G Plus Vol 7 Issue 10 by G Plus

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INSIDE

Volume 07 | Issue 10 Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020 Price `10 2019: A look back at the major stories of Assam

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2019 proves to be the biggest year for Assamese cinema

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BJPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meteoric rise set to falter in Assam, NE post forceful CAA implementation

t7 Events to look out for in 2020

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GHY GULPS 1.36 CRORE LITRES OF LIQUOR TILL NOVEMBER 2019 PG: 04

The big question: How popular is the BJP government today? Full Story PG-05

The CAA fallout: Who rose to prominence and who fell from grace?

Cover Story

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

No sips, only GULPS in 2019! Ghy downs 1.36 crore litres of liquor till November last 20% increase in consumption of liquor in Guwahati

howing an increasing trend in the liquor consumption habit of the city, the data procured from the Kamrup (Metro) Excise Superintendent’s office reveals that the city, till 30th November 2019, consumed 1,35,95,905 litres of liquor. One bottle measures 750 ml and in one case there are 12 bottles. One case is measured as 9 bulk litres which is nine litres. A source in the excise department, talking to G Plus said, “There is an increase in the consumption of liquor in Guwahati.” He revealed

that there is around 20% increase in the consumption of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) and around 50% increase in the consumption of beer. From 1st January to 30th November 2019, Guwahati has consumed 76,27,281 litres of IMFL and 59,68,624 litres of beer. Between January and October 2018, Guwahati had consumed 46,74,083 bulk litres of beer whereas the IMFL consumption was recorded at 68,27,587 bulk litres. But comparing the data from the previous financial year the excise department discovered that trend of consumption of beer is on the rise in Guwahati.

Liquor consumption data of Guwahati

G Plus News @guwahatiplus

April to March 2015-16 2016-17 2017 -18 2018 – 19 Jan 2019 - November

IMFL (in litres) 7908052 7972513 5053739 5936259 7627281

Beer (in litres) 3216690 3157267 2783685 4195259 5968624

Total (in litres) 11124742 11129780 7837424 10131518 13595905

Looking at the data the consumption was more in 2015-16 and 2016-17 but it reduced in 2017-18. In 2018-19 there was a slight increase, but this year the increase is huge.

Liquor consumption in (January to November) 2019 IMFL – 7627281 litres | Beer – 5968624 litres Total – 13595905 litres

31% increase in excise revenue The excise department has approximately registered 31% increase in the revenue generation. Between April and November 2019-20, the excise department generated Rs 2,97,61,69,635 and in 2018-19 (April to November), the excise department generated Rs

2,26,74,13,903. “There is an increase of 31% in the excise revenue from Guwahati,” said a source in the excise department. In the year 2017-18, the Guwahati excise generated Rs 1,88,99,67,672. According to excise department sources the excise department

generates around Rs 1 crore as revenue per day these days in Guwahati. During the recent bandhs the excise department incurred a loss of around Rs 5 crores as revenue from liquor sales. The bars and wine stores were closed.

Lighter and faster

Around 65 bars to serve Scanliquor the till QR12code midnight on 31st Dec Get the G Plus app Around 65 bars will be serving liquor till 12 am on 31st December for the New Year celebrations. A source in the excise department said, “There are 35 bars which have permanent license of serving liquor till 12

midnight every day.” For New Year’s celebration around 35 bars have applied for special permission and around 30 bars will get the temporary license. There are 313 wine shops and 183 bars in the city. The excise

department has asked all the bar owners to install CCTV cameras and the entry and exit points of the bars should not be chaotic. Many teams have been formed by the district administration to

| G Plus photo keep patrolling the city on 31st December. With the amended excise law, people drinking in public places will be prosecuted and penalised.

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With the protest like situation in the city, the excise teams will monitor the entire city with the help of the police to avoid any untoward situation.

City

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

Europe most preferred vacation destination in 2019 for Guwahatians Barasha Das @guwahatiplus

urope was the most preferred the vacation destination for Guwahatians in 2019, leading travel operators

said. The recent trend showed that there is a steady increase of travellers from Guwahati to destinations mostly in Europe and Asia. G Plus checked out some of the

leading travel agencies of the city, seeking the most preferred travel destinations of Guwahatians in 2019. Agencies having a global presence like SOTC and Thomas Cook have marked Europe as the most preferred in group packages. European package tours including the UK and Western European countries like Switzerland, Finland, Belgium, France, etc. are the most frequented destinations. However, the local travel agencies have said Thailand to be the most liked foreign destination followed by Singapore, Malaysia,

Most preferred destinations from LGBI Airport, Guwahati • Western Europe starting from Rs. 1,36,000 • Singapore packages starting from Rs. 46,000 • Bali packages from Rs. 50,000 • Dubai starting from Rs. 49,000 • Bhutan starting from Rs. 40,000

and Dubai. A local travel agent has said that Guwahatians have developed a craze for cruise tours mostly in Singapore. Vietnam-Cambodia packages are an increasing trend after the launch of the direct Guwahati to Bangkok flights by the Thailand based carrier Nok Air. Amongst the shorthold destinations, Bali, Mauritius, and Maldives are mostly chosen. Bhutan is fast emerging on the most preferred list. Low-cost travel packages have sparked a travel craze even amongst the average Guwahatian to international destinations. Of the domestic tours booked this year, Andaman followed by Kerala, Goa and Shimla, Manali. According to a report, higher disposable income, better airconnectivity

and social media reach have led to an increase in the number of outbound tourists from smaller cities. A growth of around 1820 percent is expected in the visa application numbers from non-metro cities in 2019 against 2018, according to experts. According to the visa processing company VFS Global, tier-2 cities have contributed significantly to the growth in outbound travel from India. In 2018, 20 percent of total visa applications in India

were from tier-2/3 cities such as Pune, Puducherry, Jaipur, Kochi and Guwahati. Over a two-year period (20162018), there was double the number of visa applications from smaller metros and tier-2/3 cities.

4 Politicking

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

The CAA fallout: Who rose to

prominence and who fell from grace? 2019 will be marked as a year of gains and losses on the political landscape which made many prominent leaders come out and shine among the citizens of Assam, while a few of them had to bite the dust as far as their popularity was concerned as they could not match up to the expectations of the masses. Such was the turn of events during 2019.

All Assam Students’ Union or AASU’s General Secretary, Lurinjyoti Gogoi has been vocal with regard to the student body’s stand on CAA. AASU headed by Lurinjyoti Gogoi began intensifying the agitation programme against inclusion of illegal immigrants through the controversial Act and started facilitating the participation of all sections of people. Gogoi, who hails from Dibrugarh, is continuing with the protest against the CAA and being the voice of the voiceless that has emanated from the mass turmoil in Assam with the passage of the Bill into an Act. Gogoi said that the indigenous people of Assam will not live as second-class citizens. “The Centre has forcefully imposed the CAA on Assam without the consent of its people. Anti-CAA protests will continue till the law is scrapped.” It is to be mentioned that AASU is best known for leading the six-year Assam Movement against illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

and support it garners from the people make it powerful. If the government really wants to douse the fire burning in the hearts of the Assamese, it can do so just by cancelling the CAA. Peace will be restored in the state on its own.” Meanwhile, the AASU, which is leading the agitation against the amended citizenship act, and various locals have been describing those killed during the agitation as “martyrs.” Earlier in 2005, Bhattacharya formed an organisation named “Asom Sena” - a vigilante wing of All Assam Students’ Union in Assam with the Shiv Sena as its role model for the cause of social justice and reformation of the indigenous people of and within the state. Although, its chief organizer is Lakshman Das and convener is Niranjan Nath, the prime architect of the outfit is Samujjal Bhattacharya, a long time advisor to AASU. According to Samujjal Bhattacharya, “The Asom Sena will function as a front of the AASU and Asom Unnati Sabha. The deprivation of local youths in matters of appointment in various departments of the governments both in New Delhi and Dispur (Guwahati) will be a major issue to be taken up by Asom Sena. The volunteers of Asom Sena will never pursue violent activities and remain as a non-political group though it may adopt a radical stand if needed on the issues of regional interests.”

Samujjal Bhattacharya

Akhil Gogoi

Samujjal Bhattacharya, the Chief Advisor of AASU, which spearheaded anti-CAA movement in Assam, rose to greater popularity since January 2019 when the then Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha. In protest against the CAA, Bhattacharya said, “Those leaders who’ve disrupted peace in the state are now taking out peace processions in the state. Who has created the current unrest in the state? The fire of CAA burns the heart of every Assamese. We need to give them a befitting reply. We can do so by protesting in a peaceful and well-disciplined manner. The AASU is an organization without any commander. The suggestions

The peasant leader and RTI activist, Akhil Gogoi, came into national attention after he was awarded the Shanmugam Manjunath Integrity Award in 2008 for his fight against corruption. Gogoi attended Cotton College and served as the general secretary of the college students’ union. Soon, he joined the United Revolutionary Movement Council of Assam (URMCA), a mass organisation of CPI-MLPCC under the leadership of naxalite leader Santosh Rana. However, by the end of the 1990s, he broke off with Rana and devoted himself as an editor of Natun Padatik, an independent Marxist journal published in

Atiqul Habib @guwahatiplus

The Highs G Plus tried to filter out a few names of the leaders who may have gained amidst the much hyped Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Lurinjyoti Gogoi

The CAA has had its share of ‘victims’ so to say. Some rose to prominence, others have seen their popularity shrinking. Assamese, along with Dr Hiren Gohain. Later in 2005, Akhil Gogoi formed Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) which works on a diverse range of issues from public distribution system (PDS) thefts, non-implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), land rights, governmental and corporate corruption, Right to Information Act (RTI) and construction of big dams in fragile seismic territories of northeast India. Currently, following the CAA outbreak, the peasant leader was vocal against the BJP-led state and Centre government for the implementation of CAA. Although Gogoi started the protest in a peaceful manner in Jorhat along with its members and citizen, the state government arrested him. The NIA alleged that Gogoi merged KMSS with Revolutionary Communist Centre (RCC) in 2009 and has involvement with the Maoists. Gogoi was taken into 10 days’ NIA custody and is currently in judicial custody for 14 days awarded by a special court here in Guwahati. It is to be mentioned that Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti is one of the most powerful organisations of present day Assam.

The Lows With the highs there are also the lows for a few of the politicians in 2019. Some of the leaders who were loved by the masses had a major slip when it came to harbouring expectations from them.

Himanta Biswa Sarma

From being a former close aide of Tarun Gogoi and now second in charge of Assam’s BJP government, Assam State Finance Minster and North-East

Democratic Alliance (NEDA) Convener, Himanta Biswa Sarma had a topsy-turvy year 2019 when it came to citizens’ verdict. The “Son of the Soil” Himanta Biswa became a popular politician from the days he was in the Congress regime and later separated to join Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to fulfil the people’s mandate. Of late here has had to bear a lot of criticism. Himanta Biswa, the most vocal supporter of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Assam, is now part of several peaceful rallies that are trying to educate people on the virtues of CAA. In a rally in Barpeta, Sarma said, “Those leading the antiCAA protests are spreading misinformation that crores of Bangladeshis will come to Assam from Bangladesh and get citizenship under the Act. Some are claiming that 1.2 crore will come while others are saying 2.5 crore people will come. But there is no such Hindu population in Bangladesh. A maximum of four lakh people will apply for citizenship through CAA. The number will not go beyond that. But those opposed to CAA are spreading rumours.” Sarma, who is considered the chief architect of BJP’s success in Assam, was looked upon by the citizens as a politician who can bring in revolution in terms of opportunity and social security. However, a section of the people including local organisations is considering the CAA to be against the people’s mandate and that it should not have been done. In May 2016, Sarma won from the Jalukbari constituency for the fourth consecutive term to become MLA again and was sworn in as Cabinet Minister on 24th May. He has been allotted portfolios like Finance, Health & Family Welfare, Education, Planning & Development, Tourism, Pension & Public Grievances.

