G Plus Vol 7 Issue 19 by G Plus

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INSIDE

Volume 07 | Issue 19 Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020 Price `10 Groundwater usage in Guwahati continues to be unregulated

Groundwater usage in Guwahati continues to be unregulated

Prisoners sans crime The discomforting truth behind animal exchange between zoos

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Jhankar Saikia lynching case:

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Justice after 7 years

Life

imprisonment to convicts

SAVOUR . SIP . CELEBRATE with

JOI BARUA,

Representative Image Atiqul Habib @guwahatiplus

n a landmark judgement, the Diphu Court on February 28 awarded life imprisonment to the 12 convicts in the spinechilling lynching case of Jhankar Saikia that occurred in 2013. Earlier, the District Court had convicted 12 persons and acquitted Assistant Sub-Inspector Ramesh Nath and Havildar Harun Bora among 4 others in the case.

It is to be mentioned that Jhankar Saikia and his lawyer-father Haren Saikia were thrashed on June 25, 2013 by a group of auto-rickshaw drivers after they had refused to pay extra fare. According to videos which went viral post the incident, the whole incident happened in the presence of the police who failed to stop the autorickshaw drivers from manhandling Jhankar. Although the teenager was shifted to a private hospital in Diphu, he succumbed to his injuries on July 1, 2013.

Singer & Composer and

SURESH HINDUJA, Editor, Times Food Guide and Culinary Expert

29th Feb 2020 Vivanta Guwahati

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Lead Story

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

Roadside religious shrines to be the next target of eviction drives With the massive clean-up that is being undertaken in Guwahati by the authorities under the directive of Gauhati High Court, illegal shrines that dot the city are set to be demolished soon. Barasha Das @Barasha_mi2

Hindu religions shrines grabs land at public areas SC passed interim order in 2009 to evict unauthorised construction at public places, including religious establishments Past constructions are to be reviewed in a case to case basis High Court raises concern on the issue DC Kamrup (M) takes responsibility; says such issues to be bought to his notice Eviction drives of such establishments likely to be undertaken soon

or the last few weeks, Guwahati civil authorities (includes municipality, police, administration etc) have been conducting various eviction drives across the city in attempts to clear out roads and pavements to ease traffic congestion. Vendors from different localities have been deprived of their livelihoods in these sudden eviction drives that are being conducted under the directives of the Gauhati High Court; the same are however being conducted without any prior notice to even the legal vendors. However, a major entity that has been encroaching upon the pavements and other public places in the city are the religious shrines. Such encroachments, often thinly disguised cases of land grabbing, obstruct not just the road traffic but also footpaths. So a natural question arises as to who is responsible for clearing the public places that are being encroached by “God” himself! The High Court of Gujarat at Ahmedabad, in a suo moto case (SCA No.9686 of 2006) had ordered that religious shrines and

other unauthorised constructions are to be banned from public places. The Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Dr Justice Mukundakam Sharma had passed an interim order in 2009 stating: No unauthorized construction of any religious institution namely, temple, church, mosque or gurudwara, etc shall be permitted on public street/public space. In respect of unauthorized constructions of any religious nature which has taken place in the past, the state governments would review the same on a case by case basis and take appropriate steps. This will be done expeditiously as possible.

In 2013 the a Supreme Court bench presided over by Justices RM Lodha and SJ Mukhopadhaya, further upholding the previous judgment, banned fresh encroachment of roads, pavements and sideways by construction of religious structures or installation of statues of public figures. The order was passed on an application challenging the Kerala government's permission to a private society to install the statue of a public figure on a traffic island on a national highway. As such vehicles had

Marwari Maternity tri-junction at Athgaon | G Plus photo to crawl because of the existing encroachments at the busy intersection. After the 2009 directives, many such religious shrines were demolished across Guwahati by the municipal authorities. Pulak Mahanta, Joint Commissioner of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC), speaking to G Plus said, “During my tenure as a circle officer of Guwahati, we had demolished many such shrines. The issue is

of great concern but also highly sensitive as it often hurts religious sentiments.” Most Guwahatians are of the view that although they are concerned about the same they are not aware as to which authority should they be approaching on the matter. Pachim Guwahati Nagarik Sajagata Mancha had raised the issue in 2011 and has also helped authorities in demolishing many unauthorized temples in the

Bharalumukh near Railway Gate No. 7 | G Plus Photo

Bharalumukh-Machkhowa area. A member of the organisation said, “When we raised concern on such temples that have popped up on the streets, we had to approach multiple authorities. However, everyone denied taking responsibilities on the same.” “Finally the GMC officials took up the issue and demolished many such temples with the help of the traffic police,” he further added. As per the SC order, civil

Lead Story

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020 authorities were supposed to review every such case. “While the shrines constructed on unauthorized government land were to be demolished or were to be allotted proper land, the ones on donated or ‘patta’ land were not to be disturbed,” informed GMC officials. However, after the initial drives that were undertaken, no such operation had been conducted in recent years. Concerned citizens have pointed out that many new temples have been constructed and the older ones have repeatedly been enlarged in the name of restoration. Sources have also pointed out that religious shrines in public places are mostly Shiv Mandirs or Shani Mandirs - all Hindu temples. To cite an example, in the Athgoan tri-section near Marwari Maternity Hospital, there is a Shiv temple right in the middle of the crowded tri-section. Locals said, “There used to be just a round shed around the banyan tree where labourers and rickshaw pullers used to rest. But that shed has now been converted into a fullfledged temple. Recently, beggars are also seen sitting around the temple which has added to the traffic congestion.” This is just one of the many examples in the city. It has to be mentioned that although the government has

been broadening roads and pavements for the benefit of public, many have taken the opportunity to enlarge the already existing shrines. Another major complaint has been raised by women pavement dwellers. While replying to queries by G Plus one woman said, “I mostly find it difficult to walk on the footpaths during my periods. Temples or other small religious establishments, be it just a statue or a banyan tree that is worshipped, are present at random places. As we believe in the tradition of not entering or even going near temples while menstruating it becomes very difficult when the footpath you are walking on is suddenly blocked by a temple. What do you do?” A source at the office of Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (M) informed, “The Gauhati High Court has issued orders to demolish these shrines and operations on the same would be undertaken soon.” While GMC officials said that lists of all the shrines demolished earlier and the ones that are permitted to stay are officially recorded in the Guwahati Revenue Circle Office, the authority for land permits, the latter could not produce records on the same. Instead they shifted the responsibility on the municipal authorities.

Ganeshguri near Ganesh Mandir | G Plus Photo

Ambari in front of Textile Institure | G Plus Photo

At Fatasil Ambari Chowk, near Forest Beat Office | G Plus Photo Senior Advocate Bijan Mahajan, speaking to G Plus said, “Idol worship is a tradition of Hinduism and so are temples. However, judgments passed by the Supreme Court of India are to be respected by all concerned. Its every order has to be respected and carried out in totality.” Further, a source at the Gauhati High Court informed that the court is likely to take up the issue on a future hearing of the PIL 72/2016 that had been filed against the issue of traffic congestion and is currently

being heard on a weekly basis. Many people have pointed out that religious shrines of such illegal and encroaching nature are usually Hindu shrines. “You never find a Muslim or Christian shrine in the middle of the road,” said a senior citizen. To this, an intellectual explained, “There’s a difference in the religious practices of Hindus and other religions, especially ours. Hinduism follows idol worship and Hindus also worships nature, like rocks and trees. So, many devotees worship wherever a banyan or ‘bel’ tree is found or even at rock carvings. With time more devotees join in and gradually the site is turned

into a temple. But for Muslims, they need a proper donated or allotted land to make a mosque or a ‘mazaar’ where community prayers could take place. So is the case with Christians and Sikhs as well. As such one doesn’t find a ‘masjid’, church or gurudwara on the footpath or at any road trisection.” Biswajit Pegu, Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (M) said, “The issue falls under our authority. Any such issue or complaint by concerned citizens can be brought to us, the Circle Office or even the municipalities and traffic police. All civil authorities are to work on the matter together.”

4 City

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

Groundwater usage in Guwahati continues to be unregulated Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

ampant extraction of underground water in Guwahati is adding to the city’s water woes as extraction of underground water remains unregulated by the authorities. Even as the state government had made it mandatory in 2018 for individuals to obtain permission from the Guwahati Jal Board to undertake deep water boring, it is currently not being implemented, informed authorities. This leads to rampant unregulated extraction of underground water in the city which in turn results in depletion of the groundwater level. In order to check exploitation of underground water, the Assam government had made it compulsory for commercial establishments, individuals, builders as well as flat owners to take permission from government authorities before extracting ground water. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had previously directed the Guwahati Development Department (GDD) to make the necessary amendments in the provisions of the Guwahati

Municipal Corporation (GMC) Act in order to make it mandatory for residents to take permission before undertaking deep water boring in the city. The CM had also expressed his concern over the depleting groundwater level due to boring installed in residential areas. G Plus spoke to Guwahati Jal Board- the authority responsible for regulating and giving permission for water boring. However, the Jal Board officials said that currently people do not take permission before conducting boring. “There is a mandate to take permission because people are indiscriminately digging borewells but we cannot do anything as of now because the government is not being able to supply water to every household presently. Once the state government is able to provide water to every household, then we can maybe enforce the rule,” Rupjyoti Talukdar, executive engineer at Guwahati Jal Board told G Plus. Apart from unregulated deep water boring in several residential localities, underground water is also sold illegally in Guwahati in the absence of any stringent checks on the same. Small tempos carrying water are a common sight in some of

Extraction of ground water at a local residence of Guwahati | G Plus Photo the localities in the city including Chatribari, Fancy Bazar, Athgaon, Hatigaon, Christian Basti and Kahilipara among others. These sellers charge arbitrarily from the residents who are forced to buy water for their everyday

needs in the wake of water scarcity in their localities. Sources claim that these sellers undertake deep water boring and extract water for commercial use without any licence or permission. “We have

no other option but to purchase water from these water sellers who operate in our locality for our everyday use. The situation becomes worse during the summer months,” said a resident of Hatigaon.

Authorities deny having powers to take action When asked about the illegal sale of water in Guwahati, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) authorities informed G Plus that they do not have any powers to take action against such people. “It is true that currently people are extracting groundwater indiscriminately, but we do not really have any power to take action against such individuals,” said G L Meena, regional director of the northeast region at the Central Ground Water Board. However, he added that there is an existing policy for regulation wherein those involved in industry, infrastructure and mining projects, have to take permission from the CGWB for extraction of underground water as per the central government directives. Meena added that in such circumstances too, they can give the permission only if the individuals apply. Further, CGWB director said, “Firstly, we do not have the mechanism to take any action directly against individuals

who undertake boring without obtaining permission. Secondly, we do not even have extra manpower to do so.” He additionally mentioned that the deputy commissioner (DC) has the power and has been authorised to take action against such people. “In such matters, the DC can take suo moto cognisance of the case and if such a case comes to our notice, we can send a report to the DC for further action,” informed Meena. On the other hand, DC Kamrup (Metro) Biswajit Pegu said that the district administration does not issue permission for boring. “The agency which gives permission is supposed to take action too,” said Pegu. Further, CGWB authorities informed that Guwahati as well as Assam comes under the ‘safe’ category with regard to groundwater depletion. However, they said that measures need to be taken to conserve ground water and prevent its depletion. As per a report of the CGWB

published in 2013, the groundwater resources in greater Kamrup – Kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup (Rural) districts – was under ‘safe’ category. The annual dynamic groundwater resources as in 2009 were estimated to be 1,847.29 million cubic metres while the net annual ground water consumption is 715.97 million cubic metres of which, 43 per cent is renewed every year. But when the rise in water consumption concentrated in the urban areas is considered, the scenario is worrisome, say experts. Further, the Assam government is undertaking four ambitious water supply projects for Guwahati and the implementation work for all the four projects is ongoing simultaneously in the city with the objective to provide uninterrupted 24X7 water supply to residents. However, all four projects have

A deep well bore being drilled at a city locality | G Plus Photo missed their deadlines numerous times and have faced delays due to several reasons prompting

residents to indiscriminately extract groundwater in Guwahati.

In The News

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

Prisoners sans crime

The discomforting truth behind animal exchange between zoos Chayanika Das @cdchayanika95

Assam State Zoo to receive chimpanzees and binturangs in 10 months Animal rights activists voice their opinions on why these exchanges should not take place Zoo advocates and conservationists argue that zoos educate people Animal rights activists believe that violating the rights of individual animals cannot be justified Two major concerns of activists are - animals should be captive-bred and exchange should only take place if the zoos can take proper care of the animals Tejas Mariswamy, DFO of Assam State Zoo reacts to the concerns of animal right activists

uwahati zoo goers have good news as the Assam State Zoo is all set to welcome two species - chimpanzees and binturangs - from Indonesia over the next 10 months. Animal exchange between zoos often takes place and has been going on since ages. It is great news for the zoo-goers but is it the same for the animals? While it is difficult for a layman to comprehend the dark truth behind these exchange programmes, animal rights activists have always voiced their opinions on why these exchanges should not take place. Their major concern is whether zoo authorities will be able to provide the right environment for these animals and take proper care of them. Arguments for and against zoos have been going on forever. While zoo advocates and conservationists argue that zoos educate people

and protect endangered species, animal rights activists believe that violating the rights of individual animals cannot be justified. Zoos teach people that it is alright to interfere with animals and keep them in captivity. Deprived of their natural habitat, animals are kept behind bars just for the sake of human entertainment and curiosity.

