had said, speaking to G Plus ahead of the results. As opposed to the prediction of the party workers, however, Congress was trailing behind with merely about 28% of the total seats, as the final numbers came in. Contrary to the claims of the Congress on its fund crunch, highly-placed sources in the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) have informed G Plus that the party had charged anywhere between Rs 2-25 Lakh per ticket for contesting the panchayat elections this year. In the same vein, former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) HS Brahma also expressed his concern over the highly expensive

panchayat poll campaign witnessed in Assam this year and admitted that he had never seen such expensive campaigns in elections to the local bodies where even helicopters were used.

Congress to better its tally in 2019 general elections Elated upon winning the Assembly election in three states, Congress party officials have expressed hope of winning the upcoming general elections (2019) and the Assam Assembly elections to be held in 2021. Party functionaries expressed that the results of Panchayat elections, on the other hand, will not act as a precursor to the parliamentary elections and the Congress is hopeful of the tables turning.

Earlier this week, the results of assembly elections in five states were declared. The five states that went to the polls in this batch of elections include Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram. While the Bhartiya Janata Party displayed a dismal performance in these states, the Indian National Congress swept the votes with a clear win in Rajasthan and Chattisgarh, followed by a majority in Madhya Pradesh. In Mizoram, the Mizo National Front (MNF) won a full majority, while Telangana voted emphatically for K Chandrashekar Rao-led TRS. Thrilled by the performance of their party in the Hindi belt states, Ranjan Bora, General Secretary, APCC told G Plus, “In Lok Sabha elections, there’s a tremendous in-

fluence from the Hindi belt states. We’ve already won in three states and we’re very hopeful of winning the assembly elections in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh – the remaining Hindi states – as well in the future. I feel that the results declared this week have set a trend and they’ll further influence the result of Assam assembly elections as well as the general elections.” Keeping in mind the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Congress has chalked out a strategy focussing on reflecting the voice of the citizens and be in conversation with them. The party has outlined a vision for the future and the path that the country should take towards becoming a truly free, open, liberal, equal, inclusive, prosperous, just and humane society. n

14 G Talk E

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018 T

Please go to Jail

ow cool is it to double park? On Guwahati’s narrow streets? Or specifically in Fancy Bazar’s congested Kamarpatty Road? Right under a “No Parking” signage? Not really cool I’d say; in fact it’s pretty tacky especially when a long desired facility is being offered for comfortable parking for the high and mighty car commuters bound for Fancy Bazar.Or is it, I wonder, also tacky and probably unhealthy to take a short walk from this new facility to one’s desired destination within Fancy Bazar? I mean, just how big is Fancy Bazar really that it cannot be covered on foot? While I try and avoid a visit to Fancy Bazar unless it is absolutely necessary, I had to do so recently with the numbing thought in mind: Where will I park on reaching? As I reached Kamarpatty, I noticed a prominent sign that read: “Parking available at Old Jail compound.” As I drove in, I just couldn’t help but notice the prevailing anarchy on the road. Double parked cars on the left side of the road along with the teeming vendors and shoppers narrowed the road further bringing the traffic to a pace where snails could over-

take me! My car lumbered on to the old jail premises and I steered in. Ah! What a spacious car park! For all the screaming and imploring by Fancy Bazar and Athgaon residents (much of it through G Plus), the administration, to its credit, had responded. Parking charges are extremely nominal – 20 bucks for the first hour and 10 thereafter. The vehicles would be safe with that much lesser chances of getting scratched by another vehicle than those double parked cars on the road. But no! We Guwahatians want to just crib when it comes to issues like these and we will never want to take advantage of these facilities simply because for us, walking a certain distance after travelling in a car is perhaps hard work. What got my goat was the total lack of enforcement of the No Parking rules on the part of the traffic department. The Kamarpatty road being a oneway street, I saw just one solitary traffic personnel doing his best in curbing wrong entries at the jail intersection. Visitors to Fancy Bazar need to realize how streamlining their attitudes would streamline the traffic beautifully. Swapnil Bharali Editor

Guwahati – the unplanned child

was in Dehradun about a week ago I was surprised that the city had so much to offer, compared to Guwahati. This was not because I went there for the first time, but more because I could see what was different about the city if I drew a parallel with Guwahati. If I am to believe Wikipedia stats, Guwahati and Dehradun cover almost the same amount of area. This makes me wonder how can the two cities be so different despite both having their geographical strengths. Well, from my observation, Dehradun’s strength possibly lies in its planning and what it wanted to achieve. It’s like Dehradun always knew that it was a hill station and it would do best to play to its strengths. Of course, this opposed to Guwahati makes our city look like the child who really does not know what to do – especially when it comes to career choices. There are days when Guwahati aspires to become a green city and then an ‘industrial hub’ the next (read: Advantage Assam). Of course you forget that the child always has a mischievous uncle around waking the crazies up in him. So Guwahati’s unplanned growth can be attributed to its upbringing – unplanned residential and commercial areas, mismanaged traffic, delay in allocation of funds, corruption, ill-aligned public servants - the list is quite long. It’s like Guwahati is the child who was forced to grow up with bad parents and I wish Guwahati had better parents. Point is, the two cities are poles apart when it comes to the basic blueprint. Dehradun is already home to basic/bigger brands like McD’s and JW Marriot and Guwahati is still dealing with stalled projects despite boasting spending power and EODB rankings. Some days I wonder if our city is like the unplanned child that came into existence and “an administration” became the parent unwillingly. Now that the kid is growing up, they’re just confused about where he’s heading or where he is supposed to be.

Sidharth Bedi Varma

Another Assam Agitation brewing?

n the remarkable year of 1228, legendary ruler Sukapha established a strong and healthy Assam; people lived a secure and happy life. However, after the Treaty of Yandaboo in 1826 Assam came under the British colonial rule. With India becoming a sovereign nation, having its own federal form of government, the Union government, bent on ignoring the needs and the desires of the people of Assam, treated the state as a stepson and its only intention was to extract the state’s resources and pleasing its simple and generous inhabitants with false hopes and promises. An infamous example of this was the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru’s, quote, “My heart goes to the people of Assam” during the 1962 Indo China war; defending the Chinese aggression was not quite on Nehru’s agenda. Thus the lack of importance, the unresponsive attitude, the mode of betrayal and all others finally resulted in the launch of the historic Assam Agitation that lasted from 1979 to 1985. The consequence of it was the signing of the Assam Accord on 15th August 1985 by the then Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi. The Assam Accord demanded a whole lot of things for the people of Assam, which included constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards, economic development, prevention of encroachment of

he news of people buying more and more books of martyr journalist Parag Kumar Das, who went away telling the tales of his motherland, highlights that the denizens wish to know, understand and protect the state.

