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INSIDE
Volume 07 | Issue 20 Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020 Price `10
HBS presents sop-filled budget Major schemes at a glance
PG 02
Who is an indigenous Assamese? Nagen Saikia, Pradyut Bordoloi, Wasbir Hussain, Pranjal Saikia, Rupam Goswami, Haider Hussain speak out
PG 08
Additional Budget stories: Look back on previous budgets, promises and fulfilments On the Centrespread Pg 12-13
Himanta presents deficit budget of
Rs 1249.50 for 2020-21 G Plus News @guwahatiplus
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ollowing Delhi chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal’s footsteps, Assam finance minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, might have announced free electricity for some and free rides for some others, but the budget presented by him on 6th March last has a net deficit of Rs 1249.50 crores. Going with the finance minister’s budget speech, there is a current surplus of Rs 1,934.10 crores but there is an opening deficit of Rs 3,183.60 crores which, if calculated, shows that there is a net deficit of Rs 1,249.50 crores. The aggregate expenditure for the 2020-21 is estimated at Rs 2,80,360.29 crores. The budget estimates of 2020-21 showed a receipt of Rs 1,05,245.23 crores under the consolidated fund of the state. Out of this, Rs 91,930.80 crores is on revenue account and the remaining Rs 13,315.43 crores is under capital account. Talking about budget
expenditure, the Assam government claimed that there was 67% expenditure in the financial year 2018-19; the same was 56% in 2015-16. The expenditure percentage is claimed to have further increased this financial year. Assam finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma presented this last full-fledged budget of the present government at 2 pm on Friday. The budget is being claimed to be a boon for 30 lakh to 40 lakh families and it includes schemes that are expected to take the state towards progress and development. In the last financial year 2019-20, the growth rate was at around 13 per cent in the state. The finance minister had also stated that around Rs 73,000 crores was spent in the last financial year. Interestingly, this annual budget was also published online hours before its cabinet approval and tabling in the state assembly which led to noisy protests against the incident in the assembly, with the main opposition Congress staging a
walkout over it. Local TV channels flashed the news since the afternoon that the budget had been already uploaded though it was scheduled to be presented at 2 pm on March 6. The document was soon taken off the website and uploaded in the evening again.
State Congress leader Pradyut Bordoloi, talking to G Plus said, “Himanta Biswa Sarma’s budget is a big hoax.” He questioned that when nothing on tax revenue was mentioned how can there be a current surplus of Rs 1934.10 crores. It is a deficit budget. He also said that it is Himanta’s fourth budget and since his first budget he has only claimed that every budget was a dream budget. But till now, as Bordoloi sees it, only 30% of the work has been done since the first budget. “He is just trying to blatantly trying to woo some sections of the people keeping the 2021 polls in mind,” said Bordoloi.
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Lead Story
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
HBS presents sop-filled budget
Major schemes at a glance
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ssam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma presented his fifth consecutive budget as Finance Minister on Friday, March 6. He became the first full-time Finance Minister of Assam, after its bifurcation in 1972, to present the Budget for five consecutive years.
Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03 Barasha Das @Barasha_mi2
“Ashtadash Mukutor Unnoyonee Maala”: 18 Flagship Schemes Announced in Budget 2020-21 1. Assam government’s stake in Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) to rise from 12.35% to 26%; Rs. 1500 Crores: Its capacity increased to 9 Million Metric Tonne Per Annum (MMTPA) from the present 3 MMTPA capacity
2. Affordable Nutrition and Nourishment Assistance (ANNA) Yojana; Rs. 498 Crore:
Free rice to 57 lakh tea workers and Adivasi families 4 kg of free sugar to each of the tea garden families
3. Jyotisman Asom Yojana; Rs. 650 Crores:
Rs. 400 Crores to APDCL for providing tariff relief to the general public Currently, 14 lakh families consume electricity up to 30 units monthly
This initiative to benefit families of tea garden workers, families living below poverty line and our SC-ST population
4. Swami Vivekananda Youth Empowerment Yojana (SVAYEM); Rs 1000 Crores:
To enable youths to get actively engaged in
Presenting his fifth and final budget before the term ends of the government next year, Sarma said a new era has dawned in Assam; an era of hope, of aspiration, of development and of a promise of a future that embraces everyone. Like last year, Sarma
various economic activities without leaving their native places
5. Chah Bagicha Dhan Puraskar Mela; Rs. 220 Crores:
To address the issue of ‘weekly cash cycle’ that tea garden workers are trapped into Launched in 2018, its third tranche of Rs. 3000 to be transferred 7,21,485 bank accounts of tea garden workers of 752 tea gardens To enhance financial inclusion in these areas.
6. Welfare Schemes for the Tea Tribes and Adivasi Community:
Wage compensation expanded from existing 6 to 9 months.
announced 18 Flagship Schemes this year too with a few changes. “These schemes have laid the foundation for not just growth and development but also equity and justice for the people of Assam since 2016,” he said. Here’s a look at all the 18 major schemes which were announced in the2020-21 budget: of gold.
8. Comprehensive Social Security Schemes; Rs. 505 Crores allocated: Aideu Handique Mahila Samman Asoni: A new scheme to provide a universal allowance of Rs. 250 per month to each unmarried / divorced / separated single woman in the state above the age of 40 years. Immediate Family Assistance to Widows and Indira Miri Universal Widow Pension; Rs. 91 crores allocated: The ‘Family Assistance to Widows’ provides for a one-time grant of Rs. 25,000 and the ‘Widow Pension’ provides Rs. 250 per month to widows.
be converted to RCC structures
11. Pragyan Bharati:
Admission fee waiver, free textbooks & uniforms in government schools
Rs 614 crores for road connectivity improvement
Rs 1000 to 1 lakh students for textbooks
15. Yuva Arohan; Rs. 150 Crores:
Textbook assistance of Rs 1500 and Rs 2000 for student at graduate and post-graduate levels One time Education Loan Subsidy of Rs 50000 and scooties to 20000 top ranked female students in Class XII.
12. Assam Cancer Care Foundation; Rs. 500 Crores:
Three tier cancer care grid to be constructed
Compensation increased to Rs 18,000 to be paid in 6 installments
Scooties to be provided to all Jeevika Sakhis of Assam along with a monthly travelling allowance of Rs 500.
State government to contribute Rs. 550 and Rs. 250 crores by Tata trusts
Will support pre-natal and post-natal health checkups and provide nutritional security
Swahid Kushal Konwar Sarbajanin Briddha Pension Asoni: Beneficiaries to be increased by 10%.
Phase 1 to be completed by 2021
34,000 youths to get Rs. 25,000 each for starting entrepreneurial activities
9. Vistarita Kanaklata Mahila Sabalikaran Achoni:
Smart phones approximately 4000 garden sardars
for tea
Government to facilitate gratuity payment of approximately Rs. 50,000 to tea workers One-time support of Rs. 10,000 to tea tribes & Adivasi students who pass HSLC and HSC exams
7. Arundhati Scheme; Rs. 150 Crores allocated: The financial assistance of Rs 30,000 that is being provided to newly married girls for purchasing gold for her marriage as financial security and to start a new life has been increased to Rs. 40,000, in lieu of 1 tola
Launched with an initial budget of Rs. 250 crores in 2018 The scheme provides for a Revolving Fund of Rs. 25,000 to each Self Help Group in intensive blocks & Rs. 10,000 in nonintensive blocks.
10. Asom Mala; Rs 550 Crores:
Transformation of 57,617 Kms of state highways and major district and other roads Rs 250 Crores for upgradation of industrial roads in 7 districts 1000 timber bridges to
Rs 2.5 lakhs to 8,000 Namghars for infrastructure development
Construction in progress in 8 districts
Unified Platform
Technology
13. Bhraman Sarathi; Rs 158 Crores:
Development entrepreneurial in youth
of mindset
Introduction of ‘Entrepreneurship’ as a curricular subject from Class XI onwards Nano-entrepreneurship Grant as Seed Capital for real life projects
16. Sonali Shaishab Rupali Pathsala; Rs. 350 Crores: School infrastructure upgradation at Rs. 25 lakhs per school for 200 elementary schools on pilot basis
Upgradation to be completed by October, 2020
17. Teachers Provincialization Drive:
Provincialisation of services of all teachers within August 2020
Free and dedicated bus services for women and senior citizens in Guwahati
Provincialisation 20,288 teachers consideration
Pink buses in busiest routes will provide safe and comfortable rides
18. Orunodoi; Rs. 2800 crores:
Free ride in ASTC for youth appearing in examination / interviews
14. Asom Darshan:
Development of tourist spots and religious places of all faiths Rs 10 lakhs transferred for infra-structure development of 915 religious institutions Rs 2 lakh annuity grant for each Devalaya
of under
Minimum guarantee to poorest for nutrition and health Annually Rs. 10,000 to 27 lakh poor households through DBT
Rs. 400 for medicines & Rs. 430 for pulses, sugar and fruits and vegetables Transfer of money directly to the primary care-takers of households i.e. women
City
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
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New Guwahati-North-Guwahati Bridge likely to boost river tourism Chayanika Das @cdchayanika95
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itizens of Guwahati and North Guwahati will soon be able to use an easier route to commute back and forth by surface instead of taking a ferry. A six-lane extra-dosed bridge is being built over the Brahmaputra River connecting Guwahati and North Guwahati. The foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 9, 2019 and was the commencement of construction was inaugurated by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on March 1. The bridge is likely to be completed by August 2023. A majority of the commuters said that they are eagerly waiting to commute over the bridge since it is more convenient. A few said that they will still prefer taking ferries since they have grown up commuting that way and are comfortable taking ferries. A lot of mixed emotions are flowing in about the bridge. One of the busiest water routes of Assam which carries thousands of people everyday might soon see a drastic decrease in the number of commuters. This can be avoided if the government takes serious initiative to boost river tourism in the city. When G Plus contacted the director of Inland Water Transport, Pabitra Ram Khaund, to enquire about their future plans on river front development, he said, “It is too premature to comment on the same. I believe that ferry services will not be shut down completely since
there are a few set of people who will prefer ferries over road transport.” Guwahati-North Guwahati bridge and Dhola–Sadiya bridge comparison After the completion of the Dhola–Sadiya Bridge, also known as the Bhupen Hazarika Setu, the longest bridge in India over water, several private boat owners were left jobless. The government is now coming up with a new rehabilitation project where they will be giving compensation to the people affected by the DholaSadiya Bridge. It stretches over 9.15 kilometres (5.69 miles) and connects the northeast states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Comparing Guwahati-North Guwahati Bridge to Dhola–Sadiya Bridge, Khaund said, “Unlike the Dhola–Sadiya bridge situation where several boatmen were left jobless, these boatmen will not face the same since there are no private ferries in this case.” “A new rehabilitation package will be offered to the victims of Dhola–Sadiya Bridge by the government. A small compensation will be given to the owners in order to make up for their loss,” Khaund added. Points to focus on to boost river tourism in the city With the advent of the new bridge, citizens of Guwahati and North Guwahati will have a safer option to travel to their workplaces, schools, colleges etc every day. This might lead to the drop in passenger ferries but in order to improve the riverfront, the government can beautify the boats and attract more tourists. “Safety over the bridge is much greater so people will prefer
taking the bridge over ferries. It might be a little time consuming since there will be a lot of traffic but I still feel it would be more convenient,” said Arijit Purkayastha, tour operator of Koyeli Travels. “Speaking from a boatman’s point of view, beautifying the boats will attract more tourists, leading to their sustainability. Apart from passengers, tourists will be happy to go around in those boats,” he added. He said that the government needs to start focusing on how to boost river tourism. He went on to say that converting boats to floating restaurants will attract a lot of tourists leading to the development of Guwahati. New Jibondinga scheme Recently, the government came up with a new scheme ‘Jibondinga’ - for private boat owners. The objective of this scheme is to provide financial incentives (including training, technical
The scheme includes Technical survey of the country boats opting for the scheme Mandatory for country boat operators/owners to register with DIWTA before opting for the scheme Training country boat operators/owners as per the provision of Inland Vessels Act, 1917, an development of skill-set and competence through capacity building Establishing standard operating procedures (SOPs) at Ghats/terminals and engaging qualified personnel to be named ‘JALASARATHI’ to keep vigil on compliance of safety norms and procedures Gender empowerment by providing training and employment opportunities to budding women entrepreneurs Generation of direct and indirect employment through encouraging small country boat builders for building new boats as per prescribed design standards Establishing regulatory mechanism to ensure compliance by country boat operators
Commencement of construction work on the new bridge | G Plus Photo assistance and insurance) to country boat operators in order to enable them to provide safe, secure and sustainable ferry services in inland waterways. As per approved design and
specifications certified by Nodal Agency, existing in-use semimechanised country boats like “Bhutbhuti” will be replaced with different sizes of mechanised wooden country boats.
4 Governance Snippets GMCH Doctors Won't be allowed to Practice in Private from Bohag Bihu
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
Few takers for Arundhati scheme in Kamrup (Metro) Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03
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ssam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at Assam Legislative Assembly on March 3 said that the doctors of Guwahati Medical College and Hospital will not be allowed to engage in private practice. Speaking at the Assembly Himanta Biswa said, “We are going to ban the private practice of GMCH doctors from Bohag Bihu. They will get the same salary and other amenities at par with AIIMS in Delhi.” “I have asked the doctors to resign if they wish to work at private nursing homes. Now we are going to make a distinction between the government and private sectors,” he added.