Problems with exchanges Speaking to G Plus, senior animal rights activist Shubhobroto Ghosh, who has been researching on zoos for over two decades now, highlighted three major problems with the exchange of animals between zoos. “There are many problems with such exchanges. Firstly, it is very important to know the origin of the animals. When zoo authorities go for low hanging fruit then there is a danger. For example, if they get chimps from Indonesia, what is the source of the chimps? They might have gotten them from the wild. The guidelines and stipulations are much more relaxed and elapse between the two parties. So the origin of the animals is being suppressed,” said Ghosh. Ghosh then went on to talk about the rights of animals and said, “An international movement is going on across the world which says that non-human species have rights. This movement is solely dedicated to a few set of species which show patterns of humans, like chimps or orangutans. So the philosophy of this movement is to not hold these species in captivity. That makes the Guwahati chimp deal morally suspect.” His third point focuses on providing proper physical and mental stimulation to the animals. “Chimps are very intelligent creatures. So whether the zoo authorities will actually be able to give that kind of mental stimulation is questionable,” said Ghosh. “It is not only about physical stimulation. Feeding the mind is also very important. To what extent will the Assam State Zoo be able to provide the imported chimps with their animal husbandry requirements, behavioural requirements, physiological requirements, health and mental stimulation requirements? It is going to be both time and cost intensive way of looking after them. I personally do not think this exchange should take place,” Ghosh elaborated putting forward his concern for the animals being brought to the Assam State Zoo.

File photo of Assam State Zoo in Guwahati and (inset) a Binturong

A brief history of zoos A zoo is a place where captive animals are put on display for the entertainment of humans. Early zoos concentrated on displaying many unusual creatures. Modern zoos were established during the 18th century. In order for scientists to study animal behaviour and anatomy, the modern zoo was created. The first one was build in Paris, France, in 1793. “In the early 20th century, African and Asian humans were put in zoos for Westerners to gawk at. As unbelievable as that is now, we should be equally shocked that though we share about 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees—they, like Bonobos, are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom—they continue to be jailed in zoos,” Dr. Manilal Valliyate, CEO and Veterinarian of PETA India said in a statement. After 12 years, the Assam State Zoo will be taking care of chimpanzees. Tejas Mariswamy, Divisional Forest Officer of Assam State Zoo said that the last chimpanzee died in 2007 due to old age. When asked about the preparations for the chimps, Mariswamy said that they are in the process of establishing a new facility for them. Chimpanzees are intelligent species and have advanced social skills. Just like humans they too mourn the deaths of their friends and family. When animals are captured individually, their social bond breaks down and they get traumatised. “Today we know far more

about all animals’ intelligence and emotional capacities than we did in the past making their imprisonment for cheap amusement wholly unacceptable. Just as we no longer jail humans for fun, it’s high time to relegate the jailing of animals for entertainment to the dark pages of history books,” Valliyate added.

Points to focus on before getting exotic animals

Parents take their toddlers to zoos thinking it is alright to teach children that putting animals in cages is fine. Not many realise that it is a lifetime imprisonment for the animals. Quoting the founder of Howletts and Port Lympne zoos in Kent, Ghosh said, “A zoo is not a proper place for a child to visit because you get the wrong messages and you grow up having been cultured to the concept that keeping animals in cages is fine.” Animal rights activists are questioning whether it is right for an animal to be kept in captivity for the pleasure of the audience. They believe that leaving animals in the wild is more cost effective. Anindya Sinha, professor at National Institute of Advanced Studies who is also a behavioural ecologist said that in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Kolkata zoo had brought seals from Canada and within a few months they died. Sinha mentioned that the visitors wanted the seals to move. So they had pelted them with little stones which the seals ate and died of stomach ulcers.

Raising two important concerns Sinha said, “The animals should be captive bred so that they are able to adjust better to captive conditions and the zoo authorities need to be sure about being able to take proper care of the exotic animals.”

Facilities for the new animals at the Assam State Zoo

Mariswamy told G Plus that two species are coming down from Indonesia – chimpanzees (two males and two females) and binturong (two males and two females). Right now only the zoo authority has approved this exchange. They are yet to take permissions from the Central Zoo Authority and government of India. Reacting to the concerns of animal rights activists, Mariswamy said that the animals being brought from Indonesia are captive-bred. Talking about the facilities for the new animals, he said that the process is underway and that the enclosures would be big enough. “Everyone is whining about keeping animals in enclosures but nothing is being done. Instead, we are going on occupying their space,” said Mariswamy. “We have been taking care of sensitive species and they are now breeding. This is a sign of their good health,” he added. He further went on to talk about the enclosures and said that the Assam State Zoo is now focusing on making a replica of the Savannah grasslands.

6 In The News

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

Three-day SDG conclave sees exhaustive deliberations from NE states G Plus News @guwahatiplus

he recently concluded three-day SDG Conclave 2020 in Guwahati focussed on the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the northeast region. The event saw deliberations from government officials of the north eastern states, civil society organizations, academia, international development

The inaugural session was attended by Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal, Assam finance minister Himanata Biswa Sarma, Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu, Mizoram CM Zoramthanga, Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang, Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb, CEO of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant, UN Resident Coordinator of India Renata Lok Dessallien, among others.

organizations and think tanks. The sustainable development goals, also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015 as a universal call to action. These consist of 17 integrated goals such as no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education and gender equality, among others. The three-day event which was held from February 24-

26, was organized by NITI Aayog, in partnership with the North Eastern Council and Tata Trust. The conclave is supported by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS). Speaking during the inaugural session, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonwowal observed that the conclave would strengthen inter-state relations among the states of the region and give vital push to sustainable development. He added that to ensure quality life for younger generation, there is a need to catapult growth in the country. CM Sonowal also requested the NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar to take steps for setting up a branch office of the Aayog in Guwahati. He said that setting up of such an office would help in the growth of the region. Speaking during the inaugural session, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said, “India, especially the north east region, offers unique challenges and opportunities. The solutions need interventions that bring disruptive change and thus fostering a tech embedded development trajectory is of paramount importance.” On the other hand, vice chairman of NITI Aayog, Rajiv Kumar focused on the need for mainstreaming the northeastern region in the national development agenda and identification of state specific and region-specific priorities as key to SDG localisation. He also urged the states to take up the SDG goals on priority basis and requested to take special measures for their realization. The inaugural session

CM Sarbananda Sonowal speaking at the SDG Conclave 2020 | G Plus Photo was attended by Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal, Assam finance minister Himanata Biswa Sarma, Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu, Mizoram CM Zoramthanga, Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang, Tripura CM Biplab Kumar Deb, CEO of NITI Aayog Amitabh Kant, UN Resident Coordinator of India Renata Lok Dessallien, among others. Further, the second day of the SDG Conclave 2020 in Guwahati saw deliberations from various eminent speakers on different topics relating to the achievement of sustainable development goals. Four technical sessions were organised on the second day of the conclave. One such session focussed on ‘climate adaptive agriculture’. Speaking during the session, Dr G Ravindra Chary, director, Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad said

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that rainfall distribution is important for agriculture. She added that many northeastern states have faced deficits in terms of rainfall over the past few years. These include Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. “When there is higher precipitation in fewer days, it falls under extreme event and can cause soil erosion and other aspects which impose challenges for agriculture and natural resource management,” stated Chary. Further another panellist Mangsatabam Meitei, managing director, natural resources, North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project (NERCORMP) elaborated on the ongoing works under NERCORMP. He mentioned that their project covers 10 districts in four states of the northeast namely Assam, Arunachal Pradesh,

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Meghalaya and Manipur and has been under implementation for the past 19 years. “The project includes critical features such as home gardening and we have covered a total of 2532 villages and 1.18 lakh households,” said Meitei. Other sessions were organised on different topics including ‘SDGs in the north eastern region: pathways for localisation and achievement’, ‘Drivers of economic prosperity and sustainable livelihoods’ and ‘nutrition security and health and wellbeing for all’. Additionally, the final day of the conclave saw four technical sessions namely ‘Education, skill development and entrepreneurship’, ‘Communication, connectivity and infrastructure development’, ‘Addressing inequality and exclusion in the northeast’ and a final session on the way forward.

City

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

Inadequate relief for Solapara fire victims, residents narrate tales of the devastation Chayanika Das @cdchayanika95

n a small locality in the heart of Guwahati, lives a group of distressed people whose lives have turned even more difficult after a fire broke out in the area on February 20. The incident took place in Solapara, just a few metres away from the Dr B Baruah Road at around 6:30 pm. Locals claimed that a candle ignited the fire which gutted seven houses. “Only one girl was present at home at the time of the incident. All our documents, clothes, furniture are burnt and now we are left with nothing,” said Renu Devi, a resident of Solapara. Renu has been living there since the past 25 years and has seen no progress ever since she had moved in. Surrounded with mountains

of filth, their living conditions are way below average. MLA Siddhartha Bhattacharya, MP Queen Oja and ex-councillor Mrigen Sarania visited the spot on the day of the incident to take stock of the situation. Residents said that Bhattacharya had given each house 3,000/-. “As it is we do not have anything and whatever little we had burnt down in ashes. We are wearing the same clothes since that day,” said Champa Devi, another resident of Solapara who has been residing there since 30 years. Ex-councillor, Mrigen Sarania told G Plus, “Since it is a private property and the people residing there are illegal settlers, we cannot provide them with much. Out of humanity we have given them rice, dal, vegetables etc.” The fire hit victims further went on to talk about false hopes given

by the ministers before elections. “There is no supply of water here so we travel long distances to fetch water. There is a dirty well which we use for washing clothes and bathing,” said a local of Solapara. “They told us that they would fix the roads and provide streetlights but once they won their thrones, no one even bothered to come back and look at the condition we are living in,” the local added. When G Plus raised the concerns of the residents with Sarania, he responded saying, “Yes, we are privately giving water supply to the residents of Solapara. In fact we even made bores for them but for the fire hit victims we will not be able to do much since GMC does not look after private land.” The tenure of the previous municipal council ended more than a year ago and the position of councillors have remained vacant

Disconsolate fire ravaged victims restructuring their lives | G PLus Photo ever since. Due to this, residents of Guwahati are facing a lot of problems with roads, sanitation, garbage etc. Guwahati Municipal Corporation commissioner, Debeswar Malakar had informed

G Plus in October last that the elections do not look likely to take place within the next two months. In a recent conversation with Sarania, he said that it will take place in a few months but he also seemed unsure.

8 In The News

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

After the Madrassa shutdown, the word ‘maktab’ to be dropped from 63 govt schools Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

Govt ‘maktab’ schools in Assam will have to drop ‘maktab’ from their names The state government has passed an order regarding the same 63 such schools have been identified in Assam Education minister said students faced trouble taking admission in general schools These schools will retain the rest of the name, except the word ‘maktab’ Govt had recently decided to convert govt Madrassas into regular high schools Madrassas will be converted within the next 4-5 months

tate education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Saturday, February 22 that government-aided

‘maktab’ schools in Assam will have to drop the word ‘maktab’ from their names. The state government has passed an order regarding the same, informed Sarma while addressing a press meet on Saturday at the Janata Bhawan. “There were 63 such schools in Assam which write the word ‘maktab’ in their names. Earlier ‘maktabi’ education was imparted in such schools but that is no longer the case now. In this regard, the state government has passed an order that these schools will have to drop the word ‘maktab’ from their names,” he said adding that till now the government has been able to identify 63 schools with ‘maktab’ in their names and perhaps there are more. Therefore, the government has passed a general order to remove ‘maktab’ from their names. Sarma further added, “The name of the schools used to cause a problem for students who went to take admission in higher classes in general schools after studying in ‘maktab’ schools for a few years. The authorities often turned them down saying how can they study in general schools after learning religious education for so many years,” said Sarma. He further mentioned that these schools will retain the rest of the name, except that the word ‘maktab’ will be dropped immediately. It is to be mentioned that the state government had recently taken a decision to convert government-run Madrassas into regular high schools. The education minister stated that the process to convert

Members of Assam Madrassa Coordination Committee addressing the media to express their displeasure | G Plus photo Madrassas into regular high schools will begin after the presentation of the state budget within the next 4-5 months. However, on the other hand, chairman of the State Madrassa Education Board, Imran Hussain told G Plus that they have not received any official communication regarding shutting down of madrassas from the state government yet. “Till now we have only heard about the news through the media and have not received any official letter regarding the same and it won’t be appropriate to comment on the matter till we receive an official communication from the state government,” mentioned Hussain.

Additionally, there are a total of 706 Madrassas in Assam which include provincialised as well as government-recognised Madrassas. Further, a total of more than 70,000 students study in these Madrassas currently. Further, government’s decision to close down Madrassas has drawn flak from the members of the Muslim community. They feel that it has hurt the sentiments of their community. Several people from the minority community feel that the BJP-led government is deliberately taking such decisions to make Muslims feel like second class citizens in their home state. Madrassa teachers, too, have opposed government’s decision

and have said that they provide general education in addition to theological education. They have appealed to the state government that the Madrassas already impart education which comes under the SEBA board and also provide theological knowledge to students. Thus, they said that there is no need to modernise the Madrassas. The teachers said that Madrassas impart education in three levels; these include Pre-senior Madrassas, Senior Madrassas and Title Madrassa and Arabic College. They further informed that the Dakhil examination conducted by the Madrassa is equivalent to matriculation degree.