rD day

government lands, registration of births and deaths among many others. However the main highlight of the Assam Accord was the demand to remove all the illegal immigrants and its related issues like security of international border to stop illegal immigration and restriction of acquisition of immovable property by foreigners. But the signing of the Accord hardly ended the woes of the people of Assam. The conspicuous fact is that if the 60 years of Congress rule harassed the people of Assam, then the 4 years rule of the newly formed BJP government has been no different either. Nevertheless, the urgency shown by the Supreme Court of India has been instrumental in formulating the National Register of Citizens to identify the illegal immigrants, but the newly formed BJP government came out with a destructive notion to destroy the impact of NRC in detection of illegal immigrants. The proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 which plans to give Indian citizenship rights to people who have been oppressed in Muslim majority countries came as a major blow to the NRC process. While the NRC endeavors to remove the illegal immigrants, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016, if passed, would bring these immigrants back to Assam thus nullifying the entire motive of the Assam Accord. Although nowhere in the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 it is written that these illegal immigrants would be placed in Assam only, the fact is that once these illegal immigrants are given the citizenship rights, they can easily come back and settle in Assam. Not only this, the Union governments of the past and the present have also tried to create havoc to the state either by establishing dams or by privatizing the resources of the state. And amidst all these, Assam remains a state with a large unemployed population. These actions of the government to forever ignore and demolish Assam have led to many pressure groups, associations, NGO’s, students of colleges and universities to amalgamate and indulge in various agitations and protests once again, to warn the

O pinion Bishaldeep Kakati

government to not to pass the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 and thus protect the identity of the indigenous people. And all these circumstances, directly or indirectly, indicate the uprising of another “Assam Agitation” - stronger and fiercer than the earlier one. Added to this, another piece of news that came in from the recently concluded book fair also somewhere down the line puts a hint on the people’s interest to safeguard their motherland. The news of people buying more and more books of martyr journalist Parag Kumar Das, who went away telling the tales of his motherland, highlights that the denizens wish to know, understand and protect the state. In fact, the alarming news of people trying to know more and more about ULFA or even joining the outfit clearly shows the people’s intention to revolt or protest against anyone or anything that hinders the security of its people. Thus, the current prevailing scenario, the woeful acts of the government and the natives’ desire to safeguard the state from the fore steps of destruction might together lead to a second version of Assam Agitation, which if happens, would lead to more and more people turning into martyrs, much higher than the previous count of 855 martyrs. Hence at no cost the people of Assam or the government of India should want another Assam Agitation to occur again. Therefore, in order to ensure that no such agitation takes place in near future, it is high time that the government puts emphasis on the needs and desires of the people of Assam. n

Letter to the Editor

1th December 2018 was a D Day for many political heavyweights of the country as on that day counting of votes of the assembly polls held in 5 states took place. Prior to it reputed political analysts had termed these elections as semi finals in run up to the mega parliamentary polls of 2019. Opposition UPA managed to dig deep in the NDA bastion as Congress wrested Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh while TRS under K Chandrasekher Rao managed to retain Telangana and MNP storming to oust Congress in Miziram. All said and done but 2019 polls would be bitterly fought with no clear cut favourites. The margin of victory for Congress in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan was quite narrow with marginal shift of vote share to Congress camp. The 2014 elections was cakewalk for BJP but come 2019 BJP will have to scratch its head more and for Congress they have to keep this momentum till next 4 to 5 months. Truly 11th December was a D Day for India's politics and 'Longest Day' for NDA and UPA. Dr Ashim Chowdhury, Ambari, Guwahati

In Focus

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

Indrani Chakrabarty MMA Coach, Entrepreneur

wenty six year old Indrani Chakrabarty is a known face in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) circuit of the region, working towards creating awareness about and promoting MMA among the youngsters. She holds an upper brown belt in Kyokush in Karate, is a certified MMA and Kettle Bell coach and the proud co-owner of Datsbi MMA. She has participated in and won multiple district and national level tournaments, National Kyokushin Karate Tournament and MMA National Championship. Indrani originally hails from Silchar where she had a very difficult childhood being born in a male dominated society where girl children weren’t accepted. However, with her parents’ support, she completed her matriculation from HP Dev Sishu Mandir and further pursued higher secondary studies from Ramanuj Gupta Junior College (Commerce). Then, she moved to Guwahati to pursue BBA from Guwahati Commerce College. Right after graduation, Indrani started working in a real estate company while simultaneously pursuing M.Com from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IG-

NOU). Having worked in the real estate sector for over five years, Indrani has started her own real estate marketing company ‘IADS Realtors’ in partnership with her MMA coach. “I was the third girl child in a male dominated family and I wasn’t accepted by my family. My parents had to go through many hardships just to convince the society of my presence. Even today, the society has trouble accepting my views and career decisions. But my parents stood as my pillars, supported me and guided me into becoming a strong woman,” recalled Indrani, speaking to G Plus about her childhood. These circumstances led her to strive towards becoming a successful individual who had the power to influence others at a very young age. Indrani, who started training in Martial Arts in 2015 under coach Angkim Kashyap Sharma, has since the mastered several forms including Kyokushin and MMA. In August 2017, the coach-student duo quit their regular jobs and launched a fitness gym in Guwahati called DASTBI MMA - Kyokushin Karate & Fitness Gym, situated in Narikalbari. A few months later, in

April 2018, they opened a second branch at Beltola with the aim to promote genuine MMA and martial arts to the youth and the society and provide a platform to the young talents to showcase their potential and skill set. They currently teach MMA, Kyokushin Karate, KABOSI and Animal Flow, exercises that focus on mobility, flexibility, strength, endurance and strengthen core. Speaking to G Plus about the journey so far, Indrani said, “In this journey, we witnessed that some people/academies under the banner of MMA would misguide the youth and the common people just to make money. We decided to show them the right path and in a short span of time, our students have participated in many tournaments, championships and other athletic events and earned glory.” At DASTBI MMA, there’s a special unit named “Divas to Defence” under which the duo trains self-defense and protection to all the women irrespective of their age in a military system named KABOSI (close quarter combat from Australia) for free. Not only do they keep organizing free camps to train women in the art of defense,

they’ve also recently organized a championship series under the banner of “Versus Championship” that gained tremendous response from aspiring fighters. “According to me, the importance of martial arts and fitness should be considered as a basic need of human being. I, being a victim of child abuse, believe that a child should know the difference between good touch and bad touch. So we train the children, their parents, women and other common people to be mentally alert at all times even when the environment and the people are known and close to them,” Indrani expressed. Indrani opined that the academy has faced many problems while promoting the art of MMA due to the unfortunate scenario prevailing in the region. “There are many organizations that claim to teach MMA but end up providing halfbaked teachings to the youth. Additionally, there are many fake platforms where deserving fighters are not acknowledged due to partial judgments and hidden conspiracies. This is not only true for MMA but also present in other sectors of martial arts and combat sports as well,” she said. Indrani’s motive now is to offer quality platforms to the aspiring fighters and provide the underprivileged youth with a career and earning oppor-

tunity through MMA by training them for free or at a negligible fee. She says, “The cuts and the injuries are our tattoos with better stories that we feel proud to show. So I invite all the women to become fighters’ the harder and technically they will train the stronger they will become.”