HSLC results to be declared in May first week
Despite being an ambitious scheme, the Arundhati gold scheme has failed to take off Only around 25 people have applied for the scheme in Kamrup (M) Implementation of the scheme began from December 2019 in Kamrup (M) It was aimed at increasing number of marriage registrations in Assam A total of Rs 300 crores was earmarked for this scheme The govt would provide Rs 30,000 to newly wedded brides The scheme is limited to families with annual income below Rs 5 lakhs
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he Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA) is likely to announce the results of High School Leaving certificate (HSLC) and Assam High Madrassa (AHM) examinations in the first week of May. Speaking to The Assam Tribune, SEBA chairman RC Jain said, "We are positive about announcing the results in the first week of May. The examinations were held smoothly with a number of measures taken by the Board to ensure proper security and discipline throughout the examination process. Similarly, a number of measures have been taken to ensure accurate and timely announcement of the results." This year around 3,48,739 HSLC candidates and 9,707 AHM candidates appeared for the board examination in 860 centres.
espite the government of Assam announcing the ambitious Arundhati gold scheme during the last year’s budget, there have been few takers for the scheme in Kamrup (Metro). As part of the scheme, the government had announced to provide one tola (10 gram) gold, valued at around Rs 38,000 to brides belonging to various communities of Assam where it is customary to provide gold at the time of the wedding. While presenting the 201920 Assam Budget, state finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said, “The benefit under this scheme can be availed upon formal registration of the marriages under the Special Marriage (Assam) Rules, 1954 and will reach the beneficiaries right on time for the social marriage.” The minister had further announced that the scheme will be limited to only the economically weaker sections,
Representative Image whose annual income is below Rs 5 lakhs. A total of Rs 300 crores was earmarked for this scheme. However, the scheme has failed to take off in Kamrup (Metro). Deputy Commissioner Kamrup (Metro) Biswajit Pegu told G Plus that the implementation of the scheme began from December 2019 and the district administration has received only around 25 applications for the same. “We haven’t received a lot of applications, we have got close to 25 applications till now which are currently being scrutinised,” said Pegu. Further, the DC said that the primary criterion for availing benefit under the scheme is that the marriage has to be registered and that the bride and the groom should be of legal marriageable age. Additionally, both the bride as well as the groom must have passed class 10 examination to avail the benefits under the scheme. However, no educational qualification criterion exists for the Adivasis and the tea tribe communities. Some have blamed the low turnout of potential beneficiaries for the scheme on
the lack of awareness created by the state government. “The benefits of the scheme can prove to be highly useful for those who are planning to marry off their daughters especially from the economically weaker
section society. But the government should make more effort to promote the scheme among the masses. Otherwise it will merely remain impressive on paper,” remarked a Guwahatian. As part of the scheme, the government would provide a financial assistance of Rs 30,000 to newly wedded brides for purchase of gold. For this, the applicant should have solemnized her marriage on or after December 1, 2019 and the marriage should be registered on or after January of
1, 2020. In order to apply, the applicants have to fill a form after registering the marriage, which would then be scrutinised by authorities. Along with the form, the applicants have to submit documents pertaining to proof of age, marriage certificate issued by the marriage officer under Special Marriage Act, 1954, income certificate of parents of the applicant, bank account details of the beneficiary and a certificate issued by the gaon bura / mouzadar of the village stating that this is the first marriage of the applicant girl. Further, once the application is accepted, the amount eligible under the scheme shall be transferred to the bank account of the applicant through Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) mode. The scheme was mainly aimed at increasing the number of marriage registrations in Assam. Earlier, while speaking in Guwahati, finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, had said that close to three lakh marriages take place in Assam every year but out of these only 50,000-60,000 are registered. Meanwhile, Hailakandi district administration has also undertaken steps to ensure smooth implementation of the scheme in the district. n
Poll
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
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Guwahatians expect further improvement in traffic scenario Do you think the traffic scenario of Guwahati has improved in recent times? Yes: 39% No: 61% Total votes: 2.7K Chayanika Das @cdchayanika95
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n March 1, residents and commuters from Beltola, Khanapara, Six Mile, Supermarket in particular reported heavy traffic jam in their locality. Several commuters blamed the traffic congestion on The Great Guwahati Marathon 2020. A few victims of the jam blasted the administration for poorly managing the traffic on a weekend. Guwahatians who went out seeking a comfortable weekend had a harrowing day. Speaking to G Plus, D.C.P. (Traffic) Guwahati, Ranjan Bhuyan said, "Because of the marathon the traffic jam occurred till the entire stretch of GS Road to Last Gate." He then went on to say that extra traffic police was deployed for the commuters to travel smoothly the traffic was eventually eased. Raj Hazarika, a resident of Six Mile area said, "I went out with my family to the outskirts considering the weekend, but when I entered the city, it was hell. I was stuck in Six Mile for almost an hour." Another resident Abhijit Das said, "I was at work towards Jayanagar, but it took me almost 1½ hours to come back to my residence in Zoo Road
because of the traffic. What a waste of a weekend." G Plus conducted a poll on Facebook asking netizens to put in their votes on whether they think traffic scenario of Guwahati has improved in recent times. A total of 2,700 participants took part. Out of this, 39% said yes while 61% said no, it is getting worse instead. Many said that parking is one of the main reasons for traffic congestion in the city. If people drive responsibly and park their vehicles in proper parking spots then traffic can be eased down. “Traffic management has marginally become better.... I feel, some stretches of the city should be declared "No Halt" Zones without much delay. Often people tend to leave their cars with driver on busy locations asking them to wait causing a massive traffic jam behind. Specifically the so called "elite" ones,” said Kausar Ahmed, a resident of Guwahati. Voters blamed city buses and
File photo of a traffic snarl in Guwahati other public transport for not complying with traffic rules. They also mentioned that transport department, GMC and GMDA need to take this matter seriously and come up with serious plans. Netizens suggested that the traffic department should penalise those who park their vehicles in odd ways. “City buses and other public transport were main culprits. Next drive should be to penalize people doing double parking and diagonal parking,” said Gaurav Borkakoty. Tagging Guwahati police and Guwahati traffic in a comment, a concerned citizen highlighted an important issue on GS Road. Priyam Goswami, a resident of Guwahati said that the high wall dividers cover a long stretch without any gap for pedestrians to cross the road. To save time
bridges or the day is not far when people will themselves break the divider. DON'T MAKE PLANS BY GETTING HIGH.. #guwahatitraffic #Guwahatipolice.” Another social media user said that traffic can be controlled by reducing the number of vehicles per house. Talking about streetlights, Manjima B Ganguly said that none of the traffic lights in Beltola Tiniali and Jayanagar Chariali work. There are a few who believe that the government has done a lot to ease traffic congestion in the city and they thanked the government. Several Guwahatians have lost their hopes on smoother flow of traffic. “Does anyone really believe that it will improve? I never think so,” said Monjit Baruah. n
and avoid taking the long stretch, pedestrians jump over the dividers and cross the road. “The entire GS Road is literally f***** up. I just don't get it what they want to achieve with those high walls dividers. Plus currently the gap which was there opposite to Central Mall has also been removed. Now if I literally have to go from one shop to another shop opposite the road I need to take a U-Turn from either Ulubari or Ganeshguri. But this is not stopping people from crossing the roads by jumping, climbing etc risking their lives.” “An old person can't jump and cross or keep on walking like this. Remember everyone doesn't have a car of their own. So visiting from one shop to another has become a real pain. Provide us proper 3-4 foot
Statement aboutForm-ownership and other particulars about paper IV (Rule 8, The Registration of Newspapers (Central) Rules, 1956) Place of publication
Guwahati
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Mr. Swapnil Bharali
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Weekly
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Janambhumi Press Pvt. Ltd.
If foreigner, state the country of origin
Does not arise
Address
4-A, 4th Floor, Royal Arcade, B Barooah Road, Ulubari, Guwahati, Assam 781007
Name and address of individuals who own the newspaper and partners or shareholders holding more than 1 per cent of the total capital.
Insight Brandcom Private Limited, 4-A, 4th Floor, Royal Arcade, B Barooah Road, Ulubari, Guwahati, Assam 781007
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Yes
If foreigner, state the country of origin
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Shed No. A1, Mini Industrial Estate, Kalapahar, Guwahati
Publisher’s name
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6 In The News
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
With his health rapidly deteriorating
how safe is Akhil Gogoi in jail? Kareng Engtipee Phukan @guwahatiplus
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emanding her son’s freedom, a mother’s heartfelt lamentation, “I want to get a glimpse of him. Why has he been confined for such a long time? Even I don’t keep well. Akhil is not well and yet he is not being provided any medical assistance.” Priyada Gogoi, who is currently bed-ridden requests for her son and peasant leader Akhil Gogoi’s release. The leader of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) who was arrested in a case for his alleged links with the CPI (Maoist) and is still in judicial custody in the Guwahati Central Jail is reportedly suffering from stomach ache and fever. He was arrested by the police in the wake of protests against Citizenship (Amendment) Act on 12th December right from the venue where the protests were taking place. He has been complaining of ill health for the past two months and had been admitted to the hospital three times in just one month. Now it has been alleged that he cannot even stand properly and is completely bedridden inside the jail due to lack of proper treatment. He was admitted to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) on 25th February after he complained of severe pain. However, he was sent back to the jail after the initial health checkup. In a media interaction Gogoi said, “I feel I should have been admitted to the hospital today as I am not keeping quite well. I was prescribed spectacles because of eye problems. Also because of my slip-disc problems, the severe back pain has kept me bed-ridden. But due to the government’s intervention I am not being given adequate medical help.” Many of the KMSS workers and well wishers have expressed grave concern at Gogoi’s statement. Praying for his good health the supporters have also condemned the conspiracy cooked against the peasant leader by the ruling party. However many others have expressed concern that the party workers have not done enough to fight for his release. Speaking to G Plus, Lakhya Jyoti Gogoi, Vice President of Chatra Mukti Sangram Samiti (CMSS) said, "We are trying our level best for the release of our
leader through legal procedures." “However Akhil Gogoi has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and is being question by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). As such bail petition cannot be filed for the three months. However, when the bail petition will be filed after 3 months he might be released within 6 months,” he added. He further added, “The government has also booked Akhil Gogoi under 4 more cases, for which 13 of our advocates have been deployed. As of today 47 cases have been registered against KMSS and 23 members have already been arrested. Many are currently being released on bail.
Total cases against KMSS in various districts:
Tinkusia ............................ 2 Dhemaji ............................ 7 Lakhimpur ........................ 1 Sonitpur............................. 1 Darrang ............................. 1 Dhubri ............................... 1 Goalpara............................ 1 Bongaigaon....................... 2 Udalguri............................. 1 Charaideu.......................... 2 Sivasagar .......................... 2 Jorhat ................................ 5 Golaghat ............................ 2 Morigaon............................ 2 Kamrup (M)........................ 3 Kamrup (R)........................ 1 Karimganj ......................... 1 The other cases: NIA .........1 CID......................................1 Apart from NIA (Crime Branch), cases against Akhil Gogoi have also been registered in Jorhat PS, Teok PS, Sibsagar Sadar PS, Gourisagar PS, Chabua PS and Dibrugarh Sadar PS.” “Many of our KMSS leaders are being individually called for questioning. Moreover, we are not given permission to stage any protest and even when permission is granted not more than 100 people whose identities are recorded by the police are allowed.” Lakhya Jyoti Gogoi has alleged that the media and the general public have not adequately voiced the issue of Akhil Gogoi's release. Akhil’s brother, Manoj Gogoi, who went to meet him in the
Akhil Gogoi (C) being escorted to the NIA court | G Plus Photo
The person whom I came to interact with could not even come up to meet me as he was bed-ridden. I had to return with tears in my eyes,” Manoj Gogoi, brother of Akhil Gogoi.
jail on 2nd March last, was left devastated on seeing the former’s health. Speaking to media he said, "The person whom I came to interact with could not even come up to meet me as he was bed-ridden. I had to return with tears in my eyes. I meet with Bittu Sonowal, Manash Konwar and Dharjya Konwar who informed me that Akhil could not even get up from his bed ever since he had returned from the hospital on February 29, 2020." He further said the BJP government is trying to suppress the “rebellious voice” of the people. Manoj further alleged that the government is trying to push
Akhil Gogoi to his death. As per reports, proper nutritious food is not being served inside the jail. Former KMSS leader and State Congress spokesperson, Kamal Kumar Medhi said, "Akhil Gogoi’s health is rapidly deteriorating. Although I have asked GMCH to provide proper medical treatment to him, he was sent back only after a
cursory health checkup. “He is a prominent voice of our society. The government is playing politics over him.” It has to be mentioned that with Gogoi's deteriorating health, his family is devastated and his son has not been attending school for the last 3 months. Earlier Akhil's wife, Gitashree Tamuly, could not meet him in the jail even after waiting for an hour. Speaking to media she said, "Jail officials informed me that he could not come to meet me because of his ailing health. I will wait for legal procedures for his release." As such Akhil Gogoi’s relatives and his well wishers have raised question on his safety in judicial custody. However, following NIA court's directives, a team of doctors visited the ailing leader inside the jail on 4th March last. The directive came after Gitashree Tamuly sought the court’s intervention in providing proper treatment to him. The doctors have suggested proper treatment for Gogoi and have furnished a report to the NIA court. n
In The News
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
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Cotton University research team’s recommendations find place in State Finance Budget 2020 G Plus News @guwahatiplus
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research team from Department of Psychology, Cotton University led by Dr Dimpy Mahanta carried out a research project on the Stress, Well-being & Motivation of the Field Staff of the Kaziranga National Park. The empirical research was fully-funded by the Kaziranga National Park Staff Welfare Society (KNPSWS). Part of the research and its findings and recommendations were published in the May 2019 Issue of a UGC-CARE Listed peerreviewed International Journal. This research is a first-of-its-kind in the country and is a pioneer work in the area of mental health
and motivation of the field staff with empirical and rich data to substantiate for the greater cause. Dr Dimpy Mahanta, along with her research team, submitted the recommendations for the State Budget on 24th February, 2020 to Assam finance minister, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF Wildlife), MK Yadava. The prime focus was on enhancing Well-being and Motivation of the Field Staff of National Park of the state by providing equitable incentives and allowances to the field staff. The government of Assam through its budget has accepted one of the many recommendations to motivate the field staff by introducing Incentive Schemes for the Frontline Workers of the three national parks of the state, namely Kaziranga, Manas
and Orang National Parks on the same scale as the National Tiger Conservation Authority. The government has assured to look into the other recommendations like setting up of medical centres at Kohora along with 24/7 ambulance services at each of the range offices at Kaziranga National Park, efficient grievance redressal mechanism for the field staff, potable drinking water facility, elevated pathways and highland constructions at core areas of KNP, etc.