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Sunny

Mostly Sunny

PM T-Storms

Partly Cloudy

30°17° C

27°17° C

27°16° C

29°17° C

28°18° C

SATURDAY

Mostly Sunny 29°16° C

Governance

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

What kind of budget is ideal for Assam? W

ith 69% of Assam’s population engaged in agriculture, any budget worth the salt should ideally be looking at the sector to fast pace the economy, which has been slowing down considerably in the recent times. However, the policy makers are confounded when confronted with the fact that the contribution of agriculture to the state’s GDP is a mere 29%, as against 22% for the industry and a whopping 49% for the services sector. Here lies the crux of the problem. Should the finance minister of Assam give the booster dose to the agriculture sector to ensure inclusiveness for the population engaged in agriculture or should he go by the contribution factor of the sectors to ensure that every sector gets its equal share? It is not an easy task more so with this being the last full-fledged budget before the election season kicks in by the end of this year. To add to this is the increasingly loud clamour for a Delhi type of a budget, which was interspersed with fair numbers of freebies in the recent years. And in an election year and given the mandate AAP received - widely perceived to be on the back of the freebies provided to its citizens in Delhi - any finance minister will be tempted to follow a similar line of thought while presenting the budget. But to a practicing student of economics, such a move would be considered as an impediment in the long-term growth path to be chartered by a smaller economy base of Assam. There are many reasons for this line of thinking. First and foremost, a Delhi type of budget is unique in the sense that unlike Assam, Delhi is an urban centre. With less than 1% of its workforce being engaged in agriculture, a sector which is not under the

It is important to note that a vibrant state has to manage its economic affairs in a time bound manner. A state like Assam cannot afford to waste resources due to lack of competency. Nothing is more glaring than the fact that projects worth thousands of crores do not meet their completion deadlines due to a myriad of reasons every year

ambit of direct taxation, a state like Delhi has many revenue streams to depend on besides minimising the revenue loss due to reason cited above and with a little deft handling, a surplus budget would not be a real surprise. With surpluses under its belt, provision of freebies (which incidentally is based on the principle of dual pricing) is a mere formality. Election gimmicks or not, on sound financial principles, a welfare state is the ideal solution and when most of the population engaged in productive work pay taxes due to the very nature of the economic activities they are engaged in; providing certain free services is the minimum such a state should do. However, in the case of Assam, providing freebies to its population is fraught with dangerous connotations to its economy in the long run unless such freebies lead to increase

in productivity and hence a fair return to the economy. First, a large part of its population is out of the ambit of direct taxes and hence any freebies provided will have to be recouped from some other sources because the state has limited sources of income and in a slowing economy, the scope gets further limited. But a poor state like Assam also needs freebies, especially to its economically marginalised and disadvantaged sections of the population. It is in fact a duty of the state to uplift the living conditions of such vulnerable sections, which incidentally form a large part of the state’s population matrix. In such a scenario, the state has to resort to some dual pricing mechanism, whereby the affordable sections will have to compensate the state for having provided certain services free of charge to the economically marginalised sections. There would be murmurs of protest but giving back to society is a chore every duty-bound citizen has to comply with. In this context, it is important to note that a vibrant state has to manage its economic affairs in a time bound manner. A state like Assam cannot afford to waste resources due to lack of competency. Nothing is more glaring than the fact that projects worth thousands of crores do not meet their completion deadlines due to a myriad of reasons every year. Such delays cost the state dearly making it hamstrung on its financial decision-making. Such cost overruns can run up to over 30% to 40% (in some cases more) of the original estimates, making the state look financially unstable and devoid of resources. For example, if in a year the state grants projects worth Rs 50,000 crores to be completed in a three-year timeframe and

umaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) has started supplying Bharat Stage (BS) VI grade of Motor Spirit (Petrol) and High Speed Diesel (Diesel) from its refinery. NRL

had commissioned a Diesel Hydro Treater (DHDT) plant during 2018 with a project cost of around Rs 1,000 Crore. This plant is capable of producing BS-VI grade of Diesel. Recently, NRL invested around Rs. 125 Crore for revamping its Motor Spirit plant to meet BS-VI specification

of petrol which has also been commissioned during January 2020. Further, the Refinery which has embarked on a massive expansion plan from 3 MMTPA to 9 MMTPA has been configured to produce BS VI compliant fuels from its new facilities. As compared to the present specification of BS IV

Snippets City buses to now ply between Amingaon and Guwahati

Mukul Gogoi if most of these projects do not meet the completion deadline, on an average the state has to lose Rs 15,000 crores or more on account of these projects due to cost overrun in the subsequent years. If the projects are handled efficiently, the additional allocation could very well be used for other welfare measures and that’s what an efficient state does. One way of avoiding such huge financial losses is timely allocation and disbursal of funds to the projects and the other being upgrading the skill sets of the technocrats handling such projects. On both counts, sadly, Assam has faulted in the recent years. The finance ministry of Assam needs to do a serious study on this account and plug the loopholes as soon as possible. Finally, the subsidies and grants provided to various sections of the population needs to be result-oriented so that the returns from such freebies are accounted for through productive contribution by the intended beneficiaries. Incidentally, the agriculture and allied sector need substantial boost in this budget to ensure that Assam remains competitive and pulls itself up from a poor 17th rank in terms GDP contribution amongst the states and UTs in India.

NRL commences supply of BS VI grade of Automotive Fuel G Plus News @guwahatiplus

grade of automotive fuel used in the country with a sulphur specification of 50 PPM, BS VI grade of automotive fuel has a much stringent sulphur limit of 10 PM. While the country will leapfrog from the current BS-IV grade fuel to BSVI, which have emission standards equivalent to Euro-VI fuel from April

1, 2020, NRL has begun supplying the ultra-clean fuel to the market ahead of schedule so that oil marketing companies taking supply from NRL can upgrade their inventory of automotive fuel – Petrol and Diesel, in their retail outlets and terminals well ahead of the timeline.

n a welcome move for bus commuters, the Kamrup Transport Department (R) has decided to connect Amingaon with Guwahati via city bus services. Meanwhile, the DTO of Kamrup (Rural), Gautam Das, stated that buses will also provide services till North Guwahati- Doul Govinda Temple and Baihata Chariali soon. "As per a Gauhati High Court order Kamrup transport department along with Regional Transport Authority (RTA) has rationalized the bus routes in the city. One route has been extended till Amingaon. Along with Amingaon, more routes might be introduced for buses including North Guwahati, Mirza, Khetri, Chandrapur,” said Gautam Das. Further, the RTA has also allocated a bus stop point for the city buses.

'Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award' conferred upon Jadav Payeng

adma Shri Jadav Payeng, the Forest Man of India will be conferred the prestigious Swami Vivekananda Karmayogi Award on February 29 in New Delhi. The award is instituted by My Home India and will be bestowed on Payeng for his consistent efforts in creating a real man-made forest through massive reforestation. The award comprises a trophy, a recitation and a reward of Rs 1 lakh. Padma Shri Jadav 'Molai' Payeng is an environment activist and forest worker from Jorhat. Over the course of past several years, he planted and tended trees on a sandbar of the river Brahmaputra turning it into a forest reserve.

10 Governance

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

ALMOST 2 YEARS ON...

Abhi-Neel still await Justice Atiqul Habib @guwahatiplus

he brutal mob lynching incident at Karbi Anglong’s Dokmoka, where two youths from Guwahati became victims of fake social media reports on 8th June 2018, still awaits justice. It is nearing two years now and the mob lynching case of Abhijit Nath (Abhi) and Nilotpal Das (Neel) is yet to see a judgment and justice. There have been several court hearings in connection with the matter; all the accused who were involved in the case were taken into judicial custody but the slow judicial proceedings are making it painful for the victims’ families and loved ones. In the latest round of hearing at the Nagaon Sessions Court, the court has recorded the hearing on the second juvenile plea of Anan Rongpi and the judgment will be given on March 3, 2020. Most importantly to expedite the main case proceedings the court has given three dates (16th, 21st and 26th of March) in the next month to record the witnesses. Earlier, the respective fathers of the two slain youths had requested that a competent committee be given charge of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) and they said that in the 21st century such barbaric incidents due to superstitions must not be allowed to take place. Incident Summary Abhijeet Nath and Nilotpal Das had gone for a short vacation to Karbi Anglong’s Dokmoka. Suspecting them to be child abductors, the locals forming a mob brutally thrashed the two youths who eventually succumbed to their injuries. People of Dokmoka first spotted “two suspicious” persons in the evening hours on Friday. Suspecting them to be child-abductors, the locals gheraoed their vehicle and when the boys tried to “escape” from the spot, the locals started to physically assault them. In a heart-wrenching video of Nilotpal Das which went viral, Nilotpal pleaded with the words, “Don’t kill me, I am an Assamese,” before being lynched by the mob. In the video, Nilotpal, with his hands folded and face covered with blood, was heard saying, “Don’t kill me…please don’t beat me. I am an Assamese. Believe me, I am speaking the truth. My

father’s name is Gopal Chandra Das and mother’s name is Radhika Das…please let me go.” The mob, which gheraoed Nilotpal, didn’t listen to his repeated pleadings and prayers and continued to thrash him with bamboo sticks. Fear psychosis gripped different parts of Assam Many campaigns have been promoted in a bid to educate people from spreading fake news but fear psychosis gripped different parts of Assam following the news of the attack. The administration stated that a group of miscreants are trying to “create terror by using the fake child theft theory.” Police also mentioned that these miscreants are using social media to spread fake news via popular social media app “WhatsApp.” In some

Case registered at Dokmoka Police Station A case was registered at the Dokmoka Police Station. It is to be noted that when the boys asked the local villagers for directions on Kangthilangso, some of the locals got suspicious. Two men reportedly instigated the others about “child abductors” coming in “a black Scorpio vehicle” and asked them to attack the vehicle. The vehicle was damaged and items in the vehicle were also

organisations of the society, condemned the mob lynching incident and urged the police to deliver justice on a fast track mode. “He is an artist and comes from a well-to-do family…why will he abduct children? He is a victim of a mob attack. Even if anyone had any suspicions, they should have informed the police. Nobody has the right to take law in their hands,” a relative of Nilotpal had said while talking to media. The relative had added, “We want the chief minister to order a high-level probe into the incident. We want justice.” Guwahatians also witnessed massive rallies condemning the attack but in due course of time it’s only the parents of Abhi-Neel who are currently banging from door-to-door in search of justice to the departed souls.

Abhi-

parts, locals also stated that they have “spotted or seen” child-abductors with their faces covered with black cloths. Cases of people reeling under childabduction terror have been reported in various parts of Assam.

destroyed along with the mobile phones of the victim. Social media: Netizens condemned the incident The death of Abhi and Neel had brought in a pall of gloom across the state. Youths, along with various members and

Neel's fathers meet CM; culprits to get maximum punishment, assures Sonowal Following the lynching, the respective fathers of Abhjieet Nath and Nilotpal Das met Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at his office at Janata

Bhawan and had put forward their suggestions and opinions for delivering maximum punishment to the culprits. Abhjieet's father, Ajit Kumar Nath and Nilotpal's father Gopal Chandra Das made a written submission to Sonowal for constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to expeditiously take up the case. Sonowal assured that all measures have been taken so that culprits receive maximum punishment accorded for the crime and no loopholes would be left in the investigation for the perpetrators to escape as the SIT under a DSP has already been constituted for the case. Because of the swift action of Assam Police almost all the accused were nabbed in a short period of time and subsequently, the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court would be requested to put the trial in a fast track court for speedy justice delivery, Sonowal said. The chief minister stated that he is personally monitoring the progress of the case as the crime has tarnished the image of the state and he has also directed the police for consulting an expert criminal lawyer while preparing the charge-sheet of the case so that technical loopholes do not remain through which the criminals can escape. It is to be mentioned that it is the government's duty is to ensure that justice is not denied and exemplary punishment is meted out to the culprits. Meanwhile, CM Sonowal said that the state's guest-friendly image has taken a beating in view of the incident and the government is committed to taking all measures to redeem that image. Legal and media advisers respectively to the Chief Minister Shantanu Bharali and Hrishikesh Goswami, Chief Secretary TY Das, Principal Secretary of Home LS Changson were also present during the meeting. Tributes flow in for 'AbhiNeel' on their death anniversary The Abhi-Neel Smriti Raksha Samiti had organised a programme at the Silpukhuri Rajahuwa Naamghar on June 8, 2018 and by this year it will be two painful years where justice is still awaited. This year, the day will begin with the installation of a portrait of Abhi-Neel, which will be followed by a drawing session on the theme, ‘Art against superstition’ by artists from various parts of the state.

