G Plus Vol 7 Issue 13 by G Plus

@guwahatiplus | /c/gplusguwahati www.guwahatiplus.com

Volume 07 | Issue 13 Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020 Price `10

INSIDE

Despite being second largest contingent Assam currently 10th in medal tally

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Construction of 4 GMC market complexes stalled for over 2 years

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BJP’s sympathy for migrants amidst economic slowdown raises questions of vested interest

ccording to the United Nations World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) 2020, a growth rate of 2.5 percent is possible for India in 2020, but a flare up of trade tensions, financial turmoil, or an escalation of geopolitical tensions could derail a recovery. WESP lowered its GDP growth estimate for India to 5.7 per cent in the current fiscal (from 7.6 percent forecast in WESP 2019). Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who was in Guwahati in August 2019, was asked if the Indian economy was passing through a slowdown. She had then replied, “I may not able to answer it at this moment.” According to many businessmen in Guwahati there is surely a slowdown in the economy but the government is not about to believe the same. Meanwhile, more than 30,000 displaced Bru tribals from Mizoram, who have been living as refugees in Tripura since 1997, will permanently settle in Tripura. A tripartite agreement was signed to this effect on Thursday. The agreement was signed by representatives of Bru, the Centre and Mizoram government in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi. The Government of India will provide a rehabilitation package of Rs 600 crores for the resettlement

City locality under GMC ward 31 struggling without electricity for 2 years! Read full story on Page: 08

Cabinet reshuffle

BJP on tea tribes & upper Assam wooing mode

T File photo of Bru-Reang refugees staging a protest for Brus in Tripura. The signing of the agreement will affect the lives of over 34,000 Brus who had settled in Tripura after they fled ethnic cleansing in Mizoram in 1997. “After this settlement these rehabilitated tribals will always vote for BJP, even their next to next generation will do so,” said a scholar of Tripura, Chirojyoti Bhattacharjee. The BJP’s love for migrants can easily be seen across the country as the BJP government amended the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in spite of violent protests consuming the entire country taking

away the lives of many. The protests against the CAA resulted in huge losses to the state governments and even the Centre, but the government went on to amend the Act. It is for the first time that the price of onions in India has touched Rs 140 per kilo and price of other essential commodities are also gradually increasing. But the government is still busy welcoming migrants from other countries. Why?

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he Sarbananda Sonowal-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Assam is inducting two more ministers in its cabinet and according to the way things are moving it seems as if the party is trying to woo the tea tribes and the Ahoms in upper Assam. BJP will likely induct Mahmara MLA Jogen Mohan and Tinsukia MLA Sanjoy Kishen into the cabinet on 18th January (today) and the portfolios will be announced later. Sources said that as the protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are still ongoing in the state and especially in upper Assam, the government is inducting these two faces to prove to the tea tribe and the people of upper Assam that their representation

in the state cabinet is important. The two ministers, according to sources, are being inducted in place of Pallab Lochan Das and Tapan Gogoi who were in the cabinet but after 2019 Lok Sabha elections they members of parliament now. Both Gogoi and Das were representing upper Assam and tea tribes earlier. Meanwhile, sources told a local TV channel that major changes in portfolios of existing ministers are also on the cards. Moreover, election for state BJP president will also take place today in Guwahati. It needs to be mentioned that after BJP’s master planner Himanta Biswa Sarma’s assembly speech, the political observers are contemplating that he might well be the next BJP state president.

Lead Story

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

Despite being second largest contingent

Assam currently 10th in medal tally

he ongoing Khelo India Youth Games, 2020 are being held in Guwahati from the 9th of January. Assam being the host state, the athletes got direct entry to the various sporting disciplines. As such, Assam has

the second largest contingent at 660 after Haryana’s 682. The other large contingents are Maharashtra (579), Delhi (450), Uttar Pradesh (430) and Punjab (390). As one of the largest contingents CM Sarbananda

Barasha Das @guwahatiplus Sonowal and the sports authorities of the state have been hopeful from the beginning of winning big and

making a place towards the top of the medal list. G Plus presents a report of the total medals by the home team till the evening of 17th January (Friday). On the 9th day of the mega event, Assam is ranked 10th

with a total of 31 medals. The state has bagged 8 gold, 10 silver and 13 bronze medals. A list of the winners as per the Khelo India official records is presented below:

Gold medals

Silver medals

Bronze medals

Puja Basumatary in U-17, judo 57 kg

Upasha Talukdar in U-17 rhythmic ball gymnastic

Upasha Talukdar in U-17 all round gymnastic

Surajit Burhagohain in U-21 singles lawn bowl

Akshay Boro in U-17 200 m track & field race

Upasha Talukdar in U-17 rhythmic rope gymnastic

Gongutri Bordoloi in U-21 60 kilometres individual road race cycling

Hriday Hazarika in U-21 10m air rifle shooting

Karina Patowary, Jinu Gogoi in U-21 pair lawn bowl

Dharitri Sonowal in U-17 judo above 63 kg

Pingkhi Brahma in U-21 javelin throw

Sanzio Pandey, Scion Shiv Mahanta, Raktim Kashyap, Abhilakh Handique in U-21 fours team lawn bowl

Manav Jyoti Teron in U-17 200m cycling

Jwngsar Basumatary in U-17 triple jump

Sumon Kumari, Suranjana Baruah, Adinita KaKati in U-21 triple team in lawn bowl

PrabaL Pratim Gogoi in U-17 55 kg weightlifting

Chitra Prova Chetia in U-17 40 kg weightlifting

Gitashree Sonowal in U-21 49 kg weightlifting

Bhum Machahary, Pallab Gogoi, Rajib Brahma, Subarna Kalita in U-21 4x100 metres relay

Swmkwr Islary, Jwngsar Basumatary, Chinmoy Baruah, Akshay Boro in U-17 4x100m track & field relay

Chayanika Gogoi in U-21 60 kilometers individual road race cycling

Shivangi Sarma in U-21 200m freestyle swimming

Gongutri Gogoi, Chayanika Gogoi, Joyshree Gogoi, Bristi Kongkona Gogoi in U-21 4000m cycling

Shivangi Sharma in U-21 800m freestyle swimming

Upasha Talukdar bought laurels for the state on the very first day of the Games when she won won a bronze in the rhythmic gymnastics event in the Girls’ Under-17 category. She has won a total of three medals. 1 silver in the rhythmic ball event and 2 bronzes - one in all round gymnastics and another in rhythmic rope event. The 12-year-old is a self-taught gymnast in a state where the sport is not so popular. She started off with artistic gymnastics and later took to YouTube to learn rhythmic gymnastics. She is also training under a Russian friend who is herself practicing to be a gymnastics coach.

Rajeshree Buragohain in U-21 100m breast stroke

under Arjuna Awardee Yashpal Solanki. She “eats, breathes, lives judo” and “watching her walk into the judo arena is like seeing a viewer watch their favourite movie,” Solanki said.

Lawn Bowl: Assam shines in the newly added sport to Khelo India

The lawn bowlers added to the Bhogali celebrations by doubling the state’s gold medal haul to six. 19-year-old Surajit Burhagohain hit pay-dirt in the Lawn Bowls boys’ under-21 singles final with a facile 21-10 win against Jharkhand. The Under-21 boys’ fours team of Sanzio Pandey, Scion Shiv Mahanta, Raktim Kashyap and Abhilakh Handique and girls’ triple team of Sumon Kumari, Suranjana Baruah and Adinita

Anubhuti Baruah in U-21 50m butterfly swimming KaKati added Sarusajai Complex while she to the babysat her (Borah’s) 10-monthcelebration. old child. The girls’ Under-21 pair of “It may be just a bronze, but Karina Patowary and Jinu Gogoi it has come after just three also won a bronze alongside months of training. I can see her Uttarakhand. continuing and getting much Jinu Gogoi started bowling better very soon,” said Borah. barely three months ago. That It is to be mentioned that lawn too only because she used to see bowl along with cycling are the her employer Bima Borah play two newly added disciplines to the sport every evening at the Khelo India in this 3rd edition, and the host state has shone bright with 3 golds and a bronze.

A Gold and a Silver for the state in 4x100 meters relay The under-21 boys’ team had further raised Assam’s ranking on the medal tally by winning gold in the 4x100 metres relay race. The team comprising Bhum Machahary, Pallab Gogoi, Rajib Brahma and Subarna Kalita finished the race at 42.45 seconds that ensured the first gold for the state in the athletic event. Assam also managed to grab a silver at the 4x100 metres relay in the under-17 category. The team had Swmkwr Islary, Jwngsar Basumatary, Chinmoy Baruah and Akshay Boro.

Puja Basumatary ‘eats, breathes and lives judo.’

Puja Basumatary got Assam’s first gold medal after defeating Uttarakhand’s Sneha Chauhan 1-0 in the finals of the U-17 Girls’ 57 kg category. The daughter of a cab driver from Karbi Anglong district, she started practicing judo from 2015. Having started competing professionally only in 2018, Puja has become one of the most promising judokas in the country, and currently trains at the Khelo India national camp in Bhopal

Gongutri Bordoloi, Chayanika Gogoi in U-21 cycling team sprint Salim Ansari in U-21 55 kg judo

Siddhanta Gogoi in U-21 61 kg weightlifting

12-year-old gymnast manages to secure 1 silver and 2 bronzes

Chayanika Gogoi in U-21 cycling scratch race

Chayanika Gogoi and Gongutri Bordoloi (both in red) savouring their success

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Lead Story

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

KIYG 2020 state-wise medal tally (updated till 6 pm of 17th January) 1

Maharashtra

150

Haryana

111

Delhi

Uttar Pradesh

Kerala

Gujarat

Karnataka

Madhya Pradesh

Tamil Nadu

Assam

Manipur

West Bengal

Punjab

Rajasthan

Telengana

Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Odisha

Uttarakhand

Tripura

Chandigarh

Jharkhand

Jammu & Kashmir

Mizoram

Arunachal Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Bihar

Himachal Pradesh

Chattishgarh

Goa

Daman &Diu

Lakshadweep

Meghalaya

Dadra And Nagar Haveli

Nagaland

Puducherry

Sikkim

Leh Ladakh

Even a major road accident couldn’t stop Gongutri from bagging gold Gongutri Bordoloi won gold for Assam in 60 kilometres Individual Road Race Cycling in the under-21 girls’ category. This girl from Nagoan had almost lost her dream even before taking wing when she met with a massive road accident five years ago. She was left with broken collarbone and multiple lacerations, injuries that kept her off the schedule for over a year. While her mother wanted her to give up cycling, her father fought for her and motivated her to cling to her passion. The gold medalist from Assam is back now and has no intention of quitting. “I was a sprint cyclist earlier, but the injuries mean that I can’t burst through quickly now,” Gongutri said sharing her journey with the media. “I switched over to the pursuit and the road recently. Even today I was nervous, because I didn’t want to crash. I saw the commotion behind me

and ensured I wasn’t near it,” she added.

Akshay Boro wins 200 m

Assam spinster Akshay Boro won the silver medal in the under 17 boys’ 200 m category. He hails from Chaygoan and has been training for two years. After his win a happy Boro said, “I am really happy to have won the silver medal in front of my home crowd. It’s a matter of great pride for me to have been able to produce a good performance, and I hope to reach newer heights in the next few years.” “I had initially started off with football. But while playing, I would see fellow youngsters running, and then I also happened to develop an interest,” he added.

Silver for Assam in 10 m Air Rifle shooting Hriday Hazarika bagged a silver for Assam in the 10-metre air rifle shooting in the under-21 category. The match witnessed one of the best competitions in the shooting event

which got under way at the Kahilipara Shooting Range on 14th January. Talking to G Plus Hriday said, “The competition was quite tough as expected as we have got international class competitors. I got a bit disappointed as I trained so hard. I, however, gave in my hundred percent and that helped me to get to the silver.” Speaking to the media his current coach Suma Shirur, who is former Olympian in 10 m air rifle and Commonwealth Games gold medalist said, “Hriday is a very good fighter and he proved it again here. An athlete always feels pressure when he competes on his home soil. I think Hriday too felt it today but the boy fought brilliantly and made a good comeback to win silver here.”