Dr Dimpy Mahanta-led Research Team from Psychology Department of Cotton University submitting the recommendations for the State Budget-2020
8 In The News
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
Who is an indigenous Assamese? Barasha Das @Barasha_mi2
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lmost after 35 years since the signing of the Assam Accord, the question of who qualifies as ‘indigenous’ under Clause 6 of the Assam Accord is still a matter of discussion or debate. Making it a vital agendum, many organizations, including political parties are playing this card as vote-bank politics. The Assamese intelligentsia has been debating the issue ever since, and trying to make the citizens of Assam understand as to who are the indigenous people. Rather, who is an Asssamese? As the issue is all set to be debated again in the ongoing budget session of the state assembly, G Plus tries to reach out on this controversial and sentimental issue, by speaking to some of the eminent personalities that comprise the intelligentsia of Assam. We asked for their personal opinion on who they think should be considered Assamese or what a proper definition of the term ‘Assamese’ is. Here are the responses from six prominent personalities of Assam.
Dr Nagen Saikia, former General Secretary of Asam Sahitya Sabha:
“For me, all the people who speak Assamese as their mothertongue, the aboriginal people of the state, the permanent residents of Assam who might speak a different language as well as those who consider themselves truly as an Assamese and have unified oneself with this community collectively form the greater Assamese society. This also includes people who have migrated from other states
of India but have wholeheartedly accepted the Assamese culture. It must be remembered that all ethnic groups of Assam can be divided into two linguistic groups – one group speaks their own language, while the other speaks the Assamese language, be it Bodos, Karbis, Misings, Rabhas, Deuris and others. However, all of them collectively define Assamese.”
Pradyut Bordoloi, Congress MP from Nowgong Constituency:
“The Assamese identity has always been broad based. That is why more than the word ‘Asomiya’, I would vouch for the word ‘Asomiyattva’. Remember a migrant statesman Chaolung Sukapha came along with his large entourage in 1228 AD from the Yunan of present day China into this land and slowly cobbled up an identity known as the ‘Asamiyattva’. This had been an arduous and painstaking journey but culminated through a liberal process of assimilation, merger and adaptation. The Assamese identity never was foisted by intimidation, hatred, violence and war mongering between various ethnic groups and the migrants. That is why, the Assamese is not just a spoken language or a religion or even a compartmentalised cultural practice. It’s wide and inclusive.”
G Plus tries to find an answer to this seemingly complex question through the words of six prominent intellectuals of the intelligentsia from the state of Assam.
It comprises the various ethnic groups, communities, caste Hindu Assamese and also the indigenous Assamese Muslims. We cannot also completely segregate the Barak Valley. The original inhabitants of the Barak Valley are part of the greater Assamese society. Of course, illegal migrants and migrant settlers, I would say, belong to a different bracket.”
Pranjal Saikia, prominent Assamese thespian:
and faster Wasbir Lighter Hussain, editorin-chief of Northeast Live and member of the Clause 6 committee “For majority of the people of said: Assam exchange of conversation
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“I would like to say that Assamese is a very broad terminology that includes all the indigenous people that have been living in the state for generations, the ‘sons of the soil’ are Assamese people.
have always taken place in the Assamese language. Many prominent personalities of Assam, right from Ahom King Sukapha, Srimanta Sankardev, Madhavdev, Lakshminath Bezbaroa, Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla,
Bishnu Rabha, Ambikagiri Rai Chowdhury and others have immense contribution in the formation of the larger Assamese society from much before the time of independence. When the great northeastern region was bifurcated into seven states, the land area of Assam had already shrivelled. Now, if the many tribes and other indigenous communities of Assam, apart from protecting its own culture, do not stand up as one large Assamese community, Assam would remain no more. Every Assamese speaking person along with all the people – the other Indians - who have settled and consider this their motherland is a true Assamese. And we must remain as such. And Assamese is the language or the medium that brings all of us together. It is very important to have a mothertongue or a state language if we are to showcase our strength and have a proper identity. But all the other minority communities of Assam - be it Karbi, Kachari, Mising etc - all are an integral part of this state. They are like colourful motifs in one ‘gamosa’. Finally, Bengali language is already the identity of West Bengal and Bangladesh. So it can’t be a medium in Assam, although we will continue to follow their culture and literature as ever.”
Rupam Goswami, BJP state spokesperson:
“Every Assamese has an ethnic identity of his own, be it the general caste Brahmin, Gosain, Kalita, Rajbonshi, etc, the tribals – Mising, Moran and others, even including the Assamese Muslims –Goriya, Moriya, etc. According to me, as per the Assam Accord 1971, many people got Indian citizenship but they cannot be considered as indigenous people of Assam. However, amongst them some are exceptional like Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla, who
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have unified themselves with the Assamese society and now cannot be segregated. But it is difficult to define them legally, going by the constitution. But I believe that the ethnic identities of all the indigenous people, combined together can be defined as truly Assamese.”
Haider Hussain, eminent journalist:
“I feel all the native people of Assam, the ‘sons of the soil’ inclusive of all the ethnic groups form the Assamese society. However, in recent times most of the ethnic communities like the Bodos, have bifurcated and do not identify themselves with mainstream Assamese. Although states in India were organised along linguistic lines in 1956, yet every state has further minority communities who prefer to identify themselves by their own language. However, they are definitely Assamese. So for me, all those people who have culturally assimilated as Assamese are so. It is now being proposed that people who have come after 1951 are permanent residents of the state. But are they Assamese? So the Assamese speaking population as well as those speaking any ethnic language of the minority groups are all together Assamese. It also includes the people who have settled here for generations and have assimilated with the culture of the state. Moreover, the constitutional rights enjoyed by the people who have come from other parts of the country, the same also be enjoyed by the ones from East Bengal, as Sylhet was once a part of Assam. So apart from the indigenous people of Assam, those who have mingled or unified themselves completely with the culture and ethnicity of the state are Assamese.”
News This Week
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
A quick round up of the news that mattered during the past week
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7 Congress MPs suspended from Lok Sabha during Budget Session
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla suspended 7 Congress MPs for disrupting the proceedings of the House for the rest of the Budget Session on March 5. The suspended MPs are Gaurav Gogoi, TN Prathapan, Manickam Tagore, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Benny Behanan, Rajmohan Unnithan and Adv. Dean Kuriakose. It is to be mentioned that the Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted for the third day as opposition parties created an uproar demanding immediate discussion on the Delhi violence. The House was adjourned at 15:03 hours for the day to meet again the next day.
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Nirbhaya Case: Convicts to be hanged at 5.30 AM on March 20
A Delhi court on March 5 issued a fresh death warrant against the four convicts of the Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case. According to the death warrant, the four convicts will be hanged on March 20, 2020, at 5.30 AM. It is to be mentioned that this is the fourth death warrant issued by a Delhi court. The execution of the death warrants of the four convicts - Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan (25), Vinay Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar Singh (31) - has been deferred thrice so far due to delays by them in exhausting legal remedies. Meanwhile, Nirbhaya’s mother expressed hope that it is the “final date and convicts get hanged on March 20.
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Israeli PM asks Israelis to adopt Namaste instead of handshake to prevent Coronavirus
In the midst of current Coronavirus outbreak, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has encouraged his countrymen to adopt ‘Namaste’ - the Indian way of greeting - instead of the normal handshake as one of the measures to prevent the spread of the deadly Coronavirus. At a press conference following a review meeting to fight the spread of Coronavirus, Netanyahu said that several measures will be announced to prevent the spread of Coronavirus but some simple measures like avoiding the normal handshake while greeting people may possibly be replaced with other forms of greetings like the Indian ‘Namaste’. Israel has 15 confirmed cases of the deadly virus but no deaths, with some 7,000 others in home-quarantine.
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India’s unemployment rate rises to 7.78 % in February 2020
India’s unemployment rate rose to 7.78% in February, the highest since October 2019 - up from 7.16% in January 2020. India’s economy expanded at its slowest pace in more than 6 years in the last three months of 2019, with analysts predicting further deceleration as the global Coronavirus outbreak stifles growth in Asia’s third-largest economy. In rural areas, the unemployment rate increased to 7.37% in February from 5.97% in the previous month, while in urban areas, it fell to 8.65% from 9.70%. The data is released by CMIE, a Mumbai-based private think-tank.
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Pulwama attack probe: NIA arrests father-daughter duo
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a Pulwama resident and his daughter in connection with the suicide bombing terror strike on a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy, in which 40 troopers were killed on February 14, 2019. The NIA identified the two as Tariq Ahmed Shah (50) and his 23-year-old daughter Insha Jan. Shah told the NIA interrogators that his house in Pulwama was used by terrorists to plan the attack. The NIA has taken over the case to probe the conspiracy behind the attack wherein Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist Adil Ahmad Dar rammed his car into a CRPF convoy, killing 40 personnel.
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PM Modi to give away his social media handles to women on Women’s Day
After PM Modi announced that he was thinking to quit his social media handles the internet was filled with speculation. However on March 3, PM Modi actually gave the reason behind his tweet which garnered millions of views and re-tweets. PM Modi wrote, “This Women’s Day, I will give away my social media accounts to women whose life & work inspire us. This will help them ignite motivation in millions. Are you such a woman or do you know such inspiring women? Share such stories using #SheInspiresUs.” It is to be mentioned that PM Modi has 53.3 million followers on Twitter, 35.2 million on Instagram, 4.51 million on YouTube and 44.73 million on Facebook.
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Now PAN holders could be fined Rs. 10,000 for not linking it with Aadhaar
The income tax department might impose a penalty of Rs. 10,000 if someone fails to link PAN card with Aadhaar card within the deadline of March 31. The IT Department in a fresh notification said, “Not only will their PAN cards become inoperative but they could also face a fine up to Rs 10,000 for using an inoperative PAN card.” It is to be mentioned that under Section 272B of the Income Tax Act, a person found using an invalid/inoperative PAN card may be fined Rs 10,000. If an individual misses the deadline for linking, his/her PAN card will become inoperative from April 1.
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Twitter to launch stories soon
Twitter has begun testing a story feature, ‘Fleets’ that will allow one to post photos, videos and text that will disappear after a short period of time. Twitter’s company blog post said, “Twitter is finally changing its tune. It’s testing fleets — its try-hard name that mashes together “fleeting” and “tweets” — in Brazil.” Further it stated, “We hope that people who don’t usually feel comfortable Tweeting use Fleets to share musings about what’s on their mind.” They further informed, Fleets cannot be retweeted or liked and they support text, GIFs, videos, and photos.
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Broadband services restored in J&K
Broadband internet service has been restored in Jammu & Kashmir after almost seven months. Internet services were disrupted on 5th August 5 2019 when the Indian parliament moved a motion to remove Article 370. According to an order issued by Principal Secretary (J&K) Shaleen Kabra on March 4, the valley administration said that unrestricted 2G internet access will be allowed for use, but only for social media apps and the list of websites provided by the government. Internet services would also be allowed on landline connections after they are verified and granted permission.
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Yes Bank placed under Moratorium; Board of Directors Superseded
A press release by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said, “The financial position of Yes Bank Ltd. (the bank) has undergone a steady decline largely due to inability of the bank to raise capital to address potential loan losses and resultant downgrades, triggering invocation of bond covenants by investors, and withdrawal of deposits.....The Reserve Bank has been in constant engagement with the bank’s management to find ways to strengthen its balance sheet and liquidity.” Further, RBI has also superseded the Board of Directors of Yes Bank Ltd. for a period of 30 days owing to serious deterioration in the financial position of the Bank. Prashant Kumar, ex-DMD and CFO of State Bank of India has been appointed as the administrator under Section 36ACA (2) of the Act.
