G Plus Vol 7 Issue 30 by G Plus

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

INSIDE

Volume 07 | Issue 30 May 16 - May 22, 2020 Price `10 Cluttered shanties offering affordable rental housing posing health threat to Guwahati

PG 04

PG 03

Indignant parents complain about non-waiver of bus fees by

Guwahati Schools Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

BBCI’s non-functionality deprives thousands from cancer treatment

o pay or not to pay, waiver or moratorium - parents of school children are confused regarding the payment of fees during the coronavirus lockdown period in the country. While the government of Assam had directed all educational institutes to waive 50% of their monthly school/ college fees for the month of April, many schools have failed to inform their students/ parents of the same. Further, schools are continuing to charge miscellaneous fees like meal charges and transport charges. “There is no clarity. We had read/seen in news about 50% waiver of school fees. However, there has been no intimation from the school in this regard. Schools are still charging miscellaneous fees and we are not sure what has been waived off and what is to be paid,” a Guwahati resident whose two kids study in a private city school informed G Plus. In the same vein, another parent said, “Let alone waving off the full fee, schools are not even considering any rebate in transportation charges. That’s ridiculous.” Similar concerns were raised by the parent of a class 4 student of Axel Public School who chose to remain anonymous.

“The government had announced for 50% waiver in fees. However, this waiver was only being given to us in tuition fees. The school was charging full amount for transport fees in spite of the children not availing transportation due to lockdown,” she informed G Plus. In the same vein, another parent said, “Let alone waving off the full fee, schools are not even considering any rebate in transportation charges. That’s ridiculous.” Similar concerns were raised by the parent of a class 4 student of Axel Public School who chose to remain anonymous. “The government had announced for 50% waiver in fees. However, this waiver was only being given to us in tuition fees. The school was charging full amount for transport fees in spite of the children not availing transportation due to lockdown,” she informed G Plus. However, Axel Public School issued a fresh notice on May 15 stating “Parents will now only pay 50% of the transport fees for the month of April and 75% of the transport fees from May 2020 onwards until school reopens.” The parents of other private schools like Delhi Public School and National Public School also expressed their plight.

Read Full Story Page No - 02

LABOUR

SCARCITY

hits Guwahati hard, paralyses industries across Assam

G Plus News @guwahatiplus

ndustries of Assam are mostly dependent on migrant labour. With scarcity of labourers being reported across India, the industries in Assam are facing the same shortage leading to their paralysis with and urban areas of the state facing the brunt. Even the labourers stuck in different districts of Assam are facing problems in returning to their work. PK Sharma, president of Assam Real Estate and Infrastructure Developers’ Association (AREIDA) talking to G Plus said, “There is a huge scarcity of labourers in the real estate industry of Assam.” He also revealed that the shortage will continue for some days. He explained that most of the labourers working in the real estate industry are migrants and because they have gone back before the Lockdown 1.0 or after Lockdown 2.0, their unavailability is affecting construction work. City-based architect, Ranel Kumar Das, also expressed the same concerns even as he clarified that there are skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled labourers. Depending on the kind of work at hand, labourers are brought in. He said that in the city there are mostly Bangladeshi labourers or labourers from lower Assam involved in construction work like piling. Talking about carpentry, most of the labourers are from Bengal, he said. Similarly, the labourers in other industries like livestock, cement etc are mostly from

Bangladesh. Government construction work has been affected as well. A senior engineer in Public Works Department, talking to G Plus under condition of anonymity said, “The target estimated date of completion of projects has had to be changed for many projects looking at the present scenario as all the contractors associated with PWD are complaining about labour scarcity.” There are many ongoing projects in Guwahati and Assam and all have been affected. There are also allegations that the government has not done much to bring back the stranded labourers. Millions of India’s migrant labourers say they are in limbo, struggling to access aid to survive the six-week lockdown in the states where they work and appealing for help from officials back home. Many labourers in Guwahati, originally from Bihar, are thronging the various police stations in the city to acquire their turn to return home. Kamlesh Bhagat, an electrical labourer from Bihar, talking to G Plus said, “I am stuck in Guwahati since the lockdown started. My family is in Bihar and I want to return home. I have given my name at Fatasil Ambari police station a week back and till now have not got any response from the police station.” He is also not working now as he is not getting any work since the contractors he was working with are not taking any new assignments for the fear of not being able to deliver the same on time. A livestock department official talking to G Plus expressed

that even in home delivery of livestock products by the government they are facing hurdles in delivering on time because of less labourers. Many labourers are also not allowed by their kin to take new assignments as they are scared of contracting the dreaded disease. PK Sharma said that they have approached the state government for revival of the real estate industry and in a letter the association has proposed many suggestions to the government. According to media reports more than 4.30 lakh migrant workers from Assam are still stranded in many states of the country due to the nationwide lockdown. Among the migrant workers, over 66,000 workers from Assam are stranded in Karnataka, 34,000 in Kerala, 33,000 in Tamil Nadu, 21,000 in Maharashtra, 16,000 in Telangana, 5,600 in Gujarat, 4,600 in Goa and 4,500 in West Bengal. Talking about Guwahati, there are no exact figures but industry experts expressed that around 70% labourers are in different district and states which makes the city most affected. Even the essential commodities sector is facing tough times. An official of FCI said that unloading of essential commodities has become very expensive as there are lesser labourers and whatever labourers are available, they are charging double. With the Centre announcing various schemes for all sections, the chorus for reforming labour laws is growing louder.

In The News

| May 16 - May 22, 2020

Covid-19: Assam records highest Indignant parents single-day spike, tally stands at 86 complain about nonAssam reported 15 Covid-19 positive cases on May 13, marking the biggest single-day spike the state has witnessed so far. The very next day, on May 14, the state reported 7 more positive cases taking the total tally to 86. Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

ssam reported 15 fresh Covid-19 positive cases, all from Guwahati, on May 13. This marked the biggest single-day spike the state has witnessed so far and took the state’s total number of cases to 79. Within the next 24 hours, Assam further reported seven new coronavirus cases. With this, the total number of positive cases in Assam stands at 86, with 41 persons having been cured and discharged. One positive patient has migrated to Bihar, two have passed away and 42 cases now remain active in the state. All 22 of these new cases were reported from Guwahati which was declared Green Zone by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Of these cases, 15 were detected in Fancy Bazar, the heart of commercial activities of Guwahati while the remaining seven were Mumbai returnees (cancer and heart patients and their attendees who were thereafter quarantined in Guwahati). All the 15 positive patients from Fancy Bazar are secondary contacts to a patient named Mungru Sahani, also a resident of Fancy Bazar, whose source of infection has not been traced yet. Addressing the media health minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “This is the second wave of contaminations for Assam that had recorded its first among the Tablighi attendees and their secondary contacts. Assam has over 75 percent asymptomatic coronavirus positive cases.” It should be mentioned that the state has witnessed a 34 per cent jump in the number of cases on Thursday and this week its doubling rate has narrowed down to 8.64 days from 12.07 days, raising concerns.

Fancy Bazar, Fatasil Ambari, Kumarpara, Shantipur, Railway Colony declared Containment Zones

In view of the increasing number of coronavirus positive cases in the city, the Assam government, on May 14, declared various areas of Guwahati as containment zones. These areas are within the localities of Fancy Bazar, Fatasil Ambari, Shantipur, Kumarpara and Railway Colony. The Assam government issued

five different notifications declaring the containment zones. The first notification specified the area falling under Fancy Bazar containment zone. The area encircling Rajkamal Hotel with MG Road on the North, Jail Road/Jai Narayan Road on the South, SRCB Road on East and Chambers of Commerce Road on the West has been demarcated as containment zone. In Kumarpara area, the district administration has described the boundary area of containment

zone as - North: Rupnagar By-lane, South: Residence of Dimbeswar Das and others, East: Residence of Victor Baisya and others, West: Residence of Purabi Sarmah and others. In view of detection of Covid-19 positive patient at Panbazar Railway Colony, a containment zone was declared following the boundary description of Colony Road on the North, Railway Colony Road on the South, GRP Colony on the East and Railway Higher Secondary School on the West. Similarly, in Fatasil GS Colony of Guwahati, the boundary description of the containment zone is Biha Mishra RCM Complex on the North, Gurucharan Sarmah Road on South, Sani Mandir Tinali on East and Fatasil Road on the West. A containment zone has also been declared in Santipur area. On the North end is Pubali Path, South is vacant plot of Karuna Pathak Sharma, on the East is the residence of Pranab Sharma and on the West is the residence of Arun Sharma. Earlier, the staff quarters of Dr B Barooah Cancer Hospital (BBCI), two hostels (no. 1 and 5) of GMCH and Amiyo Nagar in Guwahati had been declared as containment zones after four new cases were reported in the city on May 7. The above orders have been made under the regulations The Assam Covid-19 Regulations, 2020 and shall be effective until further

waiver of bus fees by Guwahati schools

notice. “Any violation of the order will attract action under the provisions of The Assam Covid-19 Regulations, 2020, The Disaster Management Act, 2005, The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 and other relevant laws of the nation,” states the order.