4 City

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

Construction of 4 GMC market complexes stalled for over 2 years The construction of market complexes at four locations namely Ganeshguri, Ulubari, Fatasil and Rupnagar have seen no progress in 2019, having been stalled for years. Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

Construction of Ganeshguri, Ulubari, Fatasil and Rupnagar market complexes see no progress in 2019

he Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) mulled plans to construct multi-storeyed markets in Ganeshguri, Ulubari, Fatasil and Rupnagar to relocate the street vendors of the same areas. However, the works of three of these market places have been stalling since the past three years. The setting up of Ganeshguri and Ulubari market complexes began around the same time in 2015. The construction work of the market complex at Ulubari has been stalling for three years now. Similarly, while Ganeshguri market complex neared completion in 2018, the final works have remained pending ever since. “The Ulubari market complex had completed 70% construction by 2017 but the work was going on at a very slow space. GMC has expelled the contractor for substandard work and is also taking action against him. A new contractor will soon be assigned to complete the work,” Debajit Das, chief engineer of GMC informed G Plus. Similarly, he informed that the works for Rupnagar and Fatasil

Rupnagar and Fatasil market complexes stalled due to land disputes and court cases Ulubari market complex stalled due to substandard work by contractor Around Rs 14.66 crores was invested to repair 76 roads in 2019

GMC market and its stalled progress at Ganeshguri | G Plus photo market complexes have been stalled due to land disputes and court cases by the local vendors associations who’re opposing the decision to relocate. “We are fighting a case in the court because we’re unhappy with the relocation. They’re trying to send us there as they want to tell the court that

they have given us space. But the total number of slots they are making available in the buildings is much less than what we require,” explained a vegetable seller. According to the officials, the street vendors have occupied the streets with illegal shops which are leading to traffic congestion

during the busy hours of the day. The illegal vendors covering a majority of the parking areas and footpaths have added fuel to the growing concerns. “While GMC officials have been regularly carrying out eviction drives against street vendors, they keep resurfacing,” the official added.

GMC repairs 76 roads in 2019 as opposed to 833 roads in 2018

he Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) repaired and constructed 76 city roads and lanes in 2019. On the contrary, a total of 833 city roads and lanes were repaired and constructed in 2018. With the end of the 5-year tenure of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) council on 31st July 2018 and the deferred elections, the works are currently going on at a slow pace, a source at GMC said, speaking to G Plus. In the past year, the municipal body has witnessed major reshuffle. First, IAS Monalisa Goswami was transferred from

the post of commissioner and IAS Debeswar Malakar took charge. Then, Tasdiqur Rahman was transferred from the post of chief engineer and replaced by Debajit Das. A source in the GMC said, “Around Rs 14.66 crores was invested to repair 76 roads in 2019,” adding that the work of many other roads are ongoing. The funds were sanctioned in three parts - Rs 5.28 crores was sanctioned in the first part of 14th Finance Commission, Rs 4.16 crores in second part of 14th Finance Commission and the remaining Rs 5.22 crores was sanctioned under the third part of the 14th Finance

Commission - after the ward councillors submitted reports on the roads that needed repair in their respective wards. With the amount received in first instalment, a total of 27 roads were repaired. Additionally, some drains, guard walls and community halls were built and streetlights were installed. While the second instalment of Finance Commission was used for construction of 30 roads and lanes, the fund from the third instalment was used for the construction of the remaining 19 roads constructed in 2019. The repair works included construction of protection

walls in some areas, lane and road improvement, guard wall constructions, construction of drains, improvement of RCC covered box drains near some lanes, construction of culverts and RCC slabs, construction of steps adjacent to some lanes, construction of underground drains and setting up of community halls and upgrading streetlights infrastructure in some areas. The councillors also alleged that the government had been very slow in allotting funds. Commenting on the speed of the work, former councillor of Ward No 27, Jona Rabha said, “The problem is that the funds

Five community halls constructed, cremation grounds repaired by GMC GMC worked on cleaning and maintaining drains and river channels in the city GMC to construct four foot-over bridges over GS Road Adabari bus stand to be constructed in tandem with bus stands in Gujarat More AC bus stands to be constructed across the city Plans in place for construction of two artificial water reservoirs are not sanctioned on time by GMC which slows down the developmental works of every ward.” The GMC has also constructed five community halls including one at Ambari and other at Kalibari and repaired cremation grounds at Boragaon and Athgaon.

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City

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

GMC spends hefty amount on cleaning, maintaining river channels in Guwahati

ccording to the details availed from the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), the chief engineer branch received a grant of Rs 75 crores in 2018 to develop the drainage system and major river channels. The GMC prepared a threeyear plan (2018-20) to assess the drainage system of the city, desilt the drains and clean the river channels utilising the fund.

In the first year, GMC spent hefty amounts of money to clean and desilt the major river channels in the city. After identifying the areas which get affected by urban floods during rainy season, the GMC also took steps for flood mitigation. In the second year, that is, 2019, the GMC has focussed on cleaning and maintaining the drains and river channels. A GMC source said, “De-silting has been done at 330 drains and

five major river channels of the city (Bharalu, Bahini, Lakhimijan, Basistha and Mora Bharalu) were cleaned this year,” adding that even masonry guard walls were constructed near some river channels. The source further informed that for 2019, cleaning and desilting works of these rivers have been completed and maintenance works are currently on-going.

Other GMC projects in 2019 pending completion Project Ganeshguri multi-storeyed market building Garbage transfer station below Gauhati Club flyover Garbage transfer station at VIP Storm water drain at Division 6 Construction of Art Garage at Basistha Biomethanation plant Ulubari multi-storeyed market complex Fatasil market building Rupnagar market building

Budget

Work Status

Rs 2 crores

93% completed

Rs 6.5 lakhs

Cancelled

Rs 33 lakhs

Completed

Rs 2.5 crores

Completed

Rs 5 crores

Nearing completion

Rs 1.45 crores

80% completed

Rs 3 crores

70% completed

Rs 2 crores

30% completed

Rs 3 crores

20% completed

Four foot-over bridges to be constructed on GS Road

he Assam government has sanctioned the construction of four foot-over bridges in Guwahati, sources at the Guwahati Municipal Corporation informed G Plus. “The plans for construction of foot-over bridges in the city started to take shape due to the construction of concrete dividers. The GMC had thus submitted proposals for the construction of 10 bridges but the higher authorities claimed that only four of those are feasible,” said the source. The four foot-over bridges will be constructed in GS Road near Apollo Hospital, Bhangagarh Bazaar, GMDA parking, and GS Road near Dona Planet. Additionally, proposals have

also been sent for various other projects such as Beltola market complex, Adabari bus stand and artificial water reservoir from the chief engineer’s office to the state government. “We plan to make the Adabari bus stand at par with the bus stands in Ahmedabad and Vadodara. The tendering for the same has been done and development works are currently on-going,” Debajit Das, chief engineer of GMC informed G Plus. He added that the GMC will also construct more AC bus stands across Guwahati like the ones constructed at Pan Bazaar and Bora Service. Additionally, GMC is also working towards completing the construction of all the market complexes.

File photo of GS Road

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Mostly Sunny

Sunny

Mostly Sunny

23°14°C

22°11° C

22°10° C

22°11° C

21°11° C

SATURDAY Sunny

24°15°C

6 City

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

Fish, meat sales on Uruka dip in city under anti-CAA protest cloud Chayanika Das @guwahatiplus CAA protests impacts Bhogali Bihu sale Fish vendors not happy with Bhogali Bihu business Demands remain low while prices remain high Meat vendors claim that demand for fish was much higher than chicken, duck and pigeon Guwahatians continue CAA protests as they sell pithas

he ongoing CAA protests have deflated sales in the Bhogali Bihu markets of Guwahati as compared to previous years. The Uzanbazar Ghat fish market, being one of the preferred markets of the city for buying the “mandatory” fish for the Uruka feast, witnesses huge footfall during Uruka morning but it to garner the regular enthusiasm this once. The market gets flooded with various kinds of fish since the wee hours. Fish vendors from different parts of the city and nearby areas come together to offer shoppers a variety of fish.

The market opens at 3 am on the day of Uruka, the feasting day. Varity of fish from various parts of lower and middle Assam, such as Nalbari, Sualkuch, Mukalmuwa, Nagaon are sold at the ghat. Speaking to G Plus, the vendors said that the sale was less as compared to previous years. “Guwahatians have shown much interest in fish this year too. People are buying all sorts of fishes for their dinner tonight, but Ari is commanding the highest price this year,” said a fish vendor. A kg of Chitol was sold for Rs 550-Rs 650 while a kg of Ari was priced at Rs 800-1000. Bhokua (catla), on the other hand, was priced at Rs 500-600 per kg. Several fish vendors claimed that though the demands were less, prices remained high. Meat vendors were not very happy with their sale this year. Several vendors who had come from nearby areas informed that the demand for fish was much higher than chicken, duck and pigeon. “We could not make the profit that we expected. At least in the Uzanbazar area, the fish vendors are making a much better profit,” said a meat vendor from Kurua. The president of Greater Guwahati Qureshi Meat Association, Muslim Ali, told

Uzanbazar Ghat on Uruka morning; the crowd somehow was not as thronging | G Plus Photo G Plus that they had fixed the price of mutton for Magh Bihu at Rs 650 per kilogram. “We have allowed the price of mutton to be fixed at Rs 650 per kilogram for the occasion of Magh Bihu. But this will only be followed for a single day on January 14,” said Ali. However, various unlicensed meat sellers in the city have increased the price by as much as Rs 100 per kilogram during the festival period.

BJP’s sympathy for migrants amidst economic slowdown raises questions of vested interest

he BJP knows that they will not come to power next time in Assam and in India with the kind of work they are doing. Hence, they are increasing their vote banks by providing shelter to migrants and using tax payers’ money to rehabilitate them,” said senior journalist and social activist Manjit Mahanta. He said that BJP is just indulging in vote bank politics. A state level executive member of BJP from Assam talking to G Plus under condition of anonymity said that the BJP is worried as many voters are currently upset with the party. By October 2020 the migrants who would get citizenship through CAA will have their names

added to the voters’ list so that in 17 constituencies of Assam, where BJP has minimal chances of winning, the vote bank increases. Therefore, the BJP is expediting the process of CAA, revealed the source. Even the Bru pact in Tripura was signed so that all the Bru tribals get the right to vote and in future they will be BJP’s loyal voters, the source expressed. The politics of vote bank is not new in Indian politics but the BJP’s love and sympathy for migrants raises questions of vested interest which probably looks like Hindu and tribal vote banks.

From Page 01

Meanwhile, Guwahatians continued protesting against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as they celebrated Bihu. Prior to the festival, a Guwahati based NGO, organised a pitha festival. Binita Dutta Chaudhary, member of Bor Axom - a Guwahati based NGO told G Plus, “This is our festival and we have to celebrate it but at the same time we cannot forget about CAA. We strongly oppose it since it is a threat to our

language.” When asked about the sale of pithas, she said that her major concern right now is CAA and the sale does not bother her. “Although we are celebrating Magh Bihu and doing business, we wanted to show our opposition to the CAA,” said a vendor. “By placing the placards we want to keep the fight alive and also people will remember what we went through,” he added.

BJP asks MLAs to fully cooperate with its IT cell G Plus News @guwahatiplus

ive days ago, in a closed door meeting which was held in Guwahati where all the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) were present, the state BJP leadership asked the MLAs to fully cooperate with the information technology (IT) cell of the party which will from now on work 24/7 to improve the image of the party which was “tarnished” by the Citizenship Amendment Act. A highly placed source in the BJP talking to G Plus under condition of anonymity said, “The leadership of BJP lambasted some MLAs for not being involved with the public and just enjoying the power.” The source revealed that some ministers were even asked not to be arrogant with the public. The IT cell from now on will promote

every MLA, and the MLAs are expected to share information of their developmental works and public meetings with the IT cell. The source also revealed that if any new party is formed (news of which is doing the rounds), the BJP’s IT cell will work towards ensuring that a negative image is projected of the members of that new party. The source revealed that a huge amount of money will be spent on the IT cell and social media will be very carefully used in the run up to the 2021 assembly elections.

Poll

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

Do you feel that the ongoing anti-CAA protests have marred the Magh Bihu celebrations this year? Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

ith the ongoing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Bhogali or Magh Bihu celebrations this year took over a sombre feel across the state. The Magh Bihu celebrations,

which is a significant annual harvest festival in Assam, was marked by a number of protests with people clearly registering their opposition against the contentious Act. Further, like every year, several Bhogali melas were set up in different parts of the city. These melas are thronged by Guwahatians ahead of the festival and see vendors selling traditional indigenous savoury as well as sweet food items including Laru, Pitha and other delicacies made of rice. However, some of these

Bhogali melas in Guwahati were marked by silent protests by the vendors who placed anti-CAA placards at their stalls. Speaking to G Plus one of the vendors said, “Although we are celebrating Magh Bihu and doing normal business, we also wanted to show our opposition to the CAA.” He added that by placing these placards they want to keep the fight alive and to remind the people of the state to not give up

the fight.

