G Plus Vol 7 Issue 14

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

INSIDE

Volume 07 | Issue 14 Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020 Price `10 GMC fails to implement Vending Zones even after 5 years of Vendors’ Act

PG 04

Centre Spread Pages 12-13

Children of Bhabanipur in Noonmati reach school in blood-stained uniforms’

PG 06

Road to Dispur 2021 AASU or Naba Sarania: Who

Solid wastes, human apathy lead to degeneration of historical Basistha temple

PG 10

Assam: the new

RAPE capital of India

would be the new kingmaker?

With talks of the formation of a new political party comprising Assam’s intelligentsia, another having already been announced and AASU seeking to play a proactive role in the 2021 state elections, G Plus does an extensive analysis of the various permutations and combinations that would go towards the formation of the next government.

Read full story on Pages 2-3.

File photo of the Assam Secretariat at Dispur - the centre of power

• Rate of crime against women in Assam

stood at 166 for 2018 • National average of crime against women was 58.8 • Assam has been witnessing a year-on- year increase in crime rate • Assam recorded the highest number of

rapes in India (66) • 296 cases of rape reported across the

country • 11,136 cases of cruelty by husband or

his relative reported in Assam in 2018 • 6,401 cases of kidnapping and abduction of women in Assam in 2018 fULL sTORY on Pg 08

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Cover Story

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

Road to Dispur 2021

AASU or Naba Sarania: Who would be the new kingmaker?

P

eople are talking about the need of a new alternative political force and the process will be intensified after February.” – This was the announcement made of the rise of another new political party in Assam to dent BJP’s 2021 dream of retaining power. All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) president Dipanka Kumar Nath said that there have been suggestions from various quarters for AASU to explore the possibility of alternative political force.

“We need to take this new alternative to the Centre, for the Centre has imposed CAA against the wishes of the people of Assam. The state government has surrendered before the Centre.

We need an alternative political force to protect the language and culture of the state. Assam has been neglected by the Centre,” Nath added.

The uproar over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) could see the rise of a new political party in Assam ahead of the 2021 assembly elections. The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) is hinting at the launch of an alternative to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Indian National Congress (INC).

The social arithmetic

It is difficult to comprehend politics in Assam without understanding its ethnic and religious make up. More than one in three persons in Assam is a Muslim, accounting for 34% of the state’s population. In numbers, Assam has the second largest Muslim population for a state, after Jammu & Kashmir—a fact no political party can ignore.

The dominant Muslim voter base does give an indication of the strength of the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF). The same applies to the Congress, which positions itself as a secular alternative. AIUDF is an important player in Muslimdominated areas, particularly in lower Assam, accounting for 64% of the Muslim population, where it polled more votes than the Congress in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. However, these votes are unlikely to be divided, and the Muslim vote will consolidate behind the candidate who stands a better chance of beating their BJP rival.

On the other hand, Bengali Hindu & Tea Tribe community have the potential to break down the political scenario here in Assam.

Religion Wise Vote share

According to the 2011 census, 61.5% were Hindus, 34.22% were Muslims. Christian minorities (3.7%) are mostly among some of

the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (SC/ST) population. The Scheduled Tribe population (both ST(Plains) and ST(Hills) combined) in Assam is around 13% of which the Bodo people(an indigenous Assamese community) account for 40% and the Scheduled Caste population is about 7.4% of which the Kaibarta and Jal Keot (both indigenous Assamese communities) combined account for about 36%.

Out of 32 districts of Assam, 11 are Muslim majority according to the 2011 census. The districts are Dhubri, Goalpara, Barpeta, Morigaon, Nagaon, Hojai, Karimganj, South Salmara, Mankachar, Hailakandi, Darrang and Bongaigaon.

These Muslim Majority Districts will play a major role in the run up to the assembly elections in 2021 but only if the Muslim votes do not get divided.

On the other hand, Bodos have a population share of 12% and the Kaibarta and Jal Keot have a total share of about 10% (all of which are a part of the indigenous Assamese community).

The share of the indigenous Assamese communities in Assam was about 47% in the 2001 census which has reduced to about 40-45% in 2016 as predicted by experts. Indigenous Assamese Muslims, also known as Khilonjia Muslims, include ethnic groups such as Goria and Moria, and are estimated to be around 40 lakhs in population out of a total 1 crore (4 million out of 10 million) Muslims in Assam.

Challenges for the BJP

On paper, the transfer of votes among the NDA partners should not be difficult because their support base shares a strong anti-Congress sentiment. That said, the aspirations of some local leaders of the BJP, BPF and AGP are so high that several of them may rebel if denied tickets; the recent “perceptive” split in the AGP only reinforces these fears.

In addition, the 34%-strong Muslim vote is expected to get polarized against the NDA; thus even a little division in the nonMuslim vote will impact the NDA’s chances drastically.

Rangman Das @guwahatiplus To sum up, with a strong alliance, the NDA looks slightly ahead of its opponents, at this point of time, but the Congress cannot be underestimated because of historical reasons.

Modi and BJP president Amit Shah will have to work hard to turn the arithmetic into chemistry and defy history to set up its second government in Assam.

Besides the Hindu-Muslim divide, other ethnic groups will also play an important role in certain pockets. For example, the districts of Kokrajhar, Sidli, Baksa, Chirang and Udalguri are home to Bodos. But, this area has seen rapid growth of the Muslim population. The proportion of Scheduled Tribes (mainly Bodos), constituting about a third of the population in these four districts, has lessened. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is expected to benefit from an alliance with Bodoland People’s Front (BOPF) and anti-Muslim sentiments in this belt again this year. But ex-ULFA turned MP Naba Sarania will be the next biggest factor in BTC’s 12 seats this time.

The tea tribes are another important socio-economic group, accounting for more than 9% votes in the state. They are particularly significant in Sivasagar, Sonitpur, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Golaghat, Jorhat and Kokrajhar districts. In the past, the tea tribe has backed the Congress but the party’s

defeat in the tea tribe-dominated Dibrugarh and Jorhat Lok Sabha constituencies in 2019 made this vote bank “float” away. Two BJP members of Parliament (MPs), Rameshwar Teli from Dibrugarh and Topon Kr Gogoi from Jorhat, will be key vote catchers for the BJP in this belt.

Alliances

Historically, a party needs minimum 35% votes to get a simple majority in Assam. The BJP polled 36.41% votes in the 2016 Assam Assembly election. At the peak of the Modi wave, BJP got just 36% votes (which incidentally also included votes from its alliance partner, particularly AGP and therefore in reality BJP’s vote share would be a few percentage points lower and closer to 30-31% since BJP fielded more candidates than AGP in the assembly elections), while Congress got 35.79% votes in Assam.

With the help AGP’s 8.31% and BPF’s 2.51% votes, BJP formed the government. But the recent CAA protests, AGP’s probable split and the rise of a New Political Party backed by Zubeen Garg-led Silpi Samaj (Artist Fraternity) and AASU, forming alliances becomes critical. It is a fair assumption to make that the alliances with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the BOPF will help the NDA cross 35% vote share, provided AGP maintains its vote share of above 10%.

On the other hand, due to CAA and probable alliance of INC and the new political party, UPA’s vote share can even increase towards the 37-40% mark - sufficient for a simple majority. Already, Congress has responded by UG Brahma’s United People’s Party (UPP).

All set for a new political party backed by AASU?

AASU, Assam’s politically active students’ organization, is all set to create conditions that will ensure the birth of a new political party that would cater to the state’s regional aspirations. If this happens it will be a recall of the 1980s where a similar agitation

happened against illegal migrants under the leadership of the AASU. With the demand of that time, AASU had to the form the political party Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which ruled the state for two terms albeit not continuously.

However, this time, the AGP finds itself alienated from AASU’s support because of its support to the CAA in the Parliament.

The time has come when the leaders of the “jatiyo sangathans,” civil society members and artistes wish to protect the indigenous people from cultural and linguistic threats and they will be on board when the new political party is formed.

However, one interesting anecdote here: most of the intelligentsia getting together to form the new political party has never been at the political battlefield one way or the other and it remains to be seen whether the candidates of the new party would be able to get their acts together on time.

Time for political alternative in Assam is here!

In a recent telephonic interview with G Plus, AASU General Secretary Lurin Jyoti Gogoi did not deny the possibility of floating a new political party. He said, “People are looking for a political alternative in Assam. It is because every political party who came to power betrayed the people of Assam. We all know that the Congress used illegal immigrants as their vote bank. People had high expectations from the BJP as they had promised to implement the Assam Accord in letter and spirit. Now, they too betrayed us by bringing in the CAA. The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), born out of the AASU, too betrayed the people by supporting the CAA. Thus, people are now looking for a political alternative with a true ideology of Axomiya Jatiyotabad (Assamese Nationalism) to protect the interest of the indigenous people of Assam.”

On the other hand, AASU President, Dipanka Kumar Nath said recently in Goalpara, “There is a need for a political party which is concerned about the indigenous people in Assam as all the political parties have failed to protect the people. We will start planning soon and the groundwork for the new party will start post-February onwards.”

He also recently said at a public event, “We are in talks with Silpi Samaj (artist fraternity) and are also discussing with the people of Assam to think about an alternative. With the permission of the people of Assam, we will not hesitate to go in that direction and launch a new political party.”

Cover Story

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020 But AASU will remain apolitical!

Though the AASU has started talks to form the political party already and to start the ground work post this February, it will remain apolitical. This has been said by AASU President Dipanka Nath. Nath said, “AASU will remain apolitical. But in the interest of the people, along with Silpi Samaj, we are ready to go in

Stats of 2019 Lok Sabha Election (Assam)

Late Bhrigu Kr Phukan, Tapan Kr Gogoi, Sankar Prasad Rai and the list never ends. And now the AASU-led anti-CAA movement is all set to give birth to a new set of destiny makers of Assam. AASU is set to project a set of influential leaders of the current times through the discussed political party. In this background, the first names will be Dr Samujjal Kr Bhattacharyya, Lurinjyoti Gogoi and Dipanka Kr Nath from AASU and Palash Changmai from Axom Jatiyotabadi YuvaChatra Parishad.

With this whole scenario, AASU is likely to be seen as the kingmaker of Assam Assembly election in 2021.

As of now, the process for the formation of the new political party is at an advanced stage, with many district units being “formed” informally and if sources are to be believed, by February end, most of the district units will be formed (target being 25) and the state convention will be held sometime in April which will give the final seal of approval to the name of the new party.

Fear of losing Identity; what we learnt from Assam Agitation

that direction.” But who will lead this political party? Dipanka Nath and Lurin Jyoti Gogoi? Or will AASU Advisor Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharya be the new avatar of Prafulla Mahanta, the former chief minister from AGP? However, AASU activists maintain that they will remain apolitical and will help only in creating an environment for such a political move. One of the AASU activists (who did not wish to be named) said, “Ballot is the strongest form of protest. People are wondering, how long we will continue with our protests. What will be its outcome? This is the reason why the people of Assam want a regional party which can represent the Assamese society in a real sense.”

All decisions, which need to be taken politically in the state Assembly or Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha, be it land rights for indigenous people, implementations of the Language Act, etc can be done only through legislative power. So the people of Assam want a strong regional force that can protect the interests of the indigenous people.”

Who will evolve as New Kingmaker in 2021?

AASU or Naba Sarania!

AASU has successfully brought many faces to Assam’s political field, right from ex CM Prafulla Kumar Mahanta to current CM Sarbananda Sonowal. Atul Bora (Sr), Atul Bora (Jr), Bharat Narah,

The political history of Assam bears testimony to the fact that whenever the Assamese are fearful of losing their identity, the ruling governments pay a heavy price. Congress’s Hiteshwar Saikia government in the 1980s is an example of this. The Assam Agitation brought AGP as the new dawn of Assam and it had ruled Assam for 10 years. The people of Assam can now relate the Saikia government’s activities with the current Sonowal government.

With the fear of losing identity, people are wondering if AASU will lead the state towards a new political party again. This speculation of a new party in Assam has started haunting the BJP. Consequently, several rallies are being held across the state for “peace and progress” to counter the agitators.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, while addressing the media on 1st January in Sualkuchi had said, “Don’t ostracize me, where would I go? I am your son, a part of you. You have chosen me to lead you, how can I let you down? I have never compromised with the interests of the people of Assam.”

100+ Seats for BJP in 2021?

In spite of AASU’s announcement of groundwork for a new political party, Himanta Biswa Sarma, current finance minister of Assam, is very confident about the BJP’s performance in the assembly elections to be held in 2021. He recently claimed that BJP will retain power in Assam, with at least 100 of 126 Assembly seats in 2021 elections despite the protests

against the party over Citizenship Amendment Act. He added that those who are daydreaming about floating a political party would lose their deposits.

Countering Sarma, Tarun Gogoi, ex-chief minister of Assam, challenged the BJP to get minimum 25 seats, if elections are held within three months. On the other hand, Apurba Bhattacharya, general secretary of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee recently said in a press meet, “The Congress is a national political party and we have nothing to say on any new party in Assam.”

Who will benefit through the new political party?

Though the new party will bring some challenges to the BJP in the state, it might dent the Opposition’s vote bank as well.

From the last Assam assembly election and Lok Sabha election,

vote, they will have to face the people.”

On the other hand, some leaders who are losing their political presence are now supporting the anti-CAA movement. If this new political party is formed, these leaders stand to be benefitted from it.

Conclusion

Given the state of fluidity surrounding the formation of the new political party, there could be two possible scenarios: 1. If the new political party is formed, it is unlikely that any single party would be able to get to the near majority mark.