Sarbananda Sonowal Embraced by the citizens of the state as the “Jatiya Nayak,” (Leader of the Community) Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal is on the brink of political disaster for what is being termed as “betrayal.” CM Sonowal’s failure either to prevent the passing of the contentious Citizenship

(Amendment) Bill, 2019 — that allows Indian citizenship for non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan — in the Parliament or to mark any significant protest against it has been viewed by many as an act of betrayal of the people who voted him to power. Having served as the president of the All Assam Students’ Union which he had held from 1992-99, CM Sonowal’s ideology faded away after joining active politics. The Jatiya Nayak, a title that was lovingly accorded to him by the Assamese society for being the petitioner in the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act, 1983 (IMDT Act) case that was struck down by the Supreme Court on 12th July, 2005, the rise and fall of his esteem in the public eye has been mercurial.

Atul Bora BJP ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) leader, Atul Bora who once stood for the people of Assam and promised to protect the indigenous people of Assam has also fallen heavily in the eyes of the people of Assam. Earlier in January 2019, when the CAA was first tabled in Lok sabha, AGP had snapped ties with the BJP over ideological differences. Speaking to media Bora had said, “We made a last ditch attempt today to convince the Centre not to pass the Bill. But Singh told us clearly that it will be passed in Lok Sabha tomorrow. After this, there is no question of remaining in the alliance.” Although Agriculture Minister and Asom Gana Parishad chief Atul Bora, Water Resources Minister Keshav Mahanta and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Phanibhushan Choudhury had submitted their resignations to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at the state secretariat in Assam capital Guwahati, later Bora said the AGP takes its decisions based on its “ideologies” and the renewal alliance with the BJP was taken considering the “changing circumstances.” The AGP has been facing flak from various sections after renewing its alliance with the BJP, though the latter has not changed its stance on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and said that they will fight in the Apex Court.

Lead Story

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

BJPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meteoric rise set to falter in Assam, NE post forceful CAA implementation From Page 01 G Plus Bureau @guwahatiplus

he meteoric rise of the BJP in the northeastern states of India, specifically in Assam since 2014 when Modi wave swept across the country on the poll plank of development, presently stands on the verge of collapse as the fault lines have opened up on the issues of citizenship and National Register of Citizens (NRC). The northeastern states, especially Assam, erupted in anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests and set the tone for the countrywide protests against the contentious act. BJP in Assam and other northeastern states tried to put up a brave front with Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma the crisis manager going hammer and tongs against the protestors and pushing up a case of colouring the agitators with one paint. Notably, Sarma was instrumental in the rise of the saffron brigade in the region

also became an active player in forming the government. The party followed up with its strategy of creating a homogenous political identity in a region which is diversified to its core. The saffron brigade started to push its mentor, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanghâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (RSS) ideology in every sphere of life and the biggest friction started with the introduction of Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB). The bill united the entire social and regional political class against it as the locals feared that the passage of the bill will pave the way for illegal migrants in the region to become Indian citizens which will change the demography completely. Since then Assam has been on the cusp of a long drawn agitation. BJP put off the bill before the parliamentary elections, and came out with flying colours. The party somehow took the mandate as consent of the people to go ahead with the controversial bill. But as it was passed in Parliament nearly a fortnight back, the fissures started to appear much more socially and the political class of opposition fished in the troubled waters. Spontaneous protests in Assam

Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma | File photo displaying his invincibility in politics in the seven states where state after state went into the BJPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bag. A graphical comparison of the political map during the period 2014-19 will give a clear picture of the situation with the BJP storming to power at the Centre in 2014 followed it up by winning a series of state assembly elections across the country. In 2016, the BJP conquered Assam forming its first government in the region which was untouched by it since independence. Then Manipur and Tripura happened. In Mizoram and Meghalaya the saffron brigade

against the Citizenship Act took an ugly turn as the ruling class remained defiant on the their stand on the bill. The electoral arithmetic for the saffron brigade still remains intact as they have taken into their fold the regional parties like Asom Gana Parishad which is its ally in the Assam government. The key strategist of the party Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is in the forefront of negating the agitation, tried to counter it by setting political narratives on the lines of ideology of his party. The assembly elections are still two years away and senior BJP leaders are taking that chance

A scene from Latasil Playground on 12th December during the curfew clampdown and subsequent protests | G Plus photo and putting up a tough stance in line with its party high command at Delhi over the citizenship and NRC. But the public mood appears to be on a different path. How much effect this will have on the electoral politics remains to be seen. Politics is all about game of numbers, and whether the anger of protestors against the BJP government in the state will translate into anti votes remains to be seen. However, if the signals emanating from the public mood in Assam are anything to go by, it looks like BJP is bracing for a tough fight ahead.

6 New Year Special

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

2019: A look back at the

major stories of Assam Atiqul Habib @guwahatiplus

019 has been a strange year for Assam as regards its political events, sports, entertainment and other spheres of life. G Plus tried to narrow down the events which made headlines in 2019 and which indeed will leave a lasting impression in 2020. While the year started with the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill being passed in the Lok Sabha which say the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) calling for an Assam Bandh for the first time in 10 long years, it progressed to the national general elections - the event of choosing our leaders to represent us in the Lok Sabha. It is to be mentioned that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) swept the Lok Sabha polls in Assam by securing nine of the total 14 seats in the state surpassing its 2014 tally. In the run-up to the threephase polls, the party was able to retain Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Gauhati, Lakhimpur, Mangaldoi and Tezpur, besides bagging Autonomous District (ST), Silchar and Karimganj. It may also be mentioned that in the prestigious Gauhati seat, BJP’s Queen Oja, a former Guwahati mayor, trounced the Congress candidate Bobbeeta Sharma by 3,45,606 votes.

ULFA Bomb Blast At least six people were injured on the evening of May 15 when a grenade exploded outside a mall on Zoo Road in Guwahati, Assam. Injured persons were taken Gauhati Medical College & Hospital. Terror group ULFA’s faction led by Paresh Baruah had claimed responsibility for the attack. At least 12 people, including two SSB personnel and a woman, were injured in the grenade blast in front of a shopping mall in the heart of the city. Two people riding a motorcycle hurled the grenade in front of the shopping mall located at the arterial RG Baruah Road (Zoo Road), just opposite the state zoo around 8 pm. Later, the Guwahati Police arrested a person acting as a “sleeper cell” of the ULFA and a woman accomplice for their role in the grenade blast. The police identified the woman as author and actress,

Jahnabi Saikia. The police also recovered 20 kgs of gunpowder, one 9 mm pistol, 25 rounds of live ammunition, ULFA documents, mobile phones and other “incriminating materials” from their rented accommodation at Panjabari locality in the city. Currently all the accused lodged in the Guwahati Central Jail.

Shweta Agarwal murder case

A local court in Guwahati, on August 3, awarded death sentence to a man for burning alive a fellow college student Shweta Agarwal in 2017. The fast-track court of Kamrup also awarded life term to his mother and sister for murder, tampering of evidence and criminal conspiracy. Sessions Judge Aparesh Chackraborty convicted Govind Singhal, his mother Kamala Devi and sister Bhawani on July 30 for the murder of Shweta, the state topper in commerce stream of class 12 examinations in 2015. Pronouncing the quantum of punishment, the judge said that Singhal killed the woman in a premeditated cold-blooded manner. Her charred body was found in the washroom of Singhal’s house at Bharalumukh area in Guwahati on December 4, 2017. Singhal and Agarwal were students of the same college and he had brought her to their residence after her exam.

Hima Das wins 5 gold medals

Indian sprinter Hima Das extended her sensational form by claiming her fifth gold of the

month as she returned to her pet 400 m competition in the month of July 2019. It was Hima’s fifth gold medal since July 2 when she ran her first competitive race in Europe. In her first competitive 200 m race of the year, she clocked 23.65 seconds on her way to gold at the Poznan Athletics Grand Prix in Poland on July 2. After that, she won her second 200 m gold at the Kutno Athletics Meet, also in Poland, on July 7 with a timing of 23.97 seconds. On July 13, she won her third 200 m gold at the Kladno Athletics Meet in Czech Republic with a timing of 23.43 seconds while her fourth gold came at the Tabor Athletics Meet in the same country on Wednesday. It was the first competition in 400 m for the 19-year-old from Assam, fondly called the “Dhing Express,” in the 400 m event since she struggled to finish the Asian Athletics Championship in April this year because of a back issue.

Film maker Rima Das wins National Film Award

Director Rima Das’s “Bulbul Can Sing” won the National Award for the Best Feature Film in Assamese in the Regional Language Film Category at the 66th National Film Awards. The critically acclaimed film also won the Best Indie Film at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) in Victoria, Australia. The director, speaking to media said, “(I’m) Very happy that Bulbul Can Sing is awarded the National

Film for Best Assamese Film. I am all smiles since Shah Rukh Khan broke this news here at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. Thanks to God and the universe for National Film Award for the second year in a row. May I have the strength to keep making the films that touch people’s hearts. Special thanks to my family and the team for their unwithering support and love.”

Final NRC Published

The National Register of Citizens (NRC) with individual statuses of all the 3.30 crore applicants was published online in September 2019. All the individuals in Assam, who were a part of the Assam NRC exercise meant to root out the illegal immigrants from the state, were able to check their status on the official website of NRC. A total of 3,30,27,661 persons had applied for inclusion of their names in the updated list of NRC Assam. However, more than 19 lakh people in Assam were excluded from the final list of the NRC that was released by the government on August 31, while over three 3.11 crore persons were included. Meanwhile, the state BJP government said that it does not accept the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the final version of which was published on August 31 with over 19 lakh exclusions. “If the Supreme Court accepts our demand of 20 per cent reverification in border districts, we (Assam) don’t need a national one. We are sure lots of mistakes will be found out in the re-verification process,” state finance minister

Himanta Biswa Sarma said at a press conference. Meanwhile, the Assam government had earlier submitted an affidavit in the apex court praying for re-verification of 20 per cent names in the draft NRC in border districts, but the plea was denied.

The passage of Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)

The Rajya Sabha, in December 2019, passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which seeks to give citizenship to nonMuslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The Bill had been tabled in the Rajya Sabha by Home Minister Amit Shah. With a majority of 125 to 99 the Rajya Sabha passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill after a marathon debate that extended for more than six hours. Meanwhile, Assam and some other parts of the northeast saw violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill. Protests in Assam against the Citizenship Amendment Bill have seen huge numbers of students joining and were so powerful that the Indian army was called in. Internet services had to be suspended in 10 districts of Assam and curfew imposed in main city Guwahati. It is to be mentioned that most Opposition parties and a fairly large number of activists have vehemently opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act of the Narendra Modi government.

New Year Special

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

Newly added attractions of Guwahati in 2019 Amar Jyoti Das @guwahatiplus

he fastest growing city in the Northeastern IndiaGuwahati added several new attractions for the public in 2019. The gateway to the northeast is amongst the fastest developing cities of the country and its accomplishments in terms of architectural development prove it. From the construction of one of the biggest malls in the region to a road made of recycled plastic, here is a list of some of the infrastructural developments that the city witnessed in 2019.

Last Gate Clock Tower

Guwahati got its first ever Clock Tower at the Last Gate roundabout in Guwahati, which has been constructed by the Guwahati City Lions Club and Park Panorama with the help of Assam PWD. The estimated value of the project was Rs 22 lakhs. It is to be mentioned that Assam Engineering College also has a clock tower inside the campus. However, this clock tower at the Last Gate is the first to be installed in a public place.

Tunnel to connect old and new High Court buildings

For ease of communication between the old Gauhati High Court building and new High Court building, tunnel costing Rs 22 crores was inaugurated on March 12. The then Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, Justice AS Bopanna, inaugurated the tunnel. The length of the tunnel is around 40 feet. It is connected on both sides with escalators for which imported technology has been used to ensure the tunnel remains waterproof.

Gandhi Udyan

Commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Guwahati District Administration and Guwahati Smart City Limited, on October 2, opened the Gandhi Udyan. Built at a cost of Rs 2.56 crores, the park was inaugurated by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The beautiful park has a bridge, a platform and a pathway for the visitors.