City

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

6th G Plus

Guwahati Food Awards

to be held today at Vivanta by Taj T he 6th edition of Guwahati Food Awards is all set to take place on February 29 at Vivanta by Taj, Guwahati. Renowned food critic and international culinary judge, Suresh Hinduja, is the chairman of the jury. This year, GFA witnessed over 150 registrations from eateries located across Guwahati to compete in a total of 28 different categories. Nominations were received from over 75 eateries comprising restaurants, cafes, lounge bars, bakeries and fast food eateries amongst others. The voting for the awards closed with over 1 lakh votes registered on the G Plus website and mobile app. The winners of the Guwahati Food Awards have been arrived at by a multiple phase process that involves nomination

filing, voting, food tasting and jury visits. The voting period continued for two weeks wherein a distinguished jury visited the participants for inspection and reviews. A cumulative score has been calculated through a credible process and the awards in the respective categories shall be announced at the grand awards night which will be a gala affair. The jury for GFA 2020 comprised Kashmiri Barkakati Nath (chef, recipe developer and the founder of North East Food Forum), Aabhishek Bedi Varma (former chef of Taj Group of Hotels), Rachit Saboo (food entrepreneur) and Nathaniel Giri (food blogger). The much awaited awards night will be hosted by Reeky

Sharma, a renowned content creator, voice over artist, stage and TV anchor. The highlight of the event would be an unplugged performance by singer and

composer Joi Barua. The Guwahati Food Awards is an initiative of the city’s English weekly G Plus in association with Blender’s Pride Reserve Collection. The initiative is supported by Assam Tourism, Asomiya Pratidin, Pratidin Time with Hospitality Partner - Vivanta Guwahati and Outdoor Partner Outreach Advertising. Organiser of the Guwahati Food Awards and Publisher & Director of G Plus Sunit Jain said, “Voted by over a lakh of citizens and being judged by the most efficient jury, I am looking forward to the success of yet another edition of Guwahati Food Awards this year. This initiative is a fantastic celebration of the success

of the best in the city’s food industry and receives overwhelming response from the industry every year.” Since the eating culture in Guwahati has undergone a paradigm shift over the years, G Plus initiated the first ever Guwahati Food Awards in 2015 to recognize superior services and achievements in the city’s F&B segment. Overwhelmed with the response and goodwill generated from the local food and beverage industry and the masses alike in the past years, G Plus intends to carry forward the practice. This one-of-a-kind award provides a unique platform to both established players and emerging ones to make their presence felt within the industry and nominate themselves within the different categories in the sector.

4th edition of 'Home Baker of the Year' witnesses innovative baking skills Guwahati Food Awards hosted the fourth season of “Home Baker of the Year” on February 27. The contest was open only to bakers who take orders/run an enterprise from home. With the aim to recognise and award the best among those who believe in their dreams and have the passion to make it happen, the contest had been designed keeping in mind the home bakers of Guwahati. This year, a total of 8 home bakers took part in the contest. They were required to bake two items each - a savoury item and a celebration cake. The participants underwent two rounds simultaneously on the same day. While the first round involved tasting of dishes, the second round was an interview by the jury members. The jury of the “Home Baker of the Year” contest were Aabhishek Bedi Varma, former chef with Taj Group of Hotels and Suresh Hinduja, CEO & Founder at gourmetindia.com -

India's social network on food, drink and travel. “The creativity of the participants was indeed commendable. It was my first time judging the home bakers contest for Guwahati Food Awards and I was amazed by the talented bunch of bakers that participated here,” said Suresh Hinduja. The participants were judged on the basis of presentation, creativity, taste, texture and innovation. This year witnessed amazing creativity in the food scenario ranging from a sculpture of Dr Bhupen Hazarika to a Mekhela Chador inspired cake made of chocolate. The jury members were highly impressed with the efforts put in by the participants. The winner of the “Home Baker of the Year” will be invited and felicitated at the grand finale of the Guwahati Food Awards (GFA) 2020 being held on February 29 at Vivanta by Taj, Guwahati.

12 Governance

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

Despite Centre’s diktat to mandate Aadhaar nationwide, Assam fails to catch up

Official Aadhaar Centers in Kamrup (M) as given by the DC Office

Barasha Das @Barasha_mi2

n spite of the Aadhaar card being viewed as a pivotal document to prove one’s identity and in ensuring that one is indeed a citizen of India, Aadhaar enrollment in Assam is abysmally low. The Aadhaar is a 12-digit random number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to eliminate duplication of fake identities. G Plus took stock of issues that Guwahatians’ face while enrolling for Aadhaar. The major concern raised was the lack of official enrollment centres or Aadhaar Seva Kendras. It is to be mentioned that due to dearth of the government’s initiatives in promotions and advertisements many citizens are still unaware of the presence of these centres. A citizen waiting in his bank branch to get enrolled said, “To enroll for an Aadhaar card, one has to visit an enrollment centre accredited by UIDAI. A common enrollment centre that most people frequent to get the Aadhaar is their local bank. However, it has come to notice that various banks in the city are creating a hassle for the public and not allowing them to complete the procedure for enrollment in a professional manner.” Many banks have asked the citizens to open accounts with that particular branch for enrolling in their centres. Here’s the list of official Aadhaar enrollment centres in Guwahati as given by the office of the Deputy Commissioner (DC), Kamrup (Metro). In the meantime, many people have claimed that their Aadhaar registrations were put on hold and could not be checked online. It has also to be mentioned that enrollments was kept on hold due to updation of National Register of Citizens (NRC) 1951. Megha Pandey, a resident of Kalapahar said, “I have applied multiple times for my Aadhaar. The first time the bank asked me to open an account with them. Later when I completed the process at an Aadhaar Kendra, it was not approved. Now the status result shows that my enrollment got rejected due to technical issues but also mentions that I should not reapply. I am not sure what to do next after this harrowing experience.” Speaking to G Plus, Biswajit

Pegu, DC Kamrup (M) said, “New Aadhaar enrollments were put on as many devices, those for scanning fingerprints and iris, were shifted to the NRC registration offices. But now things have been brought back to place and regular registrations are going on.” It was earlier reported that work on Aadhaar registrations came to a halt as the employees stopped working owing to nonpayment of salaries. Sources at the DC Kamrup (M) informed that one of the agencies, M/S Balaji Construction Pvt Ltd that had been allotted the work had not cleared the payments of its employees. He further said, “Many irregularities have been found in their mode of work, so we have taken up the issue with higher authorities and would be relieving them soon.” Earlier, the income Tax Department had informed that Permanent Account Number (PAN) will become inoperative if it is not linked with Aadhaar by March 31, 2020. Moreover, customers’ bank accounts are also to be linked to their Aadhaar. However, a bank official said, “The Aadhaar enrollment is an ongoing process. And the process has started rather late in Assam with the problems of NRC going on. Although many agencies and institutions ask for Aadhaar, we have informed authorities that the process would take some time for the people of Assam and they are usually considered.” It has to be mentioned that the State Bank of India had launched a spot Aadhaar enrollment drive during its three-day-long Financial Inclusion Outreach Initiative for North East from February 26 to 28 at Veterinary Science Playground at Khanapara. Chief General Manager of SBI, North Eastern Circle, Sunil Kumar Tandon had earlier informed that there are 10 Aadhaar enrollment booths and the drives are being conducted from 11 am to 6 pm.

Retired state govt employees fail to withdraw provident fund without Aadhaar details Although the government of India has made it a mandate to enroll Aadhaar across the country, the process is yet to gain pace in the state of Assam. Speaking to G Plus a retired

Sl. No Centre Address

Status

O/o The sub-Divisional Welfare officer, Hatigoan

O/o The Civil Defense, Beltola

Office of the Asstt Director of Sericulture, Khanapara

Active

Office of the Director of Police, Ulubari

Active

Office of the DFO, Genetic Cell Division, Basistha

Active

Office of the Executive Engineer, River Research (Aadhaar Center-I),NH 27 Bashistha

Active

Office of the Director of Forensic Science, Kahilipara

Office of the Executive Engineer, PWD(B) Circle II, Dispur

Assam Engineering College, Jalukbari

Police Reserve, Paltan Bazaar

Active

Office of the Superintendent Engineer, PWD(B) Circle II, Chandmari

Active

Office of the Executive Engineer, Water Resource. West Division, Bharalumukh

Active

Office of the Asstt. Director Handloom &Textiles, Ambari

Active

Office of the Principal, Assam Survey & Settlement Training Center, Dakhingaon

Active

Headquarter of CID,Ulubari

0/o the Superintendent,Town Milk Supply Scheme

0/o the Electrical Officer, NF Railway,(Maligaon)

0/o the Inspector of Schools,Guwahati

Directorate of Medical Education

O/o the AGM,Guwahati Electrical Division (North)

O/o the Executive Engineer,Store & Workshop Division

Directorate of Health Services, Assam

0/o the Director, Employment and Craftsman Training

GAD

Active

High Court, Guwahati

Active

DC Office, Kamrup Metro, Panbazar

Active

Gauhati Unlversity, Jalukbari

Active

Office of the CE0, GCC-1, APDCL (LAR), Ulubarl

Active

Under Dimoria, Development Block, Tetelia GP

Active

Under Dimoria, Development Block, Topatali GP

Active

Under Dimoria, Development Block, Dhupguri GP

Active

Under Dimoria, Development Block,BDO Office

Active

Under Dimoria, Development Block,Kamarkuchi GP

Active

Under Dimoria, Development Block, Khetri GP

Active

Under Dimoria, Development Block, Sonapur GP

Active

Under Chandrapur Development Block, Amsing

Active

Under Chandrapur Development Block, Chandrapur

Under Chandrapur Development Block, Panikhaiti

Active

Under Rani Development Block, Azara

Active

Under Rani Development Block, Dharapur

Active

Under Rani Development Block, Garal

Under Bezera Development Block, Lachitgarh

Under Rani Development Block, Khaikuchi

Office of the Employee Provident Fund , Bhangagarh

state government employee said, "I worked with the state government for the past 35 years. Back then there was no Aadhaar. Now when I want to withdraw the Provident Fund money via online they are asking for

Aadhaar card." "I know the entire process has become easy and it is only with a click of a button we can get our money back. But with limited enrollment centres, it has become an obstacle."

Active

Active Active Meanwhile, the Supreme Court in its order dated March 14, 2018 has extended the deadline of linking Aadhaar with bank accounts, PAN and other financial services indefinitely till the legality of it is decided.

News This Week

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

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

Delhi HC Justice Muralidhar, who ordered FIR against hate speeches, transferred

Delhi High Court Judge S Muralidhar who was hearing the Delhi violence case against three BJP leaders has been transferred to Punjab and Haryana HC. In a notification from the Ministry of Law and Justice on February 26, it stated that the President, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, is pleased to transfer Justice S. Muralidhar, Judge of the Delhi High Court, as a Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and to direct him to assume charge of his office. It is to be mentioned here that the late evening notification came on the day when a bench headed by him expressed “distress” over the Delhi Police’s failure to register FIRs against alleged hate speeches by three BJP leaders.

Cabinet gives nod to Central Acts, to apply in J&K soon

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the PM Narendra Modi has approved issuance of an order for adaptation of Central Acts in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir under Section 96 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 by the Central Government. All the central laws which are applicable to whole of India except the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir before appointed date i.e. 31.10.2019 are now applicable to Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir w.e.f. 31.10.2019. Further, it is necessary to adapt the Central Laws made under the Concurrent List, with required modifications and amendments, for ensuring administrative effectiveness and smooth transition.

Elections for 55 Rajya Sabha seats to be held on March 26

The Election Commission on February 25 announced elections of 55 members of Rajya Sabha from 17 states of the country. The states include Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur Rajasthan and Meghalaya. According to the schedule for the elections, the notification would be issued on March 6, the last date of filing of nominations would be March 13 and polling would be held on March 26, from 9 AM to 4 PM. The votes would be counted at 5 PM on the same day.

Don’t use saliva to turn pages, orders Raebareli CDO

In a bid to prevent communicable diseases, the Chief Development Officer (CDO) of Raebareli has recently issued an order asking officials and employees to stop using saliva to turn over pages of files and other documents. CDO Abhishek Goyal has issued the order citing that doing away with the habit will help prevent the spread of communicable diseases. “It is observed that officers and employees use saliva to turn the page of the files, due to which there is a risk of spreading communicable diseases,” read the order. “Ensure strict compliance in the concerned offices and provide the compliance report to the CDO office in three days,” it added.

Haryana MLA Ranjit Chautala says ‘riots keep happening’

Ranjit Chautala, Power Minister of Haryana on February 27, got into a controversy when he stated that “riots keep happening, these have been taking place earlier too.” Speaking to journalists in the Haryana Assembly complex he said, “Dekhiye, dange to hote rahte hain, pahle bhi hote rahe hain (See, riots keep happening, these have been taking place earlier too). The entire Delhi was burning when (former PM) Indira Gandhi was assassinated. These (riots) are part of life which keep taking place. The government is controlling this matter vigilantly and curfew had been imposed at all places (in Delhi) yesterday.”

Scotland to become first nation to make pads and tampons available free

On February 25 the Scottish Parliament approved a plan to make menstrual products available free in public spaces such as community centres, pharmacies and youth clubs. It is to be mentioned that since 2018 Scotland offers pads and tampons free of charge at schools and universities. Reportedly, the legislation was passed with 112 votes in favour, none against and one abstention. The legislation will next move to a second phase in which legislators can propose amendments. Monica Lennon, the bill’s sponsor said, “The legislation is a milestone moment for normalizing menstruation in Scotland and sending out that real signal to people in this country about how seriously parliament takes gender equality.”

Effective June 1, sweet sellers will carry ‘best before’ & manufacturing date

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked local ‘mithai’ and sweet shop owners to display the manufacturing date and the “best before” date on loose sweets sold in their shops in a move that will help ensure that the consumers are purchasing a fresh product. “Further, in public interest and to ensure food safety, it has been directed that in case of non-packaged/ loose sweets the container or tray holding sweets at the outlet should display the date of manufacturing and best before date of the said products,” the order said. The order will be effective from 1 June, 2020.

Rs. 2,000 currency notes are here to stay: Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 27 said that the Rs. 2,000 currency notes are here to stay and that the banks have not been given any instructions either to withdraw or recalibrate their ATMs to phase out such high denomination notes gradually. “The banks have not been given any such instructions as far as Rs. 2,000 currency notes are concerned,” she said. However, former finance secretary Subhash Chandra Garg had made a case for demonetising the Rs. 2,000 notes, which he said could be done without causing any disruption. He had also said that majority of these notes were not in circulation since they were being hoarded.