10 IWD Special
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
More power to women is the need of the hour E very year on 8th March, the world celebrates International Women’s Day with prompt and gaiety. Women movement, which started a century ago for empowerment, still has miles to go to achieve the desired goal. This year the United Nation’s theme for International Women’s Day is “Each for equal.” To implement this into reality women need power. But unfortunately apart from two or three countries, the rest of the world has unequal gender representation in their political system. The Constitution of India is framed on the basic principle
To transform the current de jure status of women in India to de facto status, the women of India should come out to actively take part in politics. Women must get power, says the author.
of equality. Yet when the question of status of women comes up it seems the status that she has been given by the society is only a de jure status. To transform this de jure status to de facto status, the women of India should come out to actively take part in politics. Women must get power. It was 1917. The Calcutta session of Congress expressed the view that the women of India should be allowed to exercise the same franchised right to men. In fact, the year
1917 has a great significance in the history of progress of Indian women. That year the Congress elected its first woman president Dr. Annie Besant at the Calcutta session. By electing a woman as President and expressing equal franchised right to men and women, the Congress took a great step for the upliftment of women as early as 1917. When elections were held in 1946 for the constitutional assembly many prominent women like Sarojini Naidu, Hansa Mehta, Durga Bai, Renuka Raj and others were elected. Sarojini Naidu was the first woman to be appointed as Governor of the United Province in 1947. But although Indian women had enthusiastically participated in the freedom struggle, the post independence scenario of women’s participation in politics is not very encouraging. When the general elections were held in 1952, only 52 women contested for the Lok Sabha, out of whom 22 were elected. Likewise, in the Rajya Sabha, 19 women were elected or nominated. The record reveals that from 1952 to 2019, that is from the first Lok Sabha to the 17th Lok Sabha, there have been only 670 women MPs. This means out of 9,265 (545×17) elected MPs in India, the number of women MPs account for only 670. The present Lok Sabha has the highest number of women that is 78 (14%) When Panchayati Raj was introduced in 1959, few women contested in the polls. But now, the picture is quite healthy. The 73rd Amendment Bill, which reserves 30% seats
for women in panchayats is a very good step to uplift the status of women in India. Today, lakhs of women seek election from villages. The amendment bill was certainly a great opportunity for rural women of India, through which they could participate in various nation building activities at the grassroots
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Minister of India was a very significant achievement for Indian women. Apart from Indira Gandhi there have been also some commanding women politicians in India. Outstanding among them are Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, Sucheta Kripalini, Aruna Asaf Ali, Nandini Satapathi, Gayatri Devi, Nazma Heptulla, Renuka
Bijaylakshmi Baruah the women parliamentarians and legislators are just hand raising listeners. They even failed to focus properly women problems in the Parliament and Assembly.
Representative Image level. Unfortunately the 108th amendment bill for women representation for Parliament and Assembly is pending in Parliament which is definitely hampering women to get power. In the history of progress of Indian women in politics, the entry of Indira Gandhi and her becoming leader of the majority party in 1966 and later becoming the Prime
Devi Borkotaki, Margarat Alva, Susma Swraj, Mayawati, Jayalalitha, Shila Kaul, Renuka Choudhury, Girija Vyas etc. From Assam, apart from Borkotoki, Puspalata Das and Bijoya Chakraborty were very active Parliamentarians. Though there are quite a good number of women politicians in India yet very few women MPs and MLAs actively take part in Parliament and Assembly debates. Most of
No country of the world can dream of success without the help of participation of its women folk. To make India strong women folk must become literate and they should come out to take part in Politics. Swami Vivekananda said - when woman is no longer oppressed she will become a lion. Thus he emphasised that only through education the women of India can solve their problems.
Weather report for the week Guwahati
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Partly Cloudy
Sunny
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29°17° C
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SATURDAY
PM Showers 26°18° C
Sports
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
Virat’s fading magnificence I ndian cricket captain Virat Kohli’s euphoric, if misplaced, celebration coupled with his aggressive body language at the fall of New Zealand skipper Ken Williamson’s wicket in the first innings of second test at Christchurch has been reprimanded widely as “unsporting;” the gesture also only succeeded in exposing his deep frustration and anguish at being well and truly annihilated by the New Zealanders in the recently concluded bilateral series. A highly charged up Virat Kohli
The author pens an analytical piece on Virat Kohli and his recent tour of New Zealand where he led the Indian cricket team to disastrous results and himself performed poorly with the bat while displaying undue aggression on the field.
was seen running in celebration muttering monologues when his prime pacer Jasprit Bumrah scalped Williamson. In the backdrop of the spineless and inept Indian batting display in the ODIs and the test series against the Kiwis, Virat’s rapturous ecstasy was agonizingly stupefying and in poor taste! Even Kapil Dev did not display such ecstasy when Team India took the final winning wicket in the World Cup final in 1983 to emerge as world champions – an unprecedented occasion in Indian cricket history! Team India’s much vaunted current batting lineup has completely wilted and
surrendered distressingly and meekly to the New Zealand pace battery having failed to score beyond 200 runs in three of the four innings in the two-test series Down Under. Bereft of application while acclimatizing to bat in seaming conditions coupled with a visible lack of determination to fight back in adverse conditions, Team India, under high profile Virat Kohli, looked a terribly disjointed outfit. Back in 1974, BBC had denounced the Indian team visiting England as “a rig-ragged, bob-tailed team masquerading as a test team!” The current Indian team’s disgraceful performance is a reminder of that classically funny condemnation of dismal Indian failure over the eventful 1974 summer. More importantly, despite the belligerence, the familiar aggression of the Indian skipper, his proven ability to blast opposition bowlers to smithereens was conspicuously absent through the entire series. The manner in which the Kiwi bowlers exploited the weaknesses of Kohli’s batting technique against the moving ball could be understood from the fact that the world’s second best batsman, as per ICC ratings, managed to aggregate a paltry 38 runs in four innings and was a mere shadow of his glorious past. Notwithstanding Virat Kohli’s soaring success in all formats of the game, a disturbing trend emerging in Virat’s illustrious career over the last five years or so is worrying the discerning followers of the game. It is being felt that Virat has been failing more often in crunch situations/matches against quality opposition on foreign soil during the last four years or so. To cite a few instances, in the semifinal of ICC 2015 against Australia, the Champion’s Trophy final in 2017 against Pakistan, in the ICC semifinal 2019 against New Zealand, Virat left his countless
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Chutia. Talking to G Plus, Jitul Sonowal, Director, NEZCC said that one of the highlights of the three-day festival is the performances of 14 folk troupes from across the country, including eight from the sister states of the northeast. “On the last day of the festival these troupes will perform a dance choreographed by Prasanna Gogoi. I feel this would be one of the most exciting events of the festival,” he said. “Even though most events
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admirers disillusioned with his abject failure to carry the team’s cause on his broad shoulders. Empirical experiences and statistics of the last five years or so also reveal that Virat thrives when the openers give a good start but fails when the top chips go down early. In the last World Cup, whenever Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul gave a solid start, Kohli prospered. In the all important semifinal match, Virat followed Rohit and Rahul KL to the pavilion quickly leaving India tottering at 9 runs with the loss of 3 wickets. Thereafter, MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja stemmed the rot to a great extent but it was too late.
The Indian Express has extensively covered Virat’s “hostile” celebration at the fall of Tim Latham’s wicket besides mouthing expletives. Especially, his gesture towards the crowd to silence them in addition to his sledging against Williamson and others has drawn flak and criticism from cricketing pundits across the world. Needless to say, Kohli’s lean patch in the entire series has resulted in his pent up anger. He has crossed fifty plus runs only once in the series in the three formats combined and thereafter it has been a miserable story of utter failure with the bat. At home, however, against
panegyric on Kohli and his past monumental achievements. As eternal lovers of Indian cricket, we hope Kohli regains his form and grace with the bat for the good of Indian cricket especially when the T20 ICC World Cup tournament is around the corner. As regards sledging, the uncouth
Virat’s magnificence seems to be fading steadily outside India against the more formidable teams. During Team India’s exciting, hard fought tour of Australia in 2018-19, Virat Kohli had an average tour by his standards as he managed 500 runs in all the three formats combined - T20Is, Tests and ODIs. His last century oversees was in 2019 at Port of Spain against West Indies – a team long fallen from grace.
lowly placed Bangladesh, a poor West Indies and a depleted Sri Lanka, Kohli has been in striking form. Following India’s disastrous New Zealand tour and Kohli’s increasingly evident run-famine overseas, it is no wonder that Kohli is being described as a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. He thrives when the going is good but “Mr Hyde” falters badly when the situation gets tough and adverse. There is no gain singing
weapon in the modern game, it is felt that while cricket needs to be played with intense rivalry, the underlying significance of the game to promote international brotherhood and friendship should not be sacrificed at the altar of sledging thereby vitiating the essence of sportsman spirit. (The author is a retired civil servant and a die-hard sports enthusiast. The views expressed in the article are his own)
Shilpgram Mahotsav from March 13 three day extravaganza of music, dance, food and craft christened Shilpgram Mahotsav will be held at Shilpagram from March 13. Organised by North East Zone Cultural Centre (NEZCC), this event will have performances by musical bands from the Northeast, Tetseo Sisters and Sofiyum on 14th March while Shillong-based Summersalt will perform on the last day of the programme, besides a musical performance by Krishna Moni
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will take place in the evening, a talent show for children, an ethnic food workshop by chef Atul Lahkar and a puppetry workshop will take place during the day time,” he added. He added that there will be an ethnic food competition to be judged by Lahkar. The festival will be inaugurated by folk singer Ms Dhanada Pathak while Nagaland Governor and chairperson of NEZCC R N Ravi will be the chief guest during the closing ceremony.
Gautam Ganguly
12 Centre Spread
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
Look back at Assa
Promises made VS
As the state finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma pr takes a look at ten of the major schemes which were a budget and the promises which were ma
Saumya @saumy
Free textbooks for students pursuing graduation Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced that degree students of Arts, Science and Commerce stream will be provided with free textbooks. “Students will have to first purchase the books belonging to their curriculum and would have to submit their bills to the college. This would then be certified by the college principals after which the government would directly transfer the amount in the account of students,” Homeswar Kalita, principal of Gauhati Commerce College told G Plus. He added that the process for implementation of the scheme has begun but the benefit transfer to the students will take some time.
Uberisation of ASTC State finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while presenting the annual state budget 2019-20 had announced that the state government intends to put 1000 new buses on the roads of Assam over the next three years. An amount of Rs 70 crores has been earmarked for the initiative, under ‘Uberisation of ASTC’ Scheme. Recently, the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) officials announced that they will introduce 678 buses in which interested candidates - individuals, small business enterprise or self-help groups (SHGs), can apply by putting their buses on routes to be operated under the ASTC.
PRANAM Commission
Arundhati Gold Sch
During the last year’s budget, the finance minister had announced that after passing the Assam Employees’ Parents’ Responsibility and Norms for Accountability and Monitoring (PRANAM) Act, 2017 that laid down stringent directives to all government employees to ensure that they take care of their elderly parents. After this, the government had planned to institutionalize the PRANAM Commission to handle all cases filed by parents against children who are employees of the state government. But the commission is yet to become operational, as per sources.
The government had ann valued at around Rs 38,00 communities of Assam whe at the time of the wedding. under this scheme can be av marriages under the Specia will reach the beneficiaries r Rs 300 crores was earmarke already been rolled out and districts.
Asom Darshan
Value education tr infrastructural dev
The state government launched the Asom Darshan scheme on February 24. It was promised during the 2019- 20 Assam budget. State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently informed that a total of 915 religious institutions across Assam have been developed under the ‘Asom Darshan’ scheme and Rs 710 crores have already been spent on infrastructure development and road construction for the scheme. Further, the minister informed that these 915 religious institutions include 74 devalayas, 459 temples, 186 satras, 123 nnamghars 47 masjids and mazars, and 26 churches.
Giant statues of three monarchs of Assam
In anothe r major announce me nt last ye ar, the state government had promised in the budget that they would install giant statues of Kumar Bhaskaravarman, Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha and Maharaj Nara-Narayana at the state secretariat complex as icons of good governance. However, this promise has not been fulfilled by the government till now.
Minority Girls scholarship scheme The scheme aims to strengthen education of girls belonging to the minority communities to encourage and incentivise them to continue their higher education with Rs 200 crores being earmarked for this. This scheme is also under implementation. “All school principals have prepared a list of students who are to receive the benefits under the scheme. They send the list to the inspector of schools and the district education officers who then vet the list to ensure that the aid is given to eligible students,” mentioned Bulli Gogoi Bhuyan, district elementary education officer.
Incentives to artists and sportspersons
Giving the example of Rima Das and Hima Das, the finance minister had said that they have now become household names and have made the state proud with their achievements. He had further announced a one-time financial assistance of Rs 50,000 to artists as well as sportspersons. The state gove rnme nt had also provide d the financial assistance to some prominent figures from the field of sports and art.
Emphasising on the need while presenting the bud Himanta Biswa Sarma had sa special courses on value edu We will start the process wit turn impart value based edu However, it is yet to be con informed officials from the s
Separate district fo Dima Hasao
In order to improve adm had announced the formatio existing Dima Hasao district “We have decided to crea existing Dima Hasao distri and hilly terrain which make difficult for the citizens,” s special package was annou government is yet to begin same.