G Plus put up a video on its Facebook page showing three kids consuming Dendrite at Ulubari in an example of rampant drug abuse by minors in Guwahati. Guwahatians lamented and wondered who were responsible for the welfare of these children. Banti Kalita This is the bitter truth of our city. One can find them anywhere near Paltan Bazar and almost everywhere in Guwahati. I feel helpless as I cannot do anything for them to make them stay away from such addictive things. But yes, if all the citizens come together then something can be definitely done for the betterment of these children. Some immediate steps need to be taken at the earliest as I see the number of such children increasing day by day. Abid Rahman These kids are always scared of me as whenever I see these kids sniffing dendrite on the streets, I usually take it from them or throw away the bottles. It’s sad and I feel pity for them. And where is development? Aren’t there so many so-called social welfare organisations or NGO’s in our city? Can’t they spot them? They are such a common sight under the Ulubari flyover! Mrinmoy Kalita I would like to request something to all the people that if you ever find any kid asking money to have food just buy them food instead of giving money to them because they will end up buying useless items like Dendrite and other stuffs which are bad for them as well as for the society.

Suraj Kr Singha What is the point of blaming the government? Will the government go on a search mission to find these kids who are hiding in every corner of Guwahati? The middlemen should be caught first and then these sellers who sell the dendrite to these kids. They are actually responsible for such a situation. But also in reality there is no point showing this video to people because anyways after two minutes everyone is going to forget about all these and get busy with their own lives.

Dipankar Talukdar Just last month I’d called child helpline for these children (080110 01193 - Childline Guwahati). To my amazement these so-called helpers told me that they cannot do anything as this is a narcotics act case and hence I should rather contact police. I did just that and dialled 100 to seek help immediately. They did send somebody from Paltan Bazaar police station to near Ulubari flyover where these kids are always present. Mysteriously they couldn’t find anyone there. In other words, they did nothing. One month has passed since then and these kids still roam freely there with these bottles. Good to see that G Plus has raised the issue and now the respective authorities need to take action against this at the earliest.

Binayak Chanda From my personal experience I know that these children are not going to school directly ever but if they are told to join any sports academy where they will get sufficient amount of education via sports then somehow they will get in touch with education. As these kids are interested in adventurous things therefore this idea will definitely help.

16 Feature

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

Curtain Raiser: True and False

ometime in 2016, a dear friend who was also one of the most observant theatre viewers I have ever known expressed in a conversation, a desire to produce a play. A very talented mentalist and theatre person one day came up with a script that he had just adapted. Round one of discussions over, the play looked doable with adequate changes – but Bob Barua, who’d wanted to produce it, was already too unwell to see it through. Two years down, the play is now ready for staging – Bob’s wish made tangible by Pallavi Chumki, his wife and Rohan Das and his team of talented actors. The play: True & False, an adaptation of Rob Drummond’s work is now all set to run on 21-22 December, 2018. So what is the play about? Why should Guwahati audiences make a bee-line to catch it? GPlus has already raised the bar with the quality of plays it brings to town with Guwahati Theatre Festival – will this homegrown offering match up? My brief here is very clear: I cannot let the cat out of the bag. Because this play is all about the surprises it throws at you. So let me tantalise. In a world of reality shows and ‘fake news’, what is true and what is false? For those who have enjoyed the Hunger Games series, or watched Big Boss or any other addictive Game Show, this play will be delectable fare. You will enter into this hyperreal ‘live’ arena where a quizmaster jostles with neurotic

participants, camera-ready faces, paste-on smiles and concocted realities. In the quest for true answers, you will never be sure whether you have hit bull’s eye – you will wonder if all of this is just a façade for something else. You will sit on the edge of your seat in tenterhooks – what exactly is going on? You will be surrounded by a strange sense of unease, of déjà vu: something you know but can’t exactly place. At one moment you will lap up a few cheap thrills and cheerfully escape into lala land; at others your stomach will churn. The lines between fact and fiction will no longer be obvious – how will one decide between true and false? But by now you are already caught in the momentum of the game show, and each answer will reveal something new. Ah well, game on! Let us ask the questions, let the quizmaster take the floor, let the players find the real answers! A number of talented actors come together after a fair interval to bring to Guwahati its rare English play in several years. The extremely talented Jit Chaliha plays the 60 year old Quiz Master, Brian O’Neill; Ranjeev Lal Barua enacts the role of Irfan Ahmed, a psychiatrist/participant in the show; Neetali Das in the character of Meera Singhania portrays a former quiz show champion and repeat participant; Lima Das plays the lead character of Sandra Braganza, a housewife/ participant; and the show’s Production Manager Pratiek Duggal is played by Pratyush Barua. All of these actors have been regulars on the Guwahati stage with

the exception of the beautiful Lima Das who is a classical dancer of repute who recently completed her first film (Bhaskar Hazarika’s Aamis) and Pratyush Barua, who has helped to adapt the script of this play. True and False provides a power-packed launch for them. As to the rest, Jit Chaliha has time and again proven his mettle on stage and Ranjeev Lal Barua has consistently performed for the theatre, television and films; he is perhaps one of the better actors around in Guwahati today. Ditto, Neetali Das. The play is directed by Rohan Kr Das, himself a film and theatre actor, director and mentalist, who would hopefully draw from his unerring love for the genre of the thriller. His role in A Plot for Murder won him rave reviews everywhere, and his directorial ventures – Art for Art’s Sake and The Murder Game won some well deserved critical acclaim. The producer of True & False is Pallavi Chumki Barua, the wife of Bob (Souvik) Barua and she wears many hats.A

practicing advocate with her firm PCB Legalis, she is also a filmmaker, social activist and passionate food connoisseur, besides managing her late husband’s vast business interests. She founded the BOB Barua Benefaction, a trust to carry forward his philanthropic legacy for the uplift of the needy, and all proceeds from the sale of tickets of the play would go to the trust. This is the play, and this, the team of True

Asha Kuthari Chaudhuri

and False. So, sit tight folks, going by the early previews, a theatrical treat is in store! The play will be performed at Pragjyoti ITA Centre on 21st Dec’18 at 3 PM and 22nd Dec’18 at 7 PM and passes are available at – BookMyShow Application, Beatrix, Hotpot, Repose (Bora Service), The Gauhati Club, The India Club and Guwahati Gymkhana Club. n

Trotter

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

Dessert-lovers’dream street of chocolate in Germany

ust before 8 pm on 10th December, liquid chocolate began streaming out of the Drei Meister chocolate factory in Westonnen, a suburb of Werl, Germany. A tank at the factory had overflowed, prompting a river of chocolate to breach the factory grounds and ooze onto Weststrasse, the nearest road. Soon, the leaked liquid chocolate - about a ton in all solidified in the crisp December air, creating something of a magical carpet that blanketed Weststrasse. “A ten-square-meter choco-pancake formed,” the Werl fire department explained in a dramatic statement that warned chocolate lovers to “stay strong” before reading about the incident. Comparisons to “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” were inevitable on social media, with one person tweeting “Willy Wonka, that you?” The Werl fire department said the road was closed for about two hours and cleaned “with shovels and muscle power.” “This was a

heart-breaking incident, it is unlikely that a chocolate-free Christmas is imminent in Werl.” It’s not the first time Europe has seen such a delicious mess. Earlier this year, about 12 tons of melted chocolate spilled across a highway in Poland after a tanker overturned. (Source: ndtv)

Video of Zomato employee eating customer’s food goes viral

video showing a Zomato delivery man eating and then repacking customer’s food before delivering it went viral and drew flak on social media. The food delivery and restaurant reservation platform Zomato was surrounded by controversy after the clip left several people disgusted. In the two-minute video, the delivery person is seen sitting on a two-wheeler and eating some food. He eats a few spoons from the pack before repacking it and putting it back in the delivery box. However, he doesn’t stop there and pulls out another packed box and starts to eat from it as well. He calmly reseals the entire package before going off to deliver it to the customer, reports Hindustan Times.