Madhya Pradesh to open women-friendly liquor shops

CM Kamal Nath led government in Madhya Pradesh has decided to open women-friendly alcohol shops in the state. Reportedly, these liquor shops will sell wine and whiskey of brands that are popular among female alcohol consumers. According to reports, the state government will set two shops each in Bhopal and Indore, and one each in Jabalpur and Gwalior. According to PTI report, the outlets of imported foreign liquor also called bottled in origin (BIO) will be set up under the government’s new liquor policy. These outlets would be opened in upmarket areas of Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Gwalior. MP’s state excise commissioner Rajesh Bahuguna told PTI, “Under the new liquor policy, limited number of outlets selling high-end premium liquor, formulated and bottled abroad, would be allowed to open in some big cities.”

BJP’s Kapil Mishra defends his statement in the Delhi violence case

BJP’s Kapil Mishra on February 27 defended his statement that triggered the violence in north east part of Delhi. He said, “There was nothing inciting in my statement. I was talking to a police officer that the road be cleared. If you call those blocking the road – agitators & those asking to clear it – terrorists, it shows your bias. I don’t want to comment on a sub judice matter.” Earlier taking to twitter Mishra said, “If Tahir Hussain’s phone call details, during the Delhi violence, are released, it would reveal both Sanjay Singh and Kejriwal’s role in the violence and Intelligence Bureau officer Ankit Sharma’s murder.”

14 G Talk E

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020 T

The Taj Paradox

ver the last week, two gentlemen who make no pretences about their dislike for Islam, happened to meet. The host, Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, gifted a portrait of the Taj Mahal to his guest, Donald Trump, President of the United States of America. Well, the irony of the situation did not go missing with anyone. A two-day maiden visit to India and the massive brouhaha thereof saw the POTUS visit just three cities – Ahmedabad (the Mahatma Gandhi factor), Agra (solely to see the Taj Mahal) and New Delhi (a default destination for any head of state). The point of wonder here is how did the Taj Mahal end up as a destination for the Trump family? After all, less than three years ago, Adityanath had denounced the Taj Mahal – one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO heritage site – as an inappropriate representation of Indian heritage. Immediately on assuming power, Adityanath’s abhorrence for the iconic edifice built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan made him remove the Taj Mahal from his government’s list of cultural heritage sites in the state; the booklet issued by the government instead carried names of temples in Mathura, Ayodhya and Gorakhpur. So was it the Trumps who

decided that they just had to be touristy enough to go see the Taj Mahal? Donald Trump’s aversion to Islam also makes him an unpopular man and he has been known to use and tweet unflattering words like “rapefugees” to describe Muslims, claimed that “thousands” of Muslims celebrated the destruction of the World Trade Centre in New York and that Barrack Obama is “secretly a Muslim.” Given these recent manifestations of the dislike that the two gentlemen have for Islam and being confirmed Islamophobics to the point that they don’t shy away at all from making anti-Islamic statements, the choice of Adityanath’s gift to Donald and Melania Trump remains an amusing paradox. Three years ago, having irked the people of Agra with his anti-Taj step, the UP CM had thereafter gone on a damage control act; images of him sweeping a portion of the Taj Mahal compound also surfaced. Perhaps the Trump visit offered him a great chance at redeeming himself in the eyes of his people. So was it the Yogi who pulled the strings so that the Trumps could finally see the Taj Mahal? Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali

India facing the worst of times?

s we come complete two months into 2020, India might just be living its worst days in a long spell of time. The past few weeks that have gone by have shed light on rising intolerance, joblessness, political instability, communalism and administrative failure.

The ongoing protests in Delhi are a sign that the seeds of communalism and religious hatred have found a breeding ground under the current government. Scores of people took over the streets in the national capital, not because they wanted to save their religion, but because that is what joblessness does. Echoing “Jai Shri Ram” and breaking down mosques was only made possible because this “young India” has a lot of time on their hands and these antics help pay the bill along with a meal for the day. The spaz-fest that was “Dolan Trump”, “Soochin” and “Swami Vivekamun-nun” showed the level of competence India is capable of, or rather incapable... While it took China just over a week to construct a hospital to treat the Corona Virus patients and contain the outbreak, India managed to build a wall to hide its slums. Truly an ‘ostrich-esque’ move. And the rot doesn’t end just there. India has been lambasted by the international community for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the Kashmir clampdown. One person has singlehandedly weakened what is one of the largest democracies in the world – and therein lies the weakest link. India is also in a financial turmoil with the US Trade Deal not making any real and progress other investment opportunities being stalled. The prolonged social unrest in India over CAA and NRC has certainly hit India’s prospects as an investment destination. These politically charged times needs leaders and not opportunists, since closer to home, those standing against the CAA have changed their stance as soon as political power and Rajya Sabha seats have come to play.

Sidharth Bedi Varma @sid_bv

The POTUS in India

OTUS Donald J. Trump is a peculiar individual to say the least, and has absolutely no place in his modus operandi for even a shred of conventional political wisdom or diplomatic orthodoxy. So, analyzing his visit to India using standard metrics is not that good an idea. Firstly, let’s get the digressions out of our way. Questions were raised alluding to how India went over the top in trying to seduce President Trump by unleashing a massive razzmatazz in welcoming him. I can confirm those questions to be ill-founded, because it has become a norm for foreign leaders to go above and beyond in trying to please

Trump’s 1.0 India visit will determine Trump’s 2.0 India approach

‘The Donald’ despite his piercing rhetoric. The British have royalty, so they offered Trump a grand state dinner at the Buckingham Palace making an exquisite ordeal out of it. The Japanese did the same, inviting President Trump to be the first foreign leader to visit their emperor. In fact, that was not all, as they even buttressed his visit with a sumo match for entertainment purposes. The French followed suit, inviting POTUS on Bastille Day to sway him with the eloquence of their military parade down the Champs Elysees. So a better question would have arisen if PM Modi had not orchestrated a ‘King’s Welcome’ for the Leader of the Free World. Also, it was only befitting to reciprocate the intensity of the welcome which India was made a recipient of by the US during PM Modi’s America visit just a few months ago, when Houston’s NRG stadium was draped in the colours of the Indian people with the POTUS in attendance and in appreciation. Secondly, President Trump did not stage his only visit to a foreign country in India in an election year along with his family in a first to influence the votes of the Indian-Americans back home, as Indian-Americans reside in heavily Democratic areas such as California and the Northeast, which are not swing states. Also, Indian-Americans naturally tilt Democratic anyways, as the findings made by the National American Asian Survey (NAAS) revealed that the Indian community voted 77% in favour of Hillary Clinton and only a mere 16% in favourof Trump in the last presidential elections. Furthermore, the votes of IndianAmericans are not considered to be a determining one as they

onlyconstitute for about 1% of the total eligible voters in America. Now on to real issues at hand! The reason behind the strangulation of economic relations between India and the US after Trump’s inception as President is not due to India’s fall from grace by any perceivable metric, but due to the nature of the American President himself. Donald Trump is a transactional man, perhaps the most transactional man in world politics today. He ran his campaign in 2016 on the slogan ‘America First’ and crushed his predecessor for not taking effective measures to mitigate America’s trade deficits. So when he took over the Oval Office, he went berserk, initiating trade wars with everybody, including China, Mexico, Canada, Germany and Japan among more. Now, America’s trade deficit with India is only of 23 billion dollars which is ‘chump change’ if you compare it with the 330 billion dollar trade deficit which the US suffers with China, which is also the reason why President Trump launched a trade war with them, making an unanticipated hurdle appear before the fast paced growth of the Chinese economy, which now, is only deteriorating even further due to the COVID-19 outbreak. President Trump, according to expert opinions, was particularly irked by the high tariffs India put on the import of Harley Davidson motorcycles from the US in addition to the already high tariffs which were levied on their medical exports. Retaliating, POTUS removed India from the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Program under which Indian exports worth a whopping 5.7 billion dollars to the US enjoyed a duty-free status in 2017, while also levying tariffs on Indian aluminium and steel. The visit was never meant to ease these trade tensions, as a day after President Trump’s plans were announced, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) removed India from the list of developing countries that are exempt from being investigated for harming the American industry with unfairly subsidised products, closing the door on reinstating India in the GSP. However, the visit was vital, as it was a chance for India’s PM to sweep the US supremo off of his feet with mass cultural oomph and unparalleled hospitality - a chance which India perfectly capitalized on. This was the correct way to interpret and execute on the situation by India becauseit became apparent that Donald Trump, in all likelihood, will be

O pinion Gaurav Agarwal

re-elected after having galloped in the approval ratings following a failed impeachment attempt in concurrence with the opposition’s Democratic presidential debates which have turned out to be nothing but dumpster fires. To drive this point home to the international community with a legal stamp of approval,

the two goliaths inked a defence deal worth 3 billion dollars through which India will acquire 24 MH-60 Sikorksy Romeo multi role helicopters and 6 Apache attack helicopters from the US. In addition, the two nations also announced co-operation in fighting radical Islamic terrorism and deepening energy ties, committing to work together to make 5G technology safer. Oil was also discussed extensively, with US firm Exxon Mobil and Indian Oil signing an agreement to help India import more crude oil and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) from the US. Additionally, memorandums of understanding (MoU) were also signed between the two countries pertaining to the areas of mental health and safety of medical products. But, one crucial aspectwhichcannot be overlooked in pertinence to this mammoth meet is that of optics. Optics are an integral function of politics. Without it, the government cannot maintain glamorously smooth public relations as it helps in veering narratives and letting off mounted pressure, which both the parties involved definitely benefitted from, after having been put under the microscope for a prolonged period of time by critics and detractors. Concluding, this development should be looked at from a futuristic standpoint, as the two men in question are likely to continue leading their respective democracies for four more years with a strengthened and refined personal dynamic, and an ideological common ground. (The author is a student of Journalism & Mass Communication at Royal Global University, Guwahati)

In Focus

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

Far flung areas in NE to get greater access to credit: Nirmala Sitharaman

ar flung areas in North East will be given greater access to credit, with adequate number of ATMs and branches says Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while addressing the trader and industry representatives in Guwahati on February 27. Talking about the recent budget Sitharaman said that the budget should not be confined to the parliament. It should meet the expectation of the common man and industry representatives. For this purpose after tabling the Union Budget, a series of financial inclusion outreach programmes are being done in different states, she said. Government is committed to build an India where we can trust our entrepreneurs she added. While addressing the gathering the Union Finance Minister stressed on the need for simplification of direct tax regime, the need for removal of exemption, reduction of income tax rates and decriminalisation of tax laws. With regard to GST the Finance Minister assured the delegates that the issue of delayed refund of CGST and IGST would be addressed on priority. The Union Finance Minister

further said that the present Union Government went through existing income tax framework, nearly 70 exemptions were removed. Government is trying to simplify the taxation structure. As a part of it we removed MAT and Dividend Distribution Tax she added. The government is committed to steadily move towards less regressive regime and help to close all disputes pertaining to taxation. While speaking to the industry representatives the Finance Minister said that traditional industries in the North East should have facilities to exhibit itself and want the region to benefit from that. To achieve this Self Help Group will be given greater access to credit to supplement the economy. The Finance Minister said that government is working to remove the criminal angle in business transaction. Speaking on Vivaad Se Vishwass scheme she said that if any settlement is done, no prosecution will be initiated. Replying to the quieries of traders and industry representatives the Finance Minister informed that between 1st to 15th March for 2 hours every day, each district office of Central Board of Indirect Tax and Custom remains open

and the staffs will be available for any tax related clarification to general public. With regard to development of infrastructure, the Union Finance Minister stated that setting up more cold storage facilities was a priority of the government. It was stated that Sibsagar in Assam has been identified as one of the five archaeological sites to be developed as iconic sites. During the second session the Union Finance Minister along with the Chief Minister of Assam, Sarbananda Sonowal and the State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma interacted with Academicians, Economists & policy experts. Talking on the occasion Sonowal said that the Budget is a boon for farmers with 60 new schemes under aspirational India initiatives, which reflects Prime Minister’s desire to double farmer’s income by 2020. Jal Vikas Marg scheme of the government will not only help economy of Assam but for the

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman at Guwahati entire country he added. He further thanked the Finance minister for taking various initiatives for reducing corporate tax and bringing in ease of doing business. Speaking about the MSME’s the Union Finance Minister said that

several steps have been taken to help MSME’s. Stressed MSME’s have the opportunity to approach the public sector banks and request them to restructuring. Sitharaman informed that the time limit for this has been extended till 31st December 2020.

Post Delhi success AAP eyes all 126 seats in 2021 Assam elections G Plus followers react on its digital channels RituRaj BuraGohain

Sumit Bara

Nisha Mahanta Bordoloi

Jay Deka

Bhaswati Chatterjee

Anurag Chakraborty

We need a strong candidate like Arvind Kejriwal. What he has done for his state is a sort of message for other politicians. The way he has changed the root of politics and democracy for Delhi people is really commendable. The politicians should start thinking for the people rather than thinking about communalising things. I sincerely want to see the change in our state also. We need to stop arguing and stay united at this time.

Hope the candidates are new and competent like Atishi and Kejriwal himself. If he doesn’t bring in the skeletons from the other parties, really would like to give them a chance. I am a staunch Bhakt, but that of Modi. I want Narendra Modi for India, but, I believe BJP in Assam is hopeless. Things need to change and development is the need of the hour.

Assam and every state needs an ethnic secular regional party to get better deals from Delhi instead of relying on Delhi centric parties which give prime importance to the interests of Delhi other than the people who voted them to power. We should focus more on regional parties as only they can see what the people of the state want.