This would be so, because, with the waning of influence of BPF in BTAD and with Naba Sarania planning to take BPF head on in 2021, out of 12 seats, BPF’s share is bound to decline thereby denting NDA’s numbers. The picture would get clearer after

3

the council elections in April this year. With AIUDF maintaining its share of 12 seats, Naba Sarania getting at least 6-7 seats and the new political party getting into a minimum of double digits, BJP and Congress would be fighting for 90-95 odd seats which, in the backdrop of CAA and possible swing of votes against BJP, is unlikely that both BJP and Congress would get closer to the majority mark of 64. In such a scenario, the new political party and Naba Sarania led front would decide who would ultimately control Dispur.

2. If the new political party is not formed and given the fact that BJP would expect to lose some popular votes especially in upper Assam belt, Congress will still have an uphill task to unseat BJP from power in Assam. In this scenario too, Naba Sarania led front will be crucial if it garners sufficient number of seats at the hustings.

ASSAM ASSEMBLY 2016 Party Bharatiya Janata Party AsomGana Parishad Bodoland People’s Front Indian National Congress United People’s Party All India United Democratic Front Independents the scenario has been clear that the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) has made its strong base in 14-18 constituencies in Assam and has become the principal opposition party in the state. It won 18 of 126 seats in the 2011 legislative assembly election and in 2016 it won 13 of 126 seats. And from the current situation, the new political party will adversely impact the vote percentage of the Congress and AGP mostly, rather than AIUDF’s. Even BJP might be more benefited with the divided votes.

For this fear, Assam Pradesh Congress’s general secretary, Apurba Bhattacharyya said, “Our humble submission to the initiators of this new political party in Assam is that if somehow the new party helps the BJP to come to power again by dividing the Opposition’s

Seat Contested 89 30 13 122 4 74 NA

Seats Won 60 14 12 26 0 13 1

Total Votes 4992185 1377482 666057 5238655 NA 2207945 1867532

4 Lead Story

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

GMC fails to implement Vending Zones even after 5 years of Vendors’ Act Street vending expanding at alarming rate in the city; local miscreants alleged to be extorting hafta from poor vendors Barasha Das @guwahatiplus

G

uwahati is one of the fastest-growing cities in India. However, rapid urbanization spurs its own sets of issues. One of the major concerns of the city today is the popping up of vendors in almost every road and lane.

Guwahati Municipal Corporation’s (GMC) survey

Jayanta Kumar Das, officer-in-charge of Fancy Bazar Police Outpost has taken an initiative to verify the identity of the vendors under his jurisdiction.

back in 2015 showed that there were 7,183 street vendors in the city. At that point in time, there were 497 food vendors, 727 cloth vendors, 661 fruit vendors, 2,044 vegetable vendors, 194 fish vendors, 82 meat vendors, 1,163 paan/tamul vendors, 183 chana/ puchka/bhel puri vendors and 1,631 others.

However, the Assam Street Vendors’ Association (ASVA) claims that there are more than 40,000 vendors in Guwahati as on date. The influx of these many vendors across the city without any valid recognition and proper vending zones is something that cannot be overlooked.

The Street Vendors’ (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 regulates street vendors in public areas and protects their rights. The Act states that all vendors are to be accommodated in vending zones and no vendors are allowed to carry out such activities in no-vending zones.

But even after 5 years of its commencement, GMC is yet to implement it in full force.

After the Act was passed in March 2014, a Town Vending Committee (TVC) was formed in Guwahati which is headed by the GMC commissioner with members from various sectors like NGOs, 40% members from vendors, banks and the police department. Today there are a total of 20 members with 8 members from ASVA. From all this, It may be brought to notice that the TVC has not served its purpose and meetings are not held regularly. Consequently, GMC is yet to establish any vending zones in Guwahati.

The administration had earlier proposed 8 vending zones in Borbari, Kachari, Ganeshguri, Bhangagarh, Uzan Bazar and Silpukhuri. But these locations are yet to be notified.

Naren Rajbongshi, President of ASVA, told G Plus, “Two tenders were called for the vending zones at Panbazar and Borbari but there is no development as of yet. Rs 8,72,500 was sanctioned for the Panbazar vending zone.

Also around Rs 22 lakhs remain unspent under the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) for development of vending zones in the city.”

GMC Commissioner, Debeswar Malakar, said that the implementation of two vending zones at Borbari near IIHM and

Street vending at Ganeshguri | G Plus photo Panbazar opposite Meghdoot Bhawan are at the initial stage.

The project would be funded by NULM; its cost is estimated to be Rs 20 lakhs in total.

However, only the 7,183 vendors who were identified during the 2015 survey would be allotted settlement. He denied taking responsibility of the others who have come in after the survey.

Talking about the encroachment by vendors at random places that often lead to traffic blockage, Rajbongshi said, “Authorities should first identify the no-vending zones so that the association could also prevent the vendors from opening shops anywhere as per their whims.”

It is to be mentioned that eviction drives are carried out to prevent traffic jams and mostly during VIP visits or during major events. But no step has been taken by authorities to tackle the problem permanently.

Lately, Municipal Corporation Police (MCP) has been seen to be deployed at major vending hubs by the Enforcement Department.

MCP personnel are seen in the illegal vending area at SS Road Fancy Bazaar. They are present from 10 am to 5 pm to prevent re-establishment of stalls by the vendors.

Talking to G Plus a few of the vendors said, “We usually display our products on a large polythene sheet or other temporary setups so that we can

remove the shop as soon as the authorities come for eviction.”

Most vendors said that they start the business post 5 pm after the MCP leaves.

One vendor said, “My family has been vending for a long time at this same place. My father set up the shop 12 to 15 years back in this area and we had documents and registration of the same.

However, the authorities have evicted us from the place and now we have nowhere to go.”

Although the vendors were relocated to the GMC market of Fancy Bazar, they refused to settle in there alleging that the space was small and the allotted top floors would be highly inconvenient to their kind of business.

No identity check on vendors by police, GMC As per notification No. GDD.29/2008/Pt./277 dated 26 February 2016 in The Assam Gazette, “Every Town Vending Committee shall maintain upto-date record of registered street vendors and street vendors to whom a certificate of vending has been issued.”

The record is also to be updated every three months

and the returns furnished to the state government and local authorities must be uploaded on the website.

However, GMC has not yet provided any such identification or certificate. As such, there is no official record of the number of vendors or their identities.

The question arises, “Could there be possible miscreants

amongst these vendors?”

While municipal authorities have no data of these illegal vendors, the city police also do not hold any record of the same.

Police sources at some of the most crime-prone areas of the city said that although eviction drives are conducted along with municipal officials from time-to-time, no permanent

step has been taken by any of the authorities to record the identity of the vendors or evict them from heavy-traffic areas.

Moreover, both authorities have uprightly denied holding responsibility of these unidentified vendors.

Jayanta Kumar Das, officerin-charge of Fancy Bazar Police Outpost has taken an initiative

to verify the identity of the vendors under his jurisdiction.

He said, “I have asked the vendors and other unregistered vendors to submit their identity verification cards and other records so that we can keep a track of them. Although a few have already submitted their documents, most of them have not yet come forward.”

Lead Story

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

GMC losing revenue due to lack of registered vending zones It is to be mentioned that due to lack of recognized vending zones the GMC authorities are not being able to collect revenues from the vendors. This has resulted in a huge loss to the state government.

Chandan Goswami, General Secretary of the Street Vendors’ Association said, “As the vendors are not yet registered and no proper placement has been provided, regular revenues cannot be collected.”

G Plus asked vendors of some of the markets regarding payments to concerned authorities.

Most said that while payment for the setting up shop is not collected, they have to pay Rs 20 daily to the appointed NGOs for garbage disposal. This is an amount of Rs 600 per month per vendor.

However, some vendors claim that even after payment with proper receipt the garbage is not collected daily.

Bhangagarh vending zone eviction case “It was on 4th May 2017 that the officials of GMC, along with the Mayor and Circle Officer Lakhinandan Saharia reached the Bhangagarh market and carried out the eviction drive without issuing any prior intimation. It was said earlier that the market which was in existence in front of the Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) would be shifted to below the Bhangagarh flyover but the GMC officials went ahead and evicted the market without giving any notice.

In the eviction drive 80 unauthorized shops, kiosks, restaurants and fruit and vegetable stalls were removed.

The official of GMC said that the eviction was carried out so as to free up the traffic movement. The GMC took the action after the stretch from Bhangagarh flyover to the rotary at GMCH emergency entry point was declared “Protected Area” by the district administration.

But whatever be the reason, the public money amounting to Rs 20 lakhs that was used did not serve its purpose.

Debajit Senapati, working president of ASVA and an executive member of National Association of Street Vendors said, “I was arrested and kept in custody for fourteen days. We had registered a case (Case No. I.A.(Civil).1878/2017) with regard to the eviction in the Gauhati High Court. The Court has asked GMC to settle the dispute before 23 January 2020. We have met

with the Commissioner of GMC but there seems to be no progress although we have been assured.”

Debeswar Malakar justified GMC’s stand saying, “The High Court has ordered us to allot settlement to eleven vendors. We have already processed the files but are awaiting the NOC from the DC’s Office as the vending zone falls under ‘Protected Area’ which has not yet been received.

As such we are unable to proceed with the work.”

Probable syndicates behind excessive sprouting of vendors Concerned Guwahatians have claimed the presence of syndicates behind the existence of the huge number of street vendors.

Chandan Goswami said that they have, at times, received complaints about groups collecting ‘hafta’ or protection money for allowing to carry out vending activities in certain areas. But the vendors themselves never report of the same and as such no action can be taken.

On the other hand, the city police claim that although they have inside information of extortion rackets they are unable to take action as vendors themselves never report for fear of harassment.

There have been allegations against locals over extortion of money from vendors at several areas across the city.

Locals from the Kachari Basti area usually collect money from the vendors in and around Ulubari.

The Old Jail road connecting Machkhowa and Fancy Bazar has a permanent street vendors’ market that leads to heavy traffic blockage.

Locals in Machkhowa alleged that some of the miscreants have been collection extortion money within the premises of Young Amateur Club. It has been alleged they have been using this road for illegal vendor settlement and collecting ‘hafta’ for the same, ranging from Rs 30 per day to Rs 2,000 per month.

Speaking to G Plus the Secretary of the club said, “We have strongly asked the vendors to clear the place. However, a few of the local miscreants are extorting money inside the premises which has harmed the club’s reputation.”

In this context, officer- incharge of Bharalumukh PS said that they have received complaints saying money is collected from the Machkhowa Market around 2 am to 3 am by some miscreants. But the police have not been able to arrest any such person even during raids.

Further, people have said that extortion rackets by a group

The Court has asked GMC to settle the dispute before 23 January 2020.

of locals from Santipur area are working even in the Fatasil market although they could not give any names.

Extortion in the name of development

tender at Six Mile A vendor who did not wish to be named informed that GMC had invited a tender for the development of the vending zone under the Six Mile flyover.

The contract would be valid for eight months till 31 March 2020.

The tender was allotted to one Dinabandhu Nath.

The said market in Six Mile was established in 2013 with the help of NULM and an NGO. Before the tender was called, one Anwar had been collecting extortion money from the vendors. But after the tender was allotted every fishmonger in the market has been paying Rs 200 to Dinabandhu Nath and another Rs 100 to Anwar every day.

5

As for the vegetable and fruit sellers, they are paying around Rs 150 to Nath alone.

Earlier there were about 70 stalls here but the number has increased to around 120.

Moreover an amount of Rs 50,000 is also collected as advance payment from anyone who wishes to set up a stall or a mere kiosk.

Sources also claim that local miscreants set up a few stalls and kiosks and then rent them out to the vendors.

Debeswar Malakar said, “When GMC allots a tender the said party or lessee could collect money from the shopkeepers for the given period as per permitted rates. But we have not received any complaint from vendors regarding collection of excess amount.”

Traffic snarl at a level crossing in Fancy Bazar | G Plus Photo

6 Ward Watch

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

‘Children of Bhabanipur in Noonmati reach school in

blood-stained uniforms’ Residents of Bhabanipur have continued to live in distress for 20-25 years Bad roads, no water supply are two major concerns of the locals Children skip schools during heavy rains Several accidents take place in the locality during heavy rains GMC commissioner says they do not have any plans concerning the area

People of Bhabanipur, a small locality in Guwahati’s Noonmati area, have been living in distress ever since they can remember.

Residents continue to live without basic necessities like roads, water supply and proper drainage.

Locals claim that the government has failed in providing them with proper roads for almost 25 years now. Children of Bhabanipur reach their schools all bruised up after stumbling and falling multiple times on their way. Several road accidents have also taken place in the area but that has not stopped the locals from living their lives.

The road gets completely filled with mud and drain water during the rainy season which makes it difficult for locals to commute.

Despite all the issues, children of Bhananipur make it to their schools but with bruised hands and legs.

Chayanika Das @chandrikadas89 “It’s been 20-25 years we have been living without proper roads.

The condition of the road is very bad. My children face a lot of difficulties while going to school and college. My elder daughter is now in college and throughout her life she has seen no improvements of this road. It is exactly the way it used to be 20-25 years ago,” said Nilima Deka, a local resident.

“During the rainy season my kids reach school all bruised up.

During heavy rains we do not send them to school for almost a week or two,” she added.

She also went on to say that people who live towards the higher part of the hill trip and fall while coming down to collect rations and other goods from the market.

Lack of water supply another major concern of the residents

N

ot just the roads, another major concern of the residents is the lack of water supply. While a few houses have their own wells, many do not. They go down to the stream to fetch water and then climb all the way up to the mountain.

“We do not get water supply here, so we borrow from our neighbours’ wells,” said Jaya Das, a local resident.

“My only request to the government is to give us proper roads and water so that our children do not face what we did when we were young,” she added.