Centre Spread
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
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am Budget 2019
Promises fulfilled
resented the Assam budget on Friday, March 6, G Plus announced by the government during the last year’s ade and fulfilled from budget 2019-20.
a Mishra yamishra03
heme
nounced to provide one tola gold, 00 to brides belonging to various ere it is customary to provide gold . The minister had said that benefit vailed upon formal registration of the al Marriage (Assam) Rules, 1954 and right on time for the social marriage. ed for this scheme. This scheme has d is under implementation in various
raining and velopment
d for value education for students, dget for 2019-20, finance minister aid, “I announce that we will organise ucation for our teachers and students. th the TET qualified teachers who in ucation to all the students.” nducted by the government till now, state education department.
ormation from
ministrative control, the government on of a separate new district from the t. ate a separate new district from the ict considering its large geography es the access of government services said Sarma. A total of Rs 27 crore unced for Dima Hasao. However, the n the administrative process for the
Union Budget & State Budget: the difference between the two and other terminologies Nehal Jain @NehalJain96
I
t's that time of the year when you eagerly wait to see if the government has been kind enough to lower your income tax, among other things.
As the Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma presents the state budget on Friday, March 6, here's all you need to know about the Union Budget, the State Budget and key terms related to budgeting. According to the Constitution of India, there is three-tier system of government, namely Central (or Union) Government, State Government and local government (like Municipal Corporation, Municipal Committee and Zila Parishad).These governments prepare their own respective budgets (called Union Budget, State Budget and Municipal Budget) containing estimates of expected revenue and proposed expenditure. The basic structure of government budget is almost the same at all levels of government but items of expenditure and sources of revenue differ from budget to budget. Again, there is no clash with regard to sources of revenue because functions of Central, State and local government have been clearly demarcated and laid down in the Indian Constitution.
What is a Union Budget?
The Union Budget is an exercise carried out by the central government every year, presented by the Union Finance Minister. The government makes an estimate of revenue and expenses for the forthcoming financial year. The date of budget presentation has varied throughout the history of Independent India. Since 2017, the Union Budget has usually been presented on the first of February, every year.
Before that, it used to be presented on the last day of February. However, the proposals made in the budget (if passed by the Parliament) come into effect from April 1 of every year and are valid till March 31 of the next year.
What is a State Budget?
The State Budget is the “Annual State Government Financial Statement” which includes the estimated receipts and expenditure of the State for every financial year, which runs from April 1 to March 31. States opt for their own presentation formats as per practice and convenience. Also, sources of revenues may vary from state to state and similar variations can be seen in expenditure profiles.
What are the key Expenditures and Receipts?
Budgets have two basic parts: Revenue Budget and Capital Budget. The revenue part consists of revenue receipts and expenditures including tax revenue, non-tax revenue (like interest receipts, profits) while the capital part comprises capital receipts like borrowings, disinvestment, creation of assets and investments. Any expenditure that doesn’t create assets or reduce liabilities is treated as Revenue Expenditure. Examples include salaries, subsidies, interest payments, rents etc. Proceeds from taxes, non-tax sources of revenue and other receipts are recorded as Revenue Receipts. Income tax, corporation tax, and union excise duty are some of the sources of tax-revenue, while interest receipts, fees/ user charges, and dividend & profits from government enterprises are some examples of non-tax revenue. Any expenditure incurred for the purpose of creation of assets or reduction of liabilities is recorded as Capital Expenditure. Capital Receipts are those that lead to a reduction in the assets or an increase in the liabilities of the government. Examples include recoveries of loans, earnings from disinvestment and debt.
What are Budget Estimates (BE) and Revised Estimates? Most budget documents like the Annual Financial Statement contain information for three financial years. For instance, the Union Budget 2017-18 contain figures for 2015-16 Actuals, 2016-17 Revised Estimates and 2017-18 Budget Estimates. Actuals refer to the amounts actually spent by the government in a previous financial year, which have been audited and certified by the office of Comptroller & Auditor General (C&AG) of India. It usually takes the office of C&AG around eight months to audit and certify the accounts/ actual expenditures reported by the government after the financial year ends. Budget Estimates (BE) refer to the amounts of expenditure ‘projected’ by the government for the ongoing/approaching financial year (say, April 1, 2020 – March 31, 2021 in the current case and time). After the initial projection of expenditure for an ensuing financial year, the government revises those projections after six months of the concerned financial year are over. These ‘revised projections’ are known as Revised Estimates (RE).
Budget Deficit vs. Budget Surplus
In cases where a budget deficit is identified, current expenses exceed the amount of income received through standard operations. One of the primary dangers of a budget deficit is inflation, which is the continuous increase of price levels. Countries can counter budget deficits by promoting economic growth through fiscal policies, such as reducing government spending and increasing taxes. When a surplus occurs, revenue exceeds current expenses and results in excess funds that can be allocated as desired. A budget surplus might be spent to make a purchase, pay off debt or save for the future. In situations where the inflows equal the outflows, the budget is balanced.
14 G Talk E
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COVID-19 and Chinese disposition
he concern of the week has of course been the Coronavirus – technically called the COVID-19. With Assam still declared safe from its onslaught but awareness about it catching on well among the masses, it is only prudent that the safe practices that have been well publicized over the media be followed to the hilt. The mantra is of course maintaining hygiene through good hand-washing practices and that shouldn’t be too much of a chore for anyone. The annoying part of this threat is that it has the potential to turn pandemic and trigger panic in the whole world thereby derailing the world’s economy. In the worst case scenario, it has the potential to hit each and every industry thereby bringing the hugely bloated human ego to its knees. Well, when it comes to ego, its Chinese variant has indeed taken a beating to the point of becoming indignant enough to blast Fox News host Jesse Watters of being “arrogant,” “prejudiced” and “ignorant” because he had half-jokingly demanded an apology from Beijing over the Coronavirus outbreak. Apparently, Watters said that it didn’t matter if the apology came from Chinese President Xi or the embassy. The Chinese foreign ministry went on to label his remarks as “ridiculous” and “laughable.”
I wouldn’t know the circumstances in which Watters was being arrogant and prejudiced; perhaps he was. But I am highly sympathetic of him being ignorant of Chinese matters because along with him the rest of the world also is actually. For long, we in Assam have grappled with our rivers swelling because some obscure Chinese dam had burst open (even satellite imagery cannot throw light on the truth of such matters). The Doklam tussle and what triggered it from the Chinese side also remains an enigma. Moreover, we keep hearing about the Chinese issuing stapled visas to people of Arunachal Pradesh, remain fuzzy about landslides occurring in the upper reaches of the Tsangpo and roads being constructed along the Indo-Chinese border. In all such cases, the Chinese never issue clarifications and keep the world guessing about its motives. China is now faced with a serious issue emanating from its soil and it needs the world’s help and sympathy. Being indignant and accusing the world of being ignorant of its problems is what is ridiculous and laughable and the Chinese would do well to be more forthcoming in its disposition.
Messing around with GS Road
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hat is GS Road to Guwahati? Like, what does this street mean? To say that it is the city’s lifeline would be a big understatement. Like c’mon, all the main hospitals are on that street. Care for me to name them? Ok here are some… GMCH, Apollo, Nemcare, Down Town, GNRC. Do I continue? No need right? March 1 last saw an international level marathon taking place in Guwahati. Yep! It was a welcome thing to happen for the city after all the mess of protests and other saddening stuff that dear Guwahati has been through. The organisers of the marathon were a high profile lot and it was good that they managed to add a very popular event to the city’s sporting calendar. Much on the lines of the Mumbai Marathon. The event was received very well by the participants. After all, in such events – maiden as it was in Guwahati – you don’t get people paying and participating. Such was the professionalism. The event was very well publicized so far as the categories were concerned: there was the full marathon for the international and national professionals at 42.5 kms. There was the half marathon and then for the enthusiasts, there was a 3 km walk. Super! Two things however went terribly wrong. 1) The organisers, with the clout that they enjoyed, chose to hold the event in the evening: 6 pm or something onwards. 2) The route of the marathon? Khanapara field to Bhangagarh and back four times. Well, you don’t block GS Road in the evening. Period! Read the first para again please; too many issues at stake. The consequent traffic snarl that occurred will remain part of Guwahati’s commuting folklore and with no great accolades to the organisers for the singular irritation that they perpetrated that fateful Sunday evening. Please, please, please, under no circumstances should we mess around with GS Road!
Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali
Warriors of the new age
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ecently, a friend of mine, while undermining women said and I quote, “Women drivers are highly unpredictable. We should be extremely careful while driving behind women drivers.” My indignation knew no bounds as I retorted on the misogyny women are faced with in an age where women leaders rule the world.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the author pays a tribute to the strong womenfolk of India from yore while discussing the contemporary issues women are faced with today.
Women have been in the forefront since centuries taking up the sword and gun for the sake of the country. Today, in many countries across the world, women are known to go to war with their male counterparts often leading platoons and battalions. Then, how can India think of thwarting these global standards when the government talks of empowering women through education? At the same time, they have, on February 4, 2020, written to the Supreme Court of India (SC) that troops are not yet mentally schooled to accept women officers in command of units in the army. My question is why? Why can’t the women hold the topmost mantle in the army?
Tinat Atifa Masood
The note further added, “Composition of rank-and-file being male, predominantly drawn from rural background, with prevailing societal norms, troops are not yet mentally schooled to accept women officers in command of units”. My question is haven’t these rural males not seen their mothers command over the household chores? If they could accept the grant permanent commission women-folk taking the lead at to all women officers in the home, where is the difficulty in army within three months and seeing a woman leading at the said that there will not be any helm of the army? absolute bar on giving them The note by the Centre further command postings. A bench of said that the physiological the Supreme Court said that the differences between men and women preclude physical performances resulting in a lower physical capacity for women officers. I am happy about the way the SC replied, “Administrative will” and “change of mindset” are Representative Image of Kanaklata required on the issue of giving Centre’s arguments are disturbing command post to women officers and against the concept of in the army. equality. The judges rapped the The government should well be government’s arguments for aware of the kind of contribution perpetuating sexist stereotypes by the women of yore whose names and being an “insult to women.” are now pretty much unknown Women of India have always by the young. Can we forget the displayed their prowess wherever names of Razia Sultana, Maharani they have gone. They have ruled Laxmibai of Jhansi, Begum Hazrat the water, land and sky. Women Mahal of Oudh, Rani Velu Nachiar are not biased towards issues of South India and more? How and dare to call a spade a spade. can we not mention the valiant They are incorruptible and hardwomen from Assam: Moola working. The women of India have Gabhoru, Kanaklata, Bhogeswari always led from the front and it Phukononi? Were these women will do good for the government incapable of armed combat? to empower the Indian woman, However, it is somewhat give her wings to fly and make heartening that the Supreme the country proud and stand tall. Court on Monday, 17 February, Salute to all the women of India! 2020 has directed the Centre to
rRELEVANCE OF UNIFORM
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Letter to the Editor
alking through the corridors of my college, I stumbled upon a mirror and started fixing my uniform. Whilst doing so, I curiously questioned myself, why do I have to wear this everyday? Why was I taught to wear a proper uniform to my school? Shooing these thoughts away I walked into my classroom when suddenly looking at my friends I realised a sense of belongingness to this place. My eyes travelled through each of them every individual from a different background but with the same uniform portraying the unity that bound us together. No rich, no poor, no low caste, no upper caste Just us, students! Just when I was thinking this I realised how all of us cringe at the mention of uniforms. Little did I know this is going to stick to our lives like glue sticks to a paper. Institutes now have elevated their ideas of dress code from casuals to formal uniforms. But why is uniform so important? Uniform is the pride of an institute. By wearing a uniform of a certain institute we become a part of them. This becomes our identity as students. A student cherishes every moment of education life and uniform becomes an integral part of it. Without the uniform an institute loses its uniqueness. It is said, “A man becomes a creature of his uniform. When we wear one, we behave like one. It is a sense of stability. It also enhances one’s personality.” Now, when I recollect my anecdotes of struggling every morning to wear my uniform, I realise somewhere somehow the disciplined dress code has taught me the decorum of life. It has taught me the norms of social habituates. It has inculcated the sense of dress code in each of us. Uniform is not just clothing but an emotion. Susmita Baruah, Guwahati, Assam.