If people really want safety in the current scenario, the best option in Assam would be a Congress government. AAP’s true nature is well revealed in Delhi. Delhi is burning. And Arvind Kejriwal is crying as he has no control over the Delhi police. He is the CM and he could have done a series of press conferences to handle the situation at least but he didn’t. Don’t welcome AAP. I’m not a diehard fan of Congress but only they can save Assam from BJP. Think about it people! Dear Andh Bhakts first look at his education and his work. India needs quality education, hospital and electricity which are much more important than Ram Mandir and section 370. Every sector in this country is going down and no one is batting an eyelid on that. What do we want? We of course don’t want mandir as God resides in our heart and education is something is we need. We lack good government schools and hospitals. Also there is no employment in this region; people move out to get higher education and jobs. It is really good news! Honestly, Congress looted this country with corruption and BJP is no less in dividing the people. It’s better to vote for a new party which is actually working. And the impact this party has on the people of the country currently, I’m quite sure that they will win and work for the development of the state.

16 Buzz

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

'Lifetime Achievement Award' conferred upon Padma Shri Kushal Konwar Sarma

adma Shri Dr. Kushal Konwar Sarma has been honoured with lifetime achievement award by the Kaziranga Wild Life Society on February 27. Sarma who hails from Barama, in Assam is also called the elephant doctor, who works actively on the field every weekend. It is to be mentioned that since the last 32 years, Dr Sarma hasn’t taken a single weekend off to treat more than 700 jumbos, both wild and rogue bulls, every year. He is also a pioneer of the remote tranquilising injection technique in the North East. From tranquilising and capturing 139 rogue jumbos to rescuing and treating hundreds of captive and injured elephants over the years, Dr Sarma has contributed to the conservation of the Asian Elephants in India. Notably, he holds a world record for this feat.

Padma Shri Uddhab Bharali’s work now in syllabus of Delhi schools

ssam's Padma Shri awardee Uddhab Bharali will now be included in the Delhi government school syllabus. State Council of Educational Research and Training will include his achievements in the entrepreneurship mindset curriculum of classes IX to XII from the next academic calendar. Speaking to media Uddhab Bharali said, “We got to read

about life and works of many great men in our textbooks. I am happy that my works will be included in such textbooks.” It is to be mentioned that Bharali was born and brought up in Lakhimpur in a family that was in financial doldrums. He could not complete his studies due to financial constraints. He invented 24 machines between the years 1990 and 2005. All his inventions are made to make life and living easier for the common people.

Guwahati girl wins International Excellence Award

G 2020.

uwahati’s Karisham Kakoti won the award for excellence at the International Excellence Award The event was held

in Madrid, Spain on February 27.

She won the award for excellence in interior design. The event was organised by Nisha Foundation.

Kakoti is the founder and owner of KA Design. Her firm also won the 'Most Innovative and Consultancy Firm in Guwahati' at the National Icon Awards 2018-19.

Kalyan Sahu wins CIVVIES Cup 2020 Golf Tournament

uwahati’s Kalyan Sahu won the CIVVIES Cup – 2020 Golf Tournament. He received the trophy from Kumar Sanjay Krishna, Chief Secretary, Assam. The tournament was organised by the Assam Golf Association on 23rd February in Guwahati.

Trotter

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

Woman pees alcohol Railway station offering despite not drinking a drop free platform tickets for doing sit-ups

woman has been diagnosed with a never-before-seen condition after doctors discovered she was urinating alcohol – without drinking a single drop. The unnamed patient aged 61, has become the first person in the world to be diagnosed with ‘urinary auto-brewery syndrome’ caused by yeast in her bladder that ferments sugar in her urine to produce alcohol. The process is almost exactly the same as one used by beer makers – but it was happening in her own body. At first medics suspected she may have been hiding an alcohol addiction when urine tests for the drug were repeatedly positive. Kenichi Tamama at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Presbyterian Hospital said the woman – who has diabetes and liver cirrhosis – was recommended for a liver transplant but taken off a donor waiting list and referred for alcohol abuse treatment instead, despite denying ever drinking alcohol. Further blood tests for metabolites of ethanol were negative – meaning the woman did not have alcohol in her blood. Specialists at the university instead found high levels of Candida glabrata; yeast naturally produced by the body, were accumulating in her bladder when she ingested sugar. The yeast is similar to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a fungus known as brewer’s yeast because it’s used by beer-makers to convert carbohydrates in grains into alcohol. Tests showed this conversion process was taking place inside her bladder. Kenichi said, “The doctors were

I surprised and shocked. Initially, clinicians thought the patient was not honest about disclosing her alcohol usage. This alcohol thing has been haunting her.” He said it showed “how easy it is to overlook signals that the syndrome may be present” in some liver transplant patients. Kenichi and his colleagues named the woman’s condition “urinary auto-brewery syndrome” and are now calling for doctors to be aware of the condition so patients are not wrongly labelled alcoholics. Writing in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, the medics said: “Acquiring all of the data necessary to evaluate a transplant candidate is complicated because of the high stakes, time constraints, and workload of the persons acquiring the data. Proper processing of data is even more difficult – it is all too easy to order alcohol monitoring tests inconsistently, overlook discrepancies in the results, and allow bias to enter and persist in the decision-making process.” (Source: metro.co.uk)

Parents put school going kids in plastic bags to cross raging river

n many places, roads and bridges are taken for granted by the residents who are used to the convenience of having these structures. Sadly, there are still many areas in the world that don’t have the luxury of having a bridge, leading residents to cross ravines and raging rivers just to get to the other side.

In Huoi Ha village, Vietnam, parents have to place kids inside plastic bags so they can cross the raging river to go to school! During dry season, the river is more manageable and dads work hard to build bamboo bridges that everyone can use to cross. But the rainy season brings lots of water into the river, often washing out the makeshift bridges. Yet the students are still determined to go to school. So, the parents have no choice but to put the kids inside plastic bags that they carry across the river. The parents get wet in the crossing, but the important thing is the kids are dry. But the practice brings the added danger of the kids possibly running of oxygen inside the plastic bags – and the dad’s race across the river to get the kids to safety. In the past, the parents used rafts and small boats but the rapids are too much for the vessels and the kids get washed

out. So, the parents found a way to safely bring the kids across using the plastic bags. It is inconvenient but has worked so well that it has become their primary mode of transporting the kids across the river. Yet after crossing the river, the kids still have to walk a long way to school! They trek hours along a slippery trail, leading many to quit school during the rainy months. Others have no choice but to live in school, going home only during the weekends. Netizens are hoping that the local government would solve this problem soon, to ensure everyone’s safety. (Source: hypevirals)

n order to promote health and fitness, Indian Railways is now encouraging people to show their fitness skills, and in return, the national transporter will provide them with free platform tickets. Continuing the ‘Fit India campaign’ launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railways has come up with unique initiative at Delhi’s Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station (ANVT). A ‘Fit India Squat Machine’ has been installed at the Anand Vihar railway station. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted a video of a youth doing squats in front of the the ‘Fit India Squat kiosk’ at Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station. Railway Minister Goyal said in his tweet "Fitness along with savings. A unique initiative has been started at Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station

to encourage fitness." He added that one can avail a free platform ticket by performing the exercise. (Source: timesnownews)

Woman gets reply from crush eight years after texting him

essaging somebody you fancy is exciting, but it can always be a bit nerve-racking as you wait patiently and hope they reply. Regardless of how funny your banter or how good your hair looked on that date, sometimes it just isn't meant to be and you can end up getting ghosted. One woman was left completely shocked when she received a reply to the text she sent her crush - eight years and seven months later. Sally, from Australia, shared a screenshot of their conversation - which started with a message from the anonymous guy on July 17, 2011. He said: "Hey gorgeous, how are ya?" with a winking emoji Sally played it cool and waited a few days before replying, sending her message on July 20. She said: "Hay [his name] I'm good thanks. What you been up to?" with a smiley face. But that was where the conversation ended - until recently. The man sent his reply a few days ago, claiming he only just got her message as he had an update on his phone. Sally's post has been widely shared on social media, with people taking to the comments section to question the man's excuse. While many joked that he had really committed to playing hard to get, others accused him of ghosting. One wrote: “He is a man of focus and sheer commitment.” Others had different issues with the post, with one commenting: “Even after updating, the autocorrect function is still not working

for him.” Sally is the latest in a line of people to share their dating horror stories online, but her experience wasn't anywhere near as bad as what Kimberley LathamHawkesford. The 24-year-old was sent a list of the ways she could "improve herself" after a horrible Tinder date. She realised he probably wasn't 'The One' when he started asking if she would consider plastic surgery and kicked off when he offered to pay, showing her his bank balance to show how much money he had. They said their goodbyes and she didn't think much more of it, until she received an unbelievable message out of the blue three months later. The man said he wanted to explain why he didn't message her after the date, revealing he believed she "could have made the date much better". He then listed a number of things she should change about herself, including numerous things about her appearance and her personality. (Source: mirror.co.uk)

18 Review

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

Starring: Taapsee Pannu, Pavail Gulati, Ratna Pathak, Tanvi Azmi, Dia Mirza, Ram Kapoor Director: Anubhav Sinha

Thappad

ailing from a loving and supportive family in Delhi, and trained in Indian classical dance, Amrita’s life could have taken a different course but she harboured the dream of being the best housewife ever, even if that meant giving up on her passion for dance. Vikram is a go-getter, and has his mind and heart is set on his goal and he will do everything in his capacity to achieve it. But, in a moment he realises that his big dreams are about to get shattered, blame it on office politics. Vikram does the unthinkable — his pent-up frustration finds an outlet in his committed wife, in the form of a thunderous slap that’s witnessed by loved ones from both the

sides. And, this sparks the beginning of an ugly, emotional battle which goes beyond domestic violence. While the uncalled for incident makes Amrita delve upon and question her life choices and their marriage, Vikram continues to live in denial and wonders how ‘just one slap’ is turning out to be a life-changing moment. Anubhav Sinha’s 2 hours and 21 minuteslong social drama, which is made for a society that rarely talks about the emotional and psychological effects of domestic violence, is set to spark debates and discussions on various grounds. One stressfuelled slap at a party takes the form of a full-blown conversation pertaining to the unsaid rules of a marriage (where women are constantly reminded ki ghar zyada zaruri hain and that their actions will always be determined by log kya kehenge) and if it is acceptable for a husband to get away with what he considers one ‘casual thappad’ because he was fuming with anger. The film takes its own sweet time in expressing the dynamics of Amrita-Vikram’s arranged marriage and how the

two of them manage to blend in well with their financiallyimbalanced, yet likeable, families. Sure, Vikram loves his wife, but he has made a monster out of his career goals, which the better half supports and harbours with all her heart. Even before the conflict arises, you can see an uber happy Taapsee making plans of a ‘big blue door’ at their future London apartment. Naturally, when the slap happens, her world turns over and even both sides of the families are divided on what is right, what is wrong and how much is too much, and the protocols of marriage in our Indian setting. Irrespective of various views thrown at her, Amrita is feisty and resolves to channel the inner fighter in her and stands up for what she truly believes in — that even one slap is outrageous and not okay. ‘Thappad’ is not just a film aimlessly ranting about borderline domestic violence; it brings to light the years of conditioning that a woman is subjected to by her own family and society that she lives in. The music of the film by Anurag Saikia is beautifully melancholic in tone and blends in with the narrative. It is safe to say that Anubhav Sinha has rendered his careers best in this strong-worded social drama. He deserves an applause for the depth-handling of the various characters in the film, their greys, complexities, dilemmas without ever getting too loud, overbearing or trying too hard to make a statement. To sum it up, ‘Thappad’ is a silent slap on our society’s ageold belief that — shaadi mein sab kuch chalta hain. But honestly, should it be that way? And that is what we need to start talking about... now! (Review by timesofindia)

Sony has been churning out new iterations of the A6000 series like clockwork and it launched its latest flagship camera, the A6600, in late 2019. Along with new features, also comes a slightly higher price of Rs. 1,17,990 for just the body.

The body of the A6600 will look very familiar if you’ve used any of the previous models in this series. However, there’s one major difference: the camera grip is a lot bigger thanks to the larger battery. For the first time, Sony has used a battery from its full-frame mirrorless models in the A6600, which is said to offer 800 shots per charge. This is a huge step up from the previous 350-400 shots per charge that other A6XXX models have been rated for. The larger grip also means that this camera is more comfortable to hold for a prolonged period of time. The body is built from a

magnesium alloy and is said to be dust and moisture-resistant.

Specifications and features The Sony A6600 features a 24.2-megapixel cropped (APS-C) CMOS sensor with a native ISO range of 100-32,000. This can be expanded to 50-1,02,400 and you can set a threshold for the maximum ISO that the camera can use when shooting. Burst shooting tops out at 11fps (in Hi+ mode) and 8fps in the liveview and silent shutter modes. The buffer for holding burst shots isn’t too big, and Sony claims it can hold only up to 115

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Verdict JPEG frames or 46 RAW files at a time. This is a lot lower than the 269 JPEGs and 107 RAW files that the A6500 was capable of. The camera uses a single SD card, placed beside the battery, but it only supports up to UHS-I speeds and not UHS-II. Sony A6600 performance and battery life The A6600 has the same native maximum ISO as the A6400, which is 32,000, and the results of ISO test were similar too. Clarity and sharpness were preserved very well from ISO 100 up until about ISO 800, where we started to see very minor grain. Jumping to ISO 3,200, their are some mild

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distortion along the edges of the pencils, but nothing too terrible. At ISO 12,800, the edges of the pencils began to lose definition, but once again, this was only noticeable at a 100 percent crop. Grain was visible too but no chroma noise yet.