Tara Bala Das, who is in her late 70s, has lost all hope of witnessing the road getting fixed. She said that during elections many

Lighter and faster

A road at Bhabanipur | G Plus photo

No plans of GMC on road improvement at the moment

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way from all the hustle and bustle of the city, Bhabanipur, which falls under ward 22 (C) of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), is located in one corner of Guwahati.

In a telephonic conversation with GMC commissioner, Debeswar Malakar, he said, “We do not have any plans right now on the roads and water supply of that area.”

He said that either Urban Development and Sewerage Board or Public Health Engineering takes care of that area.

“We have fixed a lot of roads in and around Guwahati. We have received several complaints from many residents

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people visit their locality and promise to solve all their problems but everyone forgets about the promises made once they win the elections. She said, “It is time for me to go and I feel I will never get to see this road in a good condition.”

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of different areas of Guwahati and we fix it immediately,” Malakar added.

According to the details availed from the GMC, they have repaired and constructed 76 city roads and lanes in 2019 and 833 in 2018. The chief engineer branch received a grant of Rs 75 crores in 2018 to develop the drainage system and major river channels. They have prepared a three-year plan (2018-20) to assess the drainage system of the city, de-silt the drains and clean the river channels.

In the first year, GMC had spent a huge amount in cleaning and de-slitting major river channels. In the second, they focused on cleaning and maintaining the drains and river channels.

Poll

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

7

Prospects look bleak for BJP in 2021 in the aftermath of CAA: G Plus poll Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

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nion home minister, Amit Shah, had recently claimed in a public rally that the government won’t step back from

“Let it be very loud and clear to our opponents that the citizenship law won’t be rolled back at any cost, irrespective of the protests,” the minister said of the amended law.

It is to be mentioned that widespread protests have been taking place in various parts

Will Amit Shah’s stance on CAA affect BJP’s prospects in the 2021 Assam elections?

the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Speaking at the rally in Lucknow, Shah said, “I want to say it again that the government is not going back on the CAA. Those who want to protest may continue doing so.”

Shah also hit out at the opposition parties for spreading “lies” about the legislation and mentioned that the Act has no provision of taking away anyone’s citizenship.

of Assam as well as the entire country in opposition to the CAA. G Plus conducted a poll on its social media channels and asked its readers if they feel that this declaration by Shah will affect BJP’s prospects in the 2021 Assam elections. A total of 1,700 participants took part in the poll.

Out of this, a clear majority (75 per cent) of the participants felt that the BJP will feel people’s opposition in the 2021 Assam assembly elections which will

NRL signs MoU with ACCF

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s a CSR initiative aligned with NRL’s focus area of improving Community Health, an MoU was signed between NRL and Assam Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF) last week to equip the upcoming radiotherapy block annexed to Barpeta Medical College & Hospital.

The total estimated cost of the Project is to the tune of 16.83 Crore.

The MoU was signed by Mr. Debasish Choudhury, Sr. Chief General Manager (HR & Legal), NRL and Mr. Gautam Chintey, Project Director, ACCF on behalf of NRL and ACCF respectively in presence of officials from both the sides at Numaligarh.

NRL will support ACCF to procure Cancer treatment equipment such as LINAC – True beam without SRS, HDR Brachytherapy, Dosimetry and Immobilization unit and CT Simulator.

At present, NRL is concentrating its CSR spend in the notified thematic areas of School Education, Health and Nutrition with emphasis on Aspirational District.

damage its prospects of retaining power in the state in 2021 elections.

On the other hand, 25 per cent people said that the party’s stance on CAA will not have any effect on their poll prospects.

“Politics should be based on country’s progress, and not on religion or caste. Religion is just a belief (man-made). The reality is poverty, health, education, economic growth etc. But we Indians are educated idiots and every 5 years we prove it,” said Jewel B, a city resident.

Further, another Guwahatian, Himangshu Talukdar mentioned,

“It is the duty of the local chief minister who once fought for the indigenous people of Assam to represent the local issues to the Centre!”

Some respondents felt that the citizens have become more aware now and want the government to be accountable for their promises.

In the same vein, Hazeem Angami said, “We are not moving back either, we are moving forward. It’s more than just CAA now. People want better education, health, infrastructure, law enforcement, women empowerment, jobs and above all we want to get rid of RSS for good. They are the real

termites of this nation.”

Pranab Deb said, “BJP is not a party who is here to just win elections; they want India’s future secure. Once Atal ji said, “Sarkaare ayengi jayengi, Partyaan banengi bigregi, magar yeh desh rehna chahiye”. Samajdar ko ishara e kafi hai, aur bewkoofon ko suraj ki roshni bhi kaafi nahi dekhne ke liye (Governments will come and go and so will parties. But this country should remain.

Indications are enough for those who understand. For the fools, even the sunlight is enough for them to see reason). Jai Hind, Jai Bharat, Vande Mataram.”

8 Governance

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

APW demands clear-cut definition of ‘Assamese’ and ‘Inner Line Permit’ in Assam Barasha Das @guwahatiplus

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ssam Public Works (APW) has submitted a memorandum to the Chairman of the High Level Committee, Clause 6 (A) of the Assam Accord 1985, BK Sharma and has sought the introduction of “Inner Line Permit” in Assam.

The civil society, in the interest of the Assamese society at large as well as for the smooth implementation of the Clause 6(A) of the Assam Accord 1985, requested the committee to give a clear cut definition of the word “Assamese” on the basis of a book, “Axomiyar Sangya Bisari” written by one Naba Kumar Deka Baruah and published by the “Asam Sahitya Sabha”, and prepare a list of the tribes, castes and communities to whom special safeguards should be provided through the clause.

The memorandum also provided the definition of “Assamese” according to Clause 6(A) of Assam Accord, 1985.

“The Constitution of India provided Citizenship to all Indian citizens in the year 1950 on the 26th day of January with state identity as a Federal Democratic

Republic feature by way of the State Reorganisation Act, 1956, Seventh Amendment of the Constitution of India dividing India into 14 landmasses cum communities on the basis of common languages and another 6 landmasses cum communities for other reasons with a total of 20 states cum 20 communities out of which 1/20th portion of Indian population who were the aboriginal inhabitants of Assam with identification as different tribes, different castes and communities (list of tribes, castes and communities from serial 1-48) professing different religions, speaking different languages with different customs, culture, traditions and identities, the persons living in Assam as on 19th July, 1948 having identity as present Bangladeshi and then East Pakistani origin, European origin, Nepali origin, Chinese origin as per the relevant provision of the Constitution of India who entered Assam prior to 19th July, 1948 after 1826, the persons who became Indians by way of registering their names in NRC prior to 26th of January, 1950 as per the relevant provisions of the Constitution of India by taking shelter in Assam, any person like C.S. Booth who became Assamese as per the directions of the

honourable Supreme Court of India, any person who became Assamese by virtue of a valid marriage process, along with the Tea garden and ExTea garden labourers who were a collection of more than around 80 tribes, caste and communities, recognised as OBCs by the Government of Assam are Assamese.”

On the basis of the definition and its supporting grounds, APW demanded the following for the welfare of the indigenous people.

90 percent reservation of seats for MPs, MLAs and Local self bodies 90 percent reservation of all state quota seats for admission into educational institutions Not to give ST/SC/OBC status to persons who had attained citizenship by virtue of Assam Accord, 1985

Aabhijeet Sarma of APW addressing media | G Plus file photo Introduction of indigenous languages as optional language from classes VI to X.

Jan 1950 to 25 March, 1971 as ‘Detected Foreigners’ and land ceiling for them by ‘Minimum Need Programme’

85 percent reservation on vacancies of central government and central government undertakings in the state

To notify indigenous religious institutions as cultural centres to provide government aids

To declare illegal immigrants between 26

‘Inner Line Permit’ in Assam with immediate effect

Assam: the new RAPE capital of India Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

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ssam has topped the chart for rate of crime against women in the country for the second consecutive year, as per the 2018 National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures. It has recorded the highest number of murder with rape/gang rape cases across the country Assam recorded the highest number of crimes against women in the year 2018, according to the latest statistical data published by National Crime Records Bureau.

Rate of crime against women in Assam stood at 166 for 2018, almost three times the national average rate of 58.8 and

marginally above Delhi’s crime rate of 149.6. Haryana was placed third on the list of shame with a crime rate of 107.5 against women, followed by Odisha at 91.3.

In 2017, the rate of crime against women in Assam was 143.3 against the national figure of 57.9.

Delhi came second with a rate of 133.3, followed by Telangana at 94.7 and Odisha at 94.5.

Crime Rate is calculated as the number of crimes recorded per one lakh population.

Assam has been witnessing a year-on-year increase in crime rate. In 2016, 20,896 cases of crimes against women were registered in the state. The number increased to 23,082 in 2017 and further to 27,728 in 2018, which was 7.3% of all crimes against women in India that year.

Assam recorded the highest number of rapes (a total of 66) in India, followed by Madhya Pradesh (41) and Uttar Pradesh (41). In total, 296 cases of rape were reported across the country.

In 2017, the Assam reported 27 cases, which was the second highest after Uttar Pradesh’s 64 cases.

In a horrifying incident, a minor girl was gang-raped and set on fire when she was alone at home in Dhaniabheti Lalung Gaon in Nagaon district of Assam. The incident took place on March 23, 2018 after which the culprits fled from the spot and the girl was rushed to the Gauhati Medical College & Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries the next day.

A case was filed in the

Batadrava Police Station and the accused were arrested on charges of rape, house trespass, causing disappearance of evidence and murder under the IPC. In another incident that took place in Panjabari area of Guwahati in 2018, a 23-year-old girl from Majuli was raped and threatened to be killed by one Sunil Daloi (28).

When the victim informed the locals of the area about the incident, she was advised to compromise. However, she lodged a police complaint based on which the accused was arrested.

Commenting on the sad picture that the report paints about Assam, an official from the All Women Police Station told G Plus, “For a rape victim, it’s not easy to go to a station where so

many men in uniform are present around her, and open up about the incident. Thus, these numbers do not reflect the actual number of cases that occur. These are only the ones that have been reported.”

Assam has also recorded the highest rate of cruelty by husband or his relative, with 11,136 cases being reported in 2018. While the national average crime rate was 16.1, Assam recorded a crime rate of 66.

Further, with 6,401 cases of kidnapping and abduction of women, Assam recorded the second highest crime rate in this regard at 38 while Delhi recorded a crime rate of 40.7.

Other crimes like attempt to rape, human trafficking, and acid attack were also recorded in high numbers in the state.

In The News

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

ULFA-I calls for R-Day DC apprises media on Republic Day preparations, boycott, security tightened celebrations Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

Chayanika Das @chandrikadas89

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he preparations for the Republic Day 2020 programme, which will take place at Khanapara Veterinary playground, are almost over, said Kamrup (M) Deputy Commissioner (DC), Biswajit Pegu in a recent press conference.

While addressing the press conference at the DC office, Pegu said that this year the Assam Rifles will be leading the parade. Other forces taking part in the marchpast are Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Assam police etc. National Cadet Corps, Scouts and Guides and school students will also be participating.

Further, talking about the security measures, the DC said that the security has been tightened and CCTV cameras will also be put up.

“A medical team will be present at the venue to provide first aid,” said Pegu adding, “NGOs will be providing fruits and food items to

central jail and destitute homes.”

The district administration has also requested the ASTC to provide transportation to make commutation easier for the public.

“We will be making special arrangements for physically challenged people. There will be people to assist them to their respective places,” said Pegu.

He concluded by saying, “We handed over the venue to the police to sanitize the place one month prior to Republic Day”.

Meanwhile, Assam’s Kamal Das who hails from North Guwahati will be conferred with the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) National Bravery Awards.

Kamal had risked his life thrice to save his mother and aunt after a ferry boat capsized in Brahmaputra River near Aswaklanta Temple.

The other awardees from northeast include Everbloom K. Nongrum from Meghalaya, Lourembam Yaikhomba Mangang, Lalliansanga from Manipur and Carolyn Malsawmtluangi and Vanlalhriatrenga from Mizoram.

T

he United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-I) has called to boycott the 71st Republic Day on January 26, 2020.

In a statement issued by ULFA-I, Abhijeet Asom, chairman of the banned group asked the people to register their protest against the “colonial rule in Assam” and oppose the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). “The emergency services would remain exempted from the boycott,” reads the statement.

With Republic Day approaching and the ULFA-I calling for boycott, security has been tightened in Guwahati along with other districts of Assam. “Naka” checking is underway in the run-up to the state-level celebrations which will be held at Khanapara Veterinary field in Guwahati.

On Wednesday, January 22, Chief Secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna, along with DC Kamrup (m) Biswajeet Pegu, ADGP (Law & order) GP Singh and Guwahati Commissioner of Police Munna Prasad Gupta took stock of the preparations for the Republic Day function at Khanapara.

Forty CCTVs have been installed for round-the-clock surveillance of the field

9

and its nearby areas. There will be six separate gates for entrance VVIPs, VIPs and the general public.

“Security has been beefed up and preparations are going on in full swing.

We’re taking all measures to ensure that no untoward incidents take place during the celebrations,” Commissioner of Police Munna Prasad Gupta told G Plus.

He added that the public can only carry their keys, mobile phones and purse to the ground during the celebrations. To ensure the same, there will be tight security checking at every entrance gate.

The ULFA-I statement to boycott Republic Day was issued on January 23, minutes after around 644 cadres from several extremist groups including 50 cadres of the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) laid down their arms at a function at the Gauhati Medical College & Hospital Auditorium in Guwahati.

Through the press note, the outfit has also raised abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir, calling it an assault on the democratic character of India.

It should be mentioned that ULFA-I alone issued the boycott call this year, unlike calls for boycott in previous years before the Republic Day and Independence Day when a statement was issued jointly by ULFA, NDFB and KLO of Assam and Naga rebel group NSCN (K).