In Focus
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
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Cow urine and dung can cure Coronavirus: Suman Haripriya
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JP MLA Suman Haripriya, on March 2, claimed that the novel Coronavirus and cancer could be cured with the use of cow urine and cow dung. Claiming its medicinal properties, Haripriya, while speaking at the ongoing budget session said, "It can cure cancer patients. We have got evidences. Even an Ayurvedic hospital in Gujarat applies cow dung to the cancer patients. They are given Panchamrit prepared from cow urine and cow dung.” "Therefore, we can apply the same things in case of Coronavirus,” she implied. Earlier, Swami Chakrapani Maharaj, president of Hindu Mahasabha said cow urine and cow dung can be used for treating the novel Coronavirus disease. "Consuming cow urine and cow dung will stop the effect of infectious Coronavirus. A person who chants Om Namah Shivay and applies cow dung on body, will be saved. A special yagna ritual will soon be performed to kill Coronavirus," said Chakrapani. Guwahatians took to social media handles of G Plus and expressed their views on this new Coronavirus cure. Vicky Daimari expressed his
displeasure and said, “Generally when such foolish claims are made we laugh away and move on but recently such statements are increasing day by day. For us, as a whole NE, we are a peace loving community to all religion. But in recent times it feels that bad elements are influencing Assam and the NE states. It's high time that we public should stand against such foolish claims otherwise our serene land and society will be encroached upon by such self-proclaimed experts.” Another resident, Shabnam Ahmed said, “This needs to be tested and scientifically proven first before making such statements in public. Ayurveda may have some remedy for Corona virus.” Purabi Deka spoke about traditional knowledge and said, “Scientific validation is required. TK (traditional knowledge) should be protected against bio piracy after scientific evaluation of the bioactive compounds present in it and the potential of curing Corona virus associated disease. If it comes true, a true Indian should be proud of its rich TK.” Commenting on the MLA’s statement Lian Baruah said, “I feel sad for Suman. She used to be a good filmmaker and gave some
Suman Haripriya speaks at a public gathering | G Plus Photo good hits but alas after joining BJP she has become andha bhakt. She herself doesn’t know what she is speaking. I pray that you get well soon and start making good movies again.” Atul Eddward Brizee Nongbri said, “This is why minimum qualifications are a must for politicians. At least they would
know what they are talking.” Kankana Kashyap expressed her displeasure and said, “Such piece of s*** coming from someone in Assam is shameful! I always felt pride in being from this part of the country because of our broad minded thinking and upbringing. Such irrelevant comments from those who're
representing us are definitely not acceptable!” Another Barasa Bhattacharyya said, “That's great news! So proud of her! She made Assam proud. She may be of much help to China. Kindly make arrangements to send her to China, so that she can treat Corona affected patients there, ASAP!” n
GMCH doctors won’t be allowed to practice in private from Bohag Bihu On March 3 at Assam Legislative Assembly, Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that doctors of Gauhati Medical College & Hospital will not be allowed to engage in private practice. Amrit Deka
Hmm so all those people who are happy about this decision should now know that they won’t be getting their doctor as per their convenience. Some distant rural areas don’t have adequate medical efficiency and supply. If patient suffers later hope you people won’t blame the doctors like you guys always do.
Aparup Kashyap
Dipankar Baruah
Why not implement this for AMCH doctors? Or else they will start their own NGOs saying we serve people everywhere except in government hospitals. They get paid a large amount and even after that they visit 2 to 3 nursing homes and then private chambers. Why this privilege to these doctors? If a certain rule is made then it should be equal for all.
Every doctor I have met works tirelessly for people up to 12-13 hours per day. First at the hospital or medical college he/she works in and then private practice. They need to make money dude. You try studying in medical school for over 8 years and then make less than businessmen. Money is a compensation that doctors deserve. This decision is wrong. The government needs to rethink. This decision won’t help the public.
Chanchal Rathi
Subham Pathak
Kamakhya Prajapati
I can see laymen here judging one of the most hardworking, selfless, talented yet unappreciated professionals of this country. This decision will backfire in no time. Wrong step by the government. This is just election gimmick, nothing else. This will be implemented until and unless they win the election. And by the way which agency will monitor these doctors?
All the government employees should be banned from any other private work or service. Why get money twice? Employment opportunities are less in this country and this decision will help others to grow. Good decision Himanta Sir! Hope it is applied in other sectors also as soon as possible.
Very good step, one protocol should be made for doctor in practice. Period shall be fixed for services from rural to urban area. But I don’t think GMCH doctor will work in GMCH, they will leave GMCH and will do private practice only. It’s more profitable I guess.
16 Buzz
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen to be part of Kaziranga Utsav
Northeast United announces trials for U-18 youth team
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ormer England cricket captain and noted rhino conservationist Kevin Pietersen has landed in Assam to make a short feature film on the worldfamous one-horned rhinos of Kaziranga National Park.
During his visit he met Assam State Forest and Environment Minister Parimal Suklabaidiya and expressed his willingness to take part in the upcoming opening ceremony of the
Kaziranga Utsav on the 11th of March at Kohra. The Minister has thanked Pietersen for giving special emphasis for highlighting and raising awareness for the onehorned rhinos of Kaziranga National Park.
Assam man eats burning charcoal; in Guinness Book of World Records
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idip Saikia from Majuli has made it to the Guinness Book of World Record by consuming 1 kg of burning charcoal in 1 minute. The 29 year old, who hails from the Ratnapur of Majuli had earlier succeeded in making a place for himself in the India Book of Records and Asia Book of records in 2012, and in the Unique Book of Records in 2013. Apart from holding four records he has also featured in many television reality shows like the popular show 'India's Got Talent'. Currently, he is trying to excel his own record of eating 1 kg charcoal in 1 minute. Photo Credit: Asian book of Records
ortheast United FC is inviting aspiring footballers for the U-18 youth team trials. These trials are open for individuals born between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2004. The trials will be held at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium,
Sarusajai, Guwahati on March 7 and 8, 2020. It is to be mentioned that the selected individuals will be integrated into the club’s U-18 team and will be groomed under Khalid Jamil, Head of Academy and Grassroots Development for NEUFC.
Assam boxers win medals at All India Open Boxing Championships
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hree boxers from Assam won medals in the All India Open Boxing Championships held in Kolkata. The championship was held from 29th
February to 3rd March last. Rupali Boro won bronze medal in 48 kg weight category, Som Bahadur won bronze medal in 64 kg while Vikash Sarma won silver medal in 48 kg weight category.
Representative Image
Trotter
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
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Student’s unusual request Mum does the school run leaving her children on test paper impresses Twitter at home
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mum left her children baffled when she headed off on the school run without them. The woman realised her glaring mistake as she was en route and took out her phone to capture the moment - and her hilarious reaction. Filming the empty passenger seat next to her, and panning round to show the unoccupied seats in the back, she struggled to talk between fits of laughter. With a huge belly laugh, she said, "I’m driving to school without my kids. I’m taking the kids to school and I don’t even have them in the car. I have to go back and pick them up. I can’t believe I left my kids. I got in the car and left. Oh my god I'm such an idiot, I was half asleep this morning. Where are my kids?" The mum, thought to be from the US, turned around to head home and found her two boys standing outside the house waiting for her, with one of them asking, "You went
all the way?” The clip was reposted on Twitter, with the caption “She really drove her kids to school but her kids weren’t in the car I can’t stop laughing.” A second one wrote, "The definition of 'I’m leaving in 5 minutes, with or without you." It tickled many others, as one replied: "She said hmm you guys are pretty quiet this morning." (Source: metro.co.uk)
Kentucky school student's surprising request on a test paper has gone viral on social media. In a picture shared by his teacher, the kid was seen making an appeal to transfer his bonus points to someone who needs it more than he does. Facebook user Winston Lee shared the post with the caption, "Have to shout this out. Had honestly never seen this. One of my guys, a straight A+ guy, offers up his 5 bonus points to someone in need. Totally offering up what is rightfully his, his earning, to any peer that may have been struggling especially hard the day of the test." "He didn't care if he considered them a friend, didn't care if they were cool, didn't matter to him what situation had caused them to score lower, he just wanted to help, be kind, commit a loving act," he added in his Facebook post. "This note gave me so much hope. Let us all be a little more like
this young man!!" Lee wrote in his post. The shared picture shows that the student offers to give his bonus points to any struggling classmate with the lowest score. As the post went viral, social media has been abuzz with reactions. A user wrote, "Good intention, but as a teacher, no one else will get this extra credit. Sorry just study harder that's it...." Another post read, "The world needs more kids like this. Okay humanity wins this round, special thanks for posting." (Source: ndtv)
Cops’ joyride in seized SUV Passengers try to catch turns harrowing as owner pigeons flying inside GoAir locks them inside for 3 hrs flight
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hree policemen had a harrowing time after taking a ride in a seized sports utility vehicle (SUV) to Lakhimpur Kheri district as the owner used the global positioning system (GPS) to track down the car and got it locked. The policemen, who were caught unawares, remained stranded inside the vehicle for over three hours after the owner located the car at Nai Basti village in Lakhimpur Kheri district, located 143 kilometres away from the Uttar Pradesh capital, Lucknow. The policemen - one sub-inspector and two constables posted at Lucknow’s Gomtinagar police station - went to Lakhimpur Kheri district reportedly to investigate a case on a 2018 model SUV, which was seized recently after a squabble between two parties. The
vehicle owner has lodged a complaint with Lucknow Police, alleging misuse of his car. A statement from Lucknow Police commissioner Sujeet Pandey’s office said, “SHO (station house officer) Gomtinagar, Pramendra Kumar Singh, has been sent to the spot to probe the incident. Action will be taken against the guilty.” Explaining the GPS-enabled locking system installed in a vehicle, an expert said that the mechanism ensures safety of cars. If a vehicle owner feels that his car is not in safe hands, he can send a message to the micro controller that relays signals to stop the engine and also lock the doors. The car can only be restarted after the car owner sends the password to the micro controller. (Source: hindustantimes)
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n a bizarre incident, two pigeons entered a GoAir Flight that was to fly from Ahmedabad to Jaipur, leading to delay by about 30 minutes. The incident took place on 28th February. The birds were seen inside the cabin as the plane was preparing for take-off. In a mobile video inside the GoAir flight G8702, the pigeons are seen flying from one corner to the other, with many passengers laughing and taking videos. A passenger even tried to catch the
bird with his hands, but failed. The passengers are seen asking the cabin crew for assistance. After a struggle, the pigeons were
finally let out by opening one of the plane's doors. A spokesperson of the GoAir flight said the flight took off at its scheduled time of 17:00 hours. "GoAir regrets any inconvenience caused to its passengers and requests the airport authorities to get rid of this menace," read an official statement. The flight, which was supposed to land at Jaipur airport at 6.15 pm, reached at 6:45 pm. Occasionally, birds entering planes incidents are uncommon, but large birds do cause significant damage and sometimes even cause a crash if they get sucked into airplane engines. (Source: ndtv)
18 Review
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
Starring: Tiger Shroff, Riteish Deshmukh Shraddha Kapoor Ankita Lokhande Director: Ahmed Khan
Baaghi 3
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ippling muscles, sixpack abs and a chiselled face. Meet Ronnie - the handsome hunk whose only job is to magically appear from thin air whenever his elder brother Vikram is in trouble. He will bash up the bad guys to a pulp and go back to minding his own business. But in a sudden twist, Vikram is kidnapped by a terrorist group called Jaish-e-Lashkar in Syria
and Ronnie sets off on a rescue mission. Director Ahmed Khan throws in every trick in the book to make ‘Baaghi 3’ an action entertainer with elements that highlight his leading man’s brute force and deadly machismo. Tiger Shroff, who is clearly one of Bollywood’s most bankable action stars, delivers a knockout blow in the high-octane action scenes. His perfect body and attitude make
all the stylized action look real. However, he falls short in emotional scenes and comedy. Shraddha Kapoor looks glam and brings in some good comic relief in the first half. But her character isn’t very crucial to the story and hence she doesn’t have much scope to perform. Riteish Deshmukh, on the other hand, has an important role, but there is no explanation about why he acts like a slow manchild and why he needs to be constantly protected. It is baffling to see him recruited as a police officer despite being so vulnerable and his performance is inconsistent too. In fact, there are quite a few such loose ends in the story that make it far less convincing. While the Syrian setting brings in a terrifying feel, most villains are far too caricaturish to be taken seriously, barring the main villain Abu Jalal (Jameel Khoury). He looks the part and his performance is chilling. The dialogues by Farhad Samji are laced with low-brow humour, especially in the first half and adequately filmy in the second half. The film’s music is quite average but thankfully, there aren’t too many songs. While the action design (Ahmed Khan) is impressive, the same cannot be said for the shaky camerawork and weak CGI. There are ample of slo-mo shots, deafening explosions and lethal punches in ‘Baaghi 3’. But none of it can rise beyond a weak script that doesn’t go for the kill. Knock yourself out only if you’re a diehard Tiger Shroff fan. (Review by timesofindia)
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It’s time to satisfy your Asian food cravings!
Guwahati welcomes Gunjan Sharma @guwahatiplus
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ith dishes like Crispy Lotus Stems, Basil Cups, Spiced Asian BBQ Chicken, Shrimp Tempura, Crystal Dumplings, Chicken and Pak Choi Dumplings, Pad Thai Noodles, Ramen, Khao Suey and more, get ready to immerse yourself in Asian food. Inspired from Asian street hawkers and endless experiments in the kitchen, Mamagoto has curated a menu to satiate all your Pan Asian cravings. With this, Guwahati welcomes
the ultra-popular food chain, Mamagoto, with their first outlet in Assam! Mamagoto brings to the city a
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playful, casual and relaxed atmosphere with mouthwatering food and drinks. Although it is just mocktails at this point, cocktails are coming to Mamagoto super soon! Located at the 3rd floor of City Centre mall, Mamagoto has its own charm. The decor of the outlet is super
vibrant, colourful and extremely “Instagrammable.” Their dumpling platters and Chiang Mai Train Station Noodles
play on Khao Suey) comes in the list of musttry dishes. They also serve a wide range of interesting drinks that go perfectly with the meals. For all the conscious eaters out there, their utensils for cooking vegetarian and non-vegetarian food are completely separate. Mamagoto is starting their lunch buffet and alcohol soon which would be an absolute steal deal. As for desserts, the Banoffee Pie and Caramel Sponge Cake are definitely worth trying.