City Centre Mall

Located in the heart of the city

at Christian Basti, City Centre Mall has space for everything. The total built up area, along with the retail space, is the ultimate USP of the mall. The mall has anchor space of around 35,000 sq. ft., over 10,000 sq. ft. of space for entertainment, 3-4 identical spaces of 2,0003,300 sq. ft. each for F&B and also a food court built over 25,000 sq. ft. It also has 12 counters and a seating capacity of 500+ people.

Electrocity - The largest electronics store

Housed in an area spreading 8,000 sq. ft., ‘Electrocity’ is undoubtedly the happening destination for all your electronic and home appliance needs in Guwahati. The store was opened in October and it is a breakthrough initiative to set new benchmarks in the way consumers interact and purchase home appliances in the city. All products are showcased under their respective brands in a format that simulates a shop-in-shop scenario with well trained and knowledgeable staff on hand. The categories Electrocity caters to include – phones, entertainment, home appliance, kitchen appliance and accessories.

Guwahati’s first cycle track

In a bid to make the city more environmentally friendly, the state government constructed the first bicycle lane for cyclists in Dakhingaon area. With several citizens becoming environmentally and health-conscious, this stretch will give people the pleasure of cycling, without the chaos and danger of doing so on the roads. It is to be mentioned that a cycle track is also being constructed

inside the ‘TECH CITY’ in Mirza, Guwahati.

First road made of recycled plastic

In line with the central government’s mission against single use plastic and initiative to reduce, reuse and recycle plastic waste, 1.24 MT of waste plastic was used to construct a road in Narangi Military Station. This ambitious project was undertaken at Narangi Military Station where approximately 1.24 MT of waste plastic has been used to construct a road using the technology. In this technology, the

CM Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurating the Gandhi Udyan | G Plus photo road is constructed by mixing shredded plastic waste with heated bitumen. This is a green technology which aims

to reduce menace of plastic waste on one hand and improve the durability of the roads on the other.

8 New Year Special

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

2019 proves to be the biggest year for Assamese cinema days. Within a week of its release, Ratnakar became the highest gross for any Assamese movie in a week and earned Rs 3.31 crores. Currently, Ratnakar tops the list of all time highest grossing Assamese films with a total of Rs 9.25 crore and is still running in the theatres.

Gunjan Sharma @guwahatiplus

rom Joymati, the first Assamese film to Pratighaat, the last released Assamese film in 2019, the Assamese film industry aka Jollywood has come a long way. No doubt the growth of Jollywood has been slow paced, yet it has given the world some simple but noteworthy cinema. 2018 raised the bar of Assamese cinema with films like Village Rockstars, Xhoixobote Dhemalite and Bhoga Khirikee to name a few. Apart from winning big at the 65th National Film Awards and various national and international awards, Village Rockstars also became India’s official nomination for Oscars in the ‘Foreign Language Film’ category in 2018. Xhoixobote Dhemalite received awards for Best Film, Best Actress and Best Music at the 3rd Love International Film Festival in Los Angeles, US and also became the first Assamese film to release in the US. Similarly, 2019 has been no exception. The year has seen some of the high grossing Assamese films along with a few internationally acclaimed hits that are reaching global audiences, being screened at international film festivals and receiving numerous awards. With the end of 2019, we look back at some of the big commercial and aesthetic hits of the year!

Kanchanjangha

Written and directed by Zubeen Garg, Kanchanjangha is an action drama film. The story revolves around Anirban, an ambitious rebellious young guy who fights against the system and society. The cast includes Zubeen Garg and Pabitra Rabha in the lead role, Pinki Sharma, Sasanka Samir, Dhritiman Phukan, and Atanu Bhuyan among others. Released on 5th September, Kanchanjangha became the fastest Assamese film to cross the Rs 1 crore mark in just 4 days. Within a week of its release the film also crossed the Rs 2 crore mark. Overall, the film collected Rs 5.12 crores and stands among the list of top commercial hits of the Assamese film industry.

Bulbul Can Sing

Rima Das’s Bulbul Can Sing is an Assamese drama film based on the life of a teenage girl, Bulbul and her friends living in a village in Assam, fighting their

Aamis

Rima Das interacting with media prior to the premiere show of Bulbul Can Sing | G Plus photo

In 2019, 14 Assamese films were publicly released and Xoixobote Dhemalite was re-released in the beginning of the year. Sl no.

Date of release

Name of Film

Director

January 4

Bhaworiya

Biswajit Kalita

March 1

Kokaideu Bindaas

Dhruva J. Bordoloi

March 15

Rongeen

Shankar Borua

March 22

Kaaneen

Monjul Baruah

March 29

Seema - The Untold Story

Hiren Bora

May 3

Bornodi Bhotiai

Anupam Kaushik Borah

September 6

Kanchanjangha

Zubeen Garg

September 20

Bulbul Can Sing

Rima Das

October 11

Ratnakar

Jatin Bora

November 1

Rowd Hoy Aha Tumi

Topon Bordoloi

November 8

Astittwa

Mirza Arif Hazarika

November 15

EpaarXipaar

Pranabjyoti Bharali

November 22

Aamis

Bhaskar Hazarika

December 6

Pratighaat

Achinta Shankar

way through life and finding their own identities. Written and directed by Rima Das, the film was officially released in Assam on 20th September before its panIndia release on September 27. Among other awards, Bulbul Can Sing has also won the National Award for the Best Feature Film in Assamese in the Regional Language Film Category at the 66th National Film Awards. The film has also won the Best Indie Film at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) in

Victoria, Australia. Das’s film was also screened at the Toronto Film Festival and Berlin Film Festival. The cast of Bulbul Can Sing includes Arnali Das, Banita Thakuriya, Manoranjan Das, Manabendra Das and Pakija Begam.

Ratnakar

Ratnakar: A New Myth of Love is an Assamese action, drama and romantic film written by Abhijit Bhattacharjya and directed by Jatin Bora.

Inspired by the 2016 Tamil film ‘Theri,’ the story of Ratnakar revolves around the struggle of a single father and the bond he shares with his daughter. The cast of Ratnakar includes Jatin Bora and Barsha Rani Bishaya in lead roles, Nishita Goswami, Pabitra Bora, Chetana Das, Sanjeev Hazarika as supporting cast. Ashramika Saikia features as the child artist. The film hit the theatres on 11th October and instantly became a hit. It earned Rs 90.5 lakhs in 2

Aamis is an Assamese thriller film written and directed by Bhaskar Hazarika. The film is a dark love story set in modern Guwahati. The story revolves around the relationship between a married paediatrician, Nirmali and a young PhD student, Suman. Aamis has won two awards at the 3rd Singapore South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) 2019. Director Bhaskar Hazarika won the award for ‘Best Director’ and Lima Das won the award for ‘Best Actor: Female.’ The cast of Aamis includes, Arghadeep Baruah, Lima Das, Neetali Das, Manash Das and Sagar Saurav. The film was also featured at the 20th Calgary International Film Festival in Canada and was also selected to be screened at the 18th Tribeca Film Festival in New York City in the ‘International Narrative Competition’ category. It was nominated at the 18th Tribeca Film Festival in five categories, including Best Film. It needs to be mentioned that Aamis was presented by prominent Bollywood director Anurag Kashyap. It is to be mentioned here that four films by Assamese filmmakers, including a documentary, were screened at the 19th New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) in May 2019. The films include Bulbul Can Sing by Rima Das, Bhoga Khidikee (Broken Window) by Jahnu Barua, Aamis by Bhaskar Hazarika and Daughters of the Polo God, a documentary by Roopa Barua. A list of 200 finest Indian films made in the last decade was drawn by Aseem Chhabra, one of leading and most respected film critics and cinema researcher. The exhaustive list of films includes all the critically good films of the last decade in any of the Indian languages, and from all spectrums, mainstream or alternative. The list includes as many as seven northeastern films, out of which five are Assamese films. Apart from JahnuBarua’s Bhoga Khirikee, the list also includes both Bhaskar Hazarika’s Kotha Nodi and Aamis, and Rima Das’s Village Rockstars and Bulbul Can Sing.

Business

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

Kamrup (M) records only marginal dip in auto sales despite economic slowdown Barasha Das @guwahatiplus

espite the recent discussions about a general slowdown in the market and more so in the automobile sector, vehicle sales in one of the fastest-growing cities, Guwahati, tell a completely different story. Vehicle sales in the city only saw a minor decline despite the slowdown of economy that is crippling the automobile industry across the country. Records provided by the District Transport Officer (DTO), Kamrup (M), show that sales in 2019 were only marginally low, compared to 2018. As per the records of 2018, Guwahati witnessed sales of 98,030 vehicles, commercial and non-commercial combined. Sales till November 2019 stood at 79,528. Taking the year’s average at 6,627 per month, the yearend sale would be around 86,155 - a dip of 12% compared to the previous year. Of the total non-transport vehicles purchased this year, 20,109 are four-wheelers and, 17,155 are two-wheelers including motorcycle and scooter (with or without sidecar) and moped. The

number of transport vehicles stand at 10,223. Of the two-wheeler vehicles, retail sales have increased by 13 percent compared to 2018. Officials of Bajaj Auto said, “Although the industry as a whole has seen a de-growth by 20 percent, retail sales in Guwahati have grown by 13 percent given the launch of their low-cost new products.” Officials of one of the leading four-wheeler automobile brands in Guwahati states that, “An approximate 30,000 non-commercial four-wheelers have been sold till November.” Compared to last year’s sales in Guwahati, it has dropped by 18 percent.” Sources said that every major automobile company has seen de-growth this year. Apart from the month of September and October – the Durga Puja and Diwali season, when sales are remarkably high normally, the remaining year has seen vehicle sales decrease by marked percentage. “Purchases of vehicles are at a low given the transition from BS-4 to BS-6 which are to be implemented by the 31st March 2020. So we are expecting sales to be low till the first quarter of 2020, but would hopefully increase after

that,” said an official of a leading brand. Sales have also decreased given the ongoing protests

against CAA. Compared to December sales of the previous year the automobile retails have seen a de-growth of 30 percent

as mentioned by sources (which has not yet been recorded in the above-given data of the DTO office).

10 Health

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

Life after a Heart Attack: The path to rehabilitation You need to reach out to family & fiends for help and talk about your feelings. Recovery is much faster when you have a trusted support team of mental health specialists, family, and friends.

Dr. Ritankur Barkotoky

MD, DM, FACC, FSCAI, FCSE Senior Consultant Cardiology Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, Guwahati Email Id: ritankur@gmail.com

aving a heart attack can be lifechanging. You may feel scared, confused, overwhelmed, and even angry that it happened to you. But, the good news is many people pull through their first heart attack and get back to their daily lives to enjoy health and happiness once again. In the event of a heart attack, blood flow to the heart stops abruptly due to a blocked coronary artery causing damage to the muscles of heart. After your heart attack treatment,You will be advise you to be on certain medications and lifestyle changes depending on the extent of damage your heart suffered. The path to recovery is tough, but knowing how to approach & deal with the condition will damage you anxiety & stress. Understanding what to do after a heart attack and adherence to the proper rehabilitation routine can significantly reduce the chances of another heart attack.

are already on. You need to make sure that you: • Know and remember the names of the medicines you are taking • Follow the dosage and time to take them • Sit with your doctor and learn what each medicine does • Learn about any side effects Some of the medication generally prescribed are:

1) Understand Your Medication Routine

• Beta-blockers: These medicines reduce the heart rate and workload of the heart,by and repairs the damaged heart muscle • Antithrombotics: Also called as antiplatelet or anticoagulant medicines, they are very effective in preventing the formation of blood clots in your arteries. • Statins: Statins lower cholesterol and protect the inner lining of arteries. Other important drump like ACEI, Eplerenone will also he proscribed depending upon your clinical Parameters & need

If you had a heart attack or myocardial infarction, you would be prescribed certain medications as a part of your treatment plan. These medicines can remarkably lower the odds of another cardiac event. Your doctor might also make a few adjustments to the dosage and number of medications that you

It is common to feel sad, depression, fear, denial, and anxiety after experiencing a heart attack. Such emotions may typically last for about two to six months, but they tend to fade with time.