G Plus conducted a poll asking its readers about their take on the issue and if they felt a dip in people’s enthusiasm in Magh Bihu celebrations this year. A total of 1,000 participants took part in the poll. Out of this, a majority (56 per cent) of the participants felt that anti-CAA protests did not have much effect on the Bihu festivities this time. On the other hand, 44 per cent people said that the overall mood of the festival was spoilt to a certain extent. “I think not because people

An Uruka meji being lighted with CAA protest placards

have boycotted picnics and other celebrations like 31st December night but Bihu is Assamese people’s lifeline and it should be celebrated to keep our traditions alive and strong. So, people have celebrated Bihu wholeheartedly this time with their voices opposing the destructive CAA,” said Anku Phukan, a city resident. Another participant, Jyotsna Deka mentioned, “Magh Bihu comes every year but CAA cannot

be accepted at any cost. So if CAA is rejected this year in Assam then after this every Magh Bihu will be joyous.” “CAA is already posing threat to our culture and so if we don’t celebrate Bihu, then it will be like helping the anti-secular government to achieve its aim, that is, to destroy the culture of Assam,” remarked Bishal Paul, a Guwahatian. Several respondents also

felt that even though people are strongly opposed to the Citizenship Amendment Act, they have not compromised on celebrating their traditional festival and are holding on their culture which is part of the identity of the Assamese people. “In fact, it has proved otherwise and I feel that people are more bent on the anti-CAA sentiment with firm resolve,” said Anjan Singh.

8 City

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

City locality functioning without legal electric supply for 2 years • Residents of Janasimalu are functioning without electricity for 2 years • Multiple complaints raised with organisations concerned but no progress • Bad roads, no water supply are other major concerns of the people affected by Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary eviction • Schools, places of worship remain broken • Residents request government to give them basic necessities Chayanika Das @guwahatiplus

n November 27, 2017, the residents of Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary, in Assam’s Kamrup district, woke up to their worst nightmare. Many families were rendered homeless after an eviction drive was carried out by the government. People continue to live in the area in makeshift houses. After two years, the residents of Janasimalu – a village within the physical boundaries of the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary and which falls under ward 31 (C) of GMC, are still facing a lot of issues. Residents claimed that ever since the eviction, there has been no electricity in the area. People are using solar lights and lamps to perform their day-to-day activities. Bad roads and no water supply have also been major concerns of the residents. A local claimed that during the eviction, wells were covered with mud and sand so that residents do not have access to water and were made bound to leave. Around 60 families currently reside in Janasimalu which is located in the Panjabari area of the city. While their houses remain broken their hopes remain

high. A few have managed to build their houses back but there are many who continue to live in broken ones due to monetary issues. Not just houses, schools and places of worship were also damaged. Suren Das, a resident of the village told G Plus, “We have repeatedly raised this concern with many ministers and organisations concerned. We have tried all possible ways to reach them but no one seems to care. Officials say that they will take care of it but it has been two years and we are still living in this terrible

condition.” “After the eviction we had a Panchayat election and just prior to that, the members visited us and made several promises just like they always do and after their win, they forgot about all the promises made. It is the 21st century and we are living like people from the old times with lamps, diyas and candles,” he added. Recalling the incident, Suren Das said, “There was a time when NGOs were giving us water but the government came to know about it and

File photo of Amchang residents on the day of the eviction stopped that as well.” Das also mentioned that during the eviction, not just their houses but wells were also broken and filled with mud and sand so that the villagers would be unable to use them. “I’ve been living here since the past 30 years. We were the first ones to make the roads of this village. Till today the government has done nothing for the roads here. Not only roads, there is no supply of water as well,” said Gajendra Deka, another resident of the village. “In this village, the rich and poor have joined hands to fight all the pain that we have been facing since 2017. It is just sad to see how no one is doing anything about this village. My only request to the government is to give us our basic necessities,” Deka added.

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Talking about rehabilitation, the locals said that it is now impossible for them to leave the place since it is the only place they call home. Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary is situated on the eastern fringes of Guwahati. It is home to at least 250 species of birds and 44 species of mammals besides reptiles and amphibians. Officials informed that Amchang was first declared a reserve forest in 1953. It was then converted into Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary in 2004 after combining the Amchang, Khanapara and South Amchang reserve forests. As per a Gauhati High Court order, the Assam government carried out the eviction in the area on November 27, 2017. The area was declared an eco-sensitive zone (ECZ)

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by the environment ministry around the Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary. Reports suggested that the Gauhati High Court, on August 2, 2017 directed the state government to carry out the eviction after hearing a PIL by an NGO named Early Birds, in the ECZ of Amchang. However, there were also reports that the government took the step after some party MLAs, who represent Mishing dominated constituencies, opposed the move. Most of the people who were evicted belonged to indigenous Bodo, Rabha, Mishing and other tribes. It is said that people moved into the forest area adjacent to the sanctuary over a long period of time from the flood affected districts of Majuli, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji.

In The News

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

WB, Centre sign $88 million loan agreement for AIWT project G Plus News @guwahatiplus

he Centre along with the Assam state government and the World Bank signed a loan agreement of $88 million to help modernize Assam’s passenger ferry sector that runs on its rivers including the mighty Brahmaputra. A majority of Assam’s more than 361 ferry routes cross the Brahmaputra or serve its islands, providing a crucial means of transport to thousands of commuters in both the urban and rural areas of the Brahmaputra Valley. The Assam Inland Water Transport Project (AIWTP) will help Assam improve the passenger ferry infrastructure and its services and strengthen the capacity of the institutions running the inland water transport. Technically better designed terminals and energyefficient vessels (both new and retrofitted) will make the ferry services more sustainable with least disruption to nature. Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, said that India’s large network of inland waterways can play a significant role in the country’s economy. Its fuel efficiency contributes to lower operating costs and reduces environmental impact. He further said that in Assam, the rivers are a vital transport asset for its people. The Assam Inland Water Transport Project will help develop a modern, efficient and safe river transport system for the large volume of passengers and cargo carried by the vessels. The loan agreement was signed by Khare, on behalf of Government of India and

Junaid Kamal Ahmad, Country Director (India), World Bank on behalf of the World Bank whereas, the Project Agreement was signed by Shri Adil Rashid, Commissioner (Assam Transport) and State Project Director on behalf of Government of Assam and Mr Kamal Ahmad on behalf of the World Bank. Kamal Ahmad said that Assam has the largest network of navigable waterways in India. The Government of Assam has taken on the

terminals and terminal services on a common-user basis to both public and private ferry operators. Inland Water Transport is also a more sustainable mode of transport. It provides lowcarbon and low-cost options when compared to the cost of constructing and maintaining flood-resilient roads and bridges across the long stretches of the Brahmaputra River. Atul Agarwal, Senior Transport Specialist and

existing infrastructure in a way that works with natural river processes. Today, a quarter of all ferry passengers in the state are women and girls. The ferry terminals have few facilities, with limited seating (if any), or toilets or drinking water and most waiting areas are mostly overcrowded. Travelling on the vessels can be uncomfortable and difficult, particularly for women, children, older people, and for the differently-abled.

Snippets Assam Cabinet likely to be Reshuffled, Many Portfolios to Change Hands

he BJP-led Assam government is likely to reshuffle its cabinet with new faces set to be inducted against existing vacancies. Sources close to G Plus said that Chakradhar Gogoi from Moran or Jogen Mohan from Mahmora could be in the list of the new ministers. Narayan Deka, Barkhetri MLA, is also another likely new face. If speculations are to be believed, Sanjoy Kishan, MLA from Tinsukia, may be the new state labour minister. With new ministers set to be inducte d, a major re shuffle of the Sarbananda Sonowal-led state government might see some existing ministers lose their portfolios. Such ministers are likely to include Siddhartha Bhattacharya and Naba Doley among others. It is to be mentioned that Assam BJP’s state president, Ranjeet Dass, whose term as a president expired on December 16 last, will be reappointed to head the party on January 18.

Ranjeet Dass to be reappointed as Assam BJP’s party president An image of the signing ceremony challenge of modernizing the ferries sector which, though vital to the state, remains largely informal. He further said that with World Bank support, the government is creating an institutional framework that will mainstream Inland Waterways as a mode of transport that is both attractive and well-suited to a wide crosssection of people living in the Brahmaputra Valley of Assam. The project will support the Government of Assam’s efforts to corporatise its own ferry activities. The Assam Shipping Company (ASC) will operate the government ferries and the Assam Ports Company (APC) will provide

Ninan Oommen Biju, Senior Port Specialist and World Bank’s Task Team Leaders for the project said that Assam’s ferry services are integral to the lives of the people living in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam, providing them with connectivity, mobility, and livelihoods, adding, that with better navigation aids, appropriate safety gear and more suitable marine engines, the ferry services are expected to get more reliable and safer. The project will also help build modern ferry terminals. In doing so, the project will draw guidance from ‘working with nature’ principles that aim to design new infrastructure or rehabilitate

The project will improve facilities for people using the ferry services and give special attention to the safety and security of women and girls. The terminals will have better access, lighting and signages while the new vessels will allow for individual seats, and separate toilets. Moreover, a strengthened regulatory regime will ensure reduction in overloading, adherence to time schedule and better crew standards. Loan of $88 million from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a final maturity of 14.5 years including a grace period of five years.

ssam BJP will reappoint Ranjeet Kumar Dass as the party head on January 18. Dass’s term has expired on December 16. The saffron party is likely to reappoint him to lead the party in Assam. A BJP legislator from Sarbhog constituency, Dass was elected as Speaker of the Assam Legislative assembly when Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal took charge in June 2016. Dass resigned from the Speaker’s post in January 2017 and took over the reins of the Assam Pradesh unit of BJP.

10 Governance

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

Assam ranks amongst bottom 4 states in NITI Aayog report on SDGs Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

Assam ranked amongst bottom 4 states in NITI Ayog report on SDG achievement The state scored 55 in overall SDG index, national average is 60 Assam has progressed from being an aspirant state in 2018 to a performer state India’s overall composite score improved from 57 to 60 At the individual level, Assam was the ‘front runner’ in 5 SDGs

ssam ranked amongst the bottom four states in the country in the achievement of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which are part of the United Nations’ (UN) mission and were adopted by India along with 148 other countries. The state scored a total of 55 in the overall SDG index which measured the performance of all states in achievement of these 17 goals. Assam’s performance is below the national average of 60. In fact, it is placed at the bottom of the list in terms of overall performance. Assam achieved the fourth lowest score in the country after Bihar (50), Arunachal Pradesh and Jharkhand both of which have scored 53 in the achievement of the index, and Meghalaya (54). However, Assam has progressed from being an aspirant state (those states with a score of less than 50) in 2018 report, to a performer state (achieving a score of more than 50) in 2019.

The SDGs which are part of the Mission 2030 by the UN include no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, sustainable consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace, justice and strong institutions, partnerships. The states were marked on these socioeconomic indicators. Further, in a positive development, India’s overall composite score improved from 57 in 2018 to 60 in 2019 showing a progress in India’s efforts towards achievement of these sustainable development goals. The NITI Aayog report revealed that at the individual goal achievement level, Assam was categorised in the “front runner” (achieving a score of

NITI Aayog, New Delhi 65-99) category in five SDGs including clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, reduced inequalities, sustainable consumption and production, and life on land. The state achieved the “Aspirant State” category in eight goals, achieving a score of less than 50 in these eight parameters. These goals include no poverty, zero hunger, good

health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, industry, innovation and infrastructure, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action. Additionally, the state secured the “Performer” tag in achievement of two goals namely decent work and economic growth and peace, justice and strong institutions.

Ample scope for improvement, feel experts In terms of the “Quality Education,” Assam achieved a total score of 44, which is much below the national average of 58. The state’s Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education (18-23 years) is 30 per cent which is better than the national average of 26.3 per cent. Further, as per the SDG India Index report, merely 12 per cent differentlyabled children (5 – 19 years) are enrolled in schools in Assam whereas at the national level, 61.18 per cent such students are enrolled in educational

institutions. On the other hand, Assam does better than the national average in terms of percentage of students in grade III, V, VIII and X achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in terms of nationally defined learning outcomes. A total of 48 per cent students have achieved this proficiency as against the national average of 36 per cent. Uttam Teron, an activist working in the field of education in Assam told G Plus that in the

past 10 years, the education sector has improved by leaps and bounds. He however said that there is still ample scope for bettering the sector in a number of different areas. “Now the state government, too, is focussing on skill development of students and is giving priority to the education sector, which is the need of the hour. Still, we are not up to the mark at the national level but in the northeast region, the overall development of the sector has been satisfactory till now,”

remarked Teron. He added that to improve things in Assam, the government should adopt a “top to bottom approach” and should focus equally on educational institutions of the urban as well as rural areas. In terms of gender equality, Assam was ranked as the third poorest performing state with a score of 33 while the national average of this goal was 42. Percentage of married women aged between 15 and 49 years who have ever experienced spousal violence was 51 per cent for

Rohit Sharma surpasses Sachin Tendulkar to become fastest opener to reach 7000 ODI runs

ndia’s Rohit Sharma on January 17 became the fastest batsman to score 7000 ODI runs as an opener, surpassing Hashim Amla and Sachin Tendulkar.