Feature
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
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THE FACETS OF HOLI: Natural VS Artificial
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he diverse land of India is once again gearing up to celebrate the festival of colours i.e. Holi. And the known fact is that when the colours of Holi linger around the ambience of the country, it in a way breaks the monotonous lifestyle of the burgess and ameliorates their health from the negatives of the mechanized world. However, if we confabulate about the origin of celebration of Holi in India, we would find that this fiesta has both mythological and spiritual touch attached to it. In fact, it is actually the amalgamation of the mythology and spirituality that make the festival of colours unique in its own way. Even nature embraces this festival in her own way by bringing into her ambit, the windy ‘Fhagun’ season. And when the gust of ‘Fhagun’ blows with it the colours of Holi and distributes it among the bevy, then this directly paints a picture of love, brotherhood and communal harmony, which actually remains the soul and spirit of India. However, with the advancement of time and technology, the world has indeed become a global community, where one person is directly or indirectly linked with another, and thus with it followed the concept of globalization. Although the positive impact of globalization is worth mentioning, but the negative impact of globalization is also massive, especially when we bring into our ambit of discussion the negative impact of
globalization upon certain festivals. And the reality is that even the festival of colours i.e. Holi, has also experienced the illeffects of globalization upon it. In this context, at the very beginning, we need to consider the legends associated with the festival of Holi. Indian Mythology has depicted in its accounts that the festival was actually celebrated to symbolize the victory of good over evil. Holika, sister of the wicked king Hiranyakashyap, who tortured Pralhad, was killed while she entered into a blazing fire with Pralhad in her lap. Actually Holika was blessed with a boon that no part of her body would be burnt, if she entered into fire, but that boon would only work, if she entered into the fire alone, but as she entered into the fire with Pralhad, the boon got nullified and she was killed then and there. Another mythological account however stated that the festival originated from the activities of Lord Krishna, where he used to put colours to his beloved Radha and other gopis. So the mythological accounts thus reveal the fact that the festival of Holi actually originated in India, with no relevant evidence found of its origin in western countries. But the thing that actually disappoints the native and concerned bevy of the nation is the realization of the fact that the affects of globalization have somewhere down the line uprooted the basic facets or the natural characteristics of this festival. In reality, the perspective of
Holi is actually the amalgamation of the mythology and spirituality that make the festival of colours unique in its own way. Even nature embraces this festival in her own way by bringing into her ambit, the windy ‘Fhagun’ season.
globalization has contrasting attributes when we compare globalization of food, clothes, lifestyle etc on one hand, and the globalization of festivals, customs, rituals etc on the other hand. Food, clothes and lifestyle are actually three elements that actually form the basis of any area where population resides. For example, although the dressing sense of people of India is quite different from that of people of America, but the item ‘cloth’ is common to both the places. But if we take into consideration festivals, customs, rituals etc, it cannot be exactly the same at every point between two different nations. For instance, the ways of celebration of Holi in India, is completely different from the ways of celebration of the festival of La Tomatina of Spain. So, from these two scenarios, one thing that can be
concluded is that the change in food habit, dressing sense, lifestyle due to globalization can be accepted to an extent however globalization leading to drastic change in the celebration of a festival, or in the maintenance of a custom, ritual etc unique to a nation cannot be accepted at any cost. And that is the point, where people should actually change their behavior or mindset in order to preserve the unique culture and tradition of their native festivals and customs. In fact, the two facets that many believe have actually degraded the essence of the festival of holi are- the mindset of the people and the way of celebrating it. Talking of the way of celebration, over the years, the concerned citizens have noticed that the festival of Holi has just remained an Indian version of Spanish’s La Tomatina. And that is because the festival of Holi, that actually has its roots of origin in India, witnessed bizarre scenes like ‘Rain Dance’, where people openly dance and wet themselves up, some might even intoxicate themselves, thus putting forward their own unpalatable ways of celebration, and that actually contradict with the origin and the reason of celebration of Holi. Further the shift from
Bishaldeep Kakati using colours made from natural items like a combination of turmeric, alum or lime etc to artificial colours, and also the fact that rather than embracing each other with love, by sharing with one another natural colours, the undesirable change in approach, comprising of throwing mud, rotten eggs, rotten tomatoes etc on one another have also degraded the very essence of the festival. Furthermore, the mindset of a few people to not to rethink in a radical way, or find out rational solutions to stop the negative impact of globalization upon Holi, have also acted as a medium that has indeed shaken the basic purpose of celebrating the festival. And the alarming thing is that if this mindset doesn’t change for good, then the festival of Holi would simply remain a mixture of everything, resulting in the loss of its unique feature. Therefore, the current scenario demands an immediate shift. And that shift can be a proper amalgamation of both natural and artificial ways of celebration of Holi, but without damaging the basic characteristic feature of the festival. And in order to achieve that, it’s the concerned citizens that have to take the apt steps at the earliest.
20 Fun Horoscope of the week
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 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
11th March will be a great day for you to share your ideas with your seniors or simply just connect with them. You could schedule your important meetings on this day. On 13th March you need to be wary of dealing with the opposite gender. Avoid drinking with your work mates or seniors or parents on 7th March.
You will have an amazing week. 9th, 10th and 12th March will be great days for you to share your ideas with your seniors or simply just connect with them. You should schedule your important meetings on these dates. Avoid making any promises on 8th March; you will have to live up to them. 11th March will be a slow day for you. Other days will be average for you.
It will be a good week for you. Use 8th, 9th and 11th March to connect with your boss and share your ideas, for good results host your meetings on these dates. You could have Sunday brunch with your seniors or your parents. 12th March will be a slow day.
You will have a better than average week. Just watch out on 7th March, avoid confrontations with your clients or people at work place. 8th and 9th March 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. On 10th March be careful while dealing with the opposite gender.
10th March will be a great day for you to share your ideas with your seniors and build a relationship with them. 8th and 11th March you could have issues with your seniors and your parents. Avoid hosting any meetings on these dates. 13th March you could be betrayed or emotionally by someone close to you.
11th March will be excellent day for you to schedule your important meetings. Your seniors will be receptive to your ideas. Avoid hosting any meetings on 9th March. You are bound to have disagreements. On 12th March you could feel your seniors and/or your parents are ungrateful, they don’t appreciate you.
A great week for you. 8th, 9th and 12th 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. Avoid hosting any meetings on 10th March. On 11th and 13th March you could be betrayed by someone at work and emotionally hurt by your family.
9th and 13th March will be great days for you to build a rapport with your seniors and people at work, host your important meetings on these dates. 8th and 11th March avoid making any promises; you will have to live up to them. 11th March avoid hosting any meetings, you will have disagreements. 10th March you could be emotionally hurt by your seniors or parents.
10th and 13th March will be ideal days to share your ideas with your boss or connect with people at work and family. Avoid socializing or making any promises on 9th and 12th March. Avoid hosting any meetings with your clients or superiors on 12th March you are bound to have disagreements.
A slow week for you. 11th March will be a great day for you to build your relationship with your seniors and people at work. 8th March you will be emotionally hurt either by your parents or your seniors. If you are in a habit of grabbing a drink with your seniors then avoid doing so on 10th March. 13th March you could have a disagreement with your senior or work associate.
You could be emotionally hurt on 7th March. Watch yourself on 11th March, avoid making any promises or getting into a confrontation. Share your ideas with your seniors or generally build a relationship with people at work on 12th and 13th March, host your important meetings on these dates.
A great week for you. 11th, 12th and 13th March are ideal days for you to mingle with your seniors and people at work and build your work network. These are the days when you need to host your important meetings. Be careful with your words and actions on 9th March, you will create your own problems.
4. What is the name of former Bengali actor and TMC MP who died recently? 5. What is the new official name of Coronavirus? 6. Can you name the iconic structure? Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications
Dilbert By Scott Adams
[ tan-tuh-mount ]
adjective [nak-erd]
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Sudoku 4 3 1 82
6 9 6 3 8 8 4 1 3 2 1 7 1 6
6 8 45 19 9 2
5
7
2 5 8 4 6 32 6 12 3 8 53 6 7 2 4 6 7 9 7 8 4 6 5 6 Daily 6-Mar-2020 DailySudoku: Sudoku:Fri Thu 27-Feb-2020
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3. What is the name of Indian institute that was renamed after Manohar Parrikar?
tantamount
hard medium
last week solution 44 35 16 29 51 63 97 84 82 28 79 33 67 86 28 45 15 49 32 58 73 91 54 67 29 12 83 96 36 54 65 71 98 77 41 12
61 2 7 75 39 46 8 1 93 52 97 5 16 61 19 3 9 27 43 74 1 8 39 76
88 27 44 15
62 32 6 2 58 84 91 58 7 6 4 17 53 23 9 4 81 28 79 85 4 3 62 95 36
Daily 6-Mar-2020 DailySudoku: Sudoku:Fri Thu 27-Feb-2020
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2. When is ISRO scheduled to launch its Geo Imaging Satellite - GISAT-1?
Word of the week Word knackered of the week
curio-city
1. How many seats are going to polls in Rajya Sabha elections 2020?
1. 55 2. March 5th 3. Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) 4. Tapas Pal 5. Coronovirus has officially been named as ‘COVID-19’ by the World Health Organisation. 6. Conway Castle
curio-city
hard medium
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Fiction
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
21
THE UNEXPECTED GUEST
B
y now the lump in her throat had grown strong enough, forcing her to swallow hard in an attempt to relieve the soreness. The wind tousled hair, as she stared outside the window, witnessing the fast receding background, transported her to a private space where no one had access. Cold suddenly with the wind caressing her wet face, Bahi hugged herself on a reflex. The literature class ended on a cold wintry morning. Mr. Arun had just concluded teaching his class of twenty, John Keat’s La Belle Dame Sans Merci. Lost in her reverie, she found herself wrapped in an air of melancholy the poem had aroused, even as the rest readied for the next period. Realizing the futility of keeping her concentration sustained on the applications of trigonometry, as the teacher explained it on the blackboard. She had a sense of getting pulled into the deep dark of a sullen and desolate world. With the day progressing, a grim feeling began to overtake and nothing could change the way she had been feeling that Monday. Not even the excited banter of friends was distracting enough to snap her out of it. On the contrary, their boisterousness felt intrusive. She imagined the world to be playing out in front of her. A mere spectator, she had no real part in it. Besides, she was distraught by the fact that John Keats had died so young. “Bahi, would you come inside and clean up please? It is almost lunchtime,” her mother’s voice rang out from inside, grabbing her attention as she focussed on steadying her tiny dishes on the stone slab, beneath the tall teak tree. Sundays were when the longest hours were spent outdoors, and without the rigours of routine life that governed someone even her age. Besides, there were other reasons for according Sundays a special status. Their lunch together as a family, the car ride into town in the evenings, followed by dinner at a favourite restaurant, occasionally. Sundays also meant a visit to the local bazaar, which held a staggering array of eye-catching displays from the adjoining villages. Exotic eatables, tribal jewellery, traditional attire, the offerings were numerous. A vacant plot lay opposite their home intended for the construction of a laboratory cum veterinary hospital. Kids in the neighbourhood used it as their playground for the time being. Plucking wildflowers, especially the tiny purple and white variety, growing on its sandy soil in matted green patches, was Bahi’s favourite. “Are your hands clean?” her mother enquired, “Pull yourself a chair, dear.” Notwithstanding the special Sunday spread on the
dining table, Bahi was fidgety, her mind elsewhere. She had plans to rejoin her friends. The aroma failed to whet her appetite even after long hours in the mid-afternoon sun. Already contemplating on the myriad imaginative ways to sneak out. Perhaps as soon as the rest of the family retired for the day and no one was keeping tabs on her. Mr. Shahul joined the rest at the table a little later. “My friend’s son, Srinivasan, would be staying with us for a couple of weeks. Besides his stay, we have been entrusted with dropping him off at his boarding school as soon as the new session starts.” More than intrigued now, staring at him, mouth agape, the news took time to sink in. Wondering why she had never heard of this boy or his family before. “Would anyone submit their child to people who aren’t their own folk?” Bahi enquired. “Srini’s father is stationed in a remote part of this hill state. He would be left with us before they ventured ahead with their journey by road. At the moment, they are travelling back from down south.” So that explained at least a part of the mystery. Bahi was beginning to figure it out, her father’s act of benevolence. Taking up residence in this part of the
country owing to his job. He was happily settled in this distant land, adopting its culture. Her father shared a bond with Srini’s family. They belonged to the same state. They had never hosted guests for extended stays, except for close relatives. Things would change around the house, even it was for a few days. Perhaps it wouldn’t be too bad to have someone within the same age come over to reside. Bahi was lost in her thoughts. Since her father’s announcement, the news passed around the neighbourhood. The initial excitement soon began to wane, however, over the many apprehensions at the prospect of not getting along with the guest. Grave news greeted her further. She had been directed to sleep in
So, the guest had been given his privileges already?”Bahi thought aloud. A discreet peek through the door’s gap found the guest engrossed in one of her storybooks, without the courtesy of even a formal consent.
her parent’s bedroom so long as the boy stayed. Arriving from school, tired and hungry, she was ushered in to use her parent’s washroom. “So, the guest had been given his privileges already?”she thought aloud. A discreet peek through the door’s gap found the guest engrossed in one of her storybooks, without the courtesy of even a formal consent. The simmering tensions rose further within. The next day found him sprawled on the floor with more books and games strewn across.