National Insurance wishes you a Happy Republic Day

10 City

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

Solid wastes, human apathy lead to degeneration of historical Basistha temple Chayanika Das @chandrikadas89

Historical Basistha temple loses its charm Visitors mar the beautiful location with litter and filth Locals use the stream to bathe, wash clothes and excrete People have picnics and throw litter into the stream Locals urge visitors to keep temple premises clean

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ne of the most iconic mythological locations of Assam and popular picnic spot of the past, Basistha temple is now losing its charm.

Basistha, which was once praised by all for its beautiful settings, has now been degraded by the public.

Tourists from all over the world visit the historical sight not just for religious reasons but also for its scenic beauty. Though they glorify the temple, tourists have failed to maintain the beauty of the place and have turned it into a garbage spot.

A stream which originates from the hills of Meghalaya flows through the temple premises.

This has attracted tourists not just from India but from foreign countries as well. But today, this scenic backdrop is marred with litter and filth.

Due to lack of water supply in the area, locals use the stream to bathe, wash clothes and also for excretory purposes. Locals claim that people who come to the temple for picnics, consume alcohol and throw the bottles in the stream.

“We built wells on our own.

Around 4-5 houses are benefitting from it. There is no supply of water here. We either use the stream water or fetch water from the nearby well for our daily needs,” said Junu Das, a local resident.

She said that there is a well bore in their locality but the water is only used by the temple and they do not get any water from that well.

“Aged men have taken the initiative to keep the premises clean. If tourists would have understood the value of the place then they would not have waited for someone else to do the job,” said Bipul Deka, a local vendor.

“There are a number of educated youths in our country today but they still lack this basic sense. It is sad to see such things happening in front of our eyes,” Deka added.

The stream which once carried fresh water now carries wafer packets, alcohol bottles, plastic bottles, human excreta etc.

Over the years, several tourist spots have lost their essence due to the lack of civic sense of the visitors. People have started mistreating these scenic places by littering.

“We clean the temple premises

The contaminated stream at Basistha | G Plus photo every once a week but the public keeps littering. They come for picnics and throw their litter all over the place instead of using the litter bins. It will be better if they use the bins. They even excrete in the river,” said a temple staff.

NGOs have also launched drives earlier to keep the temple premises clean and plastic-free.

Located a few kilometres to the south of Guwahati, the temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva.

The locals urge tourists to keep the temple premises clean and maintain the beauty of the place.

The Basistha ashram dates back to Vedic Times. Legend has it that the ashram was founded by the great saint Basistha, also known as “Vasishtha.”

It is located on the outskirts of

Garbhanga reserve forest which is home to ample number of elephants.

In a telephonic conversation with Chandan Mahanta, IIT professor, Centre for the Environment, he said, “All our temples witness large footfall every day and the number is growing as the population rises.

Devotees bring along various materials relating to worship and also other materials like plastic containers and bottles. That is creating a problem of solid waste around the temples and it is getting unmanageable since we do not have a systematic way of handling them.”

“There is a stream flowing by which earlier used to be quite pristine but now it is receiving

both solid and liquid waste, making the water quality unacceptable,” Mahanta added.

Mahanta talked about the temple’s unhealthy surroundings and said that it needs serious attention. He also said that there should be a standard guideline and protocol for managing waste in the temple premises.

“Essentially this waste management protocol for the temple should be linked to a larger environmental governance system and it should be taken very seriously. The State Pollution Control Board and Department of Environment Forest should bring temples under the ambit of environmental monitoring irrespective of their religious character,” Mahanta elaborated. n

Hyundai Aura launched in Guwahati

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ndia’s 2nd biggest Automobile manufacturer m, Hyundai Motor India Ltd launched their most awaited car The All New AURA, a compact sedan with host of class leading convenient features & technology.

Launched earlier in the city today, Hyundai Aura comes in 3 engine options

- 1.0L Turbo BS6 Petrol - 1.2L Kappa BS6 Petrol - 1.2L Eco Torque BS6 Diesel and 11 variants with 6 colour options.

With AURA Hyundai is also launching their 1st BS6 Complaint Diesel Engine.

AURA will also be offering it’s customers a ‘Complete Peace of Mind’ with Wonder Warranty

Package, where a customer can choose from 3 options based on their requirement.

- 3 yrs upto 100000 km - 4 yrs upto 50000 km - 5 yrs upto 40000 km It is worth mentioning few class leading unique & convenient features like Projector Fog Lamps, Dual Boomerang Shaped LED DRLs,

Classy Z Shaped LED tail lamps, Unique & Sporty Black C Pillars, 8” Touchscreen Infotainment System with Smart Phone Connectivity, Wireless Charging, Cruise Control, 5.3” Digital Speedometer which makes AURA a perfect choice for a customer Speaking on the occassion, Gaurav Goswami, Regional

Head (Northeast India), Hyundai Motors India Limited said, “ Aura is a modern and stylish compact sedan with loads of features. The styling, features, performance and practicality of the vehicle will appeal to customers across age group.

With this car Hyundai India also introduces its 1st BS 6 Diesel engine.

News This Week

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

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

1

ISRO to send female humanoid in unmanned Gaganyaan spacecraft

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to send a female humanoid in unmanned Gaganyaan spacecraft. The ISRO, on January 22, unveiled the female humanoid named ‘Vyommitra’ at the inaugural session of the “Human Spaceflight and Exploration - Present Challenges and Future Trends.” The robot is a prototype of humanoid and will go as a trial before the Gaganyaan goes up with the astronauts. Sam Dayal, an ISRO scientist revealed that ‘Vyommitra’ will be placed in the first unmanned mission under Gangayaan to simulate most of the human body functions on an experimental basis. “It will try to simulate a human and report back to us. We are doing this as an experiment,” said Sam Dayal.

2

Food delivery app Zomato acquires Uber Eats for Rs 2,485 crores

Zomato has acquired Uber Eats for around Rs 2,485 crores ($350 million) in an all-stock deal. With this deal the ridehailing app - Uber Eats - gets a 10 percent stake in Zomato.

Uber Eats will cease to exist as a separate Uber brand in India now and all its customers will be automatically be redirected to Zomato’s app. It is to be mentioned that if a customer now opens the Uber Eats App, it says, “Uber Eats in India is now Zomato.” Uber Eats coming onboard with Zomato will surely give more firepower to take on rival food delivery app, Swiggy.

3

JP Nadda elected as BJP National President

BJP working president Jagat Prakash Nadda has taken over as party national president on January 20. Nadda was previously sharing the responsibility with Home Minister Amit Shah for nearly a year. Senior BJP leader Radha Mohan Singh, who is the in charge of the organisational election process, made the announcement at the party headquarters in Delhi. He was MLA in Himachal Pradesh for three terms before he moved to the central government as cabinet minister from 1998 to 2003.

4

CBSE allows use of calculator in board exams for special students

According to a notification released on its official website, the Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to allow students with special needs to use calculators in Class 10 and Class 12 board exams. “The board has decided to facilitate students under Children with Special Needs (CSWN) category by permitting use of simple basic calculator during Class X and Class XII board examination,” CBSE Controller for Examination Sanyam Bhardwaj said in a letter sent to schools. It is to be mentioned that this is in accordance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, CBSE has been extending several exemptions and concessions to students with benchmark disabilities.

5

India slips 10 places in Democracy index

India slipped 10 places to 51st position in the 2019 Democracy Index’s global ranking, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit. It cited “erosion of civil liberties” in the country as the primary cause for the downtrend. The Democracy Index prepared by Economist Intelligence Unit, provides a snapshot of the state of democracy worldwide in 165 independent states and two territories. The Democracy Index described 2019 as a ‘tumultuous year’ for Asian democracies. Meanwhile, Pakistan was ranked 108th on the overall list while Sri Lanka was at 69th place, Bangladesh at 80th. The overall list was topped by Norway, followed by Iceland and Sweden.

6

11

India needs investment desperately: IMF Chief Gita Gopinath

Gita Gopinath, Chief Economist of International Monetary Fund (IMF), said that India needs a lot of investment and it is important to encourage it on January 20, in reference to Jeff Bezos’s visit last week. “India needs a lot of investment.

It’s important to encourage investment more broadly with the mandate of the country. We need to revive domestic investment in India. So I think the environment has to be created for greater investment because that’s what will raise the capital stock and raise India’s potential growth,” Gopinath said. In response to Gopinath’s statement, Congress leader P Chidambaram, took to his Twitter account and said that Gopinath was one of the first to criticize demonetization and would now face attacks because of her remarks on the Indian economy.

7

India ranked 80th in Global Corruption Perception Index (CPI)

8

Data science jobs in India to increase to 1.5 lakhs in 2020, says Hyderabad based firm

India’s ranking in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI-2019) slipped from 78 to 80 compared to the previous year, as per Transparency International’s annual report on January 23. India’s score of 41 out of 100 indicated moderate to high level of corruption. China has improved its position from 87 to 80. “Our analysis also shows corruption is more pervasive in countries where big money can flow freely into electoral campaigns and where governments listen only to the voices of wealthy or well-connected individuals,” said Transparency International. Meanwhile, Pakistan was ranked at 120 out of 180. The CPI uses a scale from 0 to 100, where 100 is considered very clean while 0 is highly corrupt.

India is expected to see around 1.5 lakh new job openings in Data Science in 2020. The survey was conducted among executives, managers and senior managers in data science on January 21 by Great Learning, a Hyderabad based ed-tech firm. The survey says that the BFSI sector offers the highest average salary to data science professionals. The majority of the job roles will be for professionals having less than five years of experience. “With vast quantities of data being generated, the data science vertical is the key to mining actionable insights for businesses. 2020 is set to be a big year for data science in India,” said Hari Krishan Nair, co-founder of Great Learning.

9

India fourth best market for global firms: Annual PwC CEO Survey

With the economic growth hitting rock bottom, India stands at the fourth place after US, China and Germany. Amongst 1,600 CEOs in 83 territories worldwide, only 9 percent in a global survey favour India for their companies’ growth prospects as per the annual PwC CEO survey released during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on January 21. Only 27 percent of global CEOs said that, “They are confident in their own organization’s growth over the next 12 months.” “The change in the CEO sentiment has proven to be an excellent predictor of global economic growth,” said PwC when asked about their own revenue growth prospects.

10

Mumbai to remain open 24x7 from January 27

The Maharashtra cabinet, on January 22, approved “Mumbai 24 hours” policy allowing malls, multiplexes and shops to remain open round-the-clock in the city from January 27. After the cabinet meeting, state tourism minister Aaditya Thackeray said, “The government’s decision could help generate more revenue and jobs, in addition to the existing 5 lakh people working in the service sector.” He further said that in the first phase, shops, eateries and theatres in malls and mill compounds situated in non-residential areas will be allowed to remain open. “If rules on solid waste management, decibel limits and law and order are violated, there is provision of lifetime ban,” said Thackeray.

12 Centre Spread

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

Pream

The Preamble sets to introduce the constitution a sovereign, socialist, secular and democratic

Why is Republic Day celebrated?

India celebrates its Republic Day every year on January 26 to mark the day when its Constitution came into force. The Constitution came into force on January 26, 1950.

The Indian constituent assembly adopted the constitution - the document which lays down the political framework, procedures and fundamental rights and duties of citizens - on November 26, 1949. However, it came into effect on January 26, 1950. With this, India became a Republic.

This year, India will celebrate its 71st Republic Day. After attainment of Independence,

a Drafting Committee was appointed to draft a permanent constitution for the new nation and BR Ambedkar was appointed as the chairman of the committee.

India’s constitution The Drafting Committee worked is the longest written for 141 days to prepare the Constitution and submitted its constitution of any first draft to the Assembly on country in the world.

November 4, 1947. After this, the Assembly met and discussed it in sessions for 166 days which were spread over a period of two years before finally adopting the constitution. These sessions were also open to the public.

Saumya Mishra

Did you

Know

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly r SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC RE JUSTICE, social, eco LIBERTY of thought, express EQUALITY of status and of opportun FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the indivi IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this 26th ENACT AND GIVE TO OURS

@saumyamishra03

Republic Day celebrations The main Republic Day function takes place every year at Rajpath in New Delhi on January 26.

The highlight of the celebrations is the grand parade which marches from the Rashtrapati Bhawan, along the Rajpath and ends at the India Gate.

The parade is followed by marching of various army, air force and navy regiments with their bands. The President of India takes the salute during the march past of the various armed forces.

Since the first Republic Day celebrations, India

has had a history of inviting heads of the state/ government of other countries as guests of honour for the programme.

President of Indonesia, Sukarno was invited as the guest of honour for the first R-Day celebrations in New Delhi in 1950.

Other major attractions during the Republic Day function are the tableau presentations from various states. The festivities officially conclude with the beating retreat ceremony. It takes place on the evening of January 29, which is the third day after Republic Day.

The Ass

Assam’s tableau has been selected ministry of defence this year and featured in the Republic Day parade Delhi. This year a total of 22 tablea been shortlisted out of 56 propo the Republic Day parade. The sho proposals for tableaus this year inc states and union territories central ministries.

This year, the Centre rejected the tableaus of West Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra and Bihar among others. The opposition leaders of these states have claimed that their tableau proposals were rejected since they have been opposed to the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). H

Know France has been invited five times for the R-Day parade making it the country to be invited maximum number of times.

n and its guidelines in brief. It declares India to be c republic. Here is the full text of the preamble:

resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN EPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens onomic and political; sion, belief, faith and worship; nity; and to promote among them all idual and the unity and integrity of the Nation; h day of November 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, SELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.

sam Tableau 2020

However,

13

Did you

mble

d by the d will be e 2020 in aus have osals for ort-listed clude 16 and six

Centre Spread

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

the central government has rubbished these claims.