2) Don’t Ignore Your Emotions

3) Make Changes to Your Lifestyle

Having a heart attack requires you to make specific lifestyle changes to eliminate the chances of another heart attack, disease, and stroke. So, you need to check your current lifestyle and habits and create a new plan for a hearthealthy lifestyle.

A) Regular exercise:

You may be advised a heart healthy exercise program after you recover from a heart attack. Getting regular exercise works up the muscles of your body as well as the heart. Note: Make sure you consult with your doctor about the kind of exercise and intensity that is suitable for you. Make sure to listen to your body and ramp up your exercise regimen slowly.

B) Eat a balanced diet:

The best Heart Healthy diet that you can have to prevent the risk of a heart attack is a lowcalorie and low-fat diet. You need to eliminate trans fats and saturated fats from your diet as well. Your diet should be a balance of plant foods, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products. You can also replace animal fats with healthy fats from olive oil and nuts.

C) Quit smoking: You may have ignored the warning label that smoking is injurious to health in the past, but quitting becomes more important after a heart attack. Smoking increases your blood pressure and risk for clots as it reduces the capacity of red blood cells to carry oxygen.

D) Find and control other risk factors:

Genetics play a role in influencing the risk for heart diseases in several ways. But in most cases, unhealthy lifestyle choices are the primary reason for heart attacks. Therefore, along with diet and exercise, you also need to take care of other factors that may lead to heart attacks, such as – hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, thyroid disease, too much of stress, anxiety, and depression. Learning time management, meditation, relaxation, yoga can contribute significantly to help reduce your stress and anxiety

levels. Educate Yourself on When to Seek Medical Attention Having a heart attack puts you at a higher risk of having another one in the future. So, you must take care of your body and report any symptoms of a heart attack as soon as they appear, even if they seem slight. Seek emergency medical attention if you are experiencing the following symptoms:

Any occurrence of sudden and extreme exhaustion Chest pain and pain in one or both arms Abnormally rapid or irregular beating of the heart Sweating without exercising Dizziness Swelling of legs Shortness of breath

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Sunny

Mostly Sunny

Sunny

Mostly Cloudy

Showers

22°9° C

22°10° C

22°12° C

22°14° C

20°14°C

18°13° C

SATURDAY Sunny

22°10° C

Concern

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

Rs 100 Cr committed under UDAN, but first route suspended after 3 months’ operation Barasha Das @guwahatiplus

f the flights that took off from Guwahati in 2019 on two international routes under the highly ambitious UDAN scheme of the central government, one was suspended after just three months of operation. The Assam Government was the first state to offer funds towards extending the international version of the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal proposed to provide Rs 100 crores as viability gap funding to this end. The Centre finalized the bid for the two international routes, Guwahati-Dhaka and GuwahatiBangkok and the first historic flight between Guwahati and

Dhaka was flagged-off by the CM himself on 1 July. The GuwahatiBangkok flight was flagged off on 22nd September. However, the much-hyped Guwahati-Dhaka connectivity, carried by the low-cost carrier Spicejet, got suspended just three months after its initial flag-off. Although the airlines reported the flight was suspended due to lack of commercial viability for an indefinite period, sources said that there was slim possibility of the flight service being resumed in the near future, which has been the case up to now. “After it had launched the service, SpiceJet had first reduced the frequency of the flight service from daily to twice a week. Finally, in the wake of lukewarm response, it decided to suspend its operation on the route,” sources said. This was not the first time that something of this kind had taken

PRSI Guwahati Chapter wins Best Chapter Newsletter, Best Chapter Program

distinguished presence of the PRSI National President, Dr Ajit Pathak, National Council member of PRSI and a gathering of about 300 PR and Corporate Communication (CC) professionals representing top organizations in the public and private sector and media from across the country. The annual chapter journal ‘Seven Sisters’ chronicling the activities of the chapter as well as educative and insightful articles on PR and CC won the Best Chapter Newsletter Award. The flagship event of the chapter, the North East PR Conclave, the 4th edition of which was held in Guwahati on 31st August 2019, was recognized as the Best Chapter Program. PRSI is the apex body of PR and CC professionals in the country founded in 1958 with 25 chapters across the M. Adhikari (L) receiving the awards for PRSI Guwahati country.

he Guwahati Chapter of Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) was honoured with best chapter awards in two categories viz Best Newsletter and Best Program at the 41st All India Public Relations Conclave held in Hyderabad last week. The awards were presented by the minister for culture and tourism, government of Telengana, V Srinivas Goud to PRSI Guwahati Chapter Chairperson, Madhuchanda Adhikari and VP East PRSI, MS Mazumder in the

place. The ambitious GuwahatiDhaka bus service, which was flagged off in 2014, was never operational due to faulty policy or lack of farsightedness, as claimed by sources. The Assam government had earlier proposed subsidized international connectivity under UDAN scheme from Guwahati to six destinations - Singapore, Dhaka in Bangladesh, Yangon in Myanmar, Kathmandu in Nepal, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia and Bangkok in Thailand, expecting to boost the connectivity to ASEAN regions, given its near proximity than the other major metropolises of the country. Committing to connect Guwahati to the major world destinations, the central government has already started work on a new international standard integrated terminal building for the Guwahati airport at a cost of Rs 1,232 crores

Maiden Ghy-Dhaka flight flagged off by CM Sarbananda Sonowal | File photo that is to be completed by 2021. The new terminal building spreads over 90,000 square meters, will be equipped with world-class passenger facilities, and will have the capacity to handle 3,100 passengers during peak hours. It will have 64 check-in counters, 20 selfcheck-in kiosks, 8 Immigration

counters, eight customs counters, 6 arrival carousels, 10 escalators, 25 elevators, 16 self-baggage drop counters, and 20 aircraft parking bays among others. The new building will also conform to 4-star rating of GRIHA (Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment).

12 News This Week

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

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

Those born before 1987 or whose parents born before 1987 are Indians: MHA

With the ongoing protest across India including Assam against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a clarification on who are the bona fide Indian citizens as per the legislation. According to the clarification, those who are born in India before July 1, 1987, or whose parents were born in the country before that year are considered Indians under naturalisation as per the law, the official said. “We also appeal to people to not compare the Citizenship Amendment Act with the NRC in Assam as the cut-off date for Assam is different,” an official said.

Centre hands over Indian Citizenship Certificates to 7 Pakistani Hindu refugees

Union Minister of State for Shipping, Mansukh Mandaviya, on December 20, handed over citizenship certificates issued by the government of India to 7 Pakistani refugees in Gujarat. According to reports, the minister met the Pakistani refugees and said that the Citizenship Amendment Act will provide a new opportunity in life to the minorities who faced religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, several parts of the country are protesting over the Citizenship Amendment Act and at least six people protesting against a new citizenship law have been killed in clashes in various parts of the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and five in Assam, according to police.

There is no detention centre in India: PM Modi

PM Narendra Modi, addressing a gathering at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, said that there are no detention centres in India. “The Congress and its allies - some urban Naxals - are spreading rumours that all Muslims will be sent to detention centers... Neither is anybody sending the country’s Muslims to detention centres nor are there any detention centres in India... The Muslims of India don’t need to worry at all. The CAB and the NRC will not apply to the Muslims of the country,” PM Modi said at a mega rally at Ramlila Maidan, meant to launch the BJP’s campaign for the assembly elections in Delhi.

CAA Row: UP govt to seize property of protesters involved in violence

The Uttar Pradesh government has started the process of sealing the properties of protesters who were involved in creating violence and destruction during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests. According to reports, the cost of the damage made to public and private properties during the demonstrations would be avenged with fines collected from those responsible. Meanwhile, several protesters in Lucknow have been identified and notices have been sent to them by the administration.

Congress-JMM Alliance emerge as single largest party in Jharkhand

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has emerged as the single-largest party in the 81-seat assembly with party leader Hemant Soren staking claim to power on December 23. The JMM-Congress alliance has comfortably crossed the majority mark of 41. “Today a new chapter will begin for this state. I want to assure everyone that their hopes will not be broken irrespective of their caste, creed, religion and profession,” said Hemant Soren, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in Ranchi. Addressing the media, Hemant Soren said, “The people of Jharkhand have given a clear mandate and I am grateful to them.”

PM Modi launches Atal Bhujal Yojana; assures water access to 15 crore households

On the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, PM Narendra Modi launched Atal Bhujal Yojana (ATAL JAL). Speaking on the occasion, Modi said, the subject of water was very important to Atal ji and very close to his heart. Our government is striving to implement his vision. Atal Jal Yojana or the guidelines related to the Jal Jeevan Mission, are big steps in proving the resolve to deliver water to every household in the country by 2024, the PM added. He further stated that the present government has set the target to deliver clean drinking water to 15 crore homes in the next five years through pipes.

German student at IIT-M asked to leave India for protesting against CAA

A 24-year-old German student, Jakob Lindenthal, who was taking part in protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act, was allegedly asked to leave India. According to reports, the immigration department asked him to leave India as he had violated his visa rules by taking part in protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. Jakob Lindenthal was an exchange student from Germany who was to complete his second semester with the Physics department in IIT Madras.

Kazakhstan: Bek Air plane crashes with 100 on board

BHU introduces ‘Bhoot Vidya’ as a certificate course

A Bek Air plane with 95 passengers and five crew members on board crashed near the city of Almaty in Kazakhstan on December 27. Authorities in the central Asian country said the plane crashed shortly after taking off, killing at least 14 people. Kazakhstan’s Civil Aviation Committee said in a statement, the Fokker 100 aircraft was heading for the capital, Nur-Sultan, and “lost altitude during takeoff and broke through a concrete fence” before hitting a twostorey building. The Almaty mayor’s office informed that at least 14 people were killed and 22 have been hospitalised in grave condition. Expressing condolences to the victims and their families, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev tweeted, “Those responsible will face tough punishment in accordance with the law.”

Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is starting a six month certificate course in “Bhoot Vidya” or the “Science of paranormal.” According to reports, the first set of classes will begin from January 2020 and will be conducted by the faculty of Ayurveda. Yamini Bhushan Tripathi, the Ayurveda faculty dean said, “Bhoot Vidya is one of the eight basic branches of Ashtanga Ayurveda. It mainly deals with psychosomatic disorders, diseases caused by unknown reasons and diseases of mind or psychic conditions. Faculty of Ayurveda at the BHU is the first in the country to create a separate unit of Bhoot Vidya and design a certificate course on the subject.”

Strategic tunnel under Rohtang Pass named after Vajpayee

On December 25, PM Narendra Modi named the strategic tunnel under Rohtang Pass after former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Modi said that the name of a big project which is very important for the country, Rohtang Tunnel, connecting Manali in Himachal Pradesh with Leh, Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir, will now be known as Atal Tunnel. He also mentioned that the strategic tunnel will change the fortunes of this region and will help in promoting tourism in the region. It is to be noted that the decision to construct a strategic tunnel below the Rohtang Pass was taken by former PM Vajpayee. The 8.8-kilometre long tunnel is the world’s longest tunnel above an altitude of 3,000 metres.

New Year Special

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

7 Events to look out for in 2020 Guwahati, in recent years, has become one of the most sought after destinations when it comes to hosting an event or being a home ground to the sports enthusiast.

Here are a few high profile events coming up in 2020: G Plus News @guwahatiplus

India Vs Sri Lanka T20 cricket match (January) The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has invited Sri Lanka to participate in a threematch T20I series. The three-match T20I series will be held in India starting

Subhash Basumatary, to make a complete assessment of all sports venues including the available infrastructure and take up the refurbishing work at the earliest.

Filmfare Awards (February) The Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on

cricket prodigy Riyan Parag was also part of the squad.