Assam govt seeks two weeks’ extension of lockdown: CM Sonowal

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Friday that he has written to the Centre about extending lockdown by two more weeks beyond May 17. Sonowal addressed a press conference on Friday where he gave details about the Covid-19 situation in Assam and what his government is doing to tackle the crisis. He said that all states were supposed to give their feedback on the extension of the lockdown by Friday, and the Assam government has already conveyed its stand to the Centre. With 22 fresh cases detected in Guwahati in 24 hours, the authorities in Assam are on alert and there’s anxiety among residents of the state, especially the capital city. Earlier, the Assam government had also sought the Centre’s permission to not follow its zone demarcation diktats. Addressing a press meet on May 14, Assam Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the state government has written to the central government requesting permission to not follow the zonal demarcations as given by the Centre. As such, Assam would not be demarcating its districts into red, orange and green zones any further. “If positive cases are found at Fancy Bazar area, why should people of Noonmati remain confined? Guwahati is a big city and we cannot close down the entire city,” said Sarma. Instead of blanket zoning of districts the state government will be allocating containment and buffer zones to specific areas as required. This suggestion has been forwarded in view of the livelihood of the people of the state. Therefore, although the containment zones are increasing in numbers in Guwahati, the blanket zoning of the entire city from green to orange or red has not been made.

File photo of a school bus plying on Guwahati streets during normal times

y son is a student of Class 2 in National Public School. We had paid his school fees for the quarter April-June via a cheque in the month of March, ahead of the lockdown. However, the school failed to deposit the cheque on time which made it bounce. Not only has the bank charged us for the cheque bounce, the school is also charging us Rs 500 extra because of it,” a parent informed G Plus. She added that the school has charged the full amount for admission fees, tuition fees as well as bus fees. The school authorities have said that a waiver of 50% will be given on tuition fees for the month of April which will be adjusted in the future. G Plus is in possession of a fee slip which the National Public School, Guwahati sent to a parent. The school has raised full tuition fee, transportation fee, lab fee and annual fee for three months in advance for Rs 78,200. In Delhi Public School, tuition fees have been hiked by Rs 1,800 per quarter despite clear instruction from the state government that there cannot be any increase in school fees due to the ongoing pandemic, claim parents of the school. “The school has first increased tuition fees for the entire year and then given a waiver of 50% only for the month of April. They are also seeking full amount of transportation fees (Rs 9,900/quarter) although these services are not being availed by the students,” a parent of Delhi Public School told G Plus in condition of anonymity.

As most students and guardians do not wish to lose an academic year, they have no choice but to pay the educational institutions. G Plus tried to get clarity regarding the payment of miscellaneous fees such as that of transportation. “As of now, the schools have been asked to provide a waiver of 50% only for the month of April. There are no clear guidelines mentioned for bus fees in the notification given to schools. Due to this, schools are charging as per their suitability,” Buli Gogoi, District Elementary Education Officer, told G Plus. India is under a nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 situation. However, schools and colleges were closed a week before the lockdown was announced. While the lockdown has impacted all citizens immensely, students have been thrust into a state of dilemma. For students who were appearing for their 10th and 12th board examinations, things came to an abrupt halt. Many are yet to finish with all their papers. To cope with the circumstances and with an aim to keep students connected to academics, schools are conducting online classes. However, a majority of Guwahatians feel that these classes are not proving beneficial for the students. There are fears among people that online teaching and learning process is giving a free pass to the educational institutes for charging higher fees by showing off their e-learning systems.

Concern

| May 16 - May 22, 2020

Cluttered shanties offering affordable rental housing posing health threat to Guwahati Barasha Das @Barasha_mi2

s the novel coronavirus contaminates the city, fear of ‘community transmission’ has gripped Guwahatians. After the Tablighi Jamaat incident, positive cases found at Fancy Bazar has posed as a similar threat – spread of COVID-19 among the people of the same section. After Mungru Sahani, a worker at a potato godown in Fancy Bazar, 15 people associated with him tested positive. Of these one is from GS Colony, Fatasil, one from Kumarpara, the third from Pubali Path, Santipur and a fourth one from Panbazar Railway Colony. While sealing these areas as containment zones, Dr Achyut C Baishya, Executive Director of National Health Mission informed the media, “In the GS Colony of Fatasil, 19 families comprising 70 people lived in close proximity. In Kumarpara, 46 people resided in the same building out of which 16 members of the owners’ family occupied three floors and the rest cluttered in on the other floors. Similarly, in Pubali Path of Santipur, 84 members of 28 families lived together.” “There is almost no concept of quarantine in these places,” Baishya added. These places or localities could be labelled as “slums-in-building” basically. Across Guwahati, there are many areas where people are mostly dependent on rental accommodation. In these localities, which are mostly in close proximity to the financial hubs of Guwahati, building owners usually construct multiple single room facilities on a single floor. The rooms are made of makeshift bamboo thatched walls, each floor like a shanty locality with common toilets and bathrooms. Believe it or not, there are reports of more than 10 to 12 such rooms cluttered in about 2000 square feet area, with a single

bathroom. Imagine two to three floors of a building turned to slums within the city. These rooms are given out on rent ranging anywhere from Rs 1500 to Rs 3000 or more. Every room is occupied by a family of four or more, or by groups of 2 to 5 labourers. For the daily wage earners like the rickshaw puller, cart puller, porter, construction labourers, shop workers and others of the lower section, these dwellings come at rents that are reasonable for them. For the owner, rent from multiple rooms adds up to much more than the rent that can be earned from a single flat rented out to a single middle class family. Moreover, there is very less investment. However, these places are congested, unhygienic and often without the basic necessities like running water, proper electricity, etc. Apart from posing as a serious threat to the health of the people residing in such places, such houses do not have any protection against fire. A small spark can burn down an entire building within minutes, leaving little space for the residents to flee. Emergency exits are not even considered a requirement by the owner; neither are fire extinguishers. As Dr Baishya pointed out, “Around 4 to 5 people reside in one small room and about three people sleep together in a bed.” No matter how long the lockdown is extended, socialdistancing in such localities are unimaginable. Locals said, “Probably we maintain more distance when at work rather than at home.” And to be more specific, there are many such localities in the vicinity of Fancy Bazar, as in Machkhowa, Kumarpara, Fatasil, Bhootnath, Kalapahar, Lalganesh and Santipur that have such slums amongst the well-off sections of society. And not just shanty homes, a section of the building owners also rent out godowns without proper licenses. Concerned citizens

Living in close proximity GS Colony, Fatasil: 19 families with 70 people Kumarpara: 46 people in one building Pubali Path, Santipur: 28 families with 84 members

have always raised questions on the same. At times, the district authorities and the local police are seen conducting raids in these godowns (mostly liquor godowns) but never on the residents. Such shanties cluttered together on roof-tops and elsewhere not only add to the nuisance value of a locality but also have the potential of raising massive problems of hygiene and health that are posed by a regular slum. This very concern that has till date been overlooked by the authorities, is now staring as a life threatening factor to the city of Guwahati. A member of a Nagarik Committee of Bharalumukh , under conditions of anonymity said, “I have repeatedly informed the police station about such rentals and illegal godowns. The residents are usually not verified. Some of these residents are involved in petty thefts and create nuisance in the nearby areas. But the authorities have not taken any action till date.” After the three people tested positive, 208 samples have been collected even as we write this and contract tracing of others are being conducted. Apart from the so called “building -slums,” many areas of the city also have cluttered residences in makeshift houses along the railway tracks. Given that the members of such a section can contract and spread the deadly

disease, will it be possible to contain its spread without a massive damage? This very incident can serve as

an eye-opener for authorities and action should be taken against such owners and the other stakeholders.