A report by India Today quoted sources saying: “Many tableaux of BJP-ruled states have also been rejected this year. These states are Haryana, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh. It is pertinent to mention here that the tableau of the government of West Bengal was shortlisted for participation in Republic Day Parade 2019 as an outcome of the same process.”

This year prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the invitation to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to be the chief guest for India’s 71st Republic Day function. He will be the third Brazilian President to attend the R-Day celebrations in India.

As per reports, Bolsanaro will be accompanied by seven ministers, the chairman of Brazil-India Friendship Group in Brazilian Parliament, and senior officials and a large business

delegation.

But inviting Bolsanaro has raised a lot of eyebrows from activists in India as the Brazilian President has been infamous for his sexist, homophobic and misogynistic statements.

One of his most appalling statements was when he was a Congressman in 2014, he had told opposition’s Maria do Rosario, “I wouldn’t rape you because you’re not worthy of it. Stay here and listen.”

Chief Guests over the years Here’s a list of past chief guests invited by India for the Republic Day programme in Delhi since 2010:

Year 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

2018

2019 2020

Guest

Country

President Lee Myung Bak South Korea President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono Indonesia Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra Thailand King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck Bhutan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Japan President Barack Obama United States President François Hollande France Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan United Arab Emirates Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Brunei Prime Minister Hun Sen Cambodia President Joko Widodo Indonesia Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith

Laos

Prime Minister Najib Razak State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi President Rodrigo Roa Duterte Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc President Cyril Ramaphosa President Jair Bolsonaro

Malaysia Myanmar Philippines Singapore Thailand Vietnam South Africa Brazil

14 G Talk E

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| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020 T

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Safety first

he week saw one of Guwahati’s biggest tragedies where a fire accident killed two young kids as they remained trapped in the first floor of their home. The fire that started from a leaking gas burner apparently spread a bit too rapidly such that nothing at all in that household could be salvaged. The youngsters, aged just 8 and 3, stood no chance and were consumed by the raging inferno sending the city into a pall of gloom.

We offer prayers from G Plus that their souls find eternal peace and that God give their parents the strength to come to terms with their great loss.

The incident serves as a reminder that we Guwahatians take our safety for granted in all instances and throw caution to the winds in our regular life. We do not think twice about driving rashly or under the influence of liquor, about scaling the new road dividers in the middle of the busy and fast-moving traffic of GS Road and MG Road and even about firing Diwali crackers in congested localities despite several fire accidents in the past. Also and very often, maintaining fire extinguishers at home is the last thing on our minds.

In fact, talking of

fire extinguishers, it is pertinent to note that a huge percentage of shops in the busy and congested Fancy Bazar (where fire tenders find it difficult to manoeuvre during fire emergencies) do not have or maintain this basic safety equipment even today. Just no lessons learnt from the massive fire incident during the Diwali of 2015!

Clearly, in every aspect of life, Guwahatians need to start laying emphasis on “safety first.” Helmets while riding two-wheelers (both the rider and the pillion) are a safety requirement prescribed by the law and not something to evade a police ticket. Keeping up with the traffic speed is safety requirement; overspeeding is not. Pedestrians using the footpaths and not walking nonchalantly on the street is another aspect.

There are instances galore that can be cited where Guwahatians really do not care for their own safety and we are often at our wits’ end to make ourselves understand the importance of safety first.

I am today wondering how this virtue can be imbibed within us that we can someday consider Guwahati to be a sensitive and safe city for all its residents.

Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali

Is Guwahati in safe hands?

After the induction of two ministers in the Assam state cabinet on 25th January, some ministerial portfolios where reshuffled and the education department was again transferred to Himanta Biswa Sarma. It was under Siddhartha Bhattacharyya earlier; the portfolio was given to him when he became minister.

But what made the chief minister transfer the ministry back to Himanta? Bhattacharyya will continue to hold charge of GDD (Guwahati Development Department) and Law & Justice besides additional charge of the Cooperation department given to him which was earlier with Rihon Daimary. To Guwahatians, the performance of a GDD minister matters a lot and after education was snatched away from Bhattacharya, whether GDD is in safe hands is a question to brainstorm over.

Since Bhattacharya became the GDD minister in 2018, Guwahatians have not witnessed any significant development or change in the city.

The city wards continue to be without any councillors with the council elections pending since July 2018. The ropeway project, even after completion, is not operational. The tallest National Flag at Gandhi Mandap was a major unplanned project. The water supply project in Guwahati keeps getting postponed. The parking lot in Fancy Bazar and the botanical garden in the old jail campus still look like pipedreams.

The minister, after joining as GDD chief, was seen visiting Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) offices like a Bollywood star slamming and threatening officials for not being sincere. But after 21 months of being the GDD minister no great impact was made by him in the city. Before 2016 legislative assembly, the minister used to claim that he knows Guwahati well and will try and resolve all the issues; even Guwahatians were glad when he was inducted as the GDD minister.

But now only one question comes to the mind of Guwahatians. Is GDD truly safe in Bhattacharya’s hands?

Sidharth Bedi Varma @sid_bv

Required: A Mayor and a GMC Council

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had the occasion to visit a part of the city that I had not visited for ages – mainly due to lack of work or a meeting in that area as also because it does not fall into my regular routes of work within the city.

From one general election to the next, the city has been deprived of its much required representation and the fallout has been disastrous; the city has been orphaned!

The locality is Fatasil Ambari and I chose to go there from Ulubari past the office of the Director General of Police via AK Azad Road which has Arya Vidyapith College and Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute as prominent landmarks. Also that crucial junction called Cycle Factory (a tri-junction basically) from where you need to take a right to reach Fatasil Ambari fell on my route.

Now, as a resident of one of the oldest localities of the city – Kharguli and so, commuting through Uzanbazar on a daily basis – and visiting another equally old locality, I could not help but see how similar the two were in terms of one big, bothersome issue: the illegal street vending.

While the last survey in 2015 by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) identified around 7,000 registered street vendors that needed to be settled into various allotted vending zones across the city, that number seems way too modest at this moment. Large stretches of the footpaths

abutting the entire road from Ulubari to the AK Azad junction were lined with vendors doing brisk business in selling all varieties of fresh food products from vegetables to chicken and fish. Their “shops” often spilled over to a fair bit of the street disturbing the traffic flow.

Beyond AK Azad Road, the situation turned even graver and the streets of Fatasil Ambari resembled nothing less than a shopper’s paradise.

Why is this happening in a promised “smart city” where there doesn’t seem to be any sense of accountability?

This sight of street vending has become so common in Guwahati that each and every locality is plagued by this “convenience” of basic food stuff being available right there on your nearest street.

The fallout on the traffic is such that Guwahati has become suffocating for the motorists where they have to negotiate with pedestrians walking on the streets rather than on the footpaths.

Uzanbazar and Fatasil Ambari are just cases in point.

The call of the moment is accountability more than anything else. It is very clear that the city is suffering as it does not have the administration at the grassroots level that is mandatory for any burgeoning urban entity – a city that is. It remains a wonder that the GMC Council that ended its tenure in July 2018 has not been re-elected and the city has been left without a Mayor and a Council (which are essentially the true representatives of the city’s residents) and so, at the mercy of certain outsiders who storm the city’s streets with the least care for the perils that they bring along.

When the previous

rRopeway yet to function

O pinion Swapnil Bharali

council’s tenure ended on 31st July 2018, the assumption was that an election would be held immediately. That was not the case perhaps because the Lok Sabha elections were slated for May 2019 and an adverse result in the city against the incumbent state government might have sent bad signals to the rest of the state. What we are now faced with is another Assembly election in a shade over a year’s time. Given the Citizenship Amendment Act protests that have rocked the city in the recent past, the current dispensation popularity is at its lowest ebb – certainly not the best time to hold the election to the GMC Council for the same reasons that they were not held in 2018. And so from one general election to the next, the city has been deprived of its much required representation and the fallout has been disastrous; the city has been orphaned! So, what are we as Guwahatians looking at? Our prospects of better governance certainly look rather weak!

Whatever be the case, it is now imperative that the GMC council elections be given top priority simply because Guwahati is presently being treated as an orphan and its upkeep seems to be nobody’s business. A city as large as Guwahati and which is considered the metro of the northeast needs its Mayor and only then some accountability will set in.

After all, democratic ideals and self-governance are the cornerstones of the Indian Constitution and Guwahati going without a Mayor and a Council because of the whims of a state government is not quite the right thing to happen especially when the city is clearly suffering from negligence and lack of care.

Letter to the Editor

The Guwahati Ropeway Project, which was sanctioned to the GMDA in as early as 2006, is still eluding its benefits to the common man. It has been 14 long years.

Siddhartha Bhattacharya, Minister GDD, even expressed stern disapproval regarding the lack of progress concerning the developmental projects under the purview of the GMDA in a review meeting in May of 2018.

In addition, local media declared that the ropeway is likely to be operational by February 2019 after being given what can now be confirmed to be faux assurance by concerned authorities.

We have now reached the ending of January 2020 and the formal announcement regarding its operability keeps being postponed by concerned authorities without the fear of ignominy or guilt.

People of the city who were promised this facility ages ago are now starting to lose confidence and patience, especially those who had hoped of reducing the duration of their travel from the opposite poles of the city to commute to and from work every day.

This problem only increases exponentially during the monsoon season which plagues the city every year with overbearing problems of floods and a rise in the levels of river Brahmaputra,rendering ferry services immobile and consequently forcing commuters to use road transportation which only exacerbates their travel difficulties.

It should be incumbent upon the GMDA and the GDD to address this burgeoning issue and take responsibility.

Gaurav Agarwal, Guwahati

In Focus

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

15

2 children die as massive blaze engulfs house in Beltola, Guwahati

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wo children were killed in a fire which broke out at a residence in Beltola area of Guwahati on January 23. As per information, the two boys named Ishan (8) and Iban (3), were playing on the first floor of the house while their mother and grandmother were at the ground floor at the time of the incident. Ishan was a student of Srimanta Sankardev Academy, Dispur. It is to be mentioned that it was Iban’s birthday on January 23.

The Assam Disaster Management Department, on January 24, said that the fire broke out due to gas leakage from the kitchen. According to reports, YK Goutam, Director of Disaster Management said that three burners were found open in the four-burner gas stove inside the kitchen. “The fire occurred from the three burners after gas leaked from the cylinder and the fire spread within minutes across the house,” added Goutam.

The cremation of Ishan and Iban was done at Navagraha crematorium on January 24.

A candle light vigil was held by the locals on the day of the incident. A crowd gathered in front of Namghar Path, not far from where the fatal fire took place.

A memorial service was held in Ishan’s school Srimanta Sankardev Academy, Dispur. In their emotional speeches, the teachers couldn’t hold back their tears.

Remembering Ishan, one of the teachers said, “Ishan was very simple, innocent, and obedient. He never did anything to create problems.

He would always take part in all co-curricular activities.

I pray to the almighty that their souls rest in peace.

I also pray to God to give strength to the family to overcome the painful death of their children.”

Meanwhile, teachers, students, neighbours and

Ishan (elder) and Iban

well-wishers including Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma condoled the death of the two minors.

Sonowal tweeted, “Deeply anguished at the loss of two innocent young lives in an unfortunate fire incident in Guwahati today. My heart goes out to the bereaved family of Ishan and Ibon. My heartfelt condolences.”

Sarma took to Twitter and wrote, “Deeply pained to hear of the tragic loss of two little souls today in Guwahati - children of Tushar and Shilpi Goswami. My heartfelt condolences.

My sympathies are with the family in this very painful moment.”

Guwahatians took to social media handles of G Plus and expressed

their condolences.

Himam Chakraborty said, “It is a very tragic incident, hard to bear. Only parents can understand this pain. Moreover, this happened on the younger child’s birthday! Very sad to hear that. May their soul rest in peace. May God give the parents enough strength to recover from this incident.”

Hayat Rizvi a friend of the Ishan and Iban’s father said, “Simply no words to describe the loss. Tushar is a friend of mine and I just can’t comprehend what he is going through now.

Extremely sorry for his loss. May Allah be with him during this testing times and grant strength.

Rest in peace little souls that departed.”

Another resident, Subham Singhania said, “Despite such incidents happening around us we are not learning the lesson out of it. It’s high time that we impart the knowledge of fire and emergency safety among the public through continuous interactions with them.”

16 Buzz

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

Assam lad Eeshaan Dutta shines in JEE Mains 2020

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total of 9 students have scored 100 percentile in the JEE main examination 2020. Among the toppers, one candidate, Eeshaan Dutta from Tezpur, has topped the JEE (Mains) from Assam.

Along with nine others who scored perfect 100 percentile this year, Eeshaan has secured highest marks in the entire Assam and northeast region.

Eeshaan wishes to join IIT and will appear for the second session of JEE Mains as well. Apart from these 9 students, NTA has released a list of 41 students who are statewise toppers for the January examination.

A total of 8,69,010 candidates have appeared for JEE Mian 2020 January examination. Of the total, 6,04,981 were male, 2,64,026 female and 3 were transgender

Jorhat woman hand weaves Gunamala on

J candidates.

Next JEE Main 2020 examination would be conducted

in April. Registration for JEE Main 2020 April examination would begin from February 7, 2020.

Muga cloth

yoti Bora Dutta, a resident of Charingia village in Jorhat, has hand woven Srimanta Sankardev’s Gunamala on a Muga

cloth.

Dutta has hand woven the entire Gunamala.