Man gets soiled underwear with Uber Eats food order

I traffic hazard, which made the use of the fire department necessary,” the department said. Images of the cleanup effort showed fire-fighters using shovels, blow torches and hot water to remove the congealed and hardened chocolate - and appearing to, alas, throw it away in nearby bins. The Werl fire department assured people that “despite the

The internet bombarded Zomato with furious comments after the video went viral in a few hours. Former Bollywood actress, Namrata Shirodkar, reposted the

video on Instagram and criticized the popular food delivery app. She wrote along with the video, “It’s really shocking how these reputed food delivery companies are func-

tioning. People order food online expecting basic hygiene and this is how it is delivered? I am definitely not gonna encourage my kids to order food online, I suggest even you guys don’t!” The uproar on social media led Zomato to release a statement, acknowledging the incident and calling it “a human error in judgment.” The delivery app confirmed in a post that the incident took place in Madurai and added that they have removed the delivery person from their platform. “We take this very seriously and will soon introduce tamper-proof tapes, and other precautionary measures to ensure we add an extra layer of safeguard against such behavior,” said Zomato in the statement. (Source: khaleejtimes)

n a horrifying incident, a man in Florida said he received an unpleasant and unwanted side with his food order - dirty underwear. Uber Eats customer Leo, who wished to be identified only by his first name, said he was shocked to find soiled underwear with his food order. The incident took place in Miami, where Leo was attending Art Basel. Leo used Uber Eats - a food delivery platform to place an order from a Japanese restaurant. When the order arrived, Leo said he walked outside his hotel to receive it from the Uber Eats driver. “I grabbed the food and right when I got the food she took off running and I was like, ‘that was kind of odd,’” he said. When he opened the plastic packet back in

his room, he was disgusted to find a pair of thigh-length underwear, clearly stained with what looked like feces. He immediately threw it back in the bag and called Uber, the restaurant and the police. “Who thinks that you’re going to get delivered somebody’s dirty underwear? Disgusting, unhealthful, it’s potentially deadly,” he said, talking about the incident. “What’s been reported is very concerning. We are reviewing this order and reaching out to all parties involved to help understand what may have occurred. The courier has been removed from the app pending investigation,” said Uber in a statement. Leo has received a full refund for the order and the incident is under investigation. (Source: ndtv)

UAE jokingly calls fiancée ‘Idiot’ In WhatsApp message; sent to prison

man in Abu Dhabi has been fined 20,000 dirhams and sentenced to 60 days in jail for calling his fiancée ‘idiot’ over a WhatsApp message. Reportedly, the unnamed man sent his fiancée a message and referred to her as

Youm that under the law sending anything of an offensive nature on social media is considered a cybercrime. That’s exactly what happened to this man, who paid for his joke with a prison sentence and a fine of approximately Rs 4 lakhs!

an idiot (habla in Arabic). Though he claims he used the word in jest, his fiancée took offence and filed a case against him. This is one of the several cases filed in the country over a situation where one person says something jokingly but another takes it seriously. Legal adviser Hassan al-Riyami explained to Emarat Al

This is not the first time that someone has been jailed in UAE for a text message. According to a local daily, in January this year, a British citizen in Dubai was arrested and jailed for sending his car dealer an angry text message. (Source: The News International)

102-year-old great-granny becomes ‘oldest’ skydiver

102-year-old greatgrandmother is believed to have become the world’s oldest skydiver after plunging 14,000 feet (4,300 metres) through the South Australian sky. Centenarian adrenaline junkie Irene O’Shea said she “felt normal” after a 220 kilometre per hour (140 mph) dive that sent her cheeks flapping wildly. She completed her first skydive

to mark her 100th birthday in 2016, but organisers claimed it was

Sunday’s successful tandem dive at the age of 102 years and 194 days that earned her a place in the history books. “It was very clear up there, and the weather was good but it was very cold,” said O’Shea, according to Australian media. O’Shea took the plunge to raise funds for a motor neurone disease charity, after her daughter died from the illness. (Source: news18)

18 Review

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

Starring: Jason Momoa, Amber Heard, Nicole Kidman, Willem Defoe,etc. Director: James Wan

Movie Review

nature’s best-kept secret, the city of Atlantis. A grown-up Arthur must deal with Orm, his ambitious half-brother who has designs to wage war on the surface world who he blames for the ills plaguing the oceans. What must the ‘half-breed’ Arthur do to foil his plans? Well, he simply has to team up with Mera, an Atlantean princess, traverse the world, solve a mystery lost to the ages, defeat the mighty creature of myth, the Karathen, and recover the trident of Atlan from the Atlantis founder’s cold, dead hands. At times, Aquaman is a jolly jaunt through a sacred and powerful world inhabited by both angels and demons, which throws at us a snazzy wise-cracking hero who is as likable as he is powerful. But the film is infused with Kryptonite-like power at its core; it is part eco-fable and part revenge-fantasy about a son who wants revenge against a people who had fed his mother to the horrors of the ocean deep. In a sub-plot, a king plots revenge against his half-brother whose existence he blames for the fate of their shared mother.

AQUAMAN Rana Pratap Saikia

quaman is the latest effort from the DC Extended Universe to propel their stable of heroes to the top of the pile, dethroning Marvel. Marvel’s sovereignty at the top is unquestioned, especially in light of their colossal success this year, with ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ ruling the box-office roost this year. After the disappointment of ‘Batman vs Superman’ (2016), DC has started the block-building process which took Marvel almost a decade to accomplish. The critical and commercial smash ‘Wonder

nother smartphone has been unveiled from Hong Kong-based Transsion Holdings' Infinix brand in India, the Hot S3X. This new phone comes with minor upgrades from its predecessor, the Hot S3 such as a larger display with a notch, dual rear cameras, and an improved selfie camera. This phone also comes with a slight price hike to Rs. 9,999.

Design:

The Infinix Hot S3X sports a glossy gradient back panel with a slight mirror finish. This phone is available in three colours, Ice Blue, Black and Grey options.The Hot SX3has a large 6.2-inch HD+ display panel with a resolution of 720x1500 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18.75:9. The phone has onscreen navigation buttonsbelow the display in place of capacitive or physical keys andthe 16-megapixel selfie camera, dual LED flash, and earpiece are

Woman’ (2017) was immediately followed by another dud, ‘Justice League’ (2017), so DC went back to the process of building blocks again with ‘Aquaman’, which has a lot riding on it. And to my immense surprise, this release puts them darn near close to rivals Marvel in the books of superhero movie greatness. The story begins when a mysterious fair-haired maiden washes ashore on the jagged rocks below a secluded lighthouse in Maine, only to form a bond with the lighthouse keeper, who yields her a son, Arthur. But the ocean soon devours its own, as he finds out when she is taken by force back to

Infinix Hot S3X

placed within the notch.The tray on the left can hold two Nano-SIMs and a microSD card at the same time.