Kumarpara containment zone as seen today | G Plus Photo

4 Health

| May 16 - May 22, 2020

BBCI’s non-functionality deprives thousands from cancer treatment Rs 2000 crore Assam Cancer Care Foundation project a distant dream Barasha Das @Barasha_mi2

ssam reportedly has around 55,000 cancer patients at any given point of time. To cater to these many people, there are just a few dedicated cancer hospitals in the state. Of these, the most renowned are the Bhubaneshwar Barooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), State Cancer Institute at Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) and the North East Cancer Hospital, located on the city’s outskirts ahead of Khanapara. The state Ministry of Health & Family Welfare website lists just 14 cancer hospitals, institutes and cancer care centres across Assam. The bed capacity of BBCI is 210, GMCH Cancer Hospital is 200 and the North East Cancer Hospital just 80, in the backdrop of thousands of patients. Dr Amal Chandra Kataki, Director of BBCI, comparing the statistics of patients over 31day period, informed that prior to the lockdown the cancer institute recorded a monthly footfall of 5,961. During the lockdown period the footfall decreased by around 50% to 3,081. For new patients that underwent radiotherapy, the numbers reduced from 330 to 147, a reduction by 56%. Chemotherapy patients reduced from 2,500 to 1,461. The routine surgeries dropped by a massive 74%. However, the Day Care Emergency services rose from 60 patients in a month’s time, prior to lockdown to 236 patients during lockdown. Further, as the emergency surgeries increased, the number of new admissions also rose from 983 to 1,058. Given the above statistics, does the reduction in the number of admissions and treatments signify that there was a reduction in the number of cancer patients? No. The reduced number was probably due to the fact that as the hospital caters to many outstation patients from within Assam as well as from the other northeastern states, the lockdown has prevented them from travelling to Guwahati, until the emergency remains. Earlier Dr Kataki had said,

“For a hospital that sees around 14,000 new patients every year, any slowdown of services for cancer diagnosis and treatment would carry a significant impact on the outcome of thousands of cancer patients.” However, the untoward happened, and the COVID-19 pandemic that has engulfed the entire globe, also touched upon the B. Borooah Cancer Institute. After 16-year old Dipika Nath, who was posthumously detected positive of coronavirus, was linked to the staff quarters of the hospital, the entire staff quarters have been declared as containment zone since 8th May. The hospital closed all services for the day and resumed emergency services from 9th May. From 11th May only, patients taking regular radiotherapy and chemotherapy were catered to. “As BBCI’s staff quarters have been declared as containment zone, we have very limited number of health workers. So we might not be able to take in OPD patients as of now,” said Dr Amal Chandra Kataki. The hospital currently has 78 in-house patients. Reportedly, all staff and patients are tested for coronavirus. With the staff quarters under containment, BBCI has only about 10 to 12 percent of its regular staff currently in service. An attendant of a patient from Arunachal Pradesh, speaking to G Plus lamented, “My sister was tested with stomach cancer on 6th May. The hospital closed all operations on the 8th and she along with the rest of the patients has been tested for COVID-19. We have been informed that if she is tested positive, she will be sent to GMCH and if found negative will be asked to discharge. Where will we admit her then? Her cancer treatment has not yet started although the hospital is providing drips and other necessities.” Tarun Sonowal, a designated Social Worker of BBCI informed, “We have to wait for the COVID-19 results. We cannot be liable for our patients contacting coronavirus, as they are already the vulnerable section. We will be treating all as required. However, they have to wait in queue before their number comes and right now we have very limited staff. So the required time might be

The Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute and its front entrance | G Plus photo longer.” Given the situation, the most valid question to be asked is: Does the state have enough cancer hospitals? How will the closing of regular services to its full capacity by just one hospital, the BBCI, impact the cancer scenario of Assam?

The Assam Cancer Care Foundation

The Assam Cancer Care Foundation was set up in 2017 in joint partnership of the Assam government and the Tata trust. The Rs 2000 crore project was set to establish a first-of-its-kind three-tier cancer grid in the state. The cancer project proposed to have a total of 19 cancer facilities, set up at three levels across Assam. The government proposed the establishment of two Level-I apex cancer hospitals within the premises of the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital and the Assam Medical College and Hospital, Dibrugarh with education and public health research facilities. These would have 500 bed capacity and all necessary facilities for diagnosis and treatment. 12 Level-II hospitals with 122 beds each with almost all required facilities for cancer treatment (except a few expensive ones) would be located at all other government

medical hospitals in Barpeta, Silchar, Tezpur, Karimganj, Tinsukia, Jorhat, Dhubri, Nagoan, Kokrajhar, Nalbari, Diphu and Lakhimpur. Another 5 Level-III cancer facilities were to be established at the district hospitals of Sivasagar, Goalpara, Golaghat, Darrang and Haflong. These were only to have diagnosis facilities and ‘Day Care’ services. Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on 21st May, 2018, said that the hospitals would be operational in the next two years. Of the Rs 2000 crores, 51 percent contribution will be from the state government and the rest 49 percent was to be funded by the Tata Trust. Although the project was to be completed by April 2020, the project can be labelled almost as a non-starter as of today. As reported by media, construction has started at 10 sites since October 2019. However, further development had to be halted due to various hitches, amongst them the CAA protest and the COVID-19 pandemic. Palliative care service has started in three hospitals viz AMCH, JMCH (Jorhat) and GMCH. Allegedly, only three oncologists and four palliative care specialists have been appointed although a total of 200 cancer specialists are required across the project.

Further, renowned oncologist, Dr Tapan Saikia, who was appointed as the Director of the cancer project, has resigned allegedly due to loss of respect and dignity. There is lack of coordination between the Tata trust and the local stakeholders and the trust does not take the local experts into confidence. Most of Dr Saikia’s advices were allegedly left unheard and experts of the state were apparently not given the necessary opportunity to work. Apart from him, several other top medical professionals associated with the project have also made their exit supposedly due to trust issues and various other reasons. Although sources claim that the Assam Cancer Care Foundation is lacking pace due to the alleged lack of trust and support from the Tata Trust, the main concern lies in the completion of the project. Given the current COVID-19 crisis, both the BBCI as well as the State Cancer InstituteGMCH are within limits of the novel viruses attack. So where do the cancer patients of the state and the nearby areas get treated? Had even a few of the proposed 19 facilities been completed, at least the cancer scenario of the state would have looked satisfactory in this global health crisis.

In The News

| May 16 - May 22, 2020

State govt issues guidelines for return of citizens post partial resumption of rail services G

overnment of Assamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health and Family Welfare Department has issued Standard Operating Procedures for return of residents stranded across the country, back to Assam, by train. Post Ministry of Railwaysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; announcement of partial resumption of train services from 12th May in a graded manner, state police authorities have been directed to categorize passengers by destination railway station and provide the list comprising passenger details to National Health Mission, Assam. On receipt of the list, passengers will be contacted by 104 service providers of NHM and further details about their residential addresses will be generated. Passengers will be asked to download the Aarogya Setu app on their mobile devices and submit forms of undertaking as ordered by the central government. District-wise lists will be sent to Deputy Commissioners to ensure smooth planning in advance. Transportation arrangements too have been directed to be made for those returning home from all deboarding stations. Deputy Commissioners have also been asked to make temporary lounges outside station buildings with special spaces earmarked for symptomatic passengers. Refreshments, toilets and other basic amenities will be provided to passengers in lounge areas. Medical teams will be deployed for screening passengers and will also be made to go under isolated institutional quarantining if the need arises. As an exception, pregnant women, senior citizens above the age of 75, children below the age of 10, physically handicapped and persons attending funerals or participating in last rites of deceased persons will be allowed to home quarantine themselves if found asymptomatic. All other asymptomatic passengers will be guided to lounge areas and will then be handed over to representatives of destination districts for onward

journey and then to institutional quarantine facilities, arranged by the district administration. Those kept in institutional quarantine will then be tested at the earliest, positively within the first week of arrival and then will be allowed to be quarantined at home after being stamped. Total quarantine period including both institutional and home quarantine would not be less than 14 days. Each passenger will be accommodated in a single room with attached toilet; couples and families may be accommodated in the same room. Room rental charges of the institutional quarantine facilities will be assessed by DCs and borne by the government. On exhaustion of hotels and lodges, quarantine facilities will be set up in various institutions like marriage halls, prominent educational institutes or other establishments where single toilets can be provided to one individual or to a group who have travelled together. Food provided to all passengers under institutional quarantine facility across the district will be similar as per norms issued. Medical teams will conduct periodic checks in the quarantine facilities to detect infection, if any, and a separate clinical guideline will be issued for swab collection, management of symptomatic cases and release from institutional quarantine. Home

quarantine of passengers will imply that the entire residence is a containment zone during the quarantine period. No person will be allowed to enter or exit the zone during that period. Village Level Home Quarantine Management Committees will decide in case of each passenger recommended for home quarantine whether the person will be quarantined in his/her residence or the local community centre, keeping in mind that in case the person stays at his residence, the same will become a containment zone for all residents of that

house. If required, the district administration will also mobilize volunteers from organizations like NCC, NSS, NYK and other social organizations and utilize their services for community involvement in the entire exercise.