Rohit completed 7000 ODI

runs during the second ODI against Australia at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium against Australia. While Rohit took 137 innings to reach the

milestone, Amla, who now stands at the second spot, had achieved the feat in 147 innings. Tendulkar had completed 7,000 ODI runs in 160 innings.

Assam - higher than the all India figure of 39 per cent. Further, the female labour force participation rate in the state was seven which is again below the national average of 15. A city-based women’s rights activist said that while there are several ambitious schemes launched by the central as well as the state government, the authorities should ensure that the implementation of these schemes is done in letter and spirit so that the beneficiaries receive the maximum advantage.

News This Week

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

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

President Ram Nath Kovind rejects mercy plea of Nirbhaya rape convicts

President Ram Nath Kovind has rejected the mercy plea in Nirbhaya rape case on January 17, Friday. Mukesh Singh, one of the four death row convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, had filed the mercy petition a few days ago. The four convicts Mukesh Singh (32), Vinay Sharma (26), Akshay Kumar Singh (31) and Pawan Gupta (25) were to be hanged on January 22 at 7 am in Tihar Jail. A Delhi court had issued their death warrants on January 7.

Satya Nadella: Would love to see a Bangladeshi becomes the next CEO of Infosys

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, at an event for editors in New York on January 13, expressed his concerns on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Nadella said, “I think what is happening is sad. It’s just bad. I would love to see a Bangladeshi immigrant who comes to India and creates the next unicorn in India or becomes the next CEO of Infosys.” Adding he said, “Every country will and should define its borders, protect national security and set immigration policy accordingly.” Author and columnist Sadanand Dhume said, “I’m somewhat surprised that Satya Nadella touched this issue, but not at all surprised that he disapproves of India’s citizenship law. A successful firm like Microsoft is built on the principle of treating all people equally regardless of their faith.”

SBI cuts interest rates on FDs

State Bank of India (SBI) has announced a 15 basis points (bps) cut in Fixed Deposit (FDs) rates effective from January 10. As per the information available on SBI’s website, FDs with a maturity period of over 1 year and less than or up to 10 years will now fetch customers an interest rate of 6.1 percent as against the earlier 6.25 percent. For senior citizens, the new interest rates applicable on such deposits between 1 year and 10 years are now revised to 6.75 percent from 6.60 percent. “The interest rate payable to SBI staff and SBI pensioners will be 1.00% above the applicable rate. The proposed rates of interest shall be made applicable to fresh deposits and renewals of maturing deposits,” SBI added.

Congress attacks Centre over its decision to send 36 union ministers to J&K

The Congress, on 16th January, attacked the Centre over its decision to send 36 union ministers to Jammu & Kashmir (J&K), questioning the need for this if everything was normal in the union territory. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari tweeted that sending 36 ministers to Kashmir was a sign of panic, not normalcy. A group of union ministers will visit J&K from January 18-24 with the “objective of disseminating information about the positive impact of abrogation of provisions of Article 370 along with the steps taken by the government in this direction particularly in the last 5 months,” a letter sent by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs said.

MS Dhoni dropped from BCCI’s central contract list

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on January 16, dropped Mahendra Singh Dhoni from the centrally contracted players. It is to be mentioned that the former Indian captain has not played since the World Cup semi-final loss to New Zealand last year. The BCCI announced the central contracts for the period of October 2019 to September 2020. Skipper Virat Kohli, his deputy Rohit Sharma and top pacer Jasprit Bumrah were retained in the highest A+ bracket of Rs 7 crores. Earlier Dhoni was in the A category, which fetches a player Rs 5 crores, until 2019.

General Rawat: Only way to end terrorism is how Americans started after 9/11

Chief of Defence Staff, Bipin Rawat, on January 16 during his address at the two-day Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, stressed on the need to take a hard-line approach in dealing with the challenge of terrorism. “We’ve to bring an end to terrorism and that can only happen the way Americans started after 9/11. They said let’s go on a spree of global war on terror. To do that you have to isolate the terrorists. Anybody who is sponsoring terrorism has to be taken to task,” Rawat said. He also added that getting blacklisted by Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is one of good measures to restrict the terrorism.

Debit, credit cards not used for online transactions to be disabled

ICC Awards: Virat wins Spirit of Cricket honour, Rohit bags Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) recently issued a notification asking all banks and card issuers to disable online payment services of all the credit and debit cards which have never been used to make an online transaction. The move was reportedly undertaken by the RBI to ensure security of the cardholders. “Existing cards that have never been used for online/international/contactless transactions shall be mandatorily disabled for this purpose,” stated the RBI in a notification on January 15. As per reports, the new rules will come into force from March 16, 2020. Further, once the card becomes disabled, the card holders would have to reapply for the services.

Indian captain Virat Kohli won the ICC’s Spirit of Cricket Award for asking the cricket fans to applaud Australia’s Steve Smith. Kohli won the award for his gesture at the 2019 World Cup when he egged the crowd on to support and not boo Steve Smith soon after his return to international cricket from a one-year suspension for ball-tampering. India’s star opener Rohit Sharma was named the ICC’s Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2019, for his incredible run of form through the year. It is to be mentioned that Rohit had a memorable 2019 when he scored 10 hundreds across formats, including five in the ICC ODI World Cup.

Centre offers onions at Rs 22 per kg to states

Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Ram Vilas Paswan, said the central government is providing onion at Rs 22 per kg. According to reports, the Union Minister said that over 18,000 tonnes of onion have been imported till now and only 2,000 tonnes have been sold. “However, we are providing onions at Rs 22/kg now,” Paswan said. Earlier in Assam, Bipul Kumar Das, Additional Deputy Commissioner for food, civil supply and consumer affairs department, in a review meeting, fixed the retail price of onion at Rs. 70 per kg on December 3.

Kerala govt asks district collectors not to carry out NPR process

Kerala government has asked its district collectors to ensure that National Population Registry (NPR) process is not carried out and warned of disciplinary action against officials if the government decision is not followed. On January 16, KR Jyothilal, Principal Secretary (General Administration), wrote to all district collectors of state, “As you are aware, the government has stayed all the activities connected with the NPR operations in the State proposed to be conducted along with the first phase of Census operations-2021. Now it has come to the notice of the government that some Census functionaries are mentioning NPR operations also while sending communications connected with the Census operations-2021 to the other Census functionaries.” Further, it asked district collectors to personally ensure that such activities are not repeated.

12 Centre Spread

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

Google has released its yearly data of what trended on its search e and Hollywood blockbusters have taken the top spots apart fr interest of Indians about space. G Plus brings to you the 10 Chandrayaan 2:

The second lunar exploration mission of ISRO; its objective was to study variations in lunar surface composition,the location and abundance of lunar water. It consisted of a lunar orbiter, the Vikram lander and the Pragyan lunar rover. Was launched on 22nd July and landed on the moon’s south-pole on 7th Sept. With 95% success it attracted the interest of millions of Indians; people remained glued to their TV sets all night to witness the historic landing. Google Trends Data showed that even people in Pakistan were apparently glued to their mobile phones and computers on 7 September following the updates.

Cricket World Cup:

The ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 was played in England.10 teams competed for the coveted trophy; England won it for the first time. India reached the semi-final;MS Dhoni batting at no.7 was highly debated.

Lok Sabha Elections:

The 17th general elections; 900 million eligible voters with the highest ever turnover of 67%.. BJP, by itself, won 303 seats and the BJP-led NDA alliance won 353 seats.

Kabir Singh:

Highest grossing movie of 2019 but also the most controversial for its depiction of toxic masculinity. The romantic-thriller was panned by critics as misogynistic for its portrayal of the extremely problematic male protagonist.

Article 370:

Article 370 of the Indian constitution gave special status to J&K, conferring it with the power to have a separate constitution, a state flag and autonomy over the internal administration of the state. On 5th August, the Centre scrapped this special status. Ladakh was bifurcated from J&K and both given the status of Union Territories.

Personalities who trended on Google

Abhinandan Varthaman

Lata Mangeshkar

Yuvraj Singh

Anand Kumar

Vicky Kaushal

Rishabh Pant

Ranu Mandal

Tara Sutaria

Siddharth Shukla

Koena Mitra

Top 5 “How to…” searche

1. How to vote 2. How to link Adhaar to Pan 3. How to check name in voter 4. How to check NEET result 5. How to select channels as pe TRAI ‘How to play PUBG’ was also in t list at no.7

Centre Spread

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

engine worldwide in 2019. It is worth mentioning that Bollywood rom topics of political interest. Chandrayaan 2 levelled up the 0 most searches under various topics by Indians last year. Joker:

Captain Marvel:

Marvel introduced its first women-led superhero film from the franchise, Captain Marvel. Released on March 8 on International Women’s Day, actress Brie Larson who essayed the titular role was the force behind the female-powered film. The female-empowerment message was overwhelming; the film grossed over $1.1 billion worldwide, making it the first female-led superhero film to pass the billion-dollar mark.

“Joker killed at the box office. Not literally, though there was no shortage of hand-wringing over the delusion that the film might stir up violence,” wrote the Washington Examiner. The Joaquin Phoenix starrer shattered the box office given its relatively small budget. It became the highest grossing R-rated film ever and the first to earn $1 billion.

PM Kisan Yojana:

NEET results:

Medical entrance exam - the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) - is one of the biggest exams for admission to undergraduate and postgraduate courses. There was a rise of 14.4% in 2019 compared to 2018 with a total of 15.19 lakh applicants. Female candidates outnumbered males by 1.5 lakh.

Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PMKISAN) is a Central Sector scheme with 100% funding from the government of India. It is a scheme for the small and marginal farmers. Inaugurated on 24th Feb, 2019, the Scheme provides an income support of Rs 6000/per year to all farmer families. With a total budget of Rs 75,000 crores it is to benefit around 12 crore farmers.

Avengers: Endgame:

Compiled by Barasha Das @guwahatiplus

The last film of the 22-movie series from the Marvel Cinematic Universe; it became Marvel Studios’ most successful movie ever. Grossed nearly $2.8 billion worldwide. AR Rahman composed the Indian Marvel anthem.

The top 5 songs

list

the

Top 5 movie searches 1. Cricket World Cup 2. Pro Kabbadi League 3. Wimbledon 4. Copa America 5. Australian Open However, ISL made it to the list in the 10th position

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Le Photo Le Teri Meri KAhani Teri Pyari Pyari Do Akhiyan Vaste Coco-Cola Tu

Top 5 sporting events 1. Cricket World Cup 2. Pro Kabbadi League 3. Wimbledon 4. Copa America 5. Australian Open However, ISL made it to the list in the 10th position Source: https://trends.google.com/trends/yis/2019/IN/

14 G Talk E

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020 T

Third party possibilities

ssam seems to be in the midst of political uncertainty at the moment. Miffed as it is with the current disposition that the janta had voted to power with an overwhelming mandate, Assamese nationalism is on a new upsurge with the feeling of having been betrayed by all and sundry – Congress and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) included. Under these circumstances, the idea of a third formation is making the rounds albeit with a bit of confusion. While it has appeared in the media that the influential All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) is taking the lead in the formation of a new political party with the ideology of regionalism (which the AGP is perceived to have diluted with its stance on the Citizenship Amendment Act or CAA), news has also trickled in that the Assamese intelligentsia led by some of the most respected Assamese nationalists is clearly taking concrete steps towards the same. In this context, the role of Zubeen Garg - without a doubt probably the best known nonpolitical face of Assam - will be intriguing at best. Given the fruition of this new party which will surely command the respect of the Assamese society, particularly, the section which firmly believes in regionalism, the political scenario of Assam may well change given the fact that the current feelings of Assamese nationalism or rather the feelings of “betrayal” by the

“protectors” of jati, mati & bheti will remain at its peak so long the CAA is not repealed. The potential of this new party can be gauged from the no-holds-barred statement of former Congress chief minister, Tarun Gogoi, that the Congress party would extend support to it mainly to create a somewhat formidable alliance against the BJP in the next elections. Gogoi’s political acumen clearly indicates that an alliance would be mandatory for the new party to create any kind of impression on the “floating” Assamese vote bank which does not owe any allegiance to any of the existing political parties. And that, by itself, is quite a large bank capable of messing up the number game in the assembly. At the same time, the statement of Gogoi is also being perceived as Congress clutching at straws to cross the finishing line. But as I said, every existing political party is a “betrayer” for the Assamese nationalist and the new outfit will have its task cut out. For the sake of another voting option, the new party will be good for Assam and should it get its moorings right, it will be a really interesting assembly election in 2021. Whether the AASU will be agreeable to play a supplementary role rather an active one remains to be seen. As for monetary strength to contest the elections against the mighty BJP, fund mobilization by itself is a challenging art!

Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali

Is ‘Clean India’ going to be a reality?

he world has become hyper sensitive towards earth’s climate change. Pollution, global warming, waste and garbage management have all become topics of intense discussion. While no concrete action has really been taken, engagements around these topics can be seen. Movements like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Clean India and plastic ban have not really seen desired results; this is because our literate youth is still uneducated. Despite such massive campaigns, why is cleanliness a problem in India? Well for starters, there has been an initiative to amp up cleanliness practices in the country, but it has not led to anything. The irony is that the people who are a part of the campaign – volunteers, designers, executives and other government POCs are the ones throwing the packet of chips or that wrapper of chewing gum from their cars. There is also a narrative that everyone is concerned about the planet we’re leaving for our

kids, but then again, no one cares about the kids we’re leaving for the planet. This young India is the one that needs attention but this clearly is not happening with the government campaigns. Well, the maximum attention goes to going to anything that comes with a penalty. Now enforcement of anti-littering law needs to strengthen. Imagine how creative people have gotten to save themselves from paying taxes. The moment people start having to pay for that “inadvertent toss” of a polythene bag on the side of the road, they will start carrying their own “kapde ka bag”, or keep that small wrapper in their pockets until they find a dustbin. After all, that’s what they do when they travel to Singapore. And this reinforcement has to start younger, not in a patronizing tone that our textbooks typically do, but stronger and with a sense of purpose.

Sidharth Bedi Varma @sid_bv

An open letter to the President of India December 21, 2019 Honorable Shri Ram Nath Kovind President of India, Brassey Avenue, Near Rashtrapati Bhavan, Raisina Hills, Delhi 110004 Dear President Kovind ji, We are writing to you as immigrants and part of the diaspora of Northeast India residing in the United States and Canada. We strongly condemn the recently-enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in India. It is an unconstitutional Act that threatens the secular fabric of the nation, is anti-indigenous, and has grave economic and socio-cultural implications for Northeast India, specifically Assam. Following are the reasons why we deem the Act to be detrimental to Assam: 1. It violates the Assam Accord: The Act violates the Assam Accord, the peace treaty between Assam and the Government of India in 1985, according to which it was mutually agreed that Assam would host all immigrants who arrived until March 1971, the year Bangladesh got its independence and no further. In addition, CAA violates Article 14, 15, 19, 21,25, 29 of the Constitution of India that prevents discrimination based on religious grounds, guarantees equality under law to citizens and guarantees both citizens and noncitizens of their right to life and liberty. 2. Assam will bear the brunt of the Act in the absence of a coherent government strategy to rehabilitate migrants in humane, just, and sustainable ways. Assam is one of the poorest states in India – almost 1/3rd of the population lives in extreme poverty, according to World Bank data, and the poverty rate remains higher than the national average. It also lags behind almost every other state in the country on Human Development indicators and lies below the national average. The small, economically-struggling state welcomed millions of immigrants through the Assam Accord until 1971. The number currently, according to independent sources, runs to tens of millions. In the absence of the economic systems and infrastructure necessary to support a growing population, accommodating more migrants who arrived since 1971 and who are likely to arrive in the future will bring these systems on the verge of a collapse. 3. It threatens the cultural diversity and plurality of indigenous traditions in Northeast India, offends the Indian Constitution and Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and international norms on the rights of indigenous People. Assam is home to a rainbow of ethnicities, tribes, and indigenous groups. A large influx of homogenous groups threatens the delicate balance of this multicultural, multiethnic, and multi-indigenous society which has maintained mostly harmonious relations in the past. In addition, we strongly condemn the violation by the police and the Indian paramilitary forces of the basic human right of Indian nationals to “freedom of peaceful assembly” as per Article 20 of the United Nation’s Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the fundamental freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution of India. Police and Indian paramilitary forces have killed six people in Assam alone and injured hundreds, including students, around the country. The Assam government banned internet in the state and established a curfew for several days preventing residents from getting access to even basic needs. The curfew directly affected people such as daily wage workers who depended on their daily earnings for basic survival. The banning of internet directly affected several businesses, including the running of ATMs, in the state. Public intellectuals across the country engaging in peaceful protests against CAA have been detained or arrested. This high-handedness of the police and paramilitary forces MUST STOP IMMEDIATELY. Our demands are the following: 1. Repeal the CAA immediately. 2. Implement the Assam Accord fully. 3. Consult with the public on finding a comprehensive and sustainable solution on rehabilitating and resettling migrants in ways that treat both citizens and migrants as human beings equally worthy of dignity and respect, and deserving of lives that are fulfilling economically, culturally, and spiritually. We also want to emphatically state that we are not affiliated with any political or news media organizations, countries, or agencies with vested interests. We are merely immigrants on a foreign land who love our homeland, India, and our host country, the United States/ Canada. We are thankful for the welcome that the US/ Canada has extended to us, and in return, we contribute to its economic and socio-cultural milieu and diversity. We condemn xenophobia, Islamophobia, and settler colonialism in all shape and form, and support durable peace, economic well-being for all and preserving cultural diversity and plurality of all indigenous traditions. Please note, this letter is the result of a collective, democratic, and transparent process of discussion, consultation, and feedback-gathering over a period of time from immigrants of Assamese origin in North America, and, hence, the letter represents their collective opinion on the CAA. Kind regards, Concerned Citizens of Northeast India in North America Copy to: 1. Prime Minister of India, Honorable Shri Narendra Modi 2. Union Home Minister of India, Honorable Shri Amit Shah 3. Chief Minister of Assam, Honorable Shri Sarbananda Sonowal 4. Ambassador of India to the United States, Honorable Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla

rKeep politics out of sports

Letter to the Editor

Politics should always be kept outside the ambit of sports. During the abondoned T20 clash between India and Sri Lanka in Guwahati, a few over enthusiastic journalists did put up a volley of questions to Indian team captain Virat Kohli regarding anti-CAA agitations in the state. As a matured and composed human being, Virat Kohli handed the questions very tactfully. Virat Kohli and his men were in Guwahati to play cricket and the best thing that journalists could have queried him was on cricket in general in India and Assam in particular. His invaluable suggestions in improving the standard and infrastructure of cricket in Assam would have been more helpful to the budding cricketers as well as the ACA officials in preparing for the next tie in a more professional manner. Sports should be in politics but politics cannot be part of sports. It is my utmost appeal to keep our sportspersons out of the political sphere. Dr Ashim Chowdhury, Ambari, Guwahati

In Focus

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

We will support new regional party to fight against BJP: Tarun Gogoi

ddressing the media ex chief minister and senior Congress leader Tarun Gogoi said that the Assam Congress will support the new regional political party when it is formed. “We will support the new regional political party to fight against BJP,” said the former chief minister, Tarun Gogoi. Meanwhile, All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) president Dipanka Nath hinted at forming a new political party and said that the details of the same would be revealed in coming February. “People of Assam are talking about a new political force and we are going to take the process forward after February,” said Nath. It is to be mentioned that AASU is to hold a meeting on January 17 to outline the future strategy. On 11th January Gogoi said that a new political party has become a necessity in Assam to overthrow the ruling party in the state. “A new political party

has become a necessity. We (Congress) are not selfishly looking after our own interests as a new political party might inflict some damage to our party as well. But we are trying to protect the interests

of the people of Assam,” he said. He added, “The BJP must go from power and all parties must ensure its defeat at the polls ... It is only if BJP is defeated in the state that we

can ensure that CAA is not implemented in the state.’’ Reacting to Gogoi’s statement, Guwahatians expressed their views on the social media handles of G Plus.

Pritam Sengupta said, “My dear friends of Assam, ensure that the political party is free of leaders from all the existing parties as the situation now is only because of them.” Chuck Peks said, “Tarun Gogoi was the first to bring illegal immigrants to Assam. Enemy of the enemy does not always become friends. He also used vote bank politics.” Ramani Daimary said, “Now it is very clear that Congress is the party playing behind the anti-CAA movement.” Critizing Gogoi Bapi Dey said, “Mr. Gogoi, we know very well why you want the regional political party. Congress has minority pocket votes and this new so called whatever you’re saying or supporting party will be decided by the people’s vote. So automatically Congress will comes to power and your son will be the next chief minister. Congress is behind all these protests & violence.” Amit Singh said, “Seriously Congress’s level has downgraded, so to stay in power they can go to any extent.”

We will support new regional party to fight against BJP: Tarun Gogoi This statement of the former chief minister as well as statements from the AASU leadership has prompted comments of the digital media channels of G Plus: Ravi Goyal

Political parties after winning elections are least bothered what the public is facing due to their strategies. They fight for their own benefit. They don’t give a thought on what people need. They are shameless. We make them and now they ask who are we? It’s very hard to trust anyone these days.

Rajib K Paul

We don’t need the support of Congress. We all have seen what Congress has done for this state. If a new party forms then it should be like Maharashtra and Karnataka. It should be independent and have its own ideology. And also it should work for the people. It’s high time to see a new party. Enough of Congress and BJP in this country. People of this nation deserve much more than what the current and previous governments have offered.

Stuti Borgohain

Sadhna Malakar

We want a new party and that party should be free of members from existing parties. The party should be kept away from their touch otherwise what is the use of making a new party? I don’t think the new party would need any support of politicians from other political parties. Let them form on their own and work for the people. We people will decide who is good for the state.

Abhi Nandi

It will be an alternative party of Congress and AIUDF. People will soon come to know about it. Stop this acting. People are not fools that they won’t understand your selfish strategy. We don’t need you. (Directed to Tarun Gogoi)

We welcome the new regional political party of Assam. It is indeed a great need at the moment considering the situation as of now. But it shouldn’t include any persons affiliated with either BJP or Congress. Otherwise we won’t be able to trust this party. We want someone to really work for the people of Assam. We voted for congress and they looted us and now BJP. This new party should know very well where they should have their stand.

16 Buzz

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

Assam captain Gokul Sharma’s Ranji ton gets him ‘Player of the match’

n the Ranji Trophy Match between Assam and Chhattisgarh, Assam captain Gokul Sharma scored a century at the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on January 13 during the first innings. The match ended in a draw. Sharma scored 129 runs in 350 balls before he was dismissed by Ajay Mandal.

Sharma also became the player of the match. It needs to be mentioned that in the same match Riyan Parag scored 60 runs in 87 balls, while Rishav Das scored 99 before he was dismissed by Sumit Ruikar.

Guwahati boy shines in Nepal Junior International Badminton Series

yan Rashid, a 16-year-old badminton player from Guwahati won the silver medal in the President Cup Nepal Junior International Series, 2020. He won in the XD-U19 (under 19) category. The series was held from Jan 8 to 12. Rashid is currently studying in class 10 at Don Bosco School, Guwahati. He has been playing professional badminton since the age of 10. This is his second international title after the

Dubai International Series. His current world ranking is 46 for the XD event.

Junior tennis tourney from Jan 27

IIT-G hosts 12th Annual Entrepreneurship Summit UDGAM

IT Guwahati is currently hosting its 12 th Annual Entrepreneurship Summit: Udgam 2020 from the 17 th - 19 th of January. Udgam hosts some of India’s most insightful entrepreneurs and industry leaders. This year the summit will host Sharad Sagar, Founder of Dexterity Global; Vivek Prakash, CoFounder and CTO of HackerEarth; Meera Shenoy, Founder of Youth4Jobs; Bruce

Schwack, Co-Founder and CCO Netmeds; Ajinkya Malasne, Founder & CEO Playment. The inaugural ceremony of the event was followed by a stand up act by stand up comedian Aakash Mehta. The other events of the summit include workshops - Stock Market Investing and Design Thinking; Intern fair; PMx, a product management expedition; Strategy Storm and more.

he fourth edition of the Guwahati Open Junior Tennis Championship 2020, organised by the Guwahati Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA), will be held at the RG Baruah Sports Complex, Nehru Stadium from January 27 to February 01. The championship will be held for both Boys’ and Girls’ Singles Under – 12, 14

and 18 years respectively. All the winners will be awarded with cash scholarships. The championship will carry a total of Rs 1,82,000 as cash scholarship. The Boys’ and Girls’ Singles Under 18 years category winner will receive Rs 10,000/- and runnerup will receive Rs 7,000/- as cash scholarship money while in the Under 14 years, the winner will receive Rs 7,000/- and runner-

up will receive Rs 6,000/-. In the Under- 12 years category the winner will receive Rs 6,000/and runner-up will receive Rs 5,000/-. Cash scholarship money will be awarded to the players from quarter-final stage in all categories. The championship will feature more than 200 players from various parts of the region. An organising committee has been formed with Riniki Bhuyan Sarma, Kishore Jayanta Madhab and Anirban Das as Advisors, Kalyan Kumar Das as Chairman, Dr Madhuryya Hazarika and Hrishikesh Bijoy Das as Vice-Chairmen, Bhaskar Sarma as Organising Secretary, Dilip Pathak as Treasurer, Rishi Das as Tournament Director and Rupam Gogoi as Chief Referee to run the championship smoothly and successfully. Interested participants may send their entries to the organising secretary (8638732182/ 9101264498) or email at guwahatilawntennis association@gmail.com.