Specifications:

Infinix has gone with the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC on the Hot S3X. This processor has eight Cortex-A53 CPU cores running at speeds of up to 1.4GHz, coupled with an Adreno 505 GPU. The phone has only one configuration of the Hot S3X, with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. There was only about 21GB of free space on the first boot although storage can be expanded by up to 128GB using a microSD

Jason Momoa’s Aquaman and Patrick Wilson’s Orm AKA ‘Ocean Master’ are perfect foil for each other, as is shown in the showdown between the two in a ‘ring of fire’ deep in the dark depths of Atlantis. The world of Atlantis is an embarrassment of riches and the vividly detailed visuals lend it a magical old-world charm in a digital world. Jason Momoa excels as the eponymous character with his charming wit and disarming smile. The soundtrack which tugs at the heartstrings at times and then proceeds to knock you in the gut with a thumping rock tune the next, shall leave your jaw on the floor. The twists and revelations will keep you on edge throughout. Verdict: Must-watch. n card. Infinix has opted for the 4,000mAh battery and it also supports 10W charging. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth, Micro-USB with OTG, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and GPS.

Performance and Battery life: The Infinix Hot S3X has a 4,000mAh battery, just like the Hot S3.It clocks about 11 hours and 5 minutes in the HD video loop test, compared to more than 13 hours for its predecessor. The phone charges from 0 to 100 percent in 2 hours and 10 minutes with the bundled 10W charger.

Camera:

Camera performance is one of the highlights of the Infinix Hot S3X. It has a 13-megapixel primary camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor at the back for portrait shots. The camera app offers fairly basic

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Gold Cinema Paltan Bazaar 09854066166

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Kedarnath 02:15 PM, 05:15 PM, 08:15 PM

Grande Cines Paltan Bazar 09854017771 Aquaman-3D 10:00 AM, 12:45 PM, 03:30 PM 2.0-3D 10:15 AM, 05:30 PM, 08:30 PM Kedarnath 01:00 PM, 06:15 PM, 08:45 PM Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse -ENGLISH, 3D 03:15 PM

PVR Cinemas Dona Planet 08800900009 Aquaman- ENGLISH, 3D 09:00 AM, 03:10 PM, 06:10 PM, 09:10 PM Kedarnath 10:00 AM, 03:25 PM, 06:25 PM, 09:15 PM 2.0, 3D 12:00 PM Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse -ENGLISH 12:45 PM

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controls and modes including AI Camera, Video, Beauty, Portrait, Panorama, and Night. The XOS Camera 3.0 app offers quick toggles for elements like HDR control, delayed capture, touch capture, gridlines, level, watermark, and more. The rear camera handles brightness and contrast levels well. The phone has 16-megapixel fixed-focus front camera, it takes crisp and clear selfies, but artificially whitens them. Video recording maxes out at 1080p for both cameras.

Verdict:

The Infinix Hot S3X is not a huge upgrade over the Hot S3, but rather an okay update with some modern features such as a display notch and dual cameras. It is however, lacking in terms of overall performance and user experience, but has decent cameras, a vibrant display, and a good design. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

“Rhino Express” ood days are coming for the Assamese film industry. Day by day, the industry is rising. Directors are giving their full potential for development and they are making their film in a very proper

Sinha and Rajib Borthakur. This is a full commercial film. It is full of comedy, where the audiences can get the flavour of Bollywood movies like Golmaal, Hera Pheri, etc. This is the first comedy based film in our industry till date. The shooting started on 1st of November. The film

jib Borthakur, Failung Basumatary etc. Director Sinha is one of the well-known script writers, storytellers and directors in our film industry. He has already directed three films, namely –Ruff & Tuff (a big budget movie) , Dham Dhama Dham and now, Rhino Express. His working style is quite different

manner so as to attract audiences. ‘Rhino Express’ is an upcoming Assamese feature film. The film’s story and screenplay has been written by Mani Sinha and Kumar Lodhi. The film has been directed by Mani Sinha and produced by Ajay Verma under the banner of Khusi Entertainment. The dialogues have been penned by Mani

revolves around the life of four best friends and how they used to go for outings and there, they face a lot of problems which they have to solve. The key roles in the film have been played by Vivek Bora, Siddhartha Sharma, Uddayan Duarah, Jeet Baruah, Amrita Gogoi, Ra-

from other directors. I hope his new project will be the best one, and audience all over Assam will say that we need this type of film in our industry.

Hrishikesh Sarma

Guwahati girl qualifies for final Kids Singing Reality Show

arshita Bhattacharjee, a resident of Guwahati has made it to the final of ‘Love Me India – Kids,’ a live singing reality show. The 7-year-old, who has been selected to perform in the show, is shining on the national platform music show on &tv. Harshita will be performing with her 7 co-contestants in the mega finale on 15th and 16th December from 7:30 pm and on the grand finale on 22nd and 23rd December. News of Harshita’s entry into the reality show has

Rima Das among GQ’s 50 Most Influential Young Indians of 2018’

ssam’s very own Rima Das has graced her presence in GQ’s annual, “50 Most Influential Young Indians of 2018” list. A onewoman army when it comes to filmmaking, she has written, shot and directed three feature films, which have been loved by audiences. GQ India had come up with a list last week of accomplished individuals aged 40 and under, who are pioneers of change in the country. The exhaustive list consists of actors, sportspersons, filmmakers, journalists and

her through Facebook and has urged his followers to vote for Harshita and support her.

entrepreneurs among many others. Some of the other wellknown personalities in the list include Alia Bhatt, Sandhya Menon, Prabhat Choudhury, Milthila Palkar and Simran Sethi. Rima Das shared this news on her Facebook timeline page and thanked GQ for the honour. “Village Rockstars,” her second film, has won a total of 44 awards at film festivals around the world. It has won 4 national awards, including Best Feature Film, Best Child Artist, Best Editing and Best Location Sound Recordist and it is also India’s official entry to the 2019 Oscars in the Foreign Language category. Her third film, “Bulbul Can Sing,” won the Golden Gateway prize at the Mumbai Film Festival 2018, after it premiered to a house-full audience at the Toronto International Film Festival in September this year. The lead actor of the film, Manoranjoan Das, also recently won the Silver Screen Award for “Best Performance” at the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIF Fest) this week.

Guwahati girl to debut in Bollywood movie ‘Motichoor Chaknachoor’

G caught the attention of Assam PWD Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma who has openly supported

uwahati girl, Medha Aich will make her debut in an upcoming Bollywood movie, ‘Motichoor Chaknachoor,’ directed by Debamitra Hassan. She will be seen sharing screen space with veteran actor, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and co-star, Athiya Shetty. According to reports, the film has been shot entirely in Bhopal. The film is a romantic-comedy/family drama that revolves around an odd couple. The shooting of the first schedule of the film

wrapped up in November and the entire shooting schedule of the film was wrapped up in the first week of December. She was an alumna of Tezpur University in the Department of Mass Communication & Journalism.