Ambubachi Mela (June 22-26) The Ambubachi Mela is an annual Hindu mela held at Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati. It is the celebration of the yearly menstruation course of Goddess Kamakhya. It is believed that the presiding Goddess of the temple,

has selected Guwahati for hosting the grand opening ceremony of the Under 17 Women’s World Cup slated to take place in November 2020. The local organising body of the world cup has finalised the Sarusajai Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium for the opening ceremony of the 7th edition of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup which will see participation by 17 teams.

India-Japan Summit The annual India-Japan summit, which was scheduled to be held in Guwahati between December 15 and December 17 2019, has been postponed to the first half of 2020. Although there were rumours that Bhubaneswar could be an alternative venue for the event, they were later quashed and as per reports the event is likely to be held in Guwahati.

Assam Power Distribution Company Limited

January 5, 2020. The first of the 3 matches will be held on January 5 at Barsapara Cricket Stadium of the Assam Cricket Association. It is to be mentioned that the official team is yet to be announced. Confirming this news, the BCCI and Sri Lanka Cricket announced the schedule for the islanders’ forthcoming tour of India in which Sri Lanka confirmed its participation in the tournament.

November 25 last with the Times of India group to organize the Filmfare Awards in Guwahati. The 65th Filmfare Awards will be held on February 15, 2020 in Guwahati. However, the venue is yet to be confirmed. Speaking at the event, ATDC chairman Jayanta Malla Baruah said that the Times of India group will contribute 50% of revenue earned from the Filmfare ticket sales to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.

Khelo India (January)

IPL (Tentatively April)

The third edition of the Khelo India Youth Games will be hosted by Guwahati in January 2020. Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, while chairing the first high-powered review meeting in Janata Bhawan in Guwahati, said that the state machinery, including sports bodies should make use of the best innovations for successfully organising the games in the city. CM Sonowal asked Director of Sports Authority of India, Assam,

Rajasthan Royals (RR) is set to play minimum 2 IPL matches at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in the next IPL season in 2020. The owner of RR, Manoj Bedale, announced this in a press conference held in Guwahati and also said that soon the franchise is going to set up a cricket academy in Assam. Among others, ACA secretary Devajit Saikia was also present in the meet. In the 2019 edition of IPL, Assam

Devi Kamakhya, the Mother Shakti, goes through her annual cycle of menstruation during this time stretch.

Opening Ceremony of FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup (November) In the international football arena, Guwahati is fast racing up to occupy a prominent place. The highest governing body of football in the world - FIFA -

14 G Talk E

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020 T

Weekends against CAA

great year that was 2019 in terms of Assam being in the news for all the right reasons – be it for Hima Das, Lima Das or Rima Das or for the other glorious events that took place in the city of Guwahati, is ending with Assamese people out on the streets protesting against what they feel is a very disturbing and contentious law drafted by the central government. Yes, Assamese sentiments have been badly hurt and they feel truly betrayed for the fact that a promise of making Assam free of illegal migrants has been replaced by a law that would allow illegal migrants of one religion to become citizens of the country and thereby domiciles of the state. In this sense, the protests are justified and these need to be long-drawn and tenacious albeit peaceful and democratic. But then, protests are disruptive as well and the routine life of working and earning gets impacted. The current protests have also gone on to disrupt the academic calendar of the state with examinations from the school to university level getting postponed/delayed thereby inflicting losses of the valuable time of the student fraternity. After all, this has been a student-led agitation and their angst was

on full display throughout the curfews that were clamped on the city. However, given the modernity of the times, the pace at which the world is moving and the imperative need to keep parity with the same, a semblance of discipline in the protests are required for them to be more impactful and less disruptive to normal life. While the protests have already started acquiring creative characteristics with new lyrics being tuned and sung as also new portraits and artworks being painted, these would have a more telling impact if the weekends are used and national media appropriately invited to cover them keeping the weekdays free for work and studies. Such protests, if mounted with some semblance of planning, would have greater impact with the national media picking up the novelty of the “Weekends against CAA.” Also, it would send strong signals that the Assamese society does care for its own social and economic welfare and yet seeks to disagree on what has been a huge bruise to its sentiments. I wish our dear readers and followers a great 2020 with the hope that the year brings happy tidings for Assam. Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali

Who will Vote for BJP’s Century for 2021 Elections?

s Assam ready to forget the turbulent week that its people were subject to? The State Finance Minister’s claim that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will only gain seats in the 2021 State Assembly polls looks like a tall one. But the will the BJP mastermind be proved wrong?

In a recent ‘solution’ to calm the continued uprising in the state, the government announced a slew of measures to protect the Assamese language, culture and identity. But is it going to be enough? The measures for protection of Land Rights, Heritage Protection and Language Protection which will start at school level look like a smart move, but several people have already dubbed these as ‘lollipops.’ Assam suffered heavy losses in the month of December as businesses, corporate houses, tourism and several other industries were hit by the continued protests. This added with the continued misinformation around the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and its impact on the population continues to spread faster than the clarifications. The claim that BJP will win around 100 seats in the 2021 elections is something that we will have to wait to see, but it is likely that a large set of people will not forget the ‘week that was’ and as the elections come near, this wave against the Citizenship Amendment Act will be rekindled as a political strategy, and impact the election results.

Sidharth Bedi Varma @sid_bv

Tumultuous 2019… The highs & lows

ld order changes yielding place to the new,” goes the immortal saying. In keeping with the inevitable, we are on the threshold of bidding goodbye to 2019 - a year of many milestone events, earth-shaking controversies coupled with mountains of despair. A nostalgic look back rekindles our minds, at once, with some glorious moments and some bizarre, topsyturvy occurrences bringing to mind the famous opening lines of the Dickens classic, “A Tale of Two Cities.” To quote the immortal lines of the immortal novelist, “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times... It was the spring of hope; it was the winter

The author reflects on the year 2019 that, through its progression, gave as much joy to the state of Assam and its residents as despair in the way its final month of December panned out. It was indeed a tumultuous year in both its highs and lows. of despair.” At the risk of luxury, we can draw an analogy with the time so poignantly described by Dickens with that of the year about to leave us. Incidents like the adrenalinpumping “surgical strike” to counter Pakistan’s attack on Uri destroying seven Pakistani “launch pads” killing a number of terrorists in the process and then the air attack on Balakot annihilating a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp had evoked chest thumping patriotism among Indians. When the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir was announced, euphoric Indians, especially the financially secure middle class, went berserk at the prospect of an emerging Indian political power which showed aggressive intent.

In consonance with the enthusiastic, optimistic and belligerent spirit captivating the entire country coupled with the prolonged period of peace, Assam witnessed unprecedented all round development during the year. Road network literally connecting Sadiya to Dhubri has seen appreciable improvement. Sky-rocketing registration of vehicles, both four and twowheelers, has gone on unabated rising to nearly nineteen lakhs from 15,28,269 in 2011 thereby recording a whopping 18.65% percent growth despite a decadent growth rate elsewhere in the country. A new horizon has unfolded that saw tumultuous success of films, both artistically and commercially, much to the delight of cine-goers of the state. Celebrated film director, Rima Das, has produced another highly aesthetically satisfying film titled, Bulbul Can Sing winning the best regional film award. Movies like Xaixobote Dhemalite, ‘Kothanodi , Ratnakar, Aamish etc have been magnificent winning accolades of the connoisseurs countrywide. Continuing her scintillating success, Hima Das, holding the current Indian national record in 400 metres with a timing of 50.79 seconds that she had clocked at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, continued her success in 2019 winning the 200m gold in Poznan Athletics Grand Prix in Poland, on July 2, 2019. Thereafter, she won 200m gold at the Kladno Athletics Meet with timing of 23.43 seconds and went on to achieve the fifth gold of the month in her 400-metre race in Nové Město, Czech Republic completing the race in 52.09 seconds. Creating sensation within the sporting fraternity, Assam’s Lovelina Borgohain and Jamuna Boro went on to win medals in the Women’s World Boxing Championship held at Ulan-Ude, Russia in October 2019. The icing on the cake in Assam’s march to glory is Jadav Payeng who single handedly raised 550 hectares of forest spending 30 years of his life planting trees, creating a real manmade forest in Mulai Reserve, Jorhat district, stunning the entire country with his sheer resolve. Unanimous showering of deserving recognition has led to the declaration of Payeng as “Forest

rTarun Gogoi, a real jester

O pinion Gautam Ganguly

Man of India.” Amidst a euphoric, belligerent, high voltage atmosphere of hope, enthusiasm and development across the country, the Indians at large were shocked at the assertion by the IMF that the Indian GDP growth rate had slipped to 5% in the first quarter of 2019-20, the lowest ever in six years and economic growth in India is “much weaker than expected!” In the bid to boost downward trend, the Reserve Bank of India had to transfer Rs 1.76 lakh crore of its dividend and surplus reserves to the union government in August 2019. This transfer of fund has been described by the financial pundits and political commentators as “unprecedented” with a view to “pump up the slowing economy.” The nearly seventeen year old unhindered peace, progress and development was severely impacted by the spontaneous protests against the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), now an Act (CAA), by the indigenous people of Assam. It needs no reiteration that the apprehension of the people of Assam of being outnumbered by foreign nationals is absolutely genuine, substantial and real. Further, the fear that the rich Assamese language will be in jeopardy if Bengali Hindus are offered leverage, as envisaged in the contentious Act, is based on historical reality. The enactment of the CAA ignited flashbacks of the deadly days from 1837 when Bengali was declared as the state language. Ironically, intense protests against the controversial CAA have rolled over to nearly the entire country from neighboring West Bengal to UP and New Delhi threatening to destroy the secular fabric of the country. Standing on the threshold, I pray to the Almighty with hopes that Assam sees its best days in 2020 and to bless our homeland with peace and prosperity.

Letter to the Editor

Our ex chief minister Tarun Gogoi is not behind in proving his patriotic fervour. The octogenarian leader made headlines when he donned his advocate’s robes to file a petition against the CAA in the Supreme Court. We all know his role in protecting the draconian IMDT Act. His opposition to repeal IMDT Act is still fresh in people’s mind. He is the man who got the chance to implement the Assam Accord not once but over three consecutive terms. Now the grand old man of state politics is talking about implementation of Assam Accord in letter and spirit. Seriously, to gain fame and power our politicians can stoop to any level. The photograph of Tarun Gogoi wearing his advocate’s robes which was printed in many newspapers made my day on that day. Mr. Gogoi please keep entertaining us! Lanu Dutta Choudhury, Guwahati

In Focus

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

Assam school teacher terminated for taking anti-CAA stand G Plus News @guwahatiplus

school teacher in Assam’s Titabar town has been served with termination notice for supporting school students’ participation in anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) protests. According to reports, the teacher identified as Bandita Borah, who is serving as a computer teacher at Titabar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Jorhat district, was given a termination notice from the school principal, Mukesh Kumar. According to reports, the students of this school had organised a protest meeting against the amended Citizenship Act after it was passed by the Parliament. Talking to a national media, a student of the school said, “Soon after protest marred streets of Assam against the law, we as students and residents of Assam also opposed the new law using protest mediums such as wearing anti-CAA badges,

reciting poems and delivering speeches. This is when another teacher of the school referred to those protesting in Assam as illiterates. We described this to Bandita Ma’am who firmly stood by us. This is precisely why she was terminated.” Borah stated that she was served a show cause notice by the school to which she responded but on December 24, the administration stated that they were not satisfied with her reply and therefore for the welfare of the Vidyalaya and its students, her services were terminated with effect from 24/12/2019. Meanwhile, the students of her class are protesting against

the termination. Reacting to the news, Guwahatians showed their support to the teacher and

expressed their views on G Plus social media channels. Some citizens criticised the school administration for

terminating the teacher. “Drag them to the court of law and teach them a lesson, what is fundamental rights? Justice prevail,” wrote Rajib Sarma. “Dirty politics ...I would have definitely shifted my kid to another school when school authorities are like this..” said Avijit Das. Some citizens even took pot shots at the BJP government and wrote... “How ridiculous this government is! Welcome to the dictatorship, governed by BJP and RSS,” said a citizen. “BJP is crushing anyone who speaks against their draconian policies. Shame on you PM Modi,” added Varun Singh. Lakshya Deka wrote, “This is insane. BJP is experimenting Chinese Govt Tactics.” “Now people shouldn’t even raise their voice towards the wrong decisions..Kudos, good job! Shame on such decisions,” stated Abhijit Sarma.