Trotter

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

Ugandan Imam suspended after finding out his wife of two weeks was actually a man

Ugandan imam has been suspended after discovering his new wife was actually a man. Sheikh Mohammed Mutumba, 27, found out the truth when his bride was caught stealing a TV from a neighbour and was searched by police. The thief later admitted pretending to be a woman so he could marry the imam and steal his money, a local media reported. Shocked Mutumba has been suspended from his duties as a cleric at the Kyampisi Masjid Noor mosque while an investigation is being carried out. He claimed he hadn’t been intimate with his ‘wife’ since the wedding two weeks before because she told him she was menstruating. Mutumba said he thought he was marrying a woman called Swabullah Nabukeera when they wed in a traditional Islamic ceremony in December. Her true identity was exposed when she was arrested for the theft of a television set and clothes from his next door neighbours. A female police officer carried out a body search on the suspect, thinking she was a woman, and found out she was actually a man. Mutumba is said to be ‘too devastated’ to talk about the incident and needs counselling. Friends and colleagues said they were also fooled by the imposter, who usually wore a hijab. Amisi Kibunga, who also works at the mosque said, “He had a sweet soft voice and walked like a woman.” Kibunga also revealed that Mutumba had complained four days after the wedding that his new bride refused ‘to undress while

they slept.’ The suspect later told police his real name was Richard Tumushabe and he admitted he married Mutumba in a bid to steal the cleric’s money. Local Muslim official Sheikh Abdul Noor Kakande said the ‘unfortunate’ incident was being investigated. Mosque officials said they suspended the imam despite confirming he had entered the marriage thinking Nabukeera was a woman. The mosque’s head imam, Sheikh Isa Busuulwa, said the suspension was necessary to ‘preserve the integrity of their faith.’ He said Mutumba had worked at the mosque for four years and was one of its three imams. The head cleric added that though he had attended Mutumba’s marriage reception, the mosque had not been involved in the wedding celebrations. Local news reporters tried to contact Mutumba at his home but neighbours said he had not been seen for days and was staying with relatives while receiving counselling. (Source: dailymail.co.uk)

Wedding continues despite volcano erupting in the background

couple who ignored a volcano warning to push ahead with their wedding captured some truly unique photos of the day after it erupted as they walked down the

aisle. Chino Valfor and his new bride Kat had been making plans for eight years to tie the knot at Savannah Farm in the Philippines. A warning had already been issued about Taal Volcano located nearby, but it hadn’t reached emergency level as the ceremony began. When the couple began their walk down the aisle, the sky filled with a gigantic plume of volcanic ash, which was caught in a series of amazing photos by wedding photographer Randolf Evan. Randolf revealed that the alert issued about the volcano was at level two (out of five) when the ceremony began, but reached level four as the service continued. “That’s the time the wedding planner and coordinator were starting to talk to the Chino and Kat about the matter,” he said adding, “Surprisingly the mood throughout the day was calm. It was an intimate wedding so most of the couple’s guests were family

and close friends. Funny enough, the smoke from the volcano just kind of like served as an entertaining backdrop changing from white, yellow, pink and finally to grey. We just did our work as usual but the challenge was for us to talk to them and help maintain their composure as the situation showed no sign of stopping.” Taal is Philippine’s second most active volcano and the plume of ash on Sunday triggered the mass evacuation of 8,000 people from the area. (Source: mirror.co.uk)

Man hospitalised with threeday erection after taking sexual stimulant used for breeding bulls

man has been hospitalised with a threeday erection after taking a sexual stimulant used for breeding bulls in Mexico. The individual, who has not been named, received urgent surgery at Specialist Hospital 270 in the USMexico border city of Reynosa after checking in with the persistent condition. He took the drugs as he was planning to have sex with a 30-year-old woman, reports a daily. “He was hospitalised in the Specialised Hospital 270 of the city of Reynosa,” doctors told the newspaper. “He had taken a sexual stimulant which he had

bought in Veracruz, used by farmers in that region to invigorate bulls for insemination.” The man is reported to have travelled to Veracruz in east Mexico to purchase the stimulant used for cattle. There have been no updates on his condition following the surgery. (Source: dailymail.co.uk)

Bengaluru civic body installs mirror boards to tackle public urination

n a bid to promote cleanliness and to improve its ranking in the Swachh Survekshan 2020, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has installed mirror boards at several spots in the city. The boards have been installed at spots that were being used as public urinals by the people despite repeated cleaning and warnings. Apart from messages urging the public not to use the spots as urinals, the mirror boards also display a QR code which once scanned by the people using their smart phones, guides them to the nearest public toilet in the vicinity. BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar said that the corporation had hit upon the idea in a meeting held to discuss ways to improve the cleanliness in the city, with special focus on the spots which were being used as urinals by the public. “We found that despite repeated cleaning of those spots they continued to be used as urinals by the people. We, therefore, hit upon the idea of having mirror boards to prevent them from using the place as a urinal and, in addition to that, we also display a QR code for the location of the nearest public toilet

for them to use,” Kumar told ANI here. At present, the mirror boards have been installed near KR Market, Balekundri Circle, ESI Compound in Indira Nagar, Jyoti Nivas College in Kormangala and Church Street. The BBMP Commissioner also said that the corporation is building more public toilets in the city. “We have 463 public toilets available in various parts of the city; however, there is a need for additional toilets to be built in the city considering the size. We are in the process of constructing public toilets and we are also asking the public and private companies as a part of CSR initiative to join this initiative. We have also put in place many e-toilets,” he said. (Source: ndtv)

18 Review

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen Director: Stephen Gaghan due to the visual designs which embody their characteristics, and thanks to the voice actors playing them. Standouts include Emma Thompson as Poly – a maternal figure for Dolittle; Kumail Nanjiani as Plimpton – Dolittle’s reluctant and often cowardly steed, and Octavia Spencer as Dab-Dab – Dolittle’s assistant who mistakes vegetables for his medical equipment. Antonio Banderas and Michael Sheen are at their scenery-chewing best as the colourful King Rassouli and textbook villain Mudfly, respectively. It’s easy to see how these quirks make for running gags and countless jokes, and the film certainly has a lot of them. Not all of them work, but they often bring a smile to the face, if not outright laughs.

Dolittle

ohn Dolittle (Robert Downey Jr.) lives a happy life as a doctor and veterinarian residing on a large estate along with rescued and adopted animals, in Victorian England. But when his wife Lily dies, he becomes a hermit, cutting himself off from human interaction. During that time, Dolittle hones his communication skills with the animals. But he is called to duty once again when

the Queen becomes gravely ill, and the future of the estate is at stake. Dolittle and his animal companions must embark on an adventure to save the Queen and their home. The film starts with a lot of promise, especially when we’re introduced to John Dolittle and his motley crew of animals. Each creature is given a distinct personality and role to play within this odd family of sorts. They’re all inherently charming

But, the film prefers to rely on that instead of an engaging plot to keep audiences invested. There isn’t much character development to speak of, which a huge missed opportunity is considering all the talent at hand. This is most apparent with Robert Downey Jr in the lead role. Despite the actor’s undeniable charisma and his spirited take, Dolittle’s arc feels remarkably under-explored. The problem seems to lie with Stephen Gaghan’s vision as a director, who appears to be out of his depth handling the overabundance of characters while weaving a cohesive narrative. Additionally, patchwork in the form of reshoots and redubbing is quite apparent, with Downey Jr’s dialogues visibly out of sync. Technicalities and screenplay aside, the tonality is fun and bubbly, and as far as a family film goes, ‘Dolittle’ is sure to be a hit with kids, who seem to be the film’s target audience. (Review by timesofindia)

Cinepolis, Christian Basti 09435025808 Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (3D) 12:20 PM, 3:15PM, 6:10 PM, 9:05 PM Chhapaak 12:10 PM, 2:50 PM, 8:20 PM Good Newwz 5:30 PM Dolittle (3D English) 2:10 PM, 4:30 PM Dolittle (3D Hindi) 6:50 PM Jai Mummy Di 1:20 PM, 6:35 PM, 8:55 PM Just Mercy 3:40 PM, 9:10 PM

Anuradha Cineplex, Noonmati 0361 2656968 Chhapaak 5:15 PM Dolittle (3D English) 8: 00 PM Dolittle (3D Hindi) 3:15 PM

Grande Cines, Paltan Bazar 09854017771

Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (3D) 1:30 PM, 6:00 PM, 8:45 PM Chhapaak 1:15 PM, 3:45 PM Dolittle (3D English) 4:00 PM

Garmin Venu

American wearables and smartwatch brand Garmin launches two smartwatches-Garmin Venu and Garmin Vivoactive 4 in India. Priced at Rs 37,490, Venu boasts of up to five days of battery and comes with features like animated workouts, sleep-monitoring.

Design and display The smartwatch has the standard 43 mm dial size and a 1.2-inch screen with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3. This is paired with a 20 mm silicone strap. The screen offers vivid colours and is easy to use indoors and outdoors. Using the screen for navigation is hassle-free, though initially one may find it difficult to work on a small screen. The watch weighs 46.5 grams and is easy on the wrist. There are two buttons on the right side. One press on the top

button opens the activity screen, while a long press displays the shortcut menu. The bottom button opens the settings. The back of the device has a heart rate sensor and a charging port. The smartwatch is compatible with Android and iOS devices and is easy to set up. Just download the Garmin Connect app, sign in and follow the instructions. For fitness monitoring, the Venu comes pre-loaded with 20 activities to track. You can add more using the app. The watch has 12 animated training workouts for guided and step-by-

step workout sessions.

Performance Garmin Venu smartwatch offers more than 20 pre-set physical workouts. These include both indoor and outdoor activities- running, treadmill, indoor and outdoor walking/ running, cycling, swimming, cardio, golf, and skiing/ snowboarding.The smartwatch is compatible with Android and iOS devices and is easy to set up. Just download the Garmin Connect app, sign in and follow the instructions. One can also add

more workouts other than the 20 pre-loaded physical activities on Garmin Venu. The watch boasts of 12 animated training workouts for guided and stepby-step workout sessions. When switched on, the feature brings a human figure on the display which performs the said actions, say a yoga pose or a strength exercise.

Battery The company says that the Garmin Venu can last up to five days with the Always On display mode off and six hours with the feature on. During our review, we found that the watch

Dolittle (3D Hindi) 6:15 PM Jai Mummy Di 8: 15 PM

PVR Cinemas, Dona Planet 08800900009 Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (3D) 3:15 PM, 8:30 PM Chhapaak 1:05 PM, 6:10 PM Dolittle (3D English) 12:55 PM, 6:10 PM Dolittle (2D English) 8:50 PM Jai Mummy Di 3:45 PM

PVR Cinemas, CITY CENTRE 0124 470 8100 Tanhaji : The Unsung Warrior (3D) 12:55 PM, 3:50 PM, 6:45 PM, 9:40 PM Chhapaak 1:25 PM, 4:05 PM, 6:45 PM, 9:25 PM Good Newwz 1:10 PM, 6:25 PM Dolittle (3D English) 2:35 PM, 7:55 PM, 10: 15 PM Jai Mummy Di 4:45 PM, 9:35 PM Just Mercy 4:55 PM, 9:25 PM A Beautiful Day In Neighborhood 2:20 PM, 7:10 PM Bunker 4:10 PM

can last easily for more than four days with smartwatch mode. This included an average of two hours of music time daily, full day smartphone connection and with GPS turned off. With the smartwatch mode off and Always On Display mode on, the battery life reduces to only a handful of hours.