Tora Khasgir Fashion Foundation wins big at Miss Model of the World 2018

ora Khasgir Fashion Foundation, which is an Indian foundation catering to the fashion, entertainment and corporate industry, won big at the Miss Model of the World 2018. In November 2018, the founder of the organization, Tora Khasgir, became the first ever Indian judge to be invited to judge the world famous, “Miss Model of the World 2018” in Shenzhen. The foundation also sent an Indian representative for the competition, Miss Sonali Bhalerao from Maharashtra, where she qualified as one of the top finalists. The national outfit which was designed by Miss Yana Ngoba of Guwahati also

Tora Khasgir

Sonali Bhalerao in National Costume

Pre Judging

won the best national costume.The national costume was designed keeping in mind the dif-

ferent north-eastern tribes and was an amalgamation of their ethnicity, textile and traditional influence. Amritraj Bora, another designer whose gown was worn in the competition, also received raving reviews and was much talked about. Looking to the future, Tora Khasgir’s foundation is aiming to host the first ever national pageant competition in the northeastern region by September 2019, where prominent national and international judges will grace the event and the Diandra Soares, model and actor from Guwahati, will serve as pageant director.

20 Fun

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

Horoscope of the week Once the ruler of your Sign Mercury becomes direct in motion, it shall divert all your focus towards professional goals. Now you shall put in more efforts to make desired progress. However, things may be moving at a turtle pace and this is likely to make you anxious for the time being.

The situations at both, personal and professional front are likely to be fragile – you need to handle it with care. Businessmen shall face a tough time convincing their business partner about a new action plan to grow the business and escalate the profits. If things don’t work out, don’t push things harder to have it your way.

The week may prove to be a bit challenging for the job holders and employees. But, at the same time, it may be a good learning experience which may help you to climb up the success ladder. There may be times when you may not be able to perform as per your superiors’ expectations.

Many times, some unfavourable situations take place unknowingly, unexpectedly and you cannot do anything about it. This week, a sudden turn of events on the personal front may spoil your equations with a loved one. The difference of opinions shall possibly lead to a fall-out. However, do not hold grudges against the concerned person.

Mainly keeping yourself busy with domestic matters, this week offers a heady mix of both, personal and professional developments. A renovation or minor repair work at home shall need your immediate attention on the home front. Businessmen shall be keen to expand their business and promote various tactics to promote sales.

A new-found relationship may be a reason to cheer and rejoice. But deal cautiously as Moon connects with wily Saturn and malefic Ketu. Businessmen need to gear up and try to build contact with overseas companies for better prospects. You stand a good chance to earn a descent profit by promoting/selling an imported product in the local market.

Finance and family are likely to remain your area of concern as the week begins. In case you have been experiencing a financial crunch lately, the situation is likely to improve soon, foresees Ganesha. The presence of mighty Sun and benevolent Jupiter in your Sign signify prosperous times ahead.

Brushing up your communication skills and updating yourself with the latest technology shall be your primary agenda this week. Although Jupiter has now come out from the state of combustion, the struggle over financial issues is likely to continue. Mighty Sun and benevolent Jupiter moves through the 12th House corresponding to expenses.

You may be in search of an avenue that may earn you some extra bucks besides your regular income – to meet your expenses effortlessly. Lack of recognition, lack of acknowledging your ability and dearth of motivational people around you shall leave you unhappy and dissatisfied. This situation takes place mainly due to two malefic traversing through 12th House.

You may welcome the week on a great note as prospects on the occupational and financial front appear bright and promising! Thanks to the ruler of your Sign Jupiter, which is now out of the state of combustion. Make optimum use of this benevolent phase to accelerate your progress.

What do we measure with the Ulmer scale?

Which popular chicken snack was invented by hotelier, AM Buhari and was named so because it required a certain number of peppers to cook?

curio-city

Which famous Assamese song was first published in 1909 in the magazine, Bahi and subsequently included in the book Kadamkali?

Which country was created in the early 19th century as a settlement of American Colonization Society?

This is the logo of which organisation? Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Garfield By Jim Davis

3 6

Daily Sudoku: Fri 7-Dec-2018

very hard

4 last 8 3week 1 6 solution 7 5 2 9 5 6 1 9 2 8 7 4 3 3 4 8 6 5 9 1 2 7 7 9 2 4 3 5 1 6 8 7 5 9 2 1 4 3 6 8 1 2 4 7 5 3 8 9 6 2 1 6 7 3 8 5 4 9 8 5 9 2 1 6 3 7 4 5 2 7 9 4 1 8 3 6 6 3 7 8 4 9 2 1 5 1 6 3 5 8 7 2 9 4 9 1 8 5 7 4 6 3 2 3 68 21 79 15 57 28 49 64 3 8 29 62 44 58 31 39 77 51 6 6 3 2 4 7 5 9 8 very1hard Daily Sudoku: Fri 14-Dec-2018

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

very hard

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

Word of the week logogriph noun [law-guh-grif] an anagram, or a puzzle involving anagrams.

Crossword

Which cricketer has the record for scoring most runs in a Test Match innings in boundaries and over boundaries?

6 7 5 8 4 3 3 8 6 4 5 8 9 2 1 6 1 4 9 6 2 8 4 9 3 9 8 6 6 3 2 5 9 5 4 8 4 2 2 4 3 7 8 3 5 6 9 3 7 5 9 Daily Sudoku: Fri 14-Dec-2018

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

1. Bankability of movie stars, especially in Hollywood 2. Chicken 65 3. O Mur ApunarDesh, the Assamese state song, written by Laxminath Bezbaroa 4. John Edrich, he hit 52 FOURS AND 5 SIXES, in his innings of 310 not out against New Zealand at Headingly in 1965. 5. Liberia 6. Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

curio-city

Sudoku

Good things take time, but there are times when we lose patience and start doubting our own efforts. You may encounter something similar this week. You may want to review your strategies and look for loopholes that may not be allowing desired results.

There are times when developments and progress are in full swing, but there are days together when life seems to be stagnant; when nothing significant seems to be happening. This is one of those phase that will test your patience. Especially for professionals and businessmen, this period may prove to be highly challenging.

Across

Down

1 Buccaneer (6) 4 Thin crisp biscuit (5) 7 Tool — trounce (6) 8 Material (6) 9 North Wales resort (4) 10 Spine (8) 12 Related to breathing (11) 17 Methane (5,3) 19 Open space for recreational use (4) 20 Derived from milk (6) 21 Lying face upwards (6) 22 Fragrance (5) 23 Overbearing presumption (6)

1 Gamekeeper’s foe (7) 2 One of the legendary founders of Rome (7) 3 Pulsating (9) 4 Resounding blow (5) 5 Zeal (7) 6 Fraudulent scheme (6) 11 Communist president deposed and shot in 1989 (9) 13 Otalgia (7) 14 In writing (2,5) 15 Underpants (1-6) 16 Saunters (6) 18 Raise aloft (5)

Last week’s solution

Lifestyle

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

Best plots to buy according to direction 1. The road at west should Hemanta Kumar Sarmah have the slope from south Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su to north. This road can be Jok Acupressure specialist. equal or higher than the plot. 2. It is good to have street he first grade sites should focus at western northwest of the have a developed northeast side. It can be extended towards northern or eastern northeast by little bit or more. This can be done by reducing the northwest and southeast corners by a little bit. The southwest corner must be at 90 degrees as per compass.