Sony A6600 Review Design

Cinepolis, Christian Basti

The A6600 feels like the most complete APS-C mirrorless camera to date from Sony. It gets the best bits of the A6500 and the A6400, along with the bonus of a much larger battery. Plus, things like the headphone socket, flip-up LCD, and quicker tracking autofocus make this camera very well suited to vlogging. That’s not saying

it’s perfect – we would still like to see Sony upgrade to a USB Type-C port and add fast charging. Overall, the Sony A6600 is a great option if you’re looking for a do-it-all mirror-less camera or are simply looking to upgrade from an entry-level model. (Gadgets 360)

Guest Column

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

Why Assam Needs a dedicated

GUEST COLUMN

Sooman Mahanta

‘Ministry of Tea’

ubha ka shurwaat achha hota hain Sahib” (This kick starts you day better, Sir), a smiling 52 year old Yogesh Kumar said looking at me, as I sipped on the tiny glass of milk tea offered by him. I nodded and smiled back. Kumar has been selling tea in his makeshift shanty at the Guwahati railway station for over two decades now. A steaming hot cup of tea is indeed how a billion of us here in India, and a lot of other people in various other countries around the world start our days with. And for any outsider from India, or even someone from abroad, the first thing that comes to mind

when they hear the name Assam, is ‘Tea’. The tiny black granules of fine tea that comes from the stunning lush green tea estates dotted across the landscape of Assam is synonymous with its very essence and identity, and not till long ago, the industry was amongst the highest foreign exchange earners for the country. But things have changed over the years. People within the industry, the government, and even the ordinary public are now increasingly aware that things are ‘bad’, and it is rapidly fumbling downhill from bad to worse, especially for the large scale organized sector tea estates which directly accommodate millions of workers. There has been lengthy debates, discussions and

deliberations as to how things got this far, and of the several momentous and trivial issues raised, there is consensus that the factors contributing to this downward spiral are primarily haphazard and unplanned intensification of the the unorganized sector that has led to flooding of poor quality teas, saturation in market due to stagnant domestic demand, stretched balance sheets and huge losses for most of the organized sector tea companies due to unfair competition from the unorganized sector, ignorance and apathy on part of the government, a mostly illiterate and semi literate workforce, huge dependence on labour, unfavorable climatic conditions, a largely hostile media that loves to vilify the industry etc., all of which have warped a maze of quandary that seems pretty much impossible to breakthrough. But, all is certainly not doom and gloom. For a flag bearing industry that has over 180 years of glorious history, and one that is still responsible for the livelihood of several million people, failure is simply not an option. And fate forbid, if it does; the collapse of the tea industry will render millions of vulnerable workers without income or any sort of social security, which will not only be an immense human tragedy but it might very well catapult into chaos and fuel civil unrest throughout the state. So what can be done? The answer is not that simple, but the first, yet the most crucial step towards the revival of the tea industry of Assam, would be to setup a dedicated Ministry for Tea at the state level. Let us be clear that, this is an absolute inevitability, and there cannot be conciliation with this. There HAS to be a Ministry of Tea at the State level, and all parties concerned should begin lobbying to get this done as soon as possible. Bearing in mind the miscellany and enormity of problems that has engulfed the industry, the government has to step in, and thankfully it has, BUT in order to have any sort of tangible and meaningful impact, a dedicated Ministry for Tea, pioneering and leading the way is a must. Until then there cannot be assurance of any calculated and coordinated efforts from the government, as random acts of kindness, or handing out doles during elections is not going to have any positive long-standing outcome.

The establishment of a dedicated Ministry of Tea will ensure that there is there can be committed studies and fishbone analysis into the different issues plaguing the industry, and more importantly it can ensure ample co-operation and collaboration within the various government departments that are directly or indirectly involved with the tea industry. If we look at the broader picture, there was a growing demand within the industry that the government should take over the different free welfare obligations (e.g. dwelling and sanitation, healthcare, ration,

that it today’s scenario, it is in urgent need of amendment. In fact, Sri Pallab Lochan Das, an MP from Assam (Tezpur Lok Sabha Constituency) made a passionate plea in the floor of the national parliament while addressing ‘Matters of Urgent Public Interest’ on 2nd of July, 2019, emphasizing on the need to amend these acts. But there has not been much headway into it. These are exactly the type of issues that will require steadfast persistence, and it would be unfair to expect that from lone wolfs and current government bodies with specialized areas

developmental projects relating to Infrastructure (including Roads, Railways, Airports, Waterways, Trans-State Highways), Power and Tourism worth billions of dollars. It is actually a matter of yawning regret that it has taken us so long to demand for a separate Ministry of Tea, considering the impact and importance of the industry in the state. But all is well that ends well. There is time, and all the well-wishers of the tea

A tea garden in Assam firewood etc.) that is provided to its workforce by the organized sector industry in addition to the statutory wages and allowances; which is a major cause of additional expenditure. And luckily, there has been growing involvement of the government into the industry through a range of infrastructure and welfare centric activities, which currently aims to lessen, and in near future might completely relieve this burden from the industry. But, then again, the scope of the government is limited due to lack of coordination between its various departments and agencies, and also due to bindings of law, such as the PLA (Plantation Labour Act of 1951), which restricts government participation in plantations. It will be impossible to discuss the nuances of this act here, but we can safely conclude

of interest (their usefulness and effectiveness can be a different account altogether), unless there is a separate Tea Ministry. Finally, as a case of reference, we can look at the DONER Ministry (Ministry of Development of NorthEastern Region) of the Central government, which was established in the year 2001, and granted full fledged status in May 2004. Prior to its formation, there was huge chaos and confusion when it came to formulation and implementation of various government projects and policies for the Northeastern region. But after its formation, the DONER Ministry has acted as a facilitator between various ministries and government departments and has had tremendous impact on the development of the region, approving and implementing

industry for the sake of its survival, need to get united and demand for the formation of a separate ministry of tea at the state level. It can coalesce and act as a unifying mechanism for the various government departments operating within the tea industry and also safeguard the interests of the numerous tea companies and its people within. Only that will ensure that there is in-depth analysis into the problems, and there is methodical development of the entire industry including the millions of people depending upon it. (The author is a 31 year old tea planter from Assam, and has penned several articles in web and print media related to the tea industry of Assam, including the very popular ‘The Beginning o the End for Tea in Assam’. He is also a foodie and a passionate biker.)

20 Fun Horoscope of the week

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 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

2nd and 6th March will be great days for you to schedule your important meetings and share your ideas with your seniors. 5th March you will be emotionally hurt by your colleagues or superiors. 4th March you could have a fall out with a superior or someone at work. Be careful while dealing with the opposite gender on 1st March, ladies should avoid blind dates.

Ideal time to take a break from work. 29th February and 3 rd March will great days for you to build a rapport with your seniors and people at work, host your important meetings on these dates. Lay low on 2nd and 5th March, you are bound to have disagreement with people at work or there could be changes in your work place.

If you have wanted a holiday then this will be the week to go for it. However, your week will be eventful. Avoid hosting any meetings 6th March; you are bound to have disagreements. On 3rd March you will feel others are ungrateful especially your senior or your parents. 29th February will be a slow day for you.

March 5th and 6th will be great days for you to connect with your senior and share your ideas with him/her; you could host your important meetings on these dates. You will feel betrayed by someone at work or your senior on 2nd March. It’s not a day to trust others with your secrets.

6th March will be a great day for you to share your ideas with your seniors and build a relationship with them. Host your important meetings on this day. 2nd March be careful of your words and actions, you will create your own problems. 1st March you will be betrayed by someone close to you.

This week will be average for you. 5th and 6th March will be excellent days for you to schedule your important meetings. Your seniors will be receptive to your ideas. 29th February will be a slow day for you. Avoid hosting any meetings especially with your seniors on 4th March; you might not get the outcome you desire.

You have a better than average week ahead of you. 29th February and 5th March will be great days for you to share your ideas with your seniors or simply just connect with them. You could schedule your important meetings on these dates. Watch your words and actions on 4th March; you could create your own problems. You could have a fall out with your workmates or seniors on 1st March.

This will be an ideal week to take a break from work. Utilize the time catching up with your chores at home. If you can’t take a break then avoid scheduling important meetings the entire week. 5th March will be a slow day for you. Avoid scheduling important work for 4th March; you will not get the desired outcome.

1st, 2nd and 3rd March will be great days for you to build a rapport with your seniors and people at work, host your important meetings on 2nd and 3rd March. You could host a brunch or a dinner on 1st March and catch up with your extended family. Avoid hosting any meetings on 29th February; you will get into a confrontation.

Avoid meeting up with your seniors or extended family on 1st March, things will not go according to plan. 2nd and 3rd March will be a great day for you to build a rapport with your seniors and people at work, host your important meetings on these dates. Avoid scheduling important work for 4th March; you will not get the desired outcome.

You have a slow week ahead. 1st March will be a great day for you to share your ideas with your seniors or simply just connect with them. Watch yourself on 2nd and 5th March, avoid making any promises or getting into a confrontation.

You are going to have an amazing week. 29th February, 1st and 5th March are ideal days for you to mingle with your seniors and people at work and build your work network. You could be betrayed by someone close on 6th March. Avoid hosting any meetings on 3 rd March, things will not go according to plan.

Anthea Bell who died recently, translated which series of ever green books into English?

Identify this Nepali Spinner, the first cricketer of his country to play at the IPL, BBL and other marquee T20 leagues across the country. Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications

Dilbert By Scott Adams

Sudoku 6 9 5 14 2 6 3 6 82 5 4 2

7 7 3 1

7 4 1 7 72 51

98 6 7 1 9 4 7 23 6 36 81 4 5 6 9 4

33 6 9 2 6

2 7 8 65 8 3 5

5 17 4

Daily 27-Feb-2020 DailySudoku: Sudoku:Thu Fri 21-Feb-2020

Which US Government wing was set up in 1908 by Charles Bonaparte?

medium easy

last week solution 45 52 69 98 14 38 71 43 27 86 93 39 71 63 82 55 56 95 27 81 39 14 48 77 92 29 36 64 68 47 54 12 83 71 15 26

17 4 2 17 33 6 5 8 79 95 72 1 5 51 46 98 6 3 42 74 4 9 1 83 27

68 22 84 91

36 23 2 6 65 18 59 81 8 7 34 51 75 35 3 9 98 62 17 59 7 4 26 89 43

Daily 27-Feb-2020 DailySudoku: Sudoku:Thu Fri 21-Feb-2020

noun British Slang. exhausted; very tireda level of command, authority, or rank: After years of service, she is now in the upper echelon of city officials.

curio-city

Which organisation traces its roots back to an organization called Cachar Levy, which was founded in 1835?

1. Malta

[ esh-uh-lon ]

adjective [nak-erd]

2. Federico Fellini

Guiletta Masina was the wife and in most films the lead actress, of which famous Film Director?

echelon

3. Assam Rifles

Word of the week Word knackered of the week

4. FBI

Which country in Europe, besides the UK and Republic Of Ireland has English as an official language?

5. Asterix

6. Sandeep Lamichane.

curio-city

medium easy

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

Fiction

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

The Year of the Dacoits

rom tranquil days of rustic charm and a steady monotonous life the Tea industry was jolted by a series of insurgencies that started in the late 1980’s and reached its pinnacle throughout the 90’s and has abated in most places now. But much before that the tea estates faced threat from organized dacoit gangs who spread terror in many remote gardens. I remember one such gang which literally started in front of my eyes. When I was in our garden near Gohpur a number of estates near the foothills were plagued by dacoits later found to be led by one Babul Das. He was a mechanic based in the town of Gohpur and was in big demand by the people around. I got to know about him through his cousin, my hunting contact near Banderdewa. Most tea gardens had their own set up in the factories with workshops manned by experienced mechanics and fitters, lathe men and welders. But when any problem arose and needed a second opinion Babul was the man to be consulted. He was like a senior doctor whose diagnosis was simple yet profound. The only problem with him was that he had such a huge clientele in the area that often he left jobs half done as he rushed off to do an emergency work. Once he was repairing our old Massey Fergusson tractor which had to be started on Petrol and then operated on Kerosene oil. Getting the parts for this vehicle was very difficult and to keep it running Babul forged some parts like piston rings himself and also used substitute parts matched from other vehicle spares to keep this old tractor running. It was the month of March and we needed the annual overhauling of this tractor to be done quickly to complete the ploughing of the paddy fields where we were growing Ahu paddy for the ration issue. The Government had given a scheme called Grow More Food and we had availed of this to cultivate both Ahu and Sali crops through which we would manage about 50% of our annual ration paddy requirements on our own. I had spoken to Babul in our garage encouraging his work, but when I got back in the evening he was gone. His friend’s boat was stuck on a sand bank in the middle of the Brahmaputra river as the engine on the vessel had seized and the passengers were stranded, though another boat retrieved them before nightfall. True to Babul’s character, he went off on the motor cycle with the messenger who had come for him and it took him five full days when he returned to complete our tractor. I was annoyed but knowing the sentiment of the

man I did not reprimand him and only requested him to now finish the work urgently. He worked overtime and got the tractor back to work in two days time. On one occasion his services were required by a big garden called Borgang and the Manager requested me to send Babul to meet him for checking their prime mover engine which his own mechanics were unable to do. It was an old Blackstone slow speed engine whose bearings needed replacement and they wanted Babul to take up this work. He did not want to go as in these big company gardens the rules were rather strict and once he took on the job he would be bound to stay there to complete the work before being allowed to leave. The new bearings had to be casted with brass metal and it had to be sent to a foundry workshop in Guwahati and this meant that he could only start on the work again when this part was received back from the workshop. It required a minimum of twenty one days for the same to be done and in this period the factory assistant manager, Harki Singh wanted Babul to take up a lot of his personal works like repairs to his music speakers, the underside of his car to be fitted with a metal sheet to prevent the under carriage to be dented and also to overhaul his Royal Enfield motorcycle. Babul did not get along well with this man and he refused to work on these items as he had agreed to do the main factory engine only. Harki’s Manager had to leave the garden on an emergency and he used the chance to really bully Babul who went off back to Gohpur stating that he would return when the new bearings arrived. Harki made the mistake of giving a false police case on the poor man of some theft from his bungalow for which he was harassed by them. This proved the last straw for Babul and he wasn’t one to take it lying down. After a drinking spree with some of his cronies he decided that he would teach this upstart assistant manager a lesson. Harki was also not popular amongst his colleagues for his brusque behaviour and conniving manners. He tried to court favour from his superiors

and lord it over the juniors in the company. He was into sports but was a bad loser and always tried to take revenge against anyone who beat him in tennis, or outplayed him in the club cricket and football games. Babul made a plan to actually come at night and steal some things from his bungalow, which he had seen when Harki had got him to the house to check out the items he wanted repaired.