The Gunamala, the “Garland of Praises (for Lord Krishna)” written by Srimanta Sankardev is a magnificent composition capturing in racy, rhyming and sonorous verses, the essence of the Bhagavata Purana. It is a sacred text for all Assamese Vaishnavas and is often placed

Guwahati students’ project among top 50 in Ideate for India

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ehaan Mazid and Miganga Gohain’s project, Miracles, was selected among the top 50 applicants at “Ideate for India.”

“Ideate for India – Creative Solutions Using Technology” is a national challenge organized by the National eGovernance Division, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India and Intel India. The challenge aims to make the young students understand the importance of technology and give them a platform where they can be innovative creators.

Rehaan Mazid is a student of Sanskriti the Gurukul and Miganga Gohain is from Kendriya Vidyalaya Maligaon,

Guwahati.

Out of 1,33,000 applicants and two phases, the duo came in the top 50.

They were felicitated by Minister of Electronics, Ravi Shankar Prasad in Delhi on January 17.

The project, Miracles, is smart agriculture management which is aimed to help farmers. n

in the thapana (pedestal) or the Guru Asana (sacred throne) in the Namghar as the object of veneration.

It is to be noted that Gunamala was written within one night at the request of Koch king Nara Narayan in 1552.

Srimanta Sankardev was a saint-scholar, poet, playwright, socialreligious reformer and a figure of importance in the cultural and religious history of Assam.

Guwahatians make it to India Book of Records

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hagyaraj Barua and his team have made it to the India Book of Records and hold a record for “Fascinating Tattooing Circle.” Barua and his team of 7 tattoo artists tattooed the other in a circle on the theme “Save Thino, Save Nature,” at the Brindaban Garden, Zoo Road in Guwahati on January 9. They made a record by making the tattoos in 81 minutes.

Barua’s team members include Prasant Bhuyan, Hritik Kalita , Sudipta Baruah ,Munmi Hazarika

, Rim Saikia , Pranjal Chakravarty and Piku Devi.

It is to be mentioned that India Book of Records is the custodian of Indian records since 2006. With the launch of the 15th edition of India Book of Records 2020 on 27th December 2019 at Hotel Radisson Blu, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi, it has become arguably the only book of records with the chief editors from record books of seven nations (Vietnam, Malaysia, USA, Nepal, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Thailand) as its board members.

Trotter

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

Groom’s father elopes with bride’s mother, wedding called off in Gujarat

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n a dramatic twist of events, a long-awaited wedding of a couple in Gujarat was drawn to a halt when the in-laws were reported to have eloped together in a bid to rekindle their lost love.

The couple, who have been engaged for a year now, was supposed to tie the knot in the second week of February in Surat.

Meanwhile, the groom’s 48-yearold father and the bride’s 46-yearold mother have been suspected to have run away together since they have been missing for 10 days now.

The groom’s father, a businessman and member of a local political party, left his house in Katargam around January 10 while the mother, who is married to a broker, left her house in Navsari.

In the opinion of a relative and a close friend, the duo had known each other since childhood and was also close acquaintances since they lived in the

same neighbourhood. Apparently, they also previously shared a relationship, before the 46-year-old woman got engaged to her present husband.

However, the unforeseen elopement of the in-laws has left the families in utter shame as the incident has become a hotbed of whispers.

(Source: news18)

Why do doctors have such sloppy handwriting?

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t seems counterintuitive that doctors - widely regarded as some of the smartest, most detail-oriented people out there - so often have horrible handwriting. From a patient’s standpoint, it could seem downright terrifying. If your pharmacist misinterprets your trusted physician’s chicken scratch, you could wind up with a dangerously high dosage of medicine, or even the wrong medicine altogether.

In 2006, the National Academies of Science’s Institute of Medicine estimated that doctors’ sloppy handwriting was killing more than 7,000 people per year, and preventable medication errors were harming around 1.5 million Americans annually. Many medical offices have since switched to electronic medical records and prescriptions, and some states have even required them to do so.

But that doesn’t tell us why doctors’ penmanship is so poor in the first place.

One reason is because doctors have to write much more than we realize. “In the medical field, if it’s not documented, it didn’t happen,” Celine Thum, medical director at ParaDocs Worldwide, told a daily.

If you’re the very first patient of the day, the record of your visit and any prescription slips you get might be perfectly legible. Ten hours and dozens of appointments later, however, your doctor’s hand muscles are probably pretty cramped.

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Two men make an ‘Earth Sandwich’ together despite being at opposite ends of world

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wo men in New Zealand and Spain have created an “Earth sandwich” by placing slices of bread on precise points at either side of the planet.

The man behind the sandwich, Etienne Naude from Auckland, told a daily that he wanted to make one for “years”, but had struggled to find someone in Spain, on the other side of the globe. He finally found someone after posting on the online message board, Reddit.

The men used longitude and latitude to make sure they were precisely opposite.

The first “Earth Sandwich” is credited to the American artist Ze Frank, who organised two slices of baguette to be placed in New Zealand and Spain in 2006.

Others have since followed, although not all reported examples have been bona fide, opposite-point Earth sandwiches.

“It was quite hard to organise since it’s a 12-hour time difference,” Naude said, adding, “And there’s lots of things to arrange, such as the kind of bread, the time, the (precise) location, etc.” Naude only had to travel a few hundred metres to find a suitable public spot on his side of the world. His Spanish counterpart had to travel 11 kms.

Using a “near top of the range laser cutter”, he burnt an “Earth sandwich” design onto 20 slices of bread, and then

used one slice to mark his exact, tightlydefined sandwich spot in New Zealand. His counterpart used nine slices of unmarked bread to make sure he covered the exact spot. The scientific name for points opposite each other on the Earth’s surface is antipodes - a term sometimes used to describe New Zealand, as it is roughly opposite the UK. According to World Atlas, only around 15 per cent of “territorial land” is antipodal to other land. The UK, Australia and most of the US do not have antipodal land points the other side of the world is water. World Atlas says, “The two largest antipodal areas inhabited by humankind are located in East Asia and South America.”

(Source: ndtv)

Man takes over airport monitor to play video game

L The content they’re writing isn’t particularly easy to spell either. If a doctor is jotting down glomerulonephritis, for example, they may not stop to make sure all those vowels are in the right places.

“We have so many technical terms that are impossible to write,” Thum said. “You sometimes scribble to cover the error.”

However, if a prescription looks indecipherable to you, it’s possible that your doctor is using shorthand that your pharmacist will immediately understand — like the abbreviation QD, from the Latin phrase for “one a day.” If you’re confused about what the doctor has written on your prescription slip, you can always ask them to clarify aloud, and double-check that it matches what’s printed on your prescription bottle.

(Source: mentalfloss)

ong waits at the airport can be boring. So, one man decided to spend his time playing a game while waiting for his flight. The only problem? He took over an airport monitor to play the game. The man, travelling from Oregon’s Portland International Airport, was caught playing Apex Legends on the airport information monitor.

At around 4.30 am on January 16, the man plugged his PlayStation 4 into the airport information monitor and started playing the game.

His session was soon interrupted by airport officials, a news portal reported recently. The moment was caught on camera by a Twitter user Stefan Dietz, who shared the photo with the caption, “This guy has his video game plugged into one of the airport monitors.”

This guy has his video game plugged into one of the airport monitors. The tweet has been retweeted around 2,000 times with mixed reactions of netizens.

“The real question is how well did the game perform online with the laggy wifi connection,” a user wrote. “I

can’t believe he actually thought that was a good idea,” said another.

Port of Portland spokesperson Kama Simonds said the gamer’s fun ended when operations supervisors approached him and very “kindly asked this person to unplug and cease using the monitors at the airport.” The man “very politely” asked if he could finish his game, and was told he could not.

“Apparently it was a very polite and cordial interaction,” Simonds said, calling it “a good reminder of what not to do at the airport.”

(Source: ndtv)

18 Review

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

Starring: Varun Dhawan, Shraddha Kapoor, Prabhu Deva, Nora Fatehi, Dharmesh Yelande Director: Remo D’Souza

Street Dancer 3

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dorably pompous by nature, Inayat knows she’s got them both – killer looks and impressive dance moves to ‘kuch alag karne ka’ – and has no qualms about using these innate weapons to rub her ageold foe up the wrong way; the ultimate softie and cut-throat competitor, Sahej. Although they have a respectable fan-base on the streets of London, the duo, not-sosecretly, has always wanted to beat each other in the art-form they are truly passionate about – dancing.

What starts off as a harmless tiff between two opponents, takes the form of something bigger than themselves, as the story progresses towards one of the grandest dance challenges in the world. Essentially a dance flick, ‘Street Dancer 3D’ also encapsulates the moral growth of

a pack of skilled dancers – both on stage and the bigger theatrics that is life.

The opulent and equally impressive entries of the lead pair – Shraddha Kapoor and Varun Dhawan – has Remo D’Souza’s signature style imprinted all over it. In his third dancebased film, the choreographerturned-writer/ director has upped his game in terms of the presentation of various dance forms – Jazz, Contemporary, Afro, Krump, Locking and Popping, Animation Tutting, Urban and Slow Mo. – and has even aptly managed to rope in some very polished performers from the world over.

In fact, with her top knot, big hair, profusion of sass and impeccable dancing, Nora Fatehi as Mia turns out to be quite the revelation and reveals the charm of a glam diva.

Other than Shradhha and Varun’s personable representation of desiat-heart NRIs, the duo has worked relentlessly hard on their postures and overall dance movements, and it shows on screen despite them being surrounded by a surplus of supremely talented professional dancers. Shraddha’s borderline arrogant Inayat complements Varun’s sentimental Sahej. The VFX, too, proves to be an added advantage as Remo has used the power of technology to

keep things visually exciting for the audience at all times.

Dancers-turned-actors Dharmesh Yelande, Punit Pathak, Salman Yusuff Khan and Raghav Juyal have played their respective parts competently and Prabhudeva’s act as this silent former performer-restaurateur is a surprise package. His revamped version of ‘Muqabla’ stirs old memories and it is a moment to watch out for.

However, what doesn’t favour the narrative is the length; it should have been trimmed down by a good 20 minutes. Yes, dance rightly takes the centre stage in ‘Street Dancer 3D’ but it is almost impossible to overlook the haphazard writing; for one, the film starts with one underlying theme and wraps up with completely another, thus, leaving the viewers perplexed in the first half and disappointed in the second. True, it is a performance-oriented film but if a plethora number of songs, dance sequences and battlefield banters are thrown in after every five to seven minutes, then it could get distracting even for a die-hard fan of this genre. Also, this movie caters to the taste of a certain section of the audience – the usual dance lovers, and the ones who love to watch glamorous sets in Bollywood films.

‘Street Dancer 3D’ does have a strong message to send across to its audience – that of love in the face of adversity, compassion towards those we know and those we don’t, and stresses upon the importance of friendship over personal gains – but fails to stitch it together with an organised cinematic fabric. If not for the story, watch it for the love of dance. And, get ready to groove and move!

(Review by timesofindia)

Cinepolis, Christian Basti 09435025808 Street Dancer 3 (3D)

Street Dancer 3 (2D)

12:15 PM, 1:15 PM, 1:45

1:00 PM

PM, 4:30 PM, 5:00 PM, 7:45

Street Dancer 3 (3D)

PM, 8:15 PM, 8:55 PM

3:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 9:00 PM

Tanhaji: The Unsung

Tanhaji: The Unsung

Warrior (3D)

Warrior

3:15 PM, 6:05 PM

6:50 PM

Panga

Panga

3:40 PM, 6:25 PM, 9:10 PM

4:00 PM, 9:45 PM

Anuradha Cineplex,

PVR Cinemas, CITY CENTRE 0124 470 8100

Noonmati 0361 2656968 Street Dancer 3 (3D) 5:00 PM, 8:00 PM Panga 2: 00 PM

Grande Cines, Paltan Bazar 09854017771

T

Specifications When it comes to specifications, there are a few hits and misses for the Jays x-Five Wireless. The headset has 40mm drivers and a frequency response range of

32-18,000Hz. There is Bluetooth 4.1, and support for the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs is listed.

However, during our testing, we found that the headset only worked with the SBC codec - multiple devices including different Android smartphones and a MacBook Air were used to confirm this.

The Jays x-Five Wireless has a claimed battery life of 20 hours, and we were able to come close to this figure during our testing.

While this isn’t the best battery life we’ve seen on full-size headphones, it’s pretty good for a headset that costs under Rs. 4,000.

Jays x-Five Wireless performance

1:00 PM, 7:00 PM Street Dancer 3 (3D) 3:00 PM, 3:55 PM, 6:00 PM, 9:00 PM, 9:45 PM Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior 4:00 PM, 10:00 PM Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior (3D) 1:00 PM, 6:50 PM

1:15 PM, 3:15 PM, 6:05

Panga

PM, 9:00 PM

12:50 PM, 3:40 PM,

Tanhaji: The Unsung

6:30 PM, 9:20 PM

Warrior (3D)

Chhapaak

9:10 PM

7:25 PM

Panga

Good Newwz

4:00 PM, 6:30 PM

1:45 PM 1917 4:45 PM, 10:05 PM

WIRELESS HEADPHONE is also a microphone and an indicator light on the right.

The outer parts of the ear cups are metal with a Jays logo, but the dull finish makes these headphones feel like an affordable pair. The Jays x-Five Wireless is light, and the padding around the ear cups and the headband is decent enough, making for a fairly comfortable fit. Sound isolation is average considering that this is an on-ear headset, while sound leakage is mild and is only really a problem at very high volumes.

Street Dancer 3 (2D)

Street Dancer 3 (3D)

JAYS X-FIVE he Jays x-Five Wireless is priced at Rs. 3,499 in India, and does little more than function as a basic wireless on-ear headset.

However, the Jays brand name means that we expect big things from these headphones when it comes to sound quality.