Plots with road at east

1. The road on the east should slope from south to north. It should be lower than the plot. 2. It is very good if a road hits the plot at northeast from east (Street focus). 3. There should be higher buildings, hills or big structures in the south and west side.

Plots with road at north

1. The road at north should be sloping from west to east. This road should be lower than the plot. 2. Presence of a street focus at northern northeast is very good. 3. Higher buildings or hills at south and west are very good.

West facing plot

plot. 3. There should be empty space at north and east with higher buildings or hills at south and west.

South facing plot

1. The road at south should have its slope from west to east. This road can have the same or be at a higher level than the plot. 2. It is very good to have a road hitting the plot at the eastern southeast. 3. Hills and higher buildings at south and west are very good. The plot should have more vacant area at north and east.

Northeastern plots

1. A plot having roads at north

and east should be higher than the roads. 2. The roads should have their slopes towards north and east. 3. It is good to have street focus on northern northeast, eastern northeast or both. 4. Hills at south and west are very productive.

Southwestern plots

This is very good for business. The southwest corner must be set at 90 degrees. 1. The roads at south and west should be higher than the plot. The road at west should have its slope from south to north while the road at south side should the slope from west to east. 2. Street focus at western northwest and eastern southeast is very good. 3. The north and east should have more vacant space. 4. Higher buildings or hills at south and west bring good results.

Southeastern plots

1. This plot should be bigger than its neighboring plots at north and west. 2. The road at south should have its slope from west to east while the road at east should have its slope from north to south. 3. The road at south should be higher than the plot but the road at east should be equal or lower than the plot. 4. It can have a road hitting the plot at eastern northeast or southern southeast or both.

How to become a morning person A wise man, Benjamin Franklin, once said, “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” While reading inspirational quotes like these is easy, actually getting up in the morning is so much harder, especially during the winter months when all you want is to snuggle under your blanket and keep warm. However, no one can deny that being a morning person has its benefits. Here is a list of things you can do to be an early riser.

1. Get lots of natural light

Just like we humans eat, sleep and work according to a clock or time preference, similarly, our bodies also have a biological clock that facilitates its functioning. Getting natural night is important as it lets our bodies know that it is time to stop making melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep so that we can wake up and start the day.

2. Wake up when you wake up

In a world where smartphones dominate our existence, it is difficult to get away from it. But one thing you can actively do is not reach for it first thing in the morning. As you wake up, you should actually get out of bed and get moving. Lying in one’s bed and checking social media apps does not help the cause even if you are up at 5 am. The most important thing to remember is to leave your bed as soon you’re up.

3. Have a protein-rich breakfast

Eggs, yogurt, oats, idlis, uttapams, paneer dishes etc are all rich in protein. You should always try and opt for protein-rich breakfast foods as protein increases your dopamine levels which help you wake up. You should try and avoid too many carbohydratebased meals as they promote sleep, whereas protein-based meals promote wakefulness.

4. Exercise

With your busy schedule and hectic life, exercising in the morning can seem like a huge challenge. However, inculcating this habit in your daily life has major advantages. It helps lower blood pressure, reduces stress and anxiety and even helps you sleep better at night. Exercising does not only mean hitting the gym; a brisk walk, a jog or even cycling count as different forms of exercise.

Harshita Himatsingka

Recipes for Christmas

s the winter season approaches, our minds are ready for another festival, Christmas. India is a land of festivals; we celebrate all festivals here with pomp and splendor. Christmas marks the birth of Lord Jesus Christ. The celebration begins the days before Christmas eve. The Christian community participates in special masses organised in all churches across the world. The sounds of carols echo in the air, families and friends exchange gifts, la-

Shimu Dutta dies start preparing for Christmas weeks ahead of time. Christmas lunch is always grand. In India, food plays an important role. Christmas cake, fruit cake, carrot cake, cookies, rose cookies, custard, caramel custard, meat roast, pork vindaloo, pulao and so on are prepared. Christmas is celebrated in all parts of India, and it is one of the major festivals in the states of Meghalaya, Nagaland, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Goa due to the huge Christian communities living there. Method: 1.

2. 3.

Rose cookies: Ingredients required: • Plain flour - 1 cup • Sugar - 3 tbsp • Vanilla essence - 3 drops • Baking powder - 1/2 tsp • Milk - 1/2 cup or as required • A pinch of salt

First whip the egg, keep aside. Then, in a big bowl, pour the plain flour or maida, baking powder, vanilla essence, sugar and mix properly. After mixing these ingredients, add the whipped eggs. Now add the milk and whisk well. It should not be very thick, but have a smooth consistency. Keep for ten minutes. Now, in a pan, add oil when it is hot, dip the rose mould in the oil for a minute or two and then remove the rose cookie mould from the oil and dip half the mould into the batter. While dipping the mould in hot oil, the cookies cook. Loosen the cookies slightly with the help of a fork or a knife, and deep fry them until they turn golden. Now drain in an absorbent paper. Repeat the process, once it is done, you can store the cookies in an airtight container.

Caramel Custard Ingredients required: • Milk - 1/2 cup • Sugar - 3 tbsp • Eggs - 2 • Elliachi or Cardomon powder 1/2 tsp • Sugar - 4 tsp (for caramel) 1.

2. 3.

Method: First, boil the milk and sugar, (you can increase or decrease the quantity of sugar as per your requirement) and stir occasionally. Whip the eggs and keep them aside. When the milk comes to a boiling point, lower the flame and simmer for twenty minutes to thicken the milk. Now cool the milk. After that, add

the eggs and milk. These should be in room temperature. 5. Now, in another pan, add 1 tsp water in a pan and sugar in medium heat. The sugar should start bubbling and browning. Then carefully turn the pan off. Be very careful as it will be very hot. When the caramel will be evenly coated on all sides of the pan, pour the milk mixture into the container of the caramel. 6. Now in a streamer, add water and place container or a bowl and simmer for another 40/45 minutes. 7. Once the container or bowl is removed from gas, cover the top with a plate. When it cools, keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours. 8. Now place a serving dish of your choice and then place the custard on top of the container and flip it very carefully. 9. Serve it cold.

22 Buzz

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

Assam Governor meets National Integration Tour contingent

ssam Governor, Prof Jagdish Mukhi, spoke to a group of 20 girls comprising a contingent of National Integration Tour from Haflong and enlightened them of the diversities that make the northeast region a microcosm in India. The meeting was held at Raj Bhavan and lasted approximately half an hour. The Governor spoke to the group about the National Integration Tour that the contingent underwent from 1st -10th December 2018 in Bengaluru. He spoke to them about how the northeast encapsulates in miniature the characteristics of the entire country which they need to showcase and promote at the national level during the

integration tour. Governor Mukhi also spoke to the students about Assam’s rich and abundant natural resources,

human resources and its diverse heritage in the fields of culture and ethnicities. He also shared with them the central government’s vision for developing the northeast region by connecting

this area with the rest of the country and the ASEAN countries through roadways, railways, airways and water ways. He also asked the contingent members to inculcate good values and promote unity in the region and requested them to be ambassadors of peace and spread the message of peace and universal brotherhood at the national level during their integration tour. He urged them to keep their eyes firmly set on their goal and remain committed until it is attained. This National Integration Tour from Halflong to Bengaluru has been oragznised by 43 Assam Rifles under the aegis of HG 22 sector Assam Rifles/HQ Inspector General Assam Rifles (East). n