Arrival of passengers at Guwahati on the first special train

Janasanyog No. 514/20

Rifa Deka @dekarifa

6 Concern Snippets Allahabad Bank Machkhowa Branch Sealed Off

s it has been ascertained that some COVID-19 positive patients had recently transacted money at Allahabad Bank, Machkhowa Branch, Guwahati, in the interest of maintenance of public hygiene and to prevent further spread of COVID-19 virus, all kinds of transactions as well as administrative functions of Allahabad Bank, Machkhowa Branch, Guwahati has been stopped with immediate effect. The authority of the branch will suspend all kinds of activities immediately and the officials of the branch will be home quarantined till their swab test reports are made available by the health department. District surveillance officer, Kamrup Metropolitan District, will collect the samples from each of the officials of the Allahabad Bank branch immediately and also ascertain further contacts with the officials of the Branch. This order has been made under the “The Assam COVID-19 Regulations, 2020” and shall be effective from 10 AM of 15th May, 2020 until further orders.

Dhubri Declared Green Zone, Business Relaxations Allowed

he Orange Zone tag on Dhubri district made by the Ministry of Health Affairs, Government of India has been withdrawn with immediate effect and Dhubri now returns to normalcy. Normal life as per the rules of Lockdown 3.0 for a Green Zone has resumed; movement of people and transacting business by opening their establishments till 4-00 p.m. everyday are now permissible. Stand alone shops, grocery shops and pharmacy including veterinary clinics will be kept open everyday, while shopping complexes, cinema halls, shopping malls, saloons, beauty parlors, restaurants, gymnasiums, hotels & lodges etc will remain dosed until further orders. The rest category shops will be opened on rotation basis. The owners of the shops will ensure that they will arrange hand washing provisions and all the workers of their establishments will wear face masks while selling items/working in the establishment; social distancing is to be maintained by the staff and customers.

| May 16 - May 22, 2020

Pricey delivery service adding to citizens’ dilemma of ordering food online Rifa Deka @dekarifa

he 15 new cases of coronavirus positive patients identified in the city have left panicstricken Guwahatians with other no option but to stay home and avoid gathering in crowded marketplaces. Refraining from stirring outside means difficulty in arranging for provisions and this is where the blessing called ‘delivery apps’ come into picture. Although these apps are very helpful, provide personalized shopping experiences, save time and allow multiple payment options, people have reported that there are online stores taking advantage of the frightened consumers who fall into this trap of over exploitation to ensure that their family does not have to face a shortage of essential items at home.

Amid fears of Swiggy rising as a major monopolist in the city, consumers have complained about the unbelievably inflated prices of products being sold through the delivery app. With the nationwide lockdown to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus being extended over and over again, food delivery apps like Swiggy have started providing door-to-door delivery of essential commodities. The delivery app has partnered with various retail stores in 125 new cities, in addition to others across the nation. Amid fears of the delivery app rising as a major monopolist in the city, consumers have complained about the unbelievably inflated prices of products being sold through the delivery app, right from necessities like milk and vegetables, to meat, fish and eggs, consumption of which is no less than a luxury anymore considering the rate at which their prices have multiplied. A resident of RG Baruah Road

Screenshots of the exorbitant prices as shown on a delivery app speaks volumes of the situation complained that some stores have been charging around Rs 220 for a tray of eggs, which costs around Rs 160 in the market. On adding this to the cart, the consumer complained that Swiggy charged a delivery fee of Rs 90 along with taxes of Rs 26.20 bringing the total bill up to Rs 336. The total price, more than doubled, making a regular tray of eggs expensive for the common man. Another resident of Beltola area complained that when she opened the delivery app, she saw stores charging Rs 220 to Rs 270 for a kilogram of broiler

chicken; the same, to her surprise, was being sold for merely Rs 150 in the market. If delivery charges of Rs 90 were added to the bill

along with taxes, this too would multiply the total bill amount by two or in some cases would even exceed that. Consumers from across the city have questioned whether this massive rise in prices of home delivery services at a time like this when people fear going out in public as also the fact that they are advised not to by the government, is actually right. People have started questioning whether authorities are keeping a check on this hike at a time when the cost of everything has shot up. Not only consumers, even vendors of the city have parted ways with Swiggy and other delivery jumbos so as to avoid a myriad of problems. “We have not collaborated with Swiggy because the delivery fee to the person delivering is lower than ours; we pay around Rs 40 per delivery to the delivery boy as against Swiggy that pays only around

Rs 30. About 10 deliveries a day fetches him Rs 400 which adds up to about Rs 12,000 a month which is enough for sustenance in Guwahati. So that’s a plus point on our part too,” opined Siddharth Barthakur, founder of Social Enterprise Experts Group, an organisation that is into the business of home delivery in Guwahati. On being asked whether delivery charges are higher on tieing up with the food delivery giant he replied, “to the customer, the charges are high I suppose, I’m not so sure.” A lot of retail stores, businesses and local e-commerce sites have started independently operating with permission from respective authorities. “We deliver each and every essential commodity, including medicines and other essentials of everyday need,” said Barthakur. G Plus got in touch with officials from Swiggy in Guwahati, but they said that they did not have the authority to speak on the issue. On contacting the Bangalore office, the PR team of Swiggy too refused to comment on the matter. In addition to that, G Plus also sent an e-mail on their official mailing address to which they have failed to revert even as we report this.

Poll

| May 16 - May 22, 2020

Yes: 26% No: 74% Total votes: 2.4K

Majority of Guwahatians feel online classes extended by city schools not proving beneficial

Are the current online classes extended by the city schools proving beneficial for students? Rifa Deka @dekarifa

n 16th March, the central government declared a nation-wide lock-down of schools and colleges to control the spread of COVID-19. This led to fear amongst students as their academic year was approaching its final days with lakhs of students across the country eagerly waiting to appear for board and final examinations. Anxiety among pursuing higher education also began to grow with no sign of colleges reopening any time soon. Various state and central boards of education announced special guidelines to keep students connected with academia. In Guwahati too, efforts are being made to ensure that students do not miss out on too much during this lockdown period. Teachers are taking the pain of doing their research and conducting online classes, despite work at home, and students sit in front of computer screens and mobile phones to learn and interact. All this is being done to make the most out of available resources in such testing times. G Plus conducted a poll on its social media channels and asked Guwahatians whether current online classes extended by the city schools are proving to be

beneficial for students. More than 2,400 people participated in the poll which resulted in only 26 percent of people saying that online classes were beneficial. A whopping 74 percent of the poll participants signalled towards online classes not being beneficial for students in Guwahati. Netizens actively commented on G Plus’s Facebook page after casting their votes in the poll conducted on May 13. In response to the question asked in the poll, one Facebook user Ananya Hazarika, expressed her views, “Being a teacher I can say that it is not easy for us as well. But we are trying our level best to deliver the most out of the least. We are preparing lesson plans, homework, taking workshops on online classes, preparing for assessments, preparing presentations every single day. Although we have a bonding in the classroom, the same bonding isn’t possible through a screen. Parents are being very supportive as well. And the students are being at their best and understanding. It’s better to learn something than nothing even in this time of crisis. We the Teachers Fraternity are doing our level best even with the household chores.” Another Facebook user Partha Chakraborty worriedly said, “Nothing beneficial on such classes... rather its beneficial for schools as they can show that their

staff and teachers are working in lockdown and will charge fees as usual but ultimately the main hard works are done by the parents itself.” The Assam government had directed all educational institutions in the state not to increase fees during the coronavirus pandemic and to waive fifty per cent fees for the month of April from preprimary to Class 12, despite which there are fears among people that online teaching and learning process would give educational institutions a free pass to charge higher fees by showing off their e-learning systems. Amid these doubts, the state government declared that no increase in the school fees without the prior approval of the government during the pandemic would be allowed. A teacher of Northeast Public school, commented on Facebook, “As a teacher it is difficult for

COVID Hospital of GMCH to be Completed in 10 Days; Regular Services Resume

ll the doctors of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) will resume their duties from May 15, said Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. “All doctors including the superintendent of the GMCH, Dr Ramen Talukdar will resume their duties after testing negative in successive COVID-19 tests,” said Sarma. The doctors were put under quarantine after Dr Lithikesh DS, a post-graduate doctor at GMCH tested COVID-19 positive. After that, a student at Regional Dental Hospital and a patient of

the neurology department were tested positive. However, the rest of the 2000 samples collected have been tested negative, although the results of 110 are awaited.