There’s a lot of plastic on the frames of the ear cups and parts of the headband, and the device didn’t feel particularly sturdy. It was also rather easy to remove and re-attach the ear padding, which raised some questions as to how securely they’ll stay in place.

The left ear cup has a MicroUSB port for charging, while the right one has controls for volume, playback, power, and a 3.5mm jack for wired connectivity. There

PVR Cinemas, Dona Planet 08800900009

We may not have been entirely impressed with the specifications and design of the Jays x-Five Wireless, but it made up for this with good sound quality.

Despite the limitations of the SBC Bluetooth codec and the less-thanideal sound isolation, the drivers in this headset are particularly well tuned, and produce sound that is far beyond the quality that we’d typically expect to hear for Rs. 3,499.

Kicking things off with Calabria

by Rune, the Jays x-Five Wireless didn’t quite produce the kind of sound we were expecting; there’s definitely bass to be heard, but it isn’t the punchy, aggressive kind that pushes itself above the rest of the sound. Instead, you get balanced sound output that gives the entire frequency range

due attention. While this track is a fast-paced dance number, we quite enjoyed being able to hear detail in the mid-range as well as some brightness at the top.

This balanced sonic signature also meant that a fair amount of detail could be heard, particularly in the mid-range and highs. This was better audible in tracks with vocals, including the peppy Palast remix of Party Monster by The Weeknd. Excellent detail and a strong sense of direction and spaciousness in the soundstage.

The vocals stayed strong alongside the lows and highs, making for an immersive, loud, and appealing sound.

Verdict Brands such as Boat and Ant Audio offer affordable wireless on-ear headphones for less than Rs. 1,500 today, but you’d definitely be better off spending a bit more.

If you’re looking for detailed, vibrant, and clean sound, there isn’t anything better than the Jays x-Five Wireless that you can buy for less than Rs. 4,000 in India right now.

(NDTV Gadgets)

Sports

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

19

Khelo India Youth Games 2020

Assam finishes 7th, Maharashtra tops table The Assam contingent brought laurels to the state by securing the 7th position in Khelo India Youth Games 2020. The host state won a total of 76 medals with 20 golds, 22 silvers and 34 bronzes.

Barasha Das @guwahatiplus

I

t is to be mentioned that the athletes selected in the Khelo India scheme, after putting up good performances in the Khelo India Games, receive lodging, boarding and training free of charge in various accredited academies across the country. These athletes will be given admission in the 20 centres which have been declared as national centres of excellence in India.

Earlier, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal had also announced a reward of Rs 1,00,000 for the gold medal winners from Assam as an incentive. The silver and bronze medalists will be paid Rs 75,000 and Rs 50,000 respectively.

The Director General of Sports Authority of India, Sandip Pradhan applauded the talented athletes and said he expected good results in 2024 and 2028 Olympics.

Praising the international level facilities used for the Games Pradhan said, “I am extremely happy with the way the Khelo India Youth Games has been organised in Guwahati. It’s great to see the interest shown by the chief minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal, and the entire team, of course, supported by the Sports Authority of India officers and the National Sports Federation.”

The government will also be conducting the Khelo India University Games, which will begin on February 22 in Bhubaneswar.

Closing Ceremony Extravaganza

The third edition of the Khelo India Youth Games ended with a showy closing ceremony.

CM Sarbananda Sonowal, and union minister of state, Rameshwar Teli, presented the Khelo India trophy to the defending champions, Maharastra.

Union minister of state for youth affairs and sports, Kiren Rijiju and state finance minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma were also present.

Assam showcased its rich cultural heritage in a crisp and beautiful show, led by a modern creative dance performance

by Aimee Baruah that was directed by Asim.

There was a performance by Chinese martial artists who impressed the audience with their speed, power and elegance. They were specially flown in to mark the 70th year of the India-China friendship.

Colourful dance performances were presented by Tarulata Kutum with Missing dancers, Sajan Nayak with Jhumur dancers and a solo by Babita Sharma.

Popular Assamese singer Jitul Sonowal too charmed everybody and Krishnamoni Chutiya performed a Bihu song which was choreographed by Pankaj Engti.

The highlight of the evening was a live concert by Bollywood star singer, Shaan.

The woinning Maharashtra team in celebration mode | G Plus photo

Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37

State Maharashtra Haryana Delhi Karnataka Uttar Pradesh Tamil Nadu Assam West Bengal Gujarat Punjab Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh Kerala Manipur Telengana Chandigarh Odisha Andaman &Nicobar Islands Uttarakhand Tripura Jharkhand Andhra Pradesh Arunachal Pradesh Mizoram Himachal Pradesh Jammu & Kashmir Chattisgarh Bihar Goa Daman &Diu Puducherry Sikkim Leh Ladakh Dadra & Nagar Haveli Lakswadeep Meghalaya Nagaland

Gold 78 68 39 32 29 22 20 19 16 16 15 15 15 14 7 6 5

Silver 77 60 36 26 28 32 22 14 16 15 24 11 5 20 6 2 8

Bronze 101 72 47 22 30 22 34 20 20 28 12 20 20 20 8 9 8

Total 256 200 122 80 87 76 76 53 52 59 51 46 40 54 21 17 21

5

2

1

8

4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

4 1 9 7 5 2 3 3 2 1 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

11 0 7 7 4 5 2 1 4 7 9 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

19 5 19 17 12 10 7 6 7 9 12 3 1 1 1 0 0 0 0

20 Fun Horoscope of the week

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020 These predictions are based on the month of birth, and are about an individual’s work environment, parents and extended family.

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

Share your ideas with your seniors or generally build a relationship with people at work on 26th and 30th January. On 25th January be wary of dealing with the opposite gender. 28th January avoid scheduling any meetings, you are bound to have disagreements. 29th January you will be emotionally hurt either by your parents or seniors. 31st January your views might not be accepted by others.

Other days will be good for you.

This will not be your week. Just avoid dealing with your seniors and your extended family on 26th, 28th and 29th January. On 28th January you will be emotionally hurt by your seniors or parent’s words and actions. On 29th January you could have disagreements with your boss. 31st January will be an ideal day for you share your ideas with your seniors and host your important meetings.

Brace yourself for a slow week. 28th January will be a great day for you to share your ideas and host all your important meetings. 27th January will be a slow day, you could feel your parents or your boss don’t appreciate your efforts at all. 30th January avoid hosting any meetings you could easily get into confrontations.

It will be an average week for you. Utilize 30th January to share your ideas with your seniors and host your important meetings. Avoid scheduling any important meetings on 31st January, you could get into disagreements. You could have issues with your seniors or your extended family on 26th and 28th January. 26th January avoid trusting anyone with your secrets.

30th and 31st January will be great days for you to share your ideas with your seniors and host your important meetings. 25th January you could be betrayed or emotionally hurt by someone at work.

26th January be careful of your words and action as you will create your own problems, it will also be a slow day, don’t over plan.

This week you will mostly have average days. 30th and 31st January will be excellent days for you to connect with your work mates and schedule important meetings. Your seniors will be receptive to your ideas.

On 30th January you could feel your seniors and/ or your parents are ungrateful, they don’t appreciate you. 27th January will be a slow day for you.

On 25th January you could be betrayed by someone at work and emotionally hurt by your family. On 28th January be careful of your words and action as you will create your own problems. Avoid scheduling any meetings on 27th and 29th January, results will not be as you expected.

25th and 28th January will be great days for you to build a rapport with your seniors and people at work, host your important meetings on these dates.

Your seniors will be receptive to your ideas. Avoid scheduling any meetings on 27th January, results will not be as you expected. 29th January will be a slow day for you.

25th and 26th January will be ideal days to share your ideas with your boss or connect with people at work and family. 30th January will be a slow day and things may not work out as planned. Avoid socializing or making any promises on 27th January, avoid over planning for 27th January.

This will not be your week. Just lay low and don’t draw too much attention to yourself. 25th January you could have a disagreement with your senior or work associate, don’t schedule any important meetings. On 31st January be careful of your words and actions as you will create your own problems. 27th and 29th January will be slow days and nothing will pan out according to your plans.

Watch yourself on 26th and 29th January, avoid making any promises or getting into a confrontation.

Share your ideas with your seniors or generally build a relationship with people at work on 25th and 28th January, host your important meetings on these dates. You could feel emotionally betrayed by your seniors or extended family on 31st January, not a day to share secrets.

25th and 28th January are ideal days for you to mingle with your seniors, people at work and build your work network. Host your important meetings on these dates. Avoid everyone and anyone on 27th January, you are bound to get into a disagreement.

30th January you could feel emotionally hurt.

3.

Which chain of restaurants specializing in Bengali cuisine, the name also being a play created by Kenneth Tynan, was established

by Anjan Chatterjee in the late 90s?

4.

Which past President of AASU was given the title of Jatiya Nayak by his followers?

5.

Sydney H. Smith and Ethel B. Thomson in 1900 were the first male and female winners of which currently prestigious international tournament?

6.

Identify this lady, a famous golfer herself, daughter of a famous sportsperson and sister of a famous film personality who recently came in news?

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

Dilbert By Scott Adams

adjective [nak-erd]

British Slang. exhausted; very tired

[ hob-nob ]

verb (used without object) to associate on very friendly terms (usually followed by with): She often hobnobs with royalty.

Sudoku 6 3 3 9 4 4 1 4 7 3 87 76 55 4 2 9

49 7

8 3

6 6 2

3

5

6 7 8 9

2 8 37 1 4 2 8 2 4 1 7 6 7 5 94 8 1 7

Daily DailySudoku: Sudoku:Fri Sat24-Jan-2020 18-Jan-2020

(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2020. All rights reserved. (c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2020. All rights reserved.

Which current sensation was penned by Jabbar Usthad 40 years back and recreated by Shaan Rahman and Vineeth Sreenivasan?

hobnob

hard medium

last week solution 76 29 45 67 98 61 83 19 12 34 57 98 33 87 76 55 44 98 21 83 55 12 69 36 67 76 38 21 81 43 12 74 29 55 94 42

3 2 8 49 15 54 6 4 27 52 25 1 7 64 96 1 8 9 92 44 72 9 6 73 61

81 73 38 26

55 47 4 2 8 37 19 9 5 31 28 44 6 7 3 5 89 92 8 3 1 16 73 67

Daily DailySudoku: Sudoku:Fri Sat24-Jan-2020 18-Jan-2020

(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2020. All rights reserved. (c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2020. All rights reserved.

2.

Word of the week Word knackered of the week

curio-city

Short was changed to Brief in 1988 and it became an overnight success. What am I talking about?

1. The title was changed from A Short History of Time to A Brief History of Time and it became Stephen Hawking’s and popular science’s biggest success.

2. The song from Malayali movie ‘Oru Adaar Love’ where Priya Prakash Varrier winked to glory.

Oh Calcutta!

Sarbananda Sanowal All England Badminton Championships Anisha Padukone

1.

3.

4.

5.

6.

curio-city

hard medium

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

Fiction

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

21

A family vacation A

n off-white Buddhist religious scarf was tied around his neck and sutras muttered for his safe return home. The decision behind making this arduous journey was because of his parents’ desire to get him introduced to this beautiful world as early as possible, no matter how audacious a decision it seemed to normal parents.

As a couple they shared a strong bond and were equally enthusiastic about this trip.

They knew they had garnered enough knowledge over the past few months and any further dallying would result in cancellation. “Would four bottles of mineral water be enough? They are three litres each,” Iqbal spoke aloud from the adjacent room. “I have already placed the paper plates, blankets, jerry can and mugs inside the vehicle. Can you recall anything else that we might have forgotten?” The long silence prompted him to saunter in and check on her activities.

Neatly folded clothes were placed carefully alongside the other items inside the khaki green soft suitcase. Medicines, diapers, flask, napkins, baby food, cold cream and many more items. Reema was lost in thought wondering if she had packed enough woollens.

Staring at the checklist one last time, prepared three days ago, she ran her fingers down the page, unsure if they had enough snacks to last the entire journey. It was going to be a long stretch of a drive and minus the amenities most highways provided these days.

Contemplating on their decision since the last couple of months, they were overcome by the urge to drop plans several times. The more they deliberated over it, the more it gave rise to questions. Were they prepared for such a journey? Or were they being too enthusiastic in ignoring the perils that came along with it?

Besides, the comments from the sceptics around them in the guise of well-wishers weren’t exactly reassuring.

One late night, the after dinner conversation finally ended the stalemate. After all, they weren’t participating in a contest of some sort. Agreeing to rely on their own instinct and experience, the first-time parents finally decided on a date.

Reema and Iqbal had researched as much as they could on the trials and tribulations of a road trip accompanied by an infant on the internet. In addition, they read up as many books and consulted like-minded friends within their inner circle. It was

their way of introducing their baby to the real world, beautiful yet mysterious but fraught with surprises and uncertainties at every juncture.

It was their love of adventure and travel that brought them together in the first place. Notwithstanding the differences in their cultural upbringing, they both loved the thrill of the outdoors and the unchartered. Saving whatever they could from their jobs, Reema as a freelance content writer and Iqbal as an animator with a mid-sized company, took off at least twice a year.

The appointment with the child specialist for a lastminute health clearance was brisk and easy. They would officially begin their journey by noon that same day. The black SUV accommodated a lot of the stuff that went with travelling with an eight-monthold. The back of the car was literally converted into a cozy bed with blankets and pillows to cushion against any bumps expected during the journey.

Adult food was packed keeping in mind that there would be no food joints on the highway once they crossed the border check post. Remembering that communication with the outside world too would get disrupted once their regular network stopped, they bought an extra SIM to let folks at home know their location as they travelled along their destination.

As Iqbal took to the wheels breezing through the lazy afternoon traffic, the pleasant spring time weather seemed to greet them in their best. Flowering trees skirting both ends of the highway, announced the advent of nature in all its splendour.