Verdict With features like always on display, AMOLED screen and fiveday battery life (as claimed by the company), the Venu smartwatch can find many admirers among both Android and iOS users and with 24×7 fitness tracking and animated features are some of the features that make it an ideal sports watch. However, the hefty price tag of Rs 37,490 could be a big turnoff. (Gadgets Now)

Feature

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

When Rhythm had an Emperor called OP Nayyar… The author, an unabashed fan of music director Late OP Nayyar, pays a rich tribute to the genius on the occasion of his birth anniversary

onnoisseurs of music across India, nay even across the world, offered their heartfelt tributes on 16th January last to OP Nayyar, the legendary music director, popularly referred to as “The Rhythm King” of Bollywood, while celebrating the auspicious occasion of his birth anniversary. Despite the passage of time, OP Nayyar’s lilting, foot-tapping compositions remain eternal favourites of the innumerable aficionados of Bollywood film songs besides influencing and encompassing the young, vibrant generations with those immortal tunes. Empirical evidence reveals that the dance-friendly, rhythmic compositions of OP Nayyar suit the tastes of the fast-paceloving present generation of music lovers. Consequently remixed versions of the OPN songs outscore his equally illustrious contemporaries in Bollywood like ShankarJaikishan, SD Barman and others. The musical pundits attribute the secret of OP Nayyar’s massive popularity that has overcome the generation gap syndrome to his superlative perfection of the horse beat rhythm. Clipclop, clip-clop the sound created by the hooves of galloping horses is typical of his characteristic music. To quote famous music critic, Bharadwaj Rangan, “Ghoda-gaadi beat had defined the music of an era.” OP Nayyar practically held the patent on this rhythm. ‘Maang ke saath tumhara’ (Naya Daur) and ‘Piya piya piya’ (Baap Re Baap), ‘Zara haule haule

chalo’ (Saawan Ki Ghata), Banda parvar, thaam lo jigar (Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon) are some of the outstanding, alltime super hit songs composed to this rhythm. However, ‘Yun toh humne lakh haseen dekhe hain’ is unanimously rated as the mother of all horse beat songs with euphoric, spirituplifting musical resonance. The song, ‘Deewana hua badal’ remains the milestone, the quintessential romantic song till date in the history of Bollywood that revolutionized the very concept and texture of a Hindi filmy song. The scintillatingly melodious song is one of the most popular numbers among people irrespective of age, culture, generations and which transcended national boundaries. Composed as far back as in 1964, this iconic song is one of the top twenty popular songs as per YouTube views. Even neighbouring Pakistan, despite the national animosity, takes pride in describing him as the “Son of

Clip-clop, clip-clop - the sound created by the hooves of galloping horses is typical of Nayyar’s characteristic music. To quote famous music critic, Bharadwaj Rangan, “Ghoda-gaadi beat had defined the music of an era.”

Lahore” as Nayyar was born there in 1926. The rendition of ‘Deewana hua’ by Khalid Baig and Nish Asher, two celebrated Pakistani singers, ably supported by breathtaking orchestration, is fantastic and soothing. Foot-tapping orchestration, superb blending of instruments, especially the guitar, saxophone and accordion coupled with Indian classical instruments like santoor, sitar, veena, harmonium, dholak, tabla etc are the hallmarks of the maestro’s immortal compositions that resulted in enriching Bollywood film songs with some magnificent musical overtures, instrumental preludes and interludes. Even a casual listener can never miss the melodious opening buzz in ‘Pukarta chala hoon mein (Mere Sanam), ‘Babuji dheere chalna’ (Aar Paar) etc. As soon as the opening buzz is played, people are seen humming these songs. Similarly, instrumental renditions for the interludes in ‘Yeh Chand sa Roshan chehera’ (Kashmir ki Kali) ‘Mera Naam Chun chun

chu’ (Howrah Bridge) etc, to name a few, are unparalleled. Use of harmonium in the classic song, ‘Leke pehla pehla pyar’ or the use of flute in the super hit song, ‘Chal akela, chal akela’ (Sambandh) are parexcellent. The orchestration in these songs is as good and mesmerizing as the immortal songs themselves. Endless examples can be cited to prove this contention. Objectively speaking, no other music director can boast of displaying this uncanny musical creativity to such perfection. The year 1954 saw the massive success of the film Aar Paar starring Guru Dutt and all the songs composed by OP Nayyar with silken melody like ‘Ello main haari’ sung by Geeta Dutt were smash hits pulverizing the Indian cine-goers. Guru Dutt’s two subsequent films, ‘Mr and Mrs Iyer’ and then ‘CID’ saw bumper success largely due to the hauntingly melodious songs in these films composed by the maestro. ‘Ae dil hai mushkil jeena yahan’, from the film ‘CID’ serves to showcase the versatility of Nayyar. There was no looking back for Nayyar thereafter and he was instantaneously described as the ‘Rhythm King’ - a befitting epithet for his distinctly mellifluous compositions. For over a decade, he remained at the peak of popularity

holding practically the reins of Bollywood music. His popularity made him the highest paid music director with a remuneration Rs 1 lakh for a film - a staggering amount in the sixties! OP Nayyar’s had a highly egoistic, stubborn and uncompromising disposition; he was a no-nonsense personality. A casual follower of Bollywood music would be surprised to know that he never engaged Lata Mangeskar - the ‘Nightingale of India’, to sing his songs even once in his entire illustrious career displaying amazing boldness and courage of conviction. Towards the end of his career, Nayyar fell out with his most loved singer, Mohammed Rafi, for reporting late for a song recording. Undaunted, the defiant Nayyar carried on with nonchalance and engaged Mahendra Kapoor to sing evergreen songs like ‘Lakhon hain yahaan dilwale’, ‘ Aankhow mei quamat ki (Kismat) etc. One article is too small to highlight the greatness and the multidimensional musical brilliance of OP Nayyar. I wind up my tribute with the appropriate accolade of Javed Akhtar who once said, “Any lover of vintage Hindi film music can identify a Nayyar tune as easily as any art lover would recognize an MF Hussain painting.”

20 Fun Horoscope of the week

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020 These predictions are based on the month of birth, and are about an individualâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work environment, parents and extended family.

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

You will have a good week. 18 and 23 January will be great days for you to schedule your important meetings and share your ideas with your seniors. 19 January you could have a fall out with a superior or someone at work. Avoid drinking with your superiors or extended family on 19 January. 22 January will be a slow day for you.

A great week ahead. Avoid making any promises on 20 January; you will have to live up to them. 19, 22 January and 24 January will be great days for you to connect with your senior and share your ideas with him/her. A Sunday brunch/coffee on 19 January and host your important meetings on 22 and 24 January.

The first half of the week will be slow for you, the second half will be good. For good results host your meetings share your ideas with your superiors, network with your business associates on 20, 21 and 23 January. Avoid any Saturday meetings on 18 January. Avoid over planning for 24 January it will be a slow day.

It will be a good week for you. 18, 21 and 22 January will be great days for you to connect with your senior and share your ideas with him/her, you could host your important meetings on these dates. You could have issues with your seniors or your extended family on 19 January, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get into a confrontation. 22 January be careful while dealing with the opposite gender

This will be a great week for you. 18, 19 and 22 January will be great days for you to share your ideas with your seniors and host your important meetings. 19 January will be ideal to catch up with your extended family and/or work mates. 20 and 23 January you could have issues at work with your seniors or clients. Avoid getting into a confrontation.

This week will be good for you. 18, 19 and 23 January will be excellent days for you to schedule your important meetings. Your seniors will be receptive to your ideas. 19 January, maybe you could meet up with your seniors for a Sunday brunch or coffee. Avoid hosting any meetings especially with your seniors on 21 January. You are bound to have disagreements.

You will have a good week ahead. 20, 21 and 24 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 these dates. Watch your words and actions on 22 and 23 January; you could have disagreements at work.

21 and 25 January will be an ideal day to host your important meetings and share your ideas with your seniors. 20 and 23 January avoid making any promises; you will have to live up to them. 23 January you will be betrayed by someone you trusted, avoid sharing your secrets with anyone. 20 January avoid getting into disagreements.

You will have issues at work or with your superiors or clients on 21 January, try not to get into a confrontation. 22 January will be a great day for you to build a rapport with your seniors and people at work, host your important meetings on this day. Avoid hosting any meetings on 24 January, things will not go according to plan.

Watch your words and actions on 19 January; you could create your own problems. 20 January you will be emotionally hurt either by your parents or your seniors. 22 January you could have a fall out with someone from work. 23 January will be a great day for you to share your ideas with your seniors and host your important meetings.

Watch yourself on 23 January, avoid making any promises or getting into a confrontation. You could have disagreements with your senior or work associate, not a day to schedule important meetings. 19 January you will be emotionally hurt either by your parents or your seniors. 20 January will be a slow day for you.

Not a great week for you, maybe you could take that much needed holiday. 18 January you will be emotionally hurt by your colleagues or superiors. Be careful with your words and actions on 21 January you will create your own problems. 21 January will be a slow day for you. 24 January you will feel good but you will face obstacles and hindrances.

Which city has been adjudged as the cleanest for the 4th time in the latest cleanliness survey of the union government?

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

Dilbert By Scott Adams

noun a quick, sharp return in speech or action; counterstroke: a brilliant riposte to an insult.

Sudoku 9

5 3 8 4 7 8 3 9 46 9 4 4 8 9 7 6 5 3 7 63 5 8 6 2 6

3 4 4 58 3 1 8 7 2 3 2 5 67 7 5 3 1 4 7 5 8 8 4

Daily 18-Jan-2020 DailySudoku: Sudoku:Sat Fri 10-Jan-2020

Indian Railways has launched which helpline number for passengers?

British Slang. exhausted; very tired

medium very hard

last week solution 63 96 54 75 87 12 35 91 28 41 79 84 35 74 63 57 41 88 17 39 56 29 92 63 74 67 88 12 19 33 21 46 92 55 46 28

39 8 2 24 71 46 3 6 92 45 52 7 1 6 59 18 6 8 19 94 25 2 9 47 36

18 87 33 22

65 74 1 4 58 83 71 91 9 5 3 62 54 67 5 7 85 28 49 83 4 3 71 17 96

Daily 18-Jan-2020 DailySudoku: Sudoku:Sat Fri 10-Jan-2020

[ ri-pohst ]

curio-city

The Reserve Bank of India has launched which app to help the visually challenged identify the denomination of currency notes?

1. Reliance Jio

adjective [nak-erd]

2. January 10.

When is World Hindi Day celebrated every year?

3. 3: MANI

riposte

4. 139

Which Indian telecommunications company has launched its Wi-Fi calling service for voice and video?

5. 5: Indore

Word of the week Word knackered of the week

6. Wadia Group

curio-city

medium very hard

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

Fiction

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

Ranjan Kumar Choudhury ranjanchou@hotmail.com

Fiction No modern survey instruments were used then except for the dumpy levels, the measuring steel chains and the draughtsmenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tools. All the food, medicines, shoes and clothes of these GSI officers were sent from place to place by elephants and mules of the Indian Army.