Sarma informed, “As per ICMR guidelines if a person who was contact traced to a positive patient is not tested positive after 7 to 8 days and is asymptomatic, the transmission capability of the person decreases. As such, the doctors of GMCH can resume service although they have not completed 14 days of quarantine.” Further, the fully commissioned COVID-19 hospital of GMCH will be completed in about 10 days. It will be installed with UV rays dispersing mechanism, imported from Canada.

A school student trying to cope up with his online classes | Internet photo us as well to explain a 3-page chapter to the children, without having any eye contact, there is no interaction ... It’s very difficult for us to conduct online classes. While explaining in the class we try to give so many examples but this way it’s totally not possible.” On problems of network connectivity, one netizen, Kaustav Kashyap, took to Twitter saying, “Not all sections of students are benefitted with the online classes. It does not reach to every corner as a lot of problems are

there, like poor network, lack of good smartphone, lack of proper electricity, high data cost.” He added, “Online classes don’t have practical gains.” An Instagrammer, Divyanjana, who goes by the name of fervent_ lass highlighted the plight of students pursuing higher education. “Only pouring in extra stress. Some of us are not able to get stationery items to start our practical works, and yet we have been given deadlines to submit them online,” she commented.

8 G Talk E

| May 16 - May 22, 2020 T

Old wines, new bottles

rime Minister Narendra Modi’s last longish address to the nation was about the announcement of a Rs 20,00,000 crore relief package to revitalize the economy even as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to maul us. The finance ministry headed by Nirmala Sitharaman has since gone on overdrive with three continuous days of press conferences doling out financial schemes that are, according to them, expected to be the right kind of incentives for revival. For the moment, most of the newly publicized schemes seem to be old wine in a new bottle. For one example, the FM announced a package for the housing sector. The government will be extending the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) for middle income group (with annual income of Rs 6-18 lakhs). This was in fact operationalised from May 2017 and had already been extended up to 31st March 2020 thereby supposedly benefitting 3.3 lakh middle income families. This scheme will now be extended to 31st March 2021 and 2.5 lakh more middle income families will be supposedly benefitted during 2020-21. Moreover, the FM expects this will lead to investment of Rs 70,000 crores in the housing sector

which will also create jobs and stimulate demand for steel, cement, transport and other construction materials. Again, the big rental scheme was already in the works with nothing special to it regarding Covid-19. Moreover, loans can never be part of a stimulus package. Banks usually do not have much choice when it comes to ensuring that MSMEs survive and don’t turn sick and granting additional loans is often the only way out. So, taking an additional loan to repay an existing loan is hardly stimulating in real terms. For the record, the finance minister has earmarked Rs. 3 lakh crores in fresh credit as a stimulus package. But there is a catch here and that comes from Sitharaman’s cabinet colleague, Nitin Gadkari, the union minister for road transport & highways who happened to tweet that the Centre and states together owe the MSMEs something to the tune of Rs. 5 lakh crores. Had Sitharaman found ways and means to pay that off, it would have been construed as true stimulus. All things considered, it remains to be seen whether the schemes will indeed serve their purpose at the end of the day. We just hope the government knows what it is doing. Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali

Assamese crusaders without a cause

s the world battles the deadly Coronavirus, I’m writing this piece to bring things a little closer to home – to talk about another virus, of sorts. The language crisis of the Assamese people continues to plague us all. This of course pops out every time there are video news reports being done for our readers, in English. As an English news brand, I am often surprised that people expect reportage in Assamese. It is like scanning The Assam Tribune looking for Assamese news - oddly funny. However, there are often a set of people who enjoy scratching this itch. “Why is the reporter not speaking in Assamese? Is the reporter ashamed of being Assamese? Why live here if you can’t speak Assamese?” or certain other remarks which are pretty irrelevant. Yes, it is possible that an individual staying here (by here I mean Guwahati or Assam) would be unable to speak fluent Assamese for several reasons I might add – Birthplace, family/lineage, type-ofprofession or hundreds of other reasons. The point still being – speaking Assamese is not mandated and should not be expected either. There’s a quote I often hear: “Morning shows the day;” if interpreted in this context, it becomes evident that a certain section seems to rile up the audience by leaving such comments and as Michael Caine’s Alfred says, “Some men just want to watch the world burn.” Writing “Joi Aai Axom” after a powerful statement in support of my state does not make me love it more. It is our actions, our profession and our contributions to the state/city that matter. This fellow who would rile up the crowd would also spit guthka on his very motherland. Where does your love go then, buddy? The Assamese diction in itself is so evolutionary that it changes from city to city. And it is unfortunate that a set of its users haven’t evolved.

Sidharth Bedi Varma @sid_bv

Solution based Journalism to tackle COVID-19

hile the pandemic COVID-19 has made the masses at large remain isolated within their respective homes, it has made certain professionals work out of their skins. Individuals associated with departments like health, police, administration etc have all tried their level best to ensure that the denizens remain safe by doing their respective duties. In addition to them, people belonging to another profession – the journalists have also played their distinctive role in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak. Media is the fourth pillar of Indian democracy; this is because it has been serving the population providing information from every nook and corner of the world. In this pandemic as well, journalists have not backed out from doing their duties despite knowing how dangerous the situation can be when they move out to cover news or press conferences relating to COVID-19. And that is the reason the journalists have been bestowed praises by the heaps for their incessant hard work and dedication in providing information at the right time to the public. However, in the current situation, it is important for journalists to adapt to “solution based journalism” in order to put their own impact in the process of containing COVID-19. The matter of the fact is that solution based journalism amidst this pandemic would basically have four aspects related to it moving the story, simplification of the story, authenticity of the story and non-politicization of the story. Speaking of the first aspect i.e. ‘moving of the story’, it basically means keeping pace with up- to-date information with each passing minute or hour regarding the virus and the pandemic situation. The palpable fact is that since the genesis of the virus, various news and information regarding the same have evolved out and the

surprising thing is that a piece of information that came out half an hour ago might be an outdated information post the half an hour period. Hence, it remains really crucial for the journalists to remain updated as much as possible before publishing a story regarding the virus or its related issues as because majority of the population now depends on newspapers or news channels to gather more knowledge about the virus. Although this aspect looks tough and challenging but an extra effort on part of the

Solution based journalism amidst this pandemic would basically have four aspects related to it - moving the story, simplification of the story, authenticity of the story and nonpoliticization of the story. journalists regarding the same can indeed help the population immensely. However, it is the second aspect of solution based journalism that might be really arduous for the journalists to maintain regularly or keep pace with it daily. The conspicuous fact is that the disease COVID-19, its symptoms, causative agent or the possible cure of it are all scientific affairs and that is the reason it might not be easy for the burgess to grasp everything that the doctors or scientists come up with in one go. Hence, in this regard, the journalists if possible should take the extra burden to carry out extensive interviews with doctors, scientists or health care professionals to understand the scientific information in a simpler way and then publish stories in such a manner, that any person with the basic knowledge can understand those without

rHailing a terrorist

O pinion Bishaldeep Kakati

Himakshi Thakuriya

much of difficulty. In this regard, we even can’t deny the fact that converting a science story into a simpler story with the necessary information might create a lot of pressure upon the journalists, but for the time being if they can pour in some extra effort for this purpose, then in the process, they would not only help the people know various do’s and don’ts that they need to follow while tackling the disease, but also the journalists would receive many terms of approbation from the crowd for their noble work. The remaining two aspects of the solution based journalism are simply related to the concept of ethical journalism. The journalists should be careful while putting or publishing any piece of item regarding this pandemic since a rumour or a misinformation might cause a great deal of panic amongst the crowd. And the last aspect of this entire concept of solution based journalism is that some of the media houses or the journalists at least for this pandemic situation should keep aside their left or right wing alignment and mustn’t be biased while publishing any news for the greater benefit of the crowd at large. In short, some of the media houses or the journalists should completely avoid politicizing the entire scenario. So, if these four aspects of solution based journalism are kept intact, then definitely the journalists or the media houses can play a pivotal role in helping the government and the people to win the battle against COVID 19 in the longer run. But ‘solution based journalism’ must be followed by the journalists only after putting proper attention to their own safety or health issues. Hence the journalists too should be extra careful while reporting or covering press conferences, since currently they are one of the significant forces along with others to tackle COVID-19. (The views expressed by the authors are their own. G Plus may not subscribe to the same)