Anti-CAA stand: The school teacher termination issue and comments thereof A school teacher in Assam’s Titabar town was served with termination notice for supporting the school students’ participation in the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) protests. G Plus followers comment: Sajid Iqbal

The school don’t deserve such a teacher. Simple! Respect and salute to the teacher. Go ahead and find a new job ma’am. You’re an inspiration for future teachers! If raising your voice for something right gives you this in return then better to move ahead and do something great rather than work under this government who knows only to do dictatorship. Mind you this is India not Germany and we are not tolerant people.

Debanga Kasyap

JNV is a school which taught us nationalism. Very appreciable step has been taken. The rotten tomatoes must be thrown out. I am a JNVian too and I am proud of this. No one has the right to do something like this. A teacher should just teach rather than taking stands. They influence students and what will children learn?

Hrishikesh

Is this the way to treat a teacher who helped her students? And the students protest against or not it’s their right to protest, you can’t order or say anything. That is ones’ choice. You can kick out a teacher for taking a stand to protect her own motherland? The principal of that school is really crazy or he is a supporter of BJP. Justice should be given to that teacher. It’s really sad to see this kind of thing happening in our own land by our own people.

Abu Rajeeb

That teacher deserved a reward for her actions. She stood by her students as an example. Don’t we want our children to stand for what is right? These small things help making a large, strong and influential society. I wish to see more influential people for the better future of this country. The teacher has the full right to express her disagreement to something she doesn’t like. I’m afraid about the future of this nation looking at the way our government is taking action against anyone who is speaking against it.

Aryan Rathore

I am amazed how no one use the word “unconstitutional” for this news. Guys please talk to your close relatives who are in a government job that before joining any government job they have to sign some papers which contain some rules and regulations which have to be followed by them under any condition. If they go against them they can be removed from their service too.

Nilotpal Deka

Service rules don’t allow government employees to speak for or against government policies. One should know that as they have to sign an agreement before joining. It was her stand and that is right but officially she can’t do it.

16 Buzz

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

Maths Olympiad training camp to be held at B Barooah College

Guwahati U-19 team for Inter Dist Cricket Tournament announced

he Guwahati Sports Association (GSA) has announced its U-19 team for the first match of the JK Barooah All Assam Inter District Cricket Tournament. The selection trial was held at Latasil Field on December 22. Earlier, the selection process was to be held on December 24 at the Nehru

three-day pre-Indian National Mathematical Olympiad (INMO) training camp will be held at B Barooah College in Guwahati from January 4 to 6. The training camp will be held under the guidance and financial

assistance of Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Mumbai. As per reports, the program is meant for those who have appeared in Regional Mathematic Olympiad and have qualified for INMO.

Stadium. The selected team members are as follows: Ranjan Jyoti Kharonair (C), Jay Singh, Angshuman Khatani, Priyangshu Dutta, Rakesh Das, Himangshu Sarma, Kahirul Islam, Pritam Pran Kalita, Rohan Hazarika, Dhruba Raj Bora, Atul Singh, Sahid Ali, Chinmoy Sarma, Rohit Singh, Sohail Ali, Harshit Raj Almyan.

The program will have experts from North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, FITZEE (Delhi) and more. INMO will be held at Cotton University on January 19.

Assam govt launches CAA stir: Assam educational Abhinandaninstitutions reopen after 10 days education loan subsidy scheme

chools, colleges and universities of Assam reopened after 10 days on December 23 due to tension regarding the implementation of Citizenship Amendment’s Act. Anti-CAA protests all across the state turned violent due

to which all the educational institutions had to be shut down and their exams postponed. Recently, students of Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University appeared for their semester exams wearing black badges showing their resentment against the bill.

While the government schools conducted the annual examinations which had to be discontinued from December 12 following anti-CAA violence, many private schools affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted unit tests.

hief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attended the ceremonial launch of ‘Abhinandan’ - a progressive scheme by the state finance department on December 26. According to reports, the scheme will provide one time subsidy of Rs 50,000 in education loan to 1,546 students.

It is to be mentioned that this scheme will be implemented in a phased manner. The state government ascertained that this scheme will immensely help students who have availed student loans. The scheme covers all commercial banks like the Federal Bank and HDFC and also the regional rural banks like Assam Gramin Vikash Bank within Assam.

Trotter

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

Reporter resigns on TV thinking she had won lottery jackpot

hecking and cross-checking was obviously the last thing on the mind of a Spanish TV reporter when she resigned live on air after thinking wrongly that she had hit a lottery jackpot. Natalia Escudero, a staff of public broadcaster RTVE, thought that she had bagged a fat sum of money in Spain’s el Gordo (The Fat One) Christmas lottery. It later turned out to be a small win only. The reporter wildly celebrated her lottery win on air but was later left redfaced after it was revealed that the prize money was only a fraction of the jackpot. Natalia Escudero began screaming on camera when the lottery winners were announced. She announced that she would “not be coming to work tomorrow”, indicating she had won big

Goa traffic cops dress as Santa Claus to hand out treats, educate motorists

elebrating the spirit of Christmas, Goa traffic police on Tuesday adopted a unique way to educate traffic violators in the capital city. Dressed as Santa Claus, traffic police constables distributed chocolates and educated motorists and two-wheeler riders about traffic safety regulations. “We intercepted violators and educated them about their safety. We used the occasion to spread the message in our own special way,” inspector Brandon D’Souza of Panaji traffic police said. While several two-wheeler riders were found wearing helmets without the mandatory ISI mark or without strapping them on properly, motorists were found driving without putting on their seat belts, he added. “We are thankful to the traffic police for educating riders and motorists in

hours. The record attempt at Little World Mall in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, surpassed the 792-hour world record at 1:20 p.m. on 19th December, and the event is scheduled to continue with a goal of reaching 1,000 hours. The former record was set in China. The karaoke marathon has featured more than 800 singers from all around the country performing more than 9,000 songs. The event is being recorded on video and observers are being kept on hand at all times to ensure the singing marathon complies with the rules laid out by

teacher who went above and beyond to help her students visualise her teachings during an anatomy class has won the admiration of thousands online for her efforts. Verónica Duque, who has been teaching for 15 years, dressed up in a full-body suit which showed the placement of organs in her body after realising her young pupils struggled to understand the concept. The teacher’s proud husband posted photos of his wife teaching the class of 8-9 year olds on Twitter with the caption, translated from Spanish, reading: “Very proud of this volcano of ideas that I am lucky to have as a woman. “Today she explained the human anatomy to her students in a very original way. “And the kids [were] freaking out. Great Verónica!” The post attracted more than 65,000 likes and 13,000 retweets, with one replying: “Great. Spectacular. Intelligent. Masterly. Surely students will not forget this in their life.” A second wrote: “More teachers with that desire to teach are needed.” Another

joked: “She has a body for that suit, if I wear it, the intestines come out of the chest!” Verónica, who teaches science, art, English and Spanish, told that she spotted the body suit online and “thought it was worth giving it a try.” She often surprises her students in other ways, including wearing disguises when she takes history lessons to bring the subject to life. (Source: mirror.co.uk)

this unique manner. This is the right way to convey the message,” one of the riders, Sandra Alvares said. When people are busy ushering in the festivities, traffic policemen are busy doing their duty to save lives, she added. (Source: ndtv)

India breaks Guinness record for longest karaoke singing marathon Guinness world record attempt in India for the world’s longest karaoke singing marathon has surpassed the previous record of 792 hours and is aiming for 1,000

Students ‘freak out’ as teacher uses her own body to teach anatomy class

money. However, it turned out to be only a sum of 5,000 euros (Rs 3.96 lakhs) as opposed to the 4 million Euros she thought it was. Escudero later apologised on Twitter on December 22, maintaining that she had been through a “difficult time for personal reasons.” (Source: ndtv)

Guinness, which is expected to present a certificate to organizers when the 1,000hour mark is reached. (Source: upi)

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New Year

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18 Review

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

Starring: Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Kiara Advani, Diljit Dosanjh, Adil Hussain, Tisca Chopra Director: Raj Mehta

Good Newwz

et’s give you the good news first-- Good Newwz, a lighthearted urbane comedy that involves Varun Batra (Akshay Kumar) his wife Dipti (Kareena Kapoor Khan) plus Honey (Diljit Dosanjh) and Monika Batra (Kiara Advani), comes like a breath of fresh air after a spate of actioners and small-town India stories. Varun and Dipti, a well-off, modern couple is trying for a child and is advised by the doctor (Adil Hussain) to opt for the IVF process. As is prone to happen in comedies, there is obviously a mix-up in the process bringing into the picture the other BatrasHoney and Monika. The two couples are as different as chalk is from cheese and it is evident that the twain shall never meet.

Batras from Punjab are loud and unsophisticated and the last people that their namesakes want to associate with. But the unusual circumstance of Dipti being impregnated by Honey’s sperm and Monika with Varun’s, brings them together, creating the perfect breeding ground for hilarity. Kareena Kapoor Khan and Akshay Kumar stand out in this one, striking the right notes. The junior couple is not bad either with both Kiara and Diljit playing their over-the-top parts with aplomb. Varun as the typical rom-com hero who is fun, attractive and specious besides the fact that he does not share his wife Dipti’s enthusiasm for starting a family makes him a welcome change from the perfect gentleman we

are accustomed to. Dipti, as a modern, working woman who is not striving for the impossible perfect balance between professional and personal is well etched out too. That she knows her mind and is her own person despite being happily married makes her a pleasant departure from the cookie-cutter modern women roles we see in our films. It helps that dialogues are smart and keep away from preachy and oversentimental tripe, adequately enhancing the comedy quotient. It is the second half of the film where the film falters. The writers do not satisfactorily resolve the situations they have built up so deftly in the early part of the film. IVF specialists –played by the delightful Adil Hussain and Tisca Chopra-who bungled up, is one such track. Varun and Dipti’s reluctance to accept the other Batras as their accidental surrogates could have yielded more comic situations than are there in the film. To cite an example, of some genius writing in the family comedy space is Jane The Virgin, a hugely popular TV series based on the premise of a young girl mistakenly inseminated by her gynecologist when she goes in a for a routine checkup. The newbie director, Raj Mehta, however, does well in keeping the film short and succinct, switching scenes before things get monotony sets in. He gets the flavor right and can safely be put on the list of directors to watch out for. An urbane comedy with the fresh subject of a pregnancy switcheroo, Good Newwz may well be the family entertainer that city slickers opt for this weekend. (Review by News18)

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Google Nest Mini Voice assistants have made it to our phones and our homes. If you have an Android smartphone, chances are that you are already using the Google Assistant. Google designed the Home Mini and Home to be standalone devices with the Google Assistant built in. These gave people a thing to interact with, as well as a gateway to control other devices such as smart lighting or a smart TV. Amazon has also been rolling out Alexa-powered smart speakers which compete with Google’s for a space in your home. To keep up, Google has now rebranded the Home lineup under its Nest subsidiary. The second-gen Home Mini is now known as the Nest Mini, and has been upgraded. It goes up against the Amazon Echo Dot 3rd generation, but does it have the chops to stay on top? We review it to find out.

Design Google has retained the core design of the Home Mini but has made a few small changes. At first glance, it is near impossible to distinguish between the old Google Home Mini and the new Nest Mini. Google could have given it a distinct design like Amazon just did for the Echo Dot 3rd Gen. The speaker still has a fabric

top which is made out of recycled plastic bottles. Google offers the Nest Mini in four colour options: Chalk, Charcoal, Coral, and Sky. We had the Coral colour variant for this review. The capacitive controls for this speaker are hidden beneath this fabric layer. There are four LEDs that light up when you power the device on, and when you summon the Google Assistant.