success Babul stopped doing his mechanical freelancing work and left Gohpur altogether. He became incommunicado and his wife and young family also did not hear from him. There was no news of him but Harki’s role in the transformation of Babul became widespread knowledge; Harki requested to be transferred and the company did accede to his request and he was sent off to one of the company’s gardens in Darjeeling. It was as if this incident triggered a spate of robberies and thefts in the gardens in the North Lakhimpur area as all of a sudden we kept getting news of late night sorties by a gang of 4 to 5 dacoits. Babul had tasted blood and now started spreading terror all around. The lure of easy money had got to him. The gardens then started to provide two night chowkidars per bungalow, and hoped that this would deter the gang. Instead it intensified and Babul also altered his tactics by coming at odd hours…. very early mornings, even in the afternoons and sometimes before midnight. He never stayed in one area for long and set up his base in the Mangaldai area and then later he moved to the south bank and took the gardens of Tinsukia

So some days later Babul with three other men came late at night, tied up the sleeping chowkidar, and with their faces covered well they compelled Harki to open the door, entered forcefully and tied up both Harki and his wife inside the bathroom and looted a lot of items like jewellery, watches, camera and some money which they found inside a suitcase. They also broke his bar cabinet and took away a few bottles of liquor. They left in the car they had come in and the whole operation took less than thirty odd minutes. After this initial

and Digboi by storm. At that time there was a lot of pressure on the police and they were able to catch his family at a village near Golaghat where they had surreptitiously moved from Gohpur. Once they came very close to catching Babul when he was coming to visit the family but an accomplice tipped him off and he vanished from Golaghat town itself. I got to know about all this news from Babul’s cousin brother who did timber logging near Banderdewa and often accompanied me on my camps. By that time the exploits of Babul and his gang of dacoits

After this initial success Babul stopped doing his mechanical freelancing work and left Gohpur altogether. It was as if this incident triggered a spate of robberies and thefts in the gardens in the North Lakhimpur area as all of a sudden we kept getting news of late night sorties by a gang of 4 to 5 dacoits.

Ranjan Kumar Choudhury ranjanchou@hotmail.com

were well publicised. He was known to be a thief with a conscience, if one could accept that. He never, himself or his gang members hurt or intimidated children and women, whom they kept locked in a room and got the Managers etc. to show them the valuables in the house for looting. Strangely Babul also had a habit of allowing them to dress up from their pyjamas or night clothes to make them feel comfortable. In fact a good friend of mine, Alok, who was visiting a garden from their Head Office in Kolkata and happened to be present in the Bungalow during a dacoity, was allowed to relax with a drink and sit quietly in the drawing room. He told me later how tense he was initially but later watched the proceedings as if he was in an audience seeing a play!! Try as hard as they could the police could never catch him though they did manage to nab two of his accomplices a year apart. Later Babul teamed up with another dacoit gang who was operating in the border areas of Nagaland and they gave the police a very torrid time. By this time their targets were also the rich sawmill and shop owners in the far flung areas who dealt in cash as the banking services were not established. He returned to the Biswanath Charali areas again after a couple of years and made that his base. He finally met his end in a jeep accident on the highway near Monabarie Tea estate where upon returning after a dacoity in an interior garden near Arunachal border, he was chased by a police vehicle, lost control and banged into a tree. A normal human being, who lost his bearings in life due to circumstances thrust upon him, and died at an young age of around 45 years only. Babul had run his dacoit gang for almost ten years at the time of his death and I heard that a large amount of people had turned up at his cremation in his village as he had built up a reputation of a Robin Hood character helping a lot of people in need.

22 Lifestyle

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

Directions affecting relationships

ll the directions have some importance over relationships between family members and others. Vaastu defects in any direction can hamper relationships in some way or the other. The southwest is utmost important for relations between the husband and the wife, that is why married couples and the master of the house are advised to sleep in a room at southwest. One should not keep dried flowers in the southwest because it signifies drying up of love. A cut or toilet in this direction affects stability of relationship and brings obstacles. We know that the Northeast is the place for the water element. If the fire elements like the kitchen, generator, inverter etc are placed in this direction, it creates a conflict between the fire and the water element.

Relationship among family members will tend to stagnate. A toilet, staircase, garbage bin or a cut in the northeast corner will have similar impact on relations. A bedroom in the northeast will bring tension between a married couple. The fire element is associated with the southeast. The kitchen, DG set, electrical items etc are suitable at southeast. If the bedroom is in southeast, the husband and wife will have lot of quarrels and there will be tension in the household. A water body in southeast will also bring tensions. The northwest is governed by the air element. There must be enough ventilation in the northwest to let the air element in which provides oxygen for relationships. A missing corner or clutter with no doors or windows at northwest causes lack of attraction between family

Hemanta Kumar Sarmah

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

members. The communication among inmates suffers and they become mentally and emotionally disturbed. The centre or the Brahmasthan is the place of the Space or ether element. If this area is not kept vacant but rather loaded and closed, then there will be disagreements. A toilet, staircase or a kitchen in the centre is very bad.

A few extra tips for students

It is mandatory to keep a clock in the study room with pendulum. This brings a sense of time for the student. The study table should be of right size. It should not be very big because it will

diminish the students’ capacity! On the other hand, it should not be too small which will cause depression to the student. The green colour is good is good for concentration. Orange colour is also good as stimulates the student's mind. If a table lamp is used, keep the same at the southeast corner of the study table. Lastly, the study room must be kept neat and clean without any clutter. An Education Tower kept at the east of the study table improves memory and concentration.

Indian breads and their benefits

read, the staple food almost all around the world, usually is prepared from wheat, flour, water. According to ancient history bread was first prepared in 8000bc in Egypt; later on it was spread worldwide from Rome.

The most commonly available breads in India are:

1. Whole wheat atta roti or chapatti or phulka:

These contain carbohydrate and protein, thus give full nourishment to body. It contains zinc, magnesium and many other minerals and helps in enzyme activities and induces antioxidant properties.

3. Naan

Kulcha is a mildly leavened flatbread. Usually it is made with full milk yoghurt, baking powder and white flour. Other ingredients like potato, panner, peas and other vegetables are mixed with the dough while making kulcha. It has benefits like: As it contains yoghurt it has all benefits of probiotic.

The typical bread which is made from dough containing atta and water, then made into shapes and baked. It has a few benefits like: It has got more fibre due to presence of bran.

It helps in constipation.

reducing

2. Multigrain bread

Multigrain bread is usually supposedly to contain barley, flax, millet, oats, even edible seeds like pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds etc and of course wheat. Its advantages are: It is comparatively low in calorie, thus very good for losing weight.

Sometimes it is fortified with calcium, thus can improve bone health to some extent. But consumption of brown bread instead of white bread surely has got more nutritional values like fibre content etc.

6. Luchi-puri-parathabhatoora

It has got more B vitamins like folate, riboflavin and many other minerals like zinc, calcium, iron. It protects heart heath by lowering cholesterol.

This is usually made from white flour and commonly not considered as healthy as whole wheat bread. It has more carbohydrate content so it is energy rich.

Soft and chewy naan are usually baked with yoghurt and baking powder. Naan has various flavours like garlic naan, plain naan, butter naan etc. Its advantages are: Bullets It gives us energy, being full of carbohydrate. It is low in fat, thus good option for people who want to lose weight. It is full of dietary fiber, thus has high satiety value.

4. Kulcha:

Occasionally can also be served to people suffering from diarrhea and dysentery. It is good for heart health. It gives immunity. Though butter kulcha is not quite healthy.

5. White bread:

These are usually made from white flour and fried in oil. Since Luchi-puri-bhatoora are deep fried they are unhealthier than paratha. Sometimes their health benefits may depend on the dishes eaten along with it. Chole bhatoore may be a healthier option than luchi potato curry. Parathas may be made healthier when they have veggies in them like veg paratha, corn paratha, yoghurt paratha, muli ka paratha, gobi paratha etc.

7. Thepla:

Thepla is a major part of the Gujrati cuisine. It is made of whole wheat flour, millet flour, powdered spices etc. lt has a number of nutritional values like: It is rich in B complex vitamins and fibre to boost

Sohini Chakraborty Chatterjee

our metabolism. If it is made of fenugreek it is full of calcium and magnesium, thus has got anti ageing properties. Sometimes it is made even nutritious with oats and yoghurt.

8. Millet roti: Millet rotis are the healthiest of all. Jowar, bajra, ragi all of these even in mixed form has got excellent nutritive values. Bajra roti is high in fibre and low calorie makes it a healthy choice.

Ragi is calcium rich, thus excellent for bone health. These are gluten free protein source option. These help cholesterol.

reduce

They can relieve the symptoms of diabetes.

Entertainment

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

Former England cricketer

Kevin Pietersen to

shoot documentary in Kaziranga

Rain in Sahara releases new song on climate change

– “You Think our Future is a Joke”

uwahati-based Modern Rock/Hip-Hop/ Electronic band ‘Rain in Sahara’ released its new song on climate crisis ‘You Think our Future is a Joke’ (YTOFIAJ) on February 21. The song is shot in an Indian Death Well (Maut Ka Kua) and is inspired by their energy, enthusiasm, and positivity in the face of species extinction. Through the song, they want

ormer England cricketer Kevin Peter Pietersen is coming to India next week to shoot a film “A KAZIRANGA Story.” On February 24 taking to his Twitter handle Pietersen wrote, “I’m coming to India next week to film, A KAZIRANGA Story. A week of learning the script starts! #IncredibleIndia”

Pietersen played for England from 2004-2014. Speaking to G Plus, Assam Forest officials confirmed that Pietersen will be in Kaziranga National Park for the documentary feature. However, the dates were not confirmed. It needs to be mentioned that Pietersen has been working dedicatedly for the welfare and

to spread awareness, promote dialog and create engagement about climate crisis. ‘Rain in Sahara’ is an international award-winning activist act who have performed internationally alongside globally renowned artists such as American hip-hop legend Mos Def, Switchfoot, Poets of the Fall, African Reggae star Nasseman, and Malawian singer-songwriter Faith Mussa.

conservation of endangered animals in South Africa. Pietersen also established a charity - Saving Our Rhinos Africa & India (SORAI) to support rhinoceros conservation. Further, in 2019 he also featured in Beast of Man podcast which showcased his role in combating illegal poaching, particularly that of rhinoceros.

90th birthday of Dr Lakshahira Das celebrated

Kaziranga festival to be held in Kohora

he ministry of cultural affairs, government of Assam and Anandhara, a socio-cultural organization jointly organised the 90th birthday celebration of eminent poet, lyricist, composer, academician and one of the senior most playback singers of Assam, Dr Lakshahira Das. The event was held at Rabindra Bhawan in Guwahati. During her conversation at the event, she reminisced about her musical journey, especially mentioning the songs she rendered along with Dr Bhupen Hazarika during the 1960s. She also spoke about her experience while recording songs for the film Lachit Borphukan (1964), Sarapat (1955), etc. Moromi Medhi performed a dance on Das’ songs. Eminent singer Sudakshina

aziranga festival will be held at Kohora, Assam from March 12-15. The State Agriculture Minister Atul Bora on February 24 laid the foundation post for the festival. Speaking to media, Bora said that Kaziranga, which was already declared an iconic tourist destination by

Sarma was the chief guest of the event. Pulak Banerjee, Anima Chaudhury, Anirban Das, Sangita Kakoty, Monojyosna Mahanta, Ashimjyoti Barua and Rubul

Kalita among others performed some popular songs of Smt Das. Dr Abhinandan Das performed a guitar recital. The well attended event was anchored by Nayan Prasad.

the Government of India, will be showing various cultures, traditions and ethnic foods being prepared by various communities during the fourday festival. He further said that the festival would definitely attract a number of tourists, both domestic and international, and thereby help in increasing the tourist flow in Kaziranga for a longer period of time. According to reports the festival might be attended by Chief Ministers of Assam & Arunachal Pradesh as well as the Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.

24 Catching Up

| Feb 29 - Mar 06, 2020

PIC OF THE