Letter to the Editor

uring our school days our revered teachers defined the word ‘Martyr’ as someone who had made the supreme sacrifice for the sake of the motherland. In that sense every Lion heart ‘Veers’ who have sacrificed their today for the country and its people are Martyrs of this soil. But nowadays some so called ‘super intellectuals’ are trying to change the meaning of the pious word, i.e. Martyr. Recently when our Armed forces eliminated the dreaded terrorist Riyaz Naikoo (Commander of Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist organisation) in the Kashmir valley, some members of the Lutyens gangs tried to project the slain terrorist as a Martyr. A few were also seen trying to paint a picture that he was a Maths teacher. A mass murderer of so many innocent people, if accorded a Martyr’s status, it is most unfortunate. The day of celebration for the patriotic Indians was a day of sorrow for some leaders of CPM, Congress and for a few journalists of media houses. Dr Ashim Chowdhury, Ambari, Guwahati

Op-Ed

| May 16 - May 22, 2020

The cure is in our hands A

long with the virus is spreading the virus of stupidity. And it is not only in India but across the globe. We are anticipating the research results of a vaccine for the novel Coronavirus but there can be absolutely no medicine for stupidity. After we had banged thalis for our doctors, the very next thing we see is that the doctors and nurses are being discriminated against. Some of them are

Hatred has spread its tentacles far and wide and it will be a daunting task for all of us to vaccinate this virus. treated badly in the apartments they stay in, the reason being that they might be the carriers of the virus. There have been several incidents which have put doctors, nurses and caregivers in a quandary; they are asked to vacate the rented homes as they could be posing a viral threat to the house owners. In

several places, doctors have been beaten and manhandled by the police despite being shown identification cards et al. Yet again, the public have chased and stoned doctors out of their areas for reasons only known to them. Young people from the northeast of India have been harassed, daunted with namecalling and also spat at. In certain cities, malls and shopping complexes restricted the entry of people from the northeast despite their fervent plea to let them in and explaining that they are Indians and that they belong to the NE of India. And while media had only a few updates on the coronavirus, they got the Nizamuddin Markaj story on a palate and from then on, the whole narrative had taken a different turn. The blame game took only a few minutes to escalate and the media used the actions of these returnees to ostracise an entire community who had no inkling of the happenings. The word spread like wildfire to mainstream

regions in the country of this being the conspiracy of a particular community which supposedly were deliberately doing this to ‘avenge’ the rest of the people. The repercussions across the country were glaring as vegetable vendors were asked for their identities and then beaten up mercilessly on discovering that they belonged to a particular community. The poor and the hungry were unexpectedly attacked and beaten. They cried but no one

from the public came to help. In Rajasthan, a young pregnant woman was refused medical help when she went to the hospital with her husband. In the process, her newborn died when she delivered the baby in the ambulance, which was taking her to another hospital. Hatred has spread its tentacles far and wide and it will be a daunting task for all of us to vaccinate this virus. We will have to deal with the virus of hate for a very long

Tinat Atifa Masood time now. If we don’t handle the situation and nip the virus in the bud, then it will be difficult for anyone to survive. The stupidity virus of course fails to come to terms with reality that we have a much more bigger task to handle than being communal; that of fighting the virus. And since we are all in this together, we will tide over this problem together. We will have to fight the virus together, flatten the curve and get our country back on its tracks. As citizens of the country, it is our bounden duty to stay united and not get diverted from the main issue of fighting the virus. If we do divert, only we stand to lose in all possible ways. Let’s not be losers. Let’s be winners and win this war together. Jai Hind. (The views expressed in the article are the author’s own. G Plus may not subscribe to the same)

PM Narendra Modi announces an economic package worth Rs 20 lakh crores to give impetus to the Indian economy during the current pandemic crisis and slowdown. Some comments on the same on the digital channels of G Plus are given below. Chetan Beria

Gourav Gourav

Ashik Shrestha

Mridul Sharma

How many Indians had died from treachery? In how many days he will give, did he mention that? 2 minutes of important topic he extended up to 40 minutes. 6 years earlier, the GDP was much better compared to last year. Every other country took big steps way before; small countries like Malaysia, Sri Lanka as well. Too late Modi ji, and as usual we know nothing will happen.

Announcing economic packages is good but from where will the money come? The rich people will become richer by a few thousand crores and the brunt is to be borne by the tax payers. This is a true fact. From last so many years this is going on and no change is seen.

Komal Das Phukan

Railway is charging the migrant labourers and there is no information on the money the government has in PM CARE Fund and where it will be spent and now they are coming with 20 lakh crores. So, you will be giving our own money to us only and giving speeches on national television. What do you want to prove? Do we look stupid?

If no relief funds are announced then the government isn’t doing anything. If it does, it will make the rich all the richer. I’m not a Modi fan, but trust me I’m not anti either especially at this time of crisis. Are we saying we are perfect in managing our household finances? If not, think about it. If we are so good at becoming finance ministers suddenly, are we equally successful in our careers?

I don’t understand the negativity in people. I am a small business owner and my labourers had left for their village when the lockdown was announced. For the first month, I paid their full salary and when the lockdown was extended I called them if they needed any help but they informed me that the government has provided them enough food, so they don’t need at present. I was surprised but it’s true that the government is providing for poor and in case you didn’t receive any help, find out from your local MLA or panchayat. They must be doing something wrong. And regarding this new policy I am positive. We can’t blame the government always; sometimes we need to check ourselves if we are doing the right thing.

10 News This Week

| May 16 - May 22, 2020

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

Be vocal for local: PM Modi urges India to buy local products

Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a big appeal to the citizens during his address to the nation. “Be vocal for local,” said the PM, urging people of India to increasingly purchase local products. “Coronavirus has made us realise that local market and local manufacturing is a powerful tool for economic growth. The global brands were also local at some point of time. They became global from local due to their pride in their products. Hence, we need to buy local products and also have pride in those products. We have to be vocal for local to improve our economy,” he added.

EPF contribution reduced for business & workers for next 3 months

Addressing a press conference, Union Finance Minster Nirmala Sitharaman said that to ease financial stress as businesses get back to work, the government will continue to provide 12 percent to both the employees’ and employers’ provident fund dues for the next three months till August. Rs. 6759 crores liquidity support will be provided. Further, statutory PF contribution of both employer and employee will be reduced to 10 percent each from existing 12 percent for all establishments covered by EPFO. However, CPSRs and State PSUs will continue to contribute 12 percent dues as earlier. This is an extension to the earlier PM Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) and will be benefiting 6.5 lakh establishments and 4.3 crore employees.

Last date of filing IT returns extended to November 30

Due date of all income tax return for FY 2019-20 will be extended from 31st July, 2020 & 31st October, 2020 to 30th November, 2020 and Tax audit from 30th September, 2020 to 31st October, 2020 Union Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman. Further several direct tax measures were also announced. All pending refunds to charitable trusts and non-corporate businesses & professions including proprietorship, partnership, Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs) and Co-operatives shall be issued immediately. Date of assessments getting barred on 30th September, 2020 extended to 31st December, 2020 and those getting barred on 31st March, 2021 will be extended to 30th September, 2021.

Only indigenous products to be sold at Central Armed Forces canteens

After PM Narendra Modi highlighted the importance of local products and local manufacturing for a self-reliant India, home minister Amit Shah ordered all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) canteens to sell only indigenous products. The Ministry of Home Affairs has decided that all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) canteens will now sell only indigenous products across the country from the next month. “With this, 50 lakh families of about 10 lakh CAPF personnel will use indigenously manufactured products,” said Shah. The CAPFs - CRPF, BSF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, NSG and Assam Rifles canteens together sell products worth about Rs. 2,800 crores annually.