Specifications The Google Nest Mini has a top-firing 40mm driver which is similar to older Google Home Mini’s design. Google has now gone with three farfield microphones which are an upgrade over the two-mic array of its predecessor. There is support for dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5., The device also has Chromecast functionality built in, which

means you can cast music or a video straight to a smart TV or any device with a Chromecast dongle plugged in. The Nest Mini has a quad-core 64-bit ARM CPU clocked at 1.4GHz, but Google hasn’t given out any details about its make or capabilities.

Verdict

The Google Nest Mini is priced at Rs. 4,499 in India, and is a mild

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Feature

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

Assam Agitation (1979-1985) VS CAB-CAA protests 2019

still remember, as a 15 years old, we were screaming in joy, amidst a group of youths, dancing and rejoicing as we came in a truck following the victorious procession and convoy of Prafulla Mahanta and his comrades, on his return after signing the historic Assam Accord in 1985. The famous Assam Agitation (1979-1985), culminated with the signing of the Accord in 1985. We thought that all the political problems of Assam have been solved once and forever and we were on the threshold of ushering in a new age of Golden Assam (Sunor Asom). As Class 9 students, naïve and ignorant, as we were, we could not even imagine that the story of New Assam had only started and all our ailments would resurface in the present times.

The author compares the current protests and agitation programs against the CAA with those of the historic Assam Agitation days and finds numerous differences that are mainly driven by technological advancement.

Now in 2019, at the threshold of a half-century in my life span, we were again witness to the spontaneous protests against CAB – agitation on the streets in masses, which reminded us of the early 1980s. However, certain similarities and differences have emerged, as four decades have passed and a lot of water has flowed under the Saraighat Bridge, in such a long gap of time. The first difference has been the dissimilarity in the emotional quotient between the two agitations. The intensity of emotions of 1979-1985 was higher than the present scenario, whereas the people now, judge every point based on facts, logic and perceptions. Facts, data, opinions, statistics and rationality have increasingly replaced raw emotions. It is understandable in the sense that presently we do have the luxuries of electronic media, internet, talk shows and can access all information at the drop of a hat.

In the 1980s, we had to eagerly wait for a particular “Sandhya Batori” which carried the agitation programs to our homes. This newspaper, available in the evenings sold out like hot cakes, as people waited for it in anticipation. Today, information is readily available on Facebook posts, WhatsApp messages and round-the-clock on the regional electronic channels and a host of newspapers. Live telecasts of the protests enable one and all to access information about what is happening in the whole state in a second. As all information is available, the new generation has taken up the judicial route at the earliest. As many as 59 PILs were submitted in the honorable courts, after passage of the CA Act, 2019 and the agitators took refuge in legal jurisprudence, at the earliest opportunity. The earlier agitation took six long years and disrupted law and order, education, business and the economy as a whole. However, it took us only about one week to take the legal recourse and this has saved valuable time in this regard. Increased sensibilities, awareness of the masses have been encouraging. Every fact is verified and re-verified and expert opinion sought, wherever there is any confusion. The leaders have also announced that students will study and agitate, job holders will work and agitate and businessmen will trade and then voice their political opinion. Everybody has realized that valuable working time should not be wasted and we will work and simultaneously protest. This is a welcome sign, as during our times, students studying in vernacular medium schools had lost a full academic

year due to the agitations. Now, the scenario has changed and it has been decided that no agitation programmes will be taken out in the evenings. Apart from some isolated incidents of vandalism, the agitation has been largely peaceful and democratic in 2019. Certain anti-social elements backed up by some vested interest groups, have backed up the acts of vandalism, which at times, have spoilt the clean image of the present agitation, but only to an extent. This time, the masses have acted spontaneously and joined on the streets applying their own conscience. In 1979-1985, people had some amount of hero worshipping and role models like Prafulla Mahanta, Late Bhrigu Phukan, Late Lalit Rajkhowa, Bharat Narah etc. However, this time, there

are no such fixed idols. Samujjul Bhattacharya, Zubeen Garg , Barasha Rani Bishaya and a host of student leaders, artists, intellectuals and lawyers have all come out together to voice their opinions against the legislation. The focus from personal charismatic leadership has now shifted to being issuebased. Although the motives of agitation differ from state to state, this time the fire of protests has engulfed the whole of India. In 19791985, we were waging a battle single handedly. But this time around, we are not isolated. The epicenter has started from Assam and now tremors have been felt all over the country and even percolated to foreign shores. The increased participation of cultural icons and artists have added a spice of glamour to the protests, this time around.

Mridul Bora We feel that for an efficient democracy to perform, an educated and sensible population is absolutely necessary. The changes we have witnessed this time are testimony to the changing times. Value-systems, opinions, modes of protests have become more dignified and qualified, with the changes in time and technology, signaling better governance, stronger democracy and a more vibrant atmosphere, in the days to come.

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30th December and 2nd January will be great days for you to share your ideas with your seniors or simply just connect with them. You could schedule your important meetings on this day. On 1st January you need to be wary of dealing with the opposite gender. 3rd January avoid pre-planning, just go with the flow. Other days will be good for you.

28th and 29th December will be great days for you to connect with your seniors. You could host a pre-New Year Sunday brunch or coffee on 29th. You could be emotionally betrayed by someone at work or your parents on 2nd January. 30th December will be a slow day for you, don’t make any promises. 3rd January just go with the flow and avoid over planning.

Use 28th and 30th December to connect with your boss and share your ideas, for good results host your meetings on these dates. Maybe you could host a Saturday night dinner. 31st December will be a slow day. 3rd January just go with the flow and don’t over plan, you could feel that people around you are ungrateful.

28th December will be a great day for you to connect with your senior and share your ideas with him/her, you could host your important meetings on this day. You could have issues with your seniors or your extended family on 29th December and 2nd January. 2nd January avoid trusting anyone with your secrets.

This will be a slow week for you but a great month if you want to make changes. 29th December will be great day for you to share your ideas with your seniors and build a relationship with them, invite them over for a Sunday brunch or coffee. 1st January you could be betrayed by someone in your work environment. 2nd January be careful of your words and actions, you will create your own problems.

This week just lay low, catch up on your personal work. 30th December will be great day for you to host your important meetings. 31st December you could feel your seniors and/or your parents are ungrateful, they don’t appreciate you. Avoid hosting any meetings especially with your seniors on 28th December, you are bound to have disagreements. Avoid scheduling any meetings on 3rd January, you will face obstacles.

A mixed week for you. On 30th December you could be betrayed by someone at work and/or emotionally hurt by your family. 28th and 31st December will be great days for you to share your ideas with your seniors or simply just connect with them. You could schedule your important meetings on these dates. Avoid connecting with your parents and/or workmates and/or seniors on 29th December.

28th December and 1st January will be great days for you to build a rapport with your seniors and people at work, host your important meetings on these dates, maybe you could also host a New year’s brunch. 30th December avoid making any promises or hosting any meetings. 29th December you will be emotionally betrayed/hurt by someone from work or extended family.

A better than average week for you. 29th December, 1st and 2nd January will be ideal days to share your ideas with your boss or connect with people at work and family. Host your important meetings on these dates. If possible, organize a New Year’s get together. Avoid socializing or making any promises on 28th or 31st December. Avoid hosting any meetings on 31st December you are bound to have disagreements.

30th December and 2nd January will be great days for you to build your relationship with your seniors and people at work. If you are in a habit of grabbing a drink with your senior’s then avoid doing so on 29th December. 1st January you could have a disagreement with your senior or work associate, not a day to schedule important meetings.

Share your ideas with your seniors or generally build a relationship with people at work on 31st December and 1st January, host your important meetings on these dates. Watch yourself on 30th December and 2nd January, avoid making any promises or getting into a confrontation. 2nd January you could have a disagreement with your senior or work associate.

31st December and 1st January are ideal days for you to mingle with your seniors and people at work and build your work network. Host a New Year party, it’s sure to be a hit. Be careful with your words and actions on 28th December you will create your own problems. 3rd January avoid pre-planning, just go with the flow. Avoid hosting important meetings on 3rd January, you are bound to have disagreements.

Sudoku 4 7 6

1 7 3 98 2 7 86 4 5 4 5 6 3 6 9 3 8 6 91 5 2 9 5 6 8 3 9 6 5 1 5 Daily Sudoku: Sat 28-Dec-2019 4 2

2 7 6 2 47 8

2 31 43

very hard

Daily Sudoku: Fri 20-Dec-2019

Sydney Opera House

curio-city

Dilbert By Scott Adams

Lotus

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

Identify this American film director known for his “colourful” quirky movies.

The Chutiya Kingdom which ruled northeast Assam for

Which famous beach literally means “spouting fresh water” in its native language?

over 400 years

Which sporting institution was founded in 1880 as St. Mark’s (West Gorton), subsequently changed its name to Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and got its current popular name in 1894?

Manchester City F.C.

Waikiki Beach, Hawaii

What was established by Birpal in 1187 AD in the northern bank of the Brahmaputra River?

Karnataka, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh all have Nelumbo Nucifera as their state flower. By what common name do we know it?

Wes Anderson

Which 20th century landmark building, designed by Jorn Utzon, was opened in 1973 and is located in Bennelong Point?

very hard

last week solution

4 7 1 5 9 86 61 54 29 47 98 32 27 75 86 25 53 49 18 72 11 84 73 67 38 32 98 66 83 21 77 19 95 36 54 63 46 32 94 19 59 27 88 41 65 Daily Sudoku: Sat 28-Dec-2019 4 5 1 2 3

3 8 6 1 57 83 3 6 34 95 4 9 43 78 1 5 62 29 9 4 5 2 2 8 7

91 86 15

2 29 11 66

54 47 75 14 38 52 87

7 29 31 43 6 very hard 8 7 6 9

Daily Sudoku: Fri 20-Dec-2019

very hard

http://www.dailysudoku.com/ http://www.dailysudoku.com/

curio-city 1.

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

Horoscope of the week

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

Across

Word of the week knackered shilly-shally adjective [nak-erd] [ shil-ee-shal-ee ]

Slang. verbBritish (used without object) exhausted; very tired to show indecision or hesitation; be irresolute; vacillate.

Crossword Down

1 Loosely woven cloth from Scotland (6,5) 9 Impromptu (9) 10 Animal (with nine nine tails?) (3) 11 Himalayan country (5) 13 Excellent — shining bright? (7) 14 On ship (6) 15 Purist (6) 18 Arctic deer — a Rio cub (anag) (7) 20 Best possible (5) 21 See 23 22 Fling (9) 24 Fifth book of the Bible

2 Fit (3) 3 Person whose speech is not well organised (7) 4 Married partner (6) 5 In which position? (5) 6 Acquit — clear (9) 7 Entertainment area with coin- operated machines (5,6) 8 Narrator (11) 12 TV show (9) 16 Issue (7) 17 Male domestic servant (6) 19 Bathroom basin (5) 23, 21 UK resident who the tax man accepts as having their "true" home elsewhere (abbr) (3-3)