Bright blue skies contrasted against the lushness of the trees seeming to get magnified as it displayed a riot of colours ranging from yellow, magenta and pink.

The palette had left none unaffected and they took it as a good omen. Reema looked towards her husband and a smile crossed between the two.

Stretching to relax her legs, she pushed the car seat behind her, closing her eyes for a brief moment. Their baby in the rear seat had meanwhile dozed off, lulled into sleep by the drone and sway of the vehicle. Iqbal

Zerine Wahid

An eight-month-old was caught in a dire situation as nature held the family captive. Any attempt to drive then risked skidding off the treacherous hail strewn highway and straight into a deep gorge.

recalled the argument with his parents over dinner from two months ago. Frustrated at their inability to make him see reason, they turned towards Reema, always the easier one to manipulate emotionally.

The wait at the border check post for over forty minutes felt restless and wasted as the security personnel took their own time to check paperwork and identification of all the vehicles waiting to cross into the neighbouring state. It was pertinent that they cover the maximum distance as long as there was daylight. More so emphasized by the fact that any drive after sundown was fraught with risks. The highway across this mountainous region which also shares an

international border came with the dangers of landslides, wild animals and accidents.

Besides, the long stretch of uninhabited road would render them helplessly stranded in unfamiliar surroundings in case their car had a break down.

The vacationers were till then unaware what the rest of their journey might entail. The twoday trip was coming to an end.

By now lulled into the belief that the rest of their itinerary would proceed without hindrance, the family of three were glad that they had agreed on this trip notwithstanding the naysayers although precautions were taken to make the journey as smooth and safe as possible. It was certainly not for the faint-hearted but only the true mountain-terrain enthusiast, the adventurist, lover of military trivia and even a patriot of a certain breed.

They indulged in the usual touristy stuff. Pictures were snapped with the locals along with a tour of one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries in the country. Scouting of souvenirs and mementos as pleasant reminders of their journey.

Sampling of the local cuisine and delving into the history of this border town by talking to the inhabitants.

They concluded their trip with a visit to the war memorials dotted across the region while still remaining awestruck by all the surrounding natural beauty, all under the maintenance and watchful eye of the military.

Driving was badly hampered by poor visibility, brought on by torrential rain, lashing onto the windscreen. The rain accompanied by hail had caught them off-guard, stranding them amidst a tropical rainforest in pitch darkness with no human habitation for at least a hundred kilometres. By now, the wailing infant was restless, stung by hunger pangs. Though worried, they avoided any conversation on the kind of misfortune that might befall them. At least Reema felt it that way. As if simply talking about it might bring on ill-luck. The hapless family was truly in deep trouble.

Prayers were conveyed for a safe passage through the impending dangers. An eightmonth-old was caught in a dire situation as nature held the family captive. Any attempt

to drive then risked skidding off the treacherous hail strewn highway and straight into a deep gorge. The usual panic kicked in as Reema imagined getting driven off the road or getting crushed beneath the large trees. Something they witnessed happen to the others as they drove by earlier during the journey. Left with no other choice, they decided to stop for a while and wait out the rain.

The storm that lashed upon them for over an hour, pinning them to a precarious situation by holding them hostage inside their car, had begun to subside.

The situation began to get better and the circumstances changed magically. As they sat watching, anxious and uncertain, the rain had begun to dissipate into a soft trickle right before their eyes. The heavens seem to have at last answered their prayers.

Iqbal turned on the ignition and pressed on the accelerator, relieved at last to leave. Heaving a sigh, he turned towards his wife and infant son in the back seat. Focused solely on the road ahead now as they braced for another eight hours of their return journey, Reema switched on the lights inside and prepared to ready baby food. Calm was restored, both outside as well as inside the car. Mother Nature was finally pacified as she released them from her clutches and watched them drive away slowly.

Post dinner, the house was quiet, except for Iqbal watching some war documentary. The rest of the world too had retired for the night, compounding the noise from the TV. Reema tried hard to concentrate on the book she intended to finish that night. She realized that she was reading the same sentence over and over.

Exasperated, she let out a call to her husband to put down the volume of the TV. The sudden burst of thunder startled them alike. The lights went out suddenly and the house was plunged into total darkness only to light up for a few seconds. The flicker of lightening that brightened up the pitch-black sky must have stuck somewhere close by.

Placing her hand on the still sleeping baby, she was afraid that the noise from the storm might rouse him from sleep, crying and frightened. Iqbal remembered to switch on the emergency lamp and placed it upon the showcase nearby.

Huddled on their large bed, the two waited for the lights to come back, glad that they had nothing else to worry about that particular night.

(Zerine Wahid is an upcoming poet and short story writer based in Guwahati)

22 Lifestyle

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

Fight the exam blues with Vaastu E xamination time is hovering after the string of festivals and holidays. The students have to prepare themselves to keep up to their parents’ expectations and secure better marks to get admission into higher studies and better institutions. This, more often than not, creates major stress for the students as well as their parents. It is necessary that the child is relaxed and does not feel the strain of studying. He or she should be able to understand their syllabus without getting all stressed up. Too much motivation can stress the young mind and can cause more harm than benefit.

Try these simple Vaastu guidelines for better concentration of your children and make them write their exams with confidence:

Do not sleep with the head to the west and north.

Do not sleep in the northwest sector of the home or northwest part of the room (if the child is a boy). This is only for marriageable girls.

Do not sleep in the southeast sector of the house or southeast sector of the room (if the child is a girl).

Avoid mirrors in the bedroom and on the south and west walls in the study area.

Hemanta Kumar Sarmah

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

if the child is a girl.

Do not let others use the child’s study and bed area.

Eat a few leaves of the Basil plant each morning on an empty stomach.

Do not play loud music which brings distraction and stress.

area extremely without clutter.

clean

Have the study area in the northeast sector of the home or the northeast part of the room.

Study facing east or north only.

Have shower with lukewarm water before going to bed if stressed up.

Keep the study table and

Keep a fish aquarium,

water fountain or half a dozen bamboo plants in the northeast area of the living room (where the family gets together) but never in the corner.

Soft and light music at low volume is very soothing and it can distress the mind. The Gayatri Mantra is very good in this regard.

Use green and yellow colour in the bedroom and study areas.

Avoid sleeping or studying in a room that has the door at an angle to the attached walls.

While dining, face east if the child is a boy and north

Use a light green colored table cloth.

SMOOTHIE!!

As we all know vegetables and fruits are very much necessary for our body, providing vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. But many of us do not like to have it.

Smoothie is one way to have vegetables and fruits. Smoothies are thick creamy beverages made of vegetables, fruits, dairies providing all the essential nutrients to the body.

Vegetable smoothie has the following benefits:

It hydrates the body

It improves digestion It promotes weight loss naturally It gives clear, fresh skin Fruit smoothie has the following advantages: It contains various fruits, thus packed with vitamin C, minerals like Zn, and antioxidants

It rejuvenates the body It maintains electrolyte balance It protects cell from free radical damage.

Usually most of the smoothies contain vegetables and fruits.

The general procedure of making a smoothie is: Usually 2-3 parts of vegetables

A few drops of honey can be added for flavour.

and fruits, 1-1.5 cups of liquid, 0.5 cup yoghurt are taken together and blended together. People often add banana as a thickener or a few drops of honey to make it tastier.

A few examples of nutritous smoothies are Pineapple spinach, Melon kale broccoli, Carrot orange ginger turmeric, Basic blueberries, Peach carrot smoothie, Mango cucumber lime mint, Spinach kiwi and Spinach berries beetroot.

Here are some easy to make smoothies which you can try at home.

Process:

The peeled banana should

Add ice cubes.

Blend until smooth.

Benefits:

Banana gives vitamins, manganese, potassium which helps in muscle functioning and skin glow.

Banana contains fibre to relieve constipation.

Peanut butter contains healthy fat to reduce heart attack.

Banana peanut butter Smoothie Ingredients: 1 Peeled banana 1.5 cup milk 1 -2 tsp peanut butter 3 ice cubes

It gives about 150160 kcal per servings. be cut into small pieces.

All the ingredients i.e. banana, milk and peanut butter should be placed in a blender.

Apple spinach green Smoothie Ingredients: 2 bananas

Sohini Chakraborty Chatterjee

Young spinach leaves 1 cup 1 apple Lime/orange Water

Process:

The spinach should be properly washed and cut into small pieces.

Peel the bananas and slice the apple.

Add them in the blender along with lime juice.

Add some water and blend until smooth.

Benefits:

Banana provides fibre and minerals for healthy body, skin and hair.

Apple is a source of many minerals and vitamins to boost up immunity against many diseases.

Lime provides Vitamin C. It provides 165 kcal per serving.

Entertainment

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

23

Assam boy in Bollywood megamovie ‘Tanhaji’

A

nother Assamese actor has successfully made it to the Bollywood silver screen.

Montu Deuri from Assam has worked as the stuntdouble for Saif Ali Khan in the mega-budget blockbuster ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior.’

He hails from Nam Deuri village in Jorhat and is a black belt first dan in taekwondo.

He had earlier entertained the Assamese movie lovers with movies like ‘Suspended Inspector Boro’ and ‘Local Kung Fu 2’.

In a recent video that the

martial artist posted on his Facebook profile , he can be seen exhibiting a wide array of martial arts skills as shown in the movie.

Montu has also worked in other Bollywood hits like Saaho, Mardaani 2 and Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota.

Aamis opening film at Indian Film Festival of Bhubaneswar

B US Based Assamese singer composes song in Sam Stafford’s memory

A

United States-based Assamese singer Tanmayee Hazarika has composed a song, ‘Axomi Aaik Xahox Dili’ in the memory of the youths who lost their lives in the alleged police firing during the anti-citizenship act movement in Assam.

Hazarika shared the video of the song on YouTube and wrote, “Deeply disturbed by the violence and killings during the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in Assam, a United States-based Assamese singer has come up with a song in memory of five youths including drummer Sam Stafford who lost their lives in alleged police firing during the anti-citizenship act movement in the state.”

She took to Facebook to share the video whe re she wrote , “In the last one month or so, news from back home has been very disturbing and music has been my channel.

Here is releasing my first ever original song, in memory of Sam Stafford, the 17yo kid who passed away in the anti CAA protest in Guwahati who took a bullet from the army…. .”

The song was re le ase d on YouTube on January 21, 2020. Hazarika has composed and written the song while the video of the song has been directed by Madhusmita Bora.

haskar Hazarika’s dark romantic Assamese drama ‘Aamis’ was the opening film on the first day of Indian Film Festival of Bhubaneswar (IFFB) at Odissi Research Centre.

The IFFB is a four day event scheduled from 23-26 January.

The festival will also showcase the films made by stude nts from across the country whose films have been selected in its Student Film Category.

It is to be mentioned that Aamis is an Assamese thriller written and directed by Bhaskar Hazarika. The film is a dark love

story set in modern Guwahati.

The story revolves around the relationship between a married paediatrician, Nirmali and a young PhD student, Suman.

Aamis has received excellent reviews at the Tribeca Film Festival, New York, Chicago Film Festival and Calgary Film Festival.

The cast of Aamis includes ArghadeepBaruah, Lima Das, Neetali Das, Manash Das and Sagar Saurav. It needs to be mentioned that Aamis was presented by prominent Bollywood director Anurag Kashyap.

Dip Bhuyan’s documentary ‘Idiom of Rug’ to be screened at MIFF 2020

A

ssamese filmmaker Dip Bhuyan’s documentary “Idiom of Rug” will be screened at the 2020 Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF). MIFF will be held from January 28 – February 3, 2020. The documentary will be screened in the national competition category on January 31.

Idiom of Rug portrays the life of the inhabitants of Arunachal Pradesh who make a living by making rugs out of yak hair.

It is to be mentioned that earlier Bhuyan’s non-feature

film “Seshasha” (The Last Hope) was screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa in 2010.

Seshasha is a 22.30-minute documentary on the plight of the wild animals, especially the rhinos of Kaziranga National Park and the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, during the floods in summer season.

24 Catching Up

| Jan 25 - Jan 31, 2020

Assam’s swimming sensation gives tough competition to National record holders

PIC OF THE

WEEK

S

hivangi Sharma, the new swimming sensation from Assam, has minted a total of 7 medals in the Khelo India Youth Games, 2020.

She won 5 golds in all the under-21 girls’ freestyle categories, and also grabbed 2 silvers in the team events.

A student of the Bal Bharti School in New Delhi, she had earlier clinched a silver each in 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle at the South Asian Games 2019.

The KIYG 2020 was held at the 50m long-course pool at the Dr Zakir Hussain Aquatic Centre in Sarusajai, G Plus compares her performance to the National record holders in long course till date.

Category

Shivangi’s Timing

National Record Holder

Timing

World Record Holder

Timing

50m

00:27.43

Shikha Tandon

00:26.37

Britta Steffen (Germany)

00:23.73

100m

00:59.26

Shikha Tandon

00:57.00

Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden)

00:51.71

200m

02:07.91

Kataria Shivani

02:04.34

Federica Pellegrini (Italy)

1:52.98

400m

04:34.55

Richa Mishra

04:25.76

Federica Pellegrini (Italy)

3:59.15

800m

09:31.22

Richa Mishra

09:06.31

Katie Ledecky (USA)

8:13.86

Patriotic fervour | Photo: Surajit Sharma

Printed & Published by Sunit Jain on behalf of Insight Brandcom Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Janambhumi Press (P) Ltd., Kalapahar, Guwahati and Published at 4A, Royale Arcade, Ulubari, Guwahati - 781007, Editor: Swapnil Bharali.

Phone: 0361 2522444, Email: info@g-plus.in, RNI No: ASSENG/2013/52641