A plateful of grapes and apples lay beside. Resisting the urge to show her displeasure because she wasn’t sure how. They weren’t introduced yet. She came home to find him at lunch the first day. Neither did they chance upon each other for a casual “hi.” It seemed the boundaries were incidental. A stab of jealousy pierced through Bahi one evening, as he rode past on her bicycle. It was a gift for her academic achievements. The extra attention showered during meal times was another affront she had to endure. Cooped inside the room for most of the day, brooding, while being denied access to her own bedroom, was the worst form of betrayal. She was unable to figure out this overwhelming love for a guest, a stranger at best, until his sudden
arrival. Pompi tottered in nonchalant, indifferent to the formalities of the adult world. She plonked herself on the floor beside Srini, until he could no longer ignore her constant gaze. Reciprocating the gesture, he chose to keep the book aside. Handing him a broken piece of one of her toys, a connection was forged. They began to play ball as all awkwardness slowly slid away. The intermittent giggles drew the attention of the family as Srini warmed up to her overtures. Sticking by each other, Bahi could sense they had gotten close whereas she wasn’t even an acquaintance yet. With Pompi refusing to leave Srini’s side, he indulged her all the more. Letting him choose her crayons as she scribbled on an old copy. Or the umpteen times, she engaged him with tales from her fantasy land, more of a gibber than any intelligible talk. The boorish behaviour did not go unnoticed. A few days later, she was sat down and explained the predicament of a child having to spend the last of his holidays with people he barely knew. His parents were left with no choice, other than to trust them with their son or stay back and delay their journey forward. It must have been the toughest decision on a parent’s part. But circumstances ultimately overruled all emotions and doubts that they might have earlier harboured. Bahi’s mother confessed she wasn’t strong enough and would’ve been distraught and felt luckier in comparison. Besides, Srini’s impeccable demeanour won them over and they loved to have him with them. It was not hard to see that he was lonely. Shy and reserved, it held him back from opening up, Bahi figured. Deciding to make the first move, she invited him to a few favourite spots in the neighbourhood. Confined to the house mostly, since his arrival, he began to enjoy the conversations and walks. Gradually warming up to everyone, easing up a bit by opening up about his likes and dislikes. Finding similarities in their middle-class nuclear upbringing, they had a lot to share. An undying bonhomie radiated from between the two. Srini’s attachment towards the family grew just as his departure crept closer. One Saturday Bahi reached home from school to find Srini packing. Readying to get dropped off at the boarding school the next day, a Sunday. The irony couldn’t be missed. Bundled inside the navy blue Ambassador with Mr. Shahulat in the driver’s seat, they made their way through the labyrinths of the town. The elders engaged in animated conversation as Pompi’s squeals of delight broke through
Zerine Wahid the solemn mood. After about forty minutes of drive, the car exited town to merge with the state highway. The terrain soon turned into a forested area. A further drive of about an hour or so, the car veered right towards a narrow gravel road off the highway. Supposedly the approach road to the school. The end of the incline would reach them atop the hill that housed the school building and the adjoining quarters. The loud buzz of forest insects greeted their arrival. The seclusion from civilization couldn’t be more pronounced. The journey of almost two hours reached its destination as the car parked before the church. Its tall spire standing proud, visible as one approached, was more of a landmark. Dusting themselves as they scrambled out, an awkward silence gripped everyone. With the pleasantries and introductions over, there wasn’t much to say, as if one was groping for words. The headmaster attired in his white habit, gave them a customary tour of the campus. With nothing further to keep them at the school, the car backed up for its return home. Srini stayed behind, waving back, standing beside his new custodian until the car disappeared out of sight. The return seemed longer than the journey earlier. As they drove down, past the woods, the noon’s rays peeped through from between the tall trees. Windows were rolled down and gusts of mountain air rushed inside. Pompi lay slumped by a corner of the backseat. The silence was stifling as the day’s heat turned sultry. Mr. Shahul, in an attempt to breach the stillness, inquired about the guest list for next Sunday’s dinner, commemorating twelve years of their togetherness. Not much had changed over the years. The overwhelming sense of loneliness even in a roomful of people, the inability to connect with the familiar, the sense of drifting away to someplace beyond, grew stronger on certain days. But with the passage of time, the bewildered sense of belonging began to make sense. If nothing, it has strengthened the bond with her inner self. Perhaps this was what growing up was all about. Bahi was learning to accept herself gradually. (Zerine Wahid is an upcoming poet and short story writer based in Guwahati city)
22 Lifestyle
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
Holi and what Vaastu advises about it...
T
hough Holi is a festival of colours, Hindus use it more for socializing and improving relationships. The five basic elements are represented by different colours. Blue represents the water element. Green and purple are for the air element. The fire element is represented by Red colour. Yellow is for earth element and sky blue or white is for the space element. Colours have different meaning as per numerology also. Red and pink are suitable for Number 1 people. Blue and white are for people with number 2 as their birth number. Green and yellow are good for number three. Sky blue and purple for number 4. Pink and orange are for number 5 people. Pink and sky blue are lucky for number 6. Blue and green for number 7, red and saffron for number 8 people and violet and light yellow are suitable for number 9 people. White, yellow and red colours
are extremely powerful and have a positive effect on the day of Holi. One should wear white clothes and play Holi as when you do so on a Purnima, it gives your moon a lot of strength which proves beneficial for mind and education. Playing Holi with bright colours increases strength of muladhar or Root chakra which gives more confidence in life. So one must apply either red or yellow colour on the forehead. Applying red colour boosts your confidence, takes away fear from your life. When you apply yellow colour, it creates more passion in you and increases your ambition in a positive way. These two colours are very powerful. Holika Dahan or the lighting of bonfire takes place
on the eve of Holi. The day is also popularly called 'Chhoti Holi.’ It is an extremely popular tradition and is celebrated with fervour all across the country and is symbolic of triumph of good over evil. This burns away all your negative thoughts and traits. If you want to quit smoking or get rid of alcohol problems then on this day you can
Hemanta Kumar Sarmah
Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.
get the positive energies to get rid of your negative traits. Write down your problems on a piece of paper and put it in fire. Venus is a planet that gives luxury and material comforts, fame as well as discrimination between right and wrong. On Holi, planet Venus is extremely strong and tapping into its beneficial powers will bring positive results. In order to enhance your Venus on Holi, you must apply natural colours and flower extracts freshly made at home. When you apply flower to each other you enhance this planet. One should also wear flowers around their necks, around hair and hands to enhance Venus. Enhance your Moon and strengthen your liquid cash. This satellite of earth brings lot of mental peace and strength;
it connects you to people, and is responsible for liquid cash. Wasting of water is actually wasting liquid cash, whether by drinking half glass of water or while taking a shower and leaving the water tap open or by using more water than is required. On the occasion of Holi, if you conserve water and if you play it in a sensible way, you are enhancing your moon. As it is Purnima or day of the full moon in Holi, the effects are much stronger. People should conserve water on Holi rather than wasting it. Make your Saturn Stronger: On Holi, lot of people indulge in drinking alcohol and bhang and there is a lot peer pressure where people push others to try various forms of intoxicants. This is very harmful as by doing so you spoil your own Saturn. It is a planet that gives you power of ruling, strength and success. But one should not push others for self interest which angers Saturn.
Skin and Hair care for Holi Holi special Gujiya recipe Holi is the festival of colour, festival of spring and festival of fun. But no one likes skin or hair problems during Holi. To optimise our fun quotient and to enjoy this festival fully here’s what you can do.
Before Holi To be prepared for Holi and to prevent any skin or hair damage we must follow these: Before going to play holi, we must apply coconut oil or olive oil all over our face, so that the colour particles may not enter our skin and block our pores.
As we play holi in scorching sunlight, we must guard our skin with sunscreen in advance. When harmful chemicals come in
Sohini Chakraborty Chatterjee
contact with our hair it gets affected too, so we must make sure to our hair to keep protected. One can wrap a scarf over head to cover it fully. Roots of hair must be safe.
After Holi
While cleaning our face we must not rub our face roughly as it may cause harm to our skin. We may use normal face cleanser, and after cleaning we
must moisturize our skin. We may wash our hair with luke warm water, but not with extremely hot water. We must not rub our hair vigorously as this may cause hair loss from the root. Instead we must use mild shampoo and conditioner gentlely to wash our hair properly. Use of herbal, organic colour is preferred much more than harmful chemical colours.
Gujiya
Sandeep Das
Ingredients:
bread crumbs like texture.
Refine flour 200 gm
Water as required
Add water to knead the dough. Amount of water required will depend on the quality and texture.
Grated paneer 100 gm
Rest the dough for 30 minutes.
Salt - 1/4 tsp Ghee - 2 tbsp
Almond finely chopped - 1tbsp Cashews nuts 1tsp Cardamom powder - 1 tsp Sugar - 1/2 cup Mike powder 1/2 cup
Method: For dough Add flour and salt in a bowl.
Add heated ghee on the flour. Use your fingertips to rub the ghee with flour and form a
For filling
Sauté the grated paneer in ghee over medium heat. Add sugar once it is slightly fried and let it cook. Switch off the flame and let the mixture cool. Once cool add milk powder,
cardamom power, almond, cashews nuts and mix it. Make balls of the dough and roll out 4 circles/diamonds. Take the flattened circle, wet the edges with water and place a filling over one half. Fold the other half over the edge and press to seal together. Give the gujiya a shape. Heat oil and deep fry the gujiyas on low heat. Once cooked serve hot.
Entertainment
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
23
Film on Deepali Borthakur & Neel Pawan Baruah’s life announced
T
he life story of Deepali Borthakur and Neel Pawan Baruah will now be made into a biopic. Their story is said to be one of the most celebrated stories in Assam with books written about it. Deepali Borthakur was Assam’s eminent vocalist who was popularly known as the “Nightingale of Assam.” She passed away on December 21, 2018 at the age of 77 at Nemcare Hospital, Guwahati after a prolonged illness. She is survived by her husband, acclaimed painter Neel Pawan Baruah. Borthakur started her musical career in 1958. She sang her first song when she was a student of class IX. It is to be mentioned that Borthakur received the fourthhighest civilian award of India, the Padma Shri, in 1998. In her musical career she has
sung less than 30 songs as she had lost her voice at the age of 27 due to a debilitating motor neuron disease which confined her to a wheel chair. She married eminent painter Neel Pawan Baruah eight years after her disease was detected. The team behind the project, addressing a press meet in Guwahati said, “Yes, we have acquired the rights of Deepali Borthakur and Neel Pawan Baruah’s sensitive and artistic life story for a full length feature film, and we are in the process of raising funds for the project.” One of the producers of the film, Mandakini Goswami said, “This is a dream project for us, and we have a huge challenge before us to create the cinematic version of one of the most enigmatic reallife stories involving an iconic cultural couple and are ready to
take up the challenge.” The biopic is tentatively titled “Dipali”. The team is currently working on the script of the film and the shooting is supposed to start by the end of 2020 or the first half of 2021. A me mbe r of the te am, prominent filmmaker Utpal Borpujari said, “We are giving utmost importance to the script development process because of two reasons – one , it is story of a much-loved and respected couple, and two we want to make a biopic that can be watched, understood and loved by not only people of Assam but also a global audience.” It was also informed that the producers have also taken the web series and television rights of the story apart from the feature film rights.
Neel Pawan Baruah (sitting centre) at the Guwahati Press Club during the announcement of the film
Indian rapper 'Raftaar' Bollywood actor wears hoodie with Jadav Payeng's Randeep Hooda to marry Manipuri pic; calls him Real Icon model Lin Laishram
R
aftaar, Indian rapper, music composer, and television personality, was recently seen wearing a hoodie with Jadav Payeng’s picture on it. He took to his Instagram and wrote, “Jadav ‘Molai’ Payeng from Assam, India. The man on my hoodie single-handedly planted 1,360 acres of trees. Starting in 1979 the forest is now called MOLAI forest. To know more about him watch the video in my highlights. AB HAR DIN EK REAL ICON. styled and customised by @ aviksha.s” The hoodie is styled and customised by Aviksha S. It is to be mentioned that 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
R
andeep Hooda is all set to marry his longtime girlfriend, popular model-cum actor from Manipur, Lin Laishram.
Earlier, Laishram played a pivotal role in the Priyanka Chopra starrer ‘Mary Kom.’ Laishram has also acted in several other Hindi films like
of the river Brahmaputra turning it into a forest reserve. He was
awarded the Padma Shri award by the government of India in 2015.
Umrika (2015), Rangoon (2017), and Ava Maria (2020). Randeep Hooda has been dating Lin Laishram since 2016. After 4 years of dating the couple is finally taking their relationship to the next level. According to reports, Hooda is all set to introduce his girlfriend to his parents in Haryana where they reside.
24 Catching Up
| Mar 07 - Mar 13, 2020
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