Governor inaugurates Manuscript Conservation Centre

ssam Governor, Prof Jagdish Mukhi inaugurated a Manuscript Conservation Centre at KK Handique Govt Sanskrit College on December 8, 2018. During the inauguration, he said that the Manuscript Conservation Centre came to be because of the collaboration between the Heritage Conservation Society, Assam and National Manuscript Mission, Govt of India, and it would go a long way in conserving the manuscripts. He also focused on the fact that the preservation and conservation of these manuscripts is very important because they are an important source of past information regarding social, religious, historical, cultural, economical and spiritual developments. Presently, due to different reasons like mishandling of the manuscripts by people, indifferent attitude, environmental adversaries such as atmospheric pollution,

flood, fire, earthquake etc, the manuscripts are under tremendous threat. In view of this, a scientific preservation and conservation is of paramount importance. Prof Mukhi also said that India

boasts of a wealth of manuscripts which contain the “memory of the world.” Featuring hundreds of themes, India’s manuscripts represent a large repository of records concerning its history, anthropology, economics and of course its politics. In India, manuscripts have been preserved for thousands of years which are the embodiment of its history.

However today, thousands of manuscripts lie neglected in institutions and homes around the country and they are in an urgent need of conservation. The Governor said that the new Manuscript Conservation Centre will address the scientific conservation of the vast source of manuscripts and also hopes that the newly inaugurated centre will take care of the scientific conservation of the manuscript in the region. He further stressed for awareness programmes in different parts of the country. Education Minister, Siddhartha Bhattacharya, was present on the occasion and he also highlighted the importance of manuscripts and its role in our ancient culture. Chief Advisor of Heritage Conservation Society of Assam, Himanshu Shekhar Das and President of Asom Satra Mahasabha, Jitendra Nath Pradhani also spoke on the occasion. n

Inter IIT Chess Meet 2018 comes to a close

he 4th edition of the Inter IIT Chess Meet 2018 was held at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati from 5th to 10th December, 2018. A total of 90 players, comprising 15 teams participated in this 7-round Swiss League Team Championship. The participating contestant teams were from IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Roorkee, IIT Madras, IIT Guwahati, IIT Kanpur, IIT Bhubaneshwar, IIT Hyderabad, IIT BHU Varanasi, IIT Dharwad, IIT Goa, IIT ISM Dhan-

bad, IIT Bhilai, IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Patna. Students from IIT Bombay emerged champions, while last year’s champions, IIT Kharagpur were runners up and host IIT Guwahati was placed as second runners up in the championship. This tournament was supported by the Assam Chess Club and FIDE Arbiter, Biswajit Bharadwaj was the chief arbiter of the event. The following prizes were given for the board prize winners: Board 1: Shaurya Pandey (IIT BOMBAY), Board 2: M.Y. Aditya (IIT

BHU), Board 3: Harshit Sharma (IIT GUWAHATI), Board 4: Amogha H.A (IIT BOMBAY), BOARD 5: Ankit Sinha (IIT BHU) and BOARD 6: Abhijaat Kotamkar (IIT Kanpur). n

Impact Week Guwahati to be held from Dec 12-Dec 20

press meet was held on December 11, 2018 at the Guwahati Press Club for the beginning of Impact Week, organised by Indian Institution of Entrepreneurship (IIE) in collaboration with the German Design Thinking team. The ‘Designing Thinking’ workshop is essentially a boot camp for budding entrepreneurs and will be held from December 12 - December 20, 2018. The event will be held at the IIE campus in Guwahati. At the press meet, the experts from the German Design Thinking team along with faculty representatives from IIE briefed the public about the event and the sessions along with activities that have been planned for the event. Impact Week is a 1-week experience that fosters intercul-

tural exchange and creates impact through innovation & entrepreneurship by adopting

design thinking. The main team members of this workshop are Jochen Guertler, Michael Koegel and Eve Ce. Before coming to Guwahati, the design thinking team had conducted workshops in Delhi in October and other countries such as Kigali in Rwanda andBogota in Columbia in September. n

18 schools participate in Spin-A-Tale inter-school storytelling competition

he Headway Intel Club,a platform to enhance creative writing skills, vocabulary, expression, public speaking and current affairs, organized a storytelling competition, Spin-A-tale on 9th December 2018. The competition was held for students from Classes IIIX, at Vivekananda Kendra, Guwahati. More than 100 students from

18 schools in Guwahati participated in the event. Unicef awardee, Mitra Phukan, who has authored several books for children in English and is a classical vocalist, was the main judge of the children’s performance. Other guests of honor for the event include Shri Krishnanajan Chanda and Shri Ashutosh Agarwal. For the competition, the participants were divided into three groups. Group A included students from Classes VIII and IX. Their theme was, “Great lives and stories of wit and wisdom.” Group B consisted of students from classes V to VII. For them, the theme was, “Folk tales and stories about spirits and genies.” And lastly, Group C had students from Classes II to IV, who had the theme, “Fantasy world or fairy tales.”

The first prize in Group A went to Jewelika Saha of South Point School and the second prize went to Manjim Prakash Sharma of the same school. Jananjay Deb, also of South Point School, was given the award for “Most Confident Storyteller” in Group A. Ishana Jain of St Mary’s Maligaon, won the “Best Story Award” in Group A. “The Best Story-Teller” in Group B was Sunniva Das of Holy Child School. The “Most Interactive Story Teller” award was given to Nishka Agarwal of Maria’s Public School. The “Most Confident Storyteller” in Group B was Taksin Siddique, also of Maria’s Public School. Vairaj Gohain of DPS Khanapara won the first prize in Group B, while the second prize went to Rashmika Poddar of South Point School. The “Best Story” in Group C was told by Tanya Gaur of Little Flower School, from Himachal Pradesh. Diya Sarawgi of Royal Global School was the “Youngest Impressive Storyteller” and Aayan Shandilya of Don Bosco emerged as the “Most Interactive Story-Teller.” Dona Thakuria of Maria’s Public School was awarded the prize of “Most Confident Story-Teller.” The first prize in Group C went to Aahan Adit Mazumdar, Maria’s Public School while Aditi Choudhury, of Vivekananda English School, got the second prize. n

Events

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

Date: December 1- December 11 The North East Biking Expedition, which is part of the Hornbill Festival was underway from December 1 until December 11. It was hosted by TrekDiTours and the circuit covered four states, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur and Nagaland. They started the trip from Guwahati and went on to Kaziranga. They ended their travels back in Guwahati on December 11.

Event: North East Biking Expedition, Hornbill Festival

Date: 8 December, 2018 Event: Music and Stand-up comedy night at India Club

India Club in association with Sterling Reserve Project hosted a musical talent from Bollywood, Vasuda Sharma and the hilarious stand-up comedian, Anshu Mor at India Club.

Indian supermodel Diandra Soares (Centre) posing with Tora Khasgir (2nd Right) and aspiring models from Guwahati at an event held in the city on Saturday, December 8.

Dancers at the Hornbill Festival 2018

24 Catching Up

G PLUS | Dec 15 - Dec 21, 2018

PIC OF THE