Last week’s solution

Fiction

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

A Merry Christmas? T

he mongrels napped curled upon the heap of soot, a tell-tale leftover from the previous day’s violence, providing them the much-sought warmth and comfort. The blackened streets and pavements from the carryover of soot by hundreds of feet in the course of the last few days as tyres and vehicles burnt in different parts of the city, gave it a totally different makeover. Overturned metal barricades, damaged bus stops with snapped electric wires hanging and broken signages. The city resembled a warzone. It was around 3.30 on a Friday afternoon that she walked through the desolate streets of her neighbourhood. The calm on the roads was unnerving as she paced down the pavement, deeply nervous, but wearing a calm appearance. Hurrying ahead and worrying that she might miss her appointment, she threw furtive glances for any kind of disturbance that might erupt suddenly. Or that the cops might spring a surprise from some corner, preventing her from making it to the dentist. In groups were men, huddled together, smoking on indulging in political gossip. There wasn’t much to do. The city was put under curfew for most part of the day, except for a few hours of relaxation in between. It must have stuck the men as peculiar as she passed them by. The urgency in her stride indicated that she had some serious agenda to carry out. The urgency was in fact in her toothache and it needed immediate attention. With the city reeling under total clampdown, the sight of a lone woman dressed up to even go somewhere drew unnecessary glances. The month of December looked as if in limbo. The activities associated with the festive season came to a standstill. Instead, the city seemed to be shrouded in a pall of gloom, unprecedented for this time of the year. The enthusiasm of the holiday seekers was dampened by large scale flight and hotel cancellations as none were willing to undertake the risks. The excited anticipation associated with the New Year seemed to have worn off even before it began. Sana’s neighbours had all put up a star, either on their rooftops or on their front porches. Few had even hung it up high upon bamboo stilts, visible for all to see. The ‘Star of Bethlehem’ would continue to occupy its pride of place well past Christmas, even as people got back to their normal pace of life as the year progressed. But the run up to the big day left no one unaffected. The buying of gifts and cards, the choir practices in the nearby church, the wreaths on the front doors and the deckedup Christmas tree occupying its place of honour in one corner of

the house, ushered in the season in the right spirit. Giggling girls dressed up in their Sunday best, headed for church for morning service and choir practice later, as Sana watched spellbound from behind the front gates of her small home. Browsing through the greeting card section, picking one card at a time, she had selected a few. About twenty were packed inside a large envelope as Sana’s father got ready to pay the sales lady at the counter. “Papa,” she called out feebly tugging at the corner of his coat. Engrossed in making the payment, he failed to notice her call. A louder “Papa” made him turn towards her inquiringly. “I needed something else too. Would it be ok if we bought a star too?” The look in her pleading eyes did the trick. That Christmas was not a festival they celebrated at home never really mattered to her family. Nevertheless, they always made sure to spend Christmas day with the neighbours, sharing the joy and bonhomie. Staring out from inside their old navy-blue Ambassador car window, craning her neck out as far as she could at the shoppers and the gift laden shops, they slowly drove away. Waking up to gifts on their dining table, Sana was delighted to see that there were rum cakes, chocolates and even crockery and handmade sweaters from the neighbours. All neatly wrapped up in colourful paper and stacked upon one another. At times, they weren’t even aware who the gifts were from. Her parents decided to return the favour in their own way. The neighbours were invited for a community lunch on their lawn during New Year every year. December still held most of its fascination for her, even after all these years. All credit went to the warm memories that she had inherited and dearly held on to. Even her drab office was dressed up, announcing the advent of the season. It signalled a new beginning. A time to be large hearted, catch up with near ones, indulge in good times. In short, a time that brought on happy feelings. Numb with all that anaesthesia on one side of her mouth, she was strictly instructed not to talk, drink anything hot and take the combination of medicines prescribed, on time. Briskly walking down the pavement, she prayed the pharmacy would remain open. It was almost time for the

Zerine Wahid

Numb with all that anaesthesia on one side of her mouth, she was strictly instructed not to talk, drink anything hot and take the combination of medicines prescribed, on time. Briskly walking down the pavement, she prayed the pharmacy would remain open. It was almost time for the curfew to resume from 4 pm onwards.

curfew to resume from 4 pm onwards. The stitches on her gums needed at least six hours to stabilise. She would heave a sigh of relief only after she reached the safe confines of her home. That night as she cleared the table, a wave of melancholia took

hold of her. Watching her reflection in the kitchen window pane as she did the dishes after the kids were tucked into bed, she wondered if life would be the same for her forever. Standing motionless, she was lost in deep thought, losing track of the minutes that were ticking away. A cold feeling ran through her just thinking how lonely she was that wintry night. She missed the warmth of familiar voices, the endless banter that continued late into the night. In fact, this was the first time she had no plans, nowhere to travel to or invite people over. Cooped up in her apartment, the motions of the last few days seemed repetitive and it made her all the more jaded and tired, notwithstanding the affects from the painkillers. Things were poised to take a different turn this year. It was an effort trying to keep oneself engaged with the mundane duties of home while life came to a standstill outside but it was another thing keeping the kids engaged and quiet. It required a different kind of skill and patience. The other day she patiently heard her friend complain about being unable to attend Church to supervise activities and prepare for the big day. The creases on her forehead deepened further with the frown as the death of innocents were brought home by the late-night news. She began to worry about a future over which people had no control. The changing times found parallel in her personal life. It had been three years that she had separated from her husband. But she had always had plans for the year end, ensuring she had beautiful memories recreated to carry through the year. She never

made the kids miss out on the fun aspects of life, so that they got to do the things they had been planning the entire year until schools reopened and she herself got back to the grind of office work. Meticulously planning for the year end included taking the kids for pre-Christmas celebrations at a heritage church followed by dinner outside. It had become their ritual since the last three years. One thing she had gained over the years if nothing else was her independence and her total lack of dependency on anyone, not even for her emotional needs. She realised pretty soon that she was far stronger than she had imagined herself to be. Sana swelled with pride intuitively and felt a strong sense of bonding and solidarity with all the single mothers of the world. The news channels had been her connect to the outside world and she kept herself updated every few hours. There had been an announcement that the total clampdown would be lifted. People were getting restless and looking forward to resuming their normal lives. She kept the news to herself for the time being, deciding to surprise the kids later. They had been pestering her to take them out since the last few days. The ice cream parlour or a visit to the nearby café would be enough to lift them out of the sombre mood. Sana gave herself a final look in the mirror before asking the kids to quickly get ready for a ride in town, their first after several days of living life under lockdown. (Zerine Wahid is an upcoming poet and short story writer based in Guwahati city)

22 Lifestyle

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

VAASTU AND

PRANIC HEALING

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

aastu is the study various forces and energies acting on us and our places of work or residences. Pranic healing is a technique of using prana or bioplasmic energy to heal our body, mind and even places.Prana is responsible for providing us with all the energy required. There is a close relation between these two esoteric systems. Basically, Vaastu is a study of effects of these pranas on us and our surroundings. It teaches how to have the optimum balance of these various pranas for positive results. The main sources of Prana

or pranshakti are from food, sunlight, air, earth and divine energy. Certain food items like pork meat contains dirty greyish prana which is not good for health. So Pork should be avoided. Certain spices contain too much of red prana which may be harmful. So spices should be taken in moderation. In general, fruits, vegetables and cereals have cleaner and safer prana. The main source of prana that is received by earth via sunlight comes from the sun and it is absorbed by our body through the skin. Too much of solar prana is harmful. In fact too much of any prana may be harmful apart from the divine energy. Prana from air is inhaled by the body through the lungs and the skin. The spleen is a major

organ in receiving this air prana and purifying blood. The northwest is the direction as per vaastu for the air element. Prana from earth enters the body through the soles of the feet. So it is important to have some contact with the earth and be “grounded”. Many people feel sick on ships because of the lack of ground prana. The Divine prana is received by prayer and it enters our body through the top of the head by a point called the Crown chakra. It is spiritual in nature and no specific religion is required to obtain this energy. For everybody, there is the existence of a spiritual cord or antakharana on the top of our head which connects us with the divine source of energy. But the amount of divine energy and its benefit received by an

individual varies from person to person depending upon his spiritual capabilities and purity of his body and soul. The Northeast, north and east are

the best directions for receiving the divine prana. Vaastu also suggests that we should work, pray, study or meditate facing these directions. n

Year Ender: 4 things that went viral on social media in 2019 As 2019 comes to a close we take a look at four things that broke the internet from teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg to a number of online challenges. The list is both varied and interesting. 1. Bottle Cap Challenge The bottle cap challenge, believed to have been started by

taking up the challenge has to unscrew the cap of the bottle with a roundhouse kick. The challenge in India was taken up by Bollywood stars like Akshay Kumar, Govinda, Parineeti Chopra, Susmita Sen, Tiger Shroff among others.

2. Greta Thunberg

Swedish teen Greta Thunberg has become the face in the fight against climate change. Thunberg became internet’s hero after her ‘How dare you?’ speech at the United Nations

Taekwondo instructor Farabi Davletchin, went viral on social media after actors, politicians and fitness addicts took it up. In this challenge, a bottle needs to be placed on a hard surface, like a table or floor, and the cap of the bottle should be loosely screwed. The person

Climate Summit in New York in September this year. In her speech at the UN climate summit, a visibly angry Thunberg accused world leaders of not doing enough to tackle climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. “How dare you?” she asked world leaders. Thunberg was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for 2019 and she is the youngest person ever to receive the honour.

this challenge, the person has to record a video of him or her working out or exercising. The challenge went viral within three days. Union minister Kiren Rijiju, Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli also took it up. Virat Kohli tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi who accepted

3. Kiki Challenge

Kiki challenge is a dance challenge went viral across the globe. It is based on Canadian hip-hop star Drake’s song “In My Feelings” from his album Scorpion. In order to complete this challenge, the participant has to step out of a moving car, perform the dance while the car is moving and then again get into the car, without injuring themselves. People attempting this

challenge in India got injured and quite a few incidents were reported from Delhi, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Bengaluru, Jaipur and other cities.

4. Hum Fit Toh India Fit challenge

The challenge was started by Union Minister and Olympic medallist Rajyavardhan Rathore as an attempt to make the country fitter. As a part of

the challenge and posted a video showing him stretching and doing several yoga poses. (Inputs: Hindustan Times)

Entertainment

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

Filmmaker Manju Borah honoured at National Film Awards

ssam filmmaker Manju Borah’s venture, “The Land of Poison Women,” received the ‘Rajat Kamal’ (Silver Lotus Award) for the Best Pangchenpa Film at the 66th National Film Awards in New Delhi on December 23. The award was presented to Borah by the Vice President of

India M Venkaiah Naidu. Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar was also present on the occasion. Addressing the people, Naidu stated that the world can be connected to India along with

Rima Das receives National Film Award for Bulbul Can Sing

F tourism through films. The list of winners for the 66th National Film awards was declared in August this year.

Assamese film ‘Tumi Aru Moi’ set to release on January 17

ssamese feature film ‘Tumi Aru Moi’ is all se t for re le ase on January 17. The film has been directed by Ramen Gogoi and produced by Mayush Pratim Chutia under the banner of RPM

Production. The film’s story, script and dialogues have been penned by the director himself. Gogoi stated that the film’s story revolves around love, friendship and brotherhood. The key roles in the film

have been portrayed by Mayur, Garima, Koustav, Pallavi, Gogon, Deep, Diganta and Bikash among the others. The music of the film has been scored by Pranab Konwar, Rajuttam Bora and Geet Bhorali.

ilmmaker Rima Das received the National Film Award for her film ‘Bulbul Can Sing’ in the Best Feature Film in Assamese category. The film centres around three teenagers trying to come to terms with their sexual identities. Bulbul Can Sing has been screened in 40 film festivals including the Toronto Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival till date and has bagged a total of 13 awards. Meanwhile, Ayushmann Khurrana for Andhadhun and Vicky Kaushal for Uri: The Surgical Strike received awards for the best actor (male) and Keerthy Suresh for Mahanati received the award for the best actor (female).

Bornodi Bhotiai gets Best Film award at Sailadhar Baruah Film Awards

ssam filmmaker Anupam Kaushik Borah’s ‘Bornodi Bhotiai’ has been selected as the best film for the fourth edition of the Sailadhar Baruah Film Awards (NE) 2019.

The awards will be given away at a function to be held at District Library here on January 10, 2010. The programme will be inaugurated by singer Tarali Sarma, a national award-winning artiste. Internationally-acclaimed filmmaker Shaji N Karun and eminent actor-director Dulal Roy

will be the chief guest and the guest of honour respectively in the evening. Director Monjul Baruah has been selected for the best director award for his work in the recently released film Kaneen and Rajni Basumatary as the best screen writer for the Bodo film Jwlwi-The Seed. Quan Bay has been chosen for the best music director award for the movie ‘Aamis’. Gautam Nair has been chosen for the best sound designer award and Lima Das has been chosen for the best actor (female) award for the same movie.

24 Catching Up

G PLUS | Dec 28 - Jan 03, 2020

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