Dedicated officers of the Geological Survey of India T he Geological Survey of India was founded way back in the year 1851 by one Thomas Oldham under the Ministry of Mines organisation by the British and was one of the oldest such organisations in the world. Their field officers covered remote areas all over the country facing tremendous hardship, living in sheer isolation for years together and surviving overwhelming physical odds while gathering data and other vital survey information. I had never heard about this organisation and the silent work that they had been doing since its inception. But during my camping trips for fishing and hunting in the interior areas of Arunachal Pradesh my guides used to mention that sometimes they met some Indian officers who spent their time in measuring the lands and marking out the roads and trails connecting their interior villages on maps. Of course they did not spell out all the above details but from talking with them I could infer their description. Much later once when I was in the Daporijo area which was a census town, I talked with some local leaders who again mentioned about the survey work that was being conducted deep inside the mountain terrain on foot. What I could gather was that whole teams comprising a few officers, a medical team with doctors, cooks and their assistants with a horde of local workers used to move from place to place on foot carrying all their survey equipment, maps and papers. They would stay in one settlement if available or camp under tarpaulins etc to finish their work that may last weeks to even months at times. Prior to moving ahead again they would send the advance party to check and make the camp for the main party and the work continued thus for years together. This work, first started by the British, was continued even after independence as vast areas of the country were unmapped and had to be done to find out the lay of the lands and to map the details as accurately as possible. No modern survey instruments were used then except for the dumpy levels, the measuring steel chains and the draughtsmenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tools. All their food, medicines, shoes and clothes were sent from place to place by elephants and mules of the Indian Army. I learnt all these from the two men that I had met in the Managerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bungalow of Dufflaghur Tea Estate around the year 1976 in November, when they had emerged to civilization

in the nearby town of Balijan. I had received a letter from the Manager, who was also a relative and always invited me to attend a dinner with him when something extraordinary happened. The sudden appearance of these two officers created quite a stir as they literally entered our area walking out from a nearby forest and none of the locals knew about any government camps inside. On their request they were hosted by the Dufflaghur Manager to relax for a few days before they left for Tezpur to catch their flights later in the week. One of them was a Mr Rao from Hyderabad and the other was from Coorg, whose name I cannot recollect now. It was fantastic talking to them and their adventures on their trek starting from Ziro to Balijan covering the entire East Kameng district which had taken them almost five full years! They looked weather beaten but were hard as nails as I could make out when we shook hands and I almost winced at their grips. They must have been in their midthirties and these two officers were in the original team selected for the work in this district. Mr Rao told us that they had to

work for two years at a stretch and then they got four months leave in the monsoon months as movement inside the jungles was very restricted. Both of them were in their second stint and seemed happy to have covered their job as best as they could. We spent a good four hours with them and I noticed that they ate very frugally and limited their glasses to two drinks only. Rao explained that due to the strict regimen in their work they had to sleep early and get up at the crack of dawn. They had to utilise the maximum benefit of the daylight hours to do their work in the forests marking the points painstakingly and in the lunch break updating the maps back in the camp. Cut off from

their families and friends, they had no contact with the outside world except for a few times when they were in the bigger towns and could use the Army wireless system to communicate with their homes. Illness used to strike suddenly but their daily consumption of the quinine pills helped keep the dreaded malaria at bay which was their biggest fear. A few men with broken limbs had to be evacuated on improvised bamboo stretchers risking wild animals and turbulent streams. They did not carry much firearms except for two shotguns and a big bore rifle with the three guards allotted to the team; at times they did shoot a few game birds and a small deer or two for fresh meat and they caught ample fish from the river which the locals trapped in rough bamboo traps placed overnight between boulders. I was enthralled listening to him and his fellow officer and in fact I did not want the night to end. But our host was signalling to me and I took my leave but only after insisting that they would visit me the next evening for dinner at my place. The next day I sent my jeep to pick them up from Dufflaghur and we relaxed over a small bonfire with a drink and got talking. The Coorg officer had some hunting experience and he mainly shot the game birds and small animals for their fresh meat supply which was necessary for their meals. He told me a beautiful story of a small male elephant which started following their movements and remained in the vicinity of their camp somewhere in the mountains north of Itanagar. Normally elephants do not climb high grounds as their staple food like grass, wild banana trees and succulent fruit trees are found mainly on the lower reaches of these ranges. It appeared that this animal was lost from the main herd chased away by a rampaging tusker in musth and was happy to be in close proximity to humans. This animal stayed on for about three months and again when the team descended to a Nishi village the elephant moved off after saluting the entourage and trumpeting fondly as if saying good bye. The two men truly believed that this elephant brought them good luck as they accomplished a lot of work in this period in the time they were together which normally would have required double or treble the time. Another time, one of the scariest incidents they had faced was when they came across a big Nishi hunting party who had no idea who they were and what they were

doing in their forests. Their guides and interlocutor had a torrid time explaining their mission and only after they mentioned that all this was only possible because of the consent of their headman they relented and allowed them to continue. These headmen were quite influential people as they commanded respect of the entire Nishi community and their areas of influence was marked between different villages which the Nishis demarcated by marking out some big trees and small rivers. In fact the British had started this system to control the various tribes in Arunachal and invested their power and authority in these headmen all over the mountains also giving them an annual remuneration of one thousand rupees and a distinctive red overcoat as a sign of their status. This system was continued by the Indian government after independence and the same amount of money was also continued as their stipend. Mr Rao told me that the first survey work was done from the easternmost part of Arunachal near a place called Dong Basti which gets the first sunrise in the country, and since then they were moving up and down the mountains literally walking and marking out the territory for years on end. However, he did mention that the work was now speeded up as many other teams were also pressed in to expedite the process from Tawang in the west. They showed me some photos of their earlier expedition as they had to photograph and document the important markers on the way and they in fact had been given a lot of Leica cameras for this purpose. Now all the exposed small reels were being carried by them to be washed and printed at their headquarters in New Delhi. I will always remember and cherish that evening when I learnt so much from these two dedicated officers and their stories about their most difficult, but also most necessary work to enable India to hold on to the hitherto uncharted areas in this remote and inaccessible land. Nowadays we can map this region through satellite and GPS methods much faster but it would never have been as accurate as the maps created by these pioneers. My relative, the Dufflaghur garden manager asked me later what I found so interesting about these two men and when I told him about their work, he realised the enormity of their task and told me that they were like Dr Livingstone. I smiled and agreed with him whole-heartedly.

22 Lifestyle

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

Scientific explanation behind Vaastu T he solar rays have ultraviolet as well as infrared rays. The ultraviolet (UV) rays have a shorter wavelength than the visible light rays and can kill bacteria as well as aid in the synthesis of Vitamin D in our bodies, on exposure to the bare skin. The infrared (IR) rays have a longer wavelength than the visible light rays and produces heat. The morning sunrays consists lot of vitamin D while the afternoon sun has infrared rays which are not very good for the skin. When the sun rises in the east, the intensity of the sunlight is much less while at midday, the intensity of the sunlight and heat

is the maximum. When the sun sets in the west, the infrared heat rays of the sun are projected to the south and west sides. The west and the south sides become hotter in the evenings and even at night. Vaastu says that there should be fewer windows on the south and west side, and the walls should be thicker to reduce the heat. It is also advisable to have tall trees on the south and west to protect the house from the direct sunlight.

Since India is in the northern hemisphere, there is constant light from the north side

throughout the year. So Vaastu recommends that we should have more openings and vacant spaces to the east and north to receive the maximum morning sunlight. There should be no obstacles, tall trees, high compound walls on the north and east sides of the house. The morning sunrays polarise the water which is beneficial to living beings. So water bodies are recommended

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and how to tackle it

olycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), as we all know is a common medical problem that women face these days. PCOS means formation of multiple cysts in the ovary. In India the prevalence of PCOS in women of reproductive age ranges between 9.13 percent to 36 percent. Cause of PCOS: PCOS is mainly due to the hormonal imbalance in a woman’s body - that is increase of male hormones like androgen in a female body. Usually genetics, lifestyle, inflammation and insulin resistance play important roles in this disease. The early signs and symptoms of PCOS include irregular periods, heavy bleeding, unnatural hair growth on face, acne, weight gain, headache and mood swings. If PCOS is not treated it may cause long term disorders like infertility, gestational diabetes, miscarriage or premature birth, depression and endometrial cancer.

a healthy lifestyle. Thus, one should follow these:

Adding more vegetables and fruits to diet. One can opt for vegetarian upma, dalia khichdi, dosa, idli with sambar and coconut, vegetarian smoothie etc To eat more vitamin c rich fruits like orange, guava, amla etc Having vitamin D rich egg yolk, dairy products like milk, curd, yoghurt etc Eating plenty of antioxidants from fruits like blueberries, blackberries etc Having green tea will improve symptoms

Treatment: To get rid of PCOS, the priority

is to maintain ideal body weight according to height and to lead

Avoiding soda, coffee and carbonated drinks completely Having healthy snacks like

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

by Vaastu in the east and north. The UV rays can also kill the germs and keep the water purified. For the same reason, the kitchen is to be located in the southeast facing east. The earth acts like a big magnet. Our body can be considered as a magnet with the head representing its magnetic north and feet representing its magnetic south. We know that according to the magnetic theory, opposites attract and like poles repel. So we should not sleep with our heads to north. Vaastu says that we should sleep with our heads to south. This has been scientifically proven too.

Sohini Chakraborty Chatterjee fruits, nuts, germinated sprouts, makhana, corn bhel etc instead of pizza, burger, roadside foods etc Drinking 2-2.5 litres of water has to be maintained Avoiding smoking or alcohol consumption is advised as it may worsen the condition Having sound sleep of 7 hours is necessary Daily workout or aerobics or walking -jogging -swimming or any kind of physical activities for minimum 30minutes is a must. Usually various anti pregnancy tablets are given as medications. Moreover, keeping your mind relaxed and stress free will surely be of great help.

Entertainment

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

Prastuti Porasor set for her directorial debut with ‘Rajkumari’

rastuti Porasor, also called ‘Maharani’ in the mobile theatre industry, is all set to make her directorial debut with Rajkumari. Porasor who is an Assamese actress made her debut in the Assamese film industry through Bani Das’s Maharathi in 1999. She is a recipient of the Dada Saheb Phalke International Film Festival’s Best Actor (Female) award for Mriganabhi. Rajkumari is being produced by Gunajit Barman under the banner of Hiramani Production. Rajkumari is a family drama where Parasor will be playing the lead role. The key roles of the film will be played by Arun Nath, Utpal Das, Rimpi Das, Aparna Dutta Choudhury, Sukumar Barman, Pritam Baruah, Bibhuti Bhushan Hazarika and Kokil Saikia among others. The film will go into production in April 2020. After Kanchanjangha and Ratnakar, Rajkumari is believed to another big-budget commercial Assamese film.

Deba Barman’s Assamese song with Swedish touch released on Jan 14

eba Kumar Barman, a prominent name in the northeast food industry, is ready to take the Assamese music industry to the international level. His venture EVV Music, the first digital music company of the region, is making a comeback after 10 years with ‘Mitha Mitha Xopon Oka.’ The romantic number is an international project and has been shot in Sweden. Barman founded EVV Music in 1999. Shaan, Sonu Nigam and Zubeen Garg have sung under the label of EVV. With its new beginning the company aims to revolutionize the Assamese music industry and create opportunities to help upcoming Assamese artists to showcase their talent to the world.

Milind, Ankita run in Assamese traditional attire on Bihu

ilind Soman and Ankita Konwar were seen running in traditional Assamese attire to mark the celebration of Bihu. Ankita wore a mekhela chador while Milind wore a dhoti with a t-shirt. Ankita posted videos of their run on Twitter and captioned it, “Determination matters, not attire Carrying a piece of #Assam wherever I maybe Happy #bhogalibihu in advance!” Ankita also posted a video of her run along with a boomerang video of her dancing Bihu on Instagram. She wrote, “My love for #axomiya culture started quite early. I was introduced to #bihudance at a really young age (maybe 4). I remember loving that smell of #kopouful (an orchid we wear around our hair bun) in that April breeze, which was quite common considering almost every household had that orchid and it bloomed to its glory in April. Amazed by the colours of #mekhelasador woven

with #mugasilk , #whitepat and #erisilk !! Since I loved #bihudance started loving the sound of all the instruments related to it like #dhul #pepa #gagana #hutuli The festival of Bihu, especially #rongalibihu has always been so so close to my heart. The way people open their homes to groups of people in order to watch them perform their folk dance and hear them sing, the way we get into the spirit of sharing our home made snacks with each other and the pride and respect we feel for the culture that flows in us! I love the simplicity in these small things.”

Aamis among the top 20 films of 2019 by High on Film

ssamese film Aamis is among the top 20 films of 2019 s rated by High on Film. Aamis got the 17th spot in the list of top 20 films.

Aamis is an Assamese thriller film written and

the relationship between a married paediatrician, Nirmali and a young PhD student, Suman. The cast of Aamis includes, Arghadeep Baruah, Lima Das, Neetali Das, Manash Das and Sagar Saurav.

directed by Bhaskar Hazarika. The film is a dark love story set in modern Guwahati. The story revolves around

It needs to be mentioned that Aamis was presented by prominent Bollywood director Anurag Kashyap.

24 Catching Up

G PLUS | Jan 18 - Jan 24, 2020

PIC OF THE

WEEK

Location: Assam State Museum - GNB Road, Near Dighalipukhuri, Guwahati Tickets: Adults: Rs 20, Children: Rs 10 Timing: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm The Assam State Museum, formerly Assam Provincial Museum, is located at the southern end of Dighalipukhuri tank which is in the heart of Guwahati city, Assam. The Museum was established by the Kamarupa Anusandhan Samiti in 1940. The museum has seen better days. Even with such an impressive collection of artefacts, the museum lacks the ability to showcase them. The museum houses a 10th century Nataraj which was excavated in Guwahati, various old coins from the Ahom dynasty which are some of their most precious finds and artefacts from the Indus Valley Civilization. They also have an entire floor dedicated to the history and lifestyle of the different tribes of Assam. To sum up an overall experience, the Assam State Museum is a well-appointed museum that needs a major makeover in terms of its display.

A Chitol in the Uruka chill | Photo: Surajit Sharma

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