Indian army considers 3 year long ‘Tour of Duty’ for civilians

The Indian Army is contemplating allowing civilians to join the service for a period of three years as officers and in other ranks in areas like logistics and front-line formations. Further, the Army is considering appointment of personnel from paramilitary and central armed police forces for up to seven years. After serving for this period, they would then be permitted to return to their parent organizations. The proposal will be discussed in a meeting to be attended by top commanders of the Indian Army, post which the final decision will be taken.

Lockdown 4.0 will be new in all aspects with new rules and guidelines: PM Modi

The nationwide lockdown is set to enter its fourth phase starting from May 18. Addressing the nation on May 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “Lockdown 4.0 will be state specific and the details for the same will be released before May 18.” Owing to the coronavirus outbreak, India has been under lockdown since March 24. Lockdown 3.0 was scheduled to end on May 17. However, upon suggestions from various state governments, the lockdown has been extended with certain relaxations. Coronavirus cases in India have crossed the 80,000 mark with over 51,000 active cases and 2,649 deaths across the country so far, as per latest data released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Over 3,700 employees of Uber fired in 3-minute video calls

Uber has fired around 3,700 employees of its workforce via multiple Zoom calls. According to reports each call lasted less than three minutes, with a common message: “Today will be your last working day with Uber.” In video footage obtained by Daily Mail, a company manager said, “Today will be your last working day with Uber,” as he informed some of the axed customer-support employees. Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi in a letter to staff said, “With the reality of our rides trips volumes being down significantly, our need for communication operations, as well as in-person support, is down substantially. And with our hiring freeze, there simply isn’t enough work for recruiters.”

NIV Pune develops the first indigenous anti-SARS-CoV-2 test kit

Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan through a tweet informed that the National Institute of Virology, Pune has successfully developed the first indigenous anti-SARS-CoV-2 human IgG ELISA test kit for antibody detection of COVID-19. Taking to his twitter he said “National Institute of Virology, Pune has successfully developed the 1st indigenous anti-SARS-CoV-2 human IgG ELISA test kit for antibody detection of #COVID19. This robust test will play a critical role in surveillance of proportion of population exposed to #SARSCoV2 infection.” Coronavirus cases in India have crossed the 80,000 mark with over 51,000 active cases and 2,649 deaths across the country so far.

World Bank announces a $1 billion social protection package for India

The World Bank on May 15 announced a $1 billion social protection package for India to aid the country’s efforts to fight the Coronavirus pandemic. This social protection package would be linked to the Government’s programs and schemes launched to aid the vulnerable section of the population, hardhit amid the pandemic. Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director for India said, “Social distancing has led to a slowdown of the economy. The Government of India has focused on Garib Kalyan Yojna to help protect the poor and vulnerable as a bridge between health interventions are happening and where the economy can be revived.”

Twitter employees can work from home forever

In a positive move Twitter has allowed all its employees to work from home even after the coronavirus pandemic is over. According to reports Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey sent out an email to the employees stating that they will be able to work from home forever. This means Twitter employees will be able to work from home even after the pandemic ends. In his email Dorsey mentioned that employees will be “allowed to work from home permanently, even after the coronavirus pandemic lockdown passes.” Further, he clarified that jobs that require physical presence such as maintaining servers and so on will still need employees to come to the office.

Trotter

| May 16 - May 22, 2020

3-year-old bakes cupcakes, Teacher runs more than 50 raises Rs 50,000, donates miles to visit each student outside their homes it to Mumbai Police

three-year-old has won hearts on social media by donating his hard-earned money to Mumbai Police. Kabeer visited the police headquarters to hand over a cheque for Rs 50,000 that he earned by selling cupcakes. The little entrepreneur’s gesture was appreciated not just by Mumbai Police - who shared his story on social media - but also by hundreds of netizens who have flooded the comments section of the post with praise for the threeyear-old. According to Mumbai Police,

Kabeer’s target was to raise Rs 10,000 by selling cupcakes that he had baked at home. However, the young baker exceeded his target and managed to raise Rs 50,000. Recently, he and his parents, Karishma and Keshav, handed over a cheque for the amount to Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. Kabeer also brought along a box of his sweet treats for the cops. “This sweet flavour is going to stay on our palates forever,” wrote Mumbai Police in a video praising the corona warrior. (Source: ndtv)

Milkman’s social distancing ‘jugaad’ has netizens impressed

he nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of corona virus has also made social distancing a part of daily lives. Bustling crowds in malls and markets have given way to chalk circles on the ground, and gym workout sessions have been replaced by neighbourhood street-dancing for some. In the midst of this, a photo of a milkman’s “desi jugaad” to deliver milk to customers while maintaining social distance has left many impressed. According to the World Health Organization, social distancing involves maintaining a distance of 3 to 6 feet from anyone who is coughing or sneezing, as the highly infectious novel coronavirus spreads through droplets. “When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain the virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease,” the organisation explains on its website.

The photo of the creative milkman was shared on Twitter by IAS officer Awanish Sharan, among others. It shows him using a funnel and a pipe to maintain social distance from the customer. Instead of pouring the milk directly himself, he uses the funnel and pipe system to pour it into the customer’s pan. Sharan paised India’s spirit of jugaad - or thinking up creative hacks - to get by with minimum resources, while sharing the picture. (Source: ndtv)

Georgia teacher who says he misses his students after not seeing them for nearly two months is now in the process of running more than 50 miles to visit them outside their homes. Bill McAllister, a faculty member at Big Shanty Intermediate School in Kennesaw, last taught class on March 16 before the corona virus outbreak brought an early end to in-person learning in his district this academic year. And he since then has mapped out a route and is running six to eight miles per day to offer encouragement to each of his students. “I knew my kids were at home and they were missing school and everybody else and I thought well why don’t I run through their neighbourhoods and see them, give them a smile, pick up their day a little bit,” McAllister told a daily. McAllister says he is donating money for each mile he runs to MUST Ministries, a local volunteer group that helps those in need with meals, clothing, housing, and other items. “I have been thinking about all of you and worrying about all of you. And getting to see you makes me a little bit calmer and a whole lot more happy,” McAllister was observed telling one of his students – Mia Strickland -- during a run. “You have a great

summer and we will see you in fifth grade.” Strickland later told her teacher’s visit was “pretty awesome,” as “just the other day I was thinking about him.” For those who are not home, McAllister leaves notes on their mailboxes. “Sorry I missed you, hope you are doing well,” one of the notes read. (Source: foxnews)

Malaysian schoolgirl sews PPE gowns as ‘homework’ to help beat coronavirus

or a nine-year-old Malaysian schoolgirl, the new coronavirus was hard to fathom. But Nur Afia Qistina Zamzuri knew one thing for sure: it was dangerous. So when she heard that a local hospital was looking for people to sew protective gear, she immediately volunteered. “I felt bad, so I told my mom I wanted to help,” Nur Afia said at her home in Kuala Pilah, a town in Malaysia’s southwestern Negeri Sembilan state. Nur Afia, who learned to sew at the age of five, can make four full personal protective equipment (PPE) gowns a day, parking herself at a sewing machine between playtimes and attending online classes while schools are closed amid a country-wide lockdown. Malaysia, which until mid-April had the highest number of coronavirus cases in southeast Asia, has reported more than 6,600 infections, including over 100 deaths. The country imposed movement curbs to stem the virus outbreak on March 18, though some restrictions were eased earlier this month. Since early March, Nur Afia has made 130 gowns for two nearby hospitals. Sixty more pieces are on the way, though this

month has been more challenging as Nur Afia, whose family is Muslim, observes the Ramadan fasting month. Still, fasting has not stopped her and she often starts sewing after the suhoor pre-dawn meal. Nur Afia picked up an interest in sewing after watching her mother Hasnah Hud, a tailor, making clothes in her home business. As Nur Afia’s skills improved, she began earning her own money stitching together pillowcases and patching up torn clothes for the family’s neighbours and relatives. (Source: reuters)

12 Guest Column

| May 16 - May 22, 2020

Adolescent mental health in the ‘New Normal’ times A dolescence is a crucial phase in every individual’s life. The transformation from being a child to now preparing for the role of a responsible young adult is marked by physiological, psychological and social changes. Often the adults around them attend only to their non compliant behaviours, labeling this teen as rebellious. What appears to be a ‘difficult’ adolescent to handle is just

of global concern, fear of future is affecting most of us. An adolescent who is already battling his/her anxiety, is bound to come in the grasp of this social panic. Lot of our daily routines have changed drastically - work from home, moving out of stereotypical gender roles, missing out on gym, etc. Even the face of academic learning has been digitalized. While the definition of “normal” is changing as well, it can be an add-on challenge for

If school/college being closed is causing discomfort or restlessness, you are absolutely normal. Most of the adolescents are experiencing anxiety in the current scenario. In fact, anxiety is important, it prepares us to take measures in threatening circumstances. However, the first step would be to get in touch with this discomforting feeling. The best way to do this is by bringing your awareness in your body; trying to locate that feeling in your physical

The author writes that while the definition of “normal” is changing, it can be an add-on challenge for a teen who is already distressed. She proceeds to offer some advice and solutions to the stressed out adolescent in these times of a pandemic. the tip of the iceberg. They experience a range of emotions and their mental wellness is on a continuum of being calm and composed at times to being agitated, feeling low confidence on one hand to being absolutely certain about which career option to take up ahead. While a teen is still in the process of exploration and experimentation, anxiety surfaces as a common emotion. In the prevailing circumstances where the pandemic has taken a form

GUEST COLUMN

emotional outburst like crying, screaming, throwing things, fighting. When faced with such moments, start with Contact – a physical contact; touch a pillow, hug a family member, squeeze a stress ball. Next, Communicate how you feeling in terms of your thoughts. For instance, if you feeling disappointed with your mother’s reaction on completing the cleaning task assigned to you, go up to her and express this feeling in words. Reach out to a mental health professional if the need be. The third C is Connection; connect with a friend over a call, connect with your journal where you could be writing down your thoughts, connect with a pet or plants in/around your house.

3. Give yourself the priority

Representative Image a teen who is already distressed. Not being able to socialize or step out of the house can leave them feeling lonely, anxious and disappointed. However, practicing self-care exercises/ activities come handy when it comes to looking after their mental health. Here are few tips for our teens.

1. Name the distressing feeling

self. Once you have done that, ask yourself “what does this feel like?” If possible give it some form, a shape or a colour. This exercise helps you identify and acknowledge the toxic feeling.

2. Follow the 3 C rule

Although it feels good to be with quarantined with your family, it might start getting onto few. The thought of ‘being stuck’ can result extreme

Use this available time to decide on goals, which aren’t time specific. For instance, setting up a goal to finish reading a particular book is a good idea but setting up a deadline can add to your stress. Go easy on yourself while setting targets, do not overdo it. Also, making small goals on short time intervals is great way to go about for now. For example, set goals for today, a task to be completed in next one hour; on completion it will give you a sense of accomplishment which adds on the “feel good” factor. If there is any hobby or skill you wanted to learn or develop expertise in for a long time, go doing it now. Being productive is the key.

4. Monitor your digital intake Digital

world

has

become

Dr. Shambhavi SamirAlve a necessity and not just a luxury any more. It is a great source of information, and is playing a catalyst in forming and maintaining social contact. Unknowingly this virtual media is also impacting your physical as well as psychological health. Excess screen time can cause irritation in the eyes, give headaches; bad postures can result in backaches. Moreover, prolonged exposure to the screen can disrupt the circadian system which manages your sleep cycle. If the urge to check your inbox often or to look for number of ‘likes’ you have received on your post or picture is uncontrollable then it is time to treat yourself with a digital detox. Fix a particular time frame during the day where you are away from the internet and the other gadgets. A great way to implement this ‘no-virtual-media’ zone is by tagging other family members along. Lastly, remember that we all are different and we all indulge in different coping styles. Be conscious and aware of the words you use, the behaviours you show, making sure you aren’t emotionally wounding your family members, your friends or your virtual acquaintances during this challenging phase. (The author is a Ph.D. Psychology, MBA-HR and Developmental Psychologist, Clinical hypnotherapist, and Arts Based Therapy Practitioner. Views expressed in the article are her own)

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Partly Cloudy

AM T-Storms

Mostly Cloudy

Scattered T-Storms

T-Storms

AM T-Storms

33°25° C

33°26° C

31°25° C

29°25° C

33°25° C

SATURDAY

T-Storms 31°24° C

Guest Column

| May 16 - May 22, 2020

Corona and its onslaught on Indian theatre

GUEST COLUMN

The author, having participated in a Zoom discussion with national theatre Asha Kuthari Chaudhuri practitioners, writes about the current situation of the artists, technicians and support staff under the pandemic situation which has left them without the work that they are skilled in.

nteresting paradoxes have emerged for theatre people in the times of Corona. Suddenly, all works in progress – rehearsals, shows, festivals and other live shows have come to a grinding halt. But the flipside was that the usually paid online resources, like the portals for National Theatre Live, Globe Theatre (both of UK) and a host of others, like the Met Opera have opened up, free to view,

What leaves one perturbed are the thoughts of the technical people, the backstage guys, who actually make the theatre magical through their stage sets, lights and design. They are now rendered jobless. mostly on YouTube. So while we miss the live action, many of us also rejoice in seeing some absolutely cutting edge stuff on these online websites, which we might have never otherwise seen. But make no mistake, not even the most spectacular of recorded performances can ever be a substitute for a live show – the kind that gives you goosebumps – as you breathe, hear, see and inhale the excitement it generates. So yes, theatre is in crisis, at least for now. Many of us in the theatre circles have been in touch and in discussion. So when Sanjna Kapoor asked me to register for a Zoom meeting called Theatre Adda (with our own chai and Parle G biscuits), I was intrigued. The said meeting began with around 40 theatre people from across India, moderated by Quasar Thakore Padamsee and

Irawati Karnik. Many of them spoke of their adhoc reinvention of their craft through (what else) e-resources. Participating as a theatre academic, it was fascinating to understand how fertile and quick the human mind is – the plethora of theatrical exercises already in operation, the voice and body training classes, playwright courses and sundry other attempts at keeping the spirit of theatre alive in these difficult times. Just as we, in academia, have managed to salvage our classes by embracing Zoom/Skype/ Google Classroom, so have the people in the theatre. What is common to both is the profound emptiness of the mechanism – I have been doing plenty of these online classes with my students, and been left unsatisfied always at the lack of the actual human interaction – breathing, listening, feeling – in the flesh, together. Still, it is better than nothing. As the 90 minute meeting progressed, what left one perturbed were the thoughts of the technical people, the backstage guys, who actually make the theatre magical through their stage sets, lights and design. And here too, their experience and pain remains invisible. The actors adapt easily into a new format and begin to spew all manner of ‘content’ but what is to become of the technicians – the magic makers of live shows? Inaayat

A memorable moment from G Plus Guwahati Theatre Fest at Pragjyoti ITA Machkhowa Ali Sami spoke eloquently on how they are really left to fend for themselves until they devise a method to collaborate online from their homes. And that is the contradiction that makes one review one’s celebration of the change. Millions of migrant labourers were similarly forgotten – until their sheer numbers forced us to see them, and try to mitigate their problems. Many theatre groups across the country have now realised the plight of the backstage people and are trying to raise funds to help them tide over the crisis. I too am now wondering what is being done to help them in Assam. Speaking of our own state, we have here that behemoth of an industry that feeds many, enriches many and entertains thousands all across both rural

Lighter and faster

Scan the QR code

Get the G Plus app

and urban Assam – mobile theatre. If one has any idea of the magnitude of this commercial theatre in terms of how many people depend upon it for a livelihood, one will understand the grave crisis that they are faced with. The other, serious theatres that run in the city have already had to shelve many important projects. Most actors are keeping themselves busy with online ventures of various kinds, mostly from their homes... but is this enough? Education can reinvent itself by going online, but what about students in the deep rural spaces who have no connectivity, or smartphones? They are obviously being left out in the cold. Just like the invisible ones everywhere – the stage hands or the migrant workers. The space is definitely one

Have a story to tell? Be a Citizen Journalist Get in touch with us, Contact/WhatsApp

8486002318/8486002320

of despair, as one lockdown snowballs into another. While online portals have offered us some solace and the idea of a ‘new normal’ is constantly being bandied around, it has only driven home the point that nothing – simply nothing – can replace direct human interaction. So perhaps it might just provide that breathing space to writers, artists or students to look within, and come up with work that will mark out our existence in this unprecedented time of human history that we are in the process of living out. After all, we do know that Shakespeare wrote many of his masterpieces during the Plague, when his world was in lockdown. (The author is professor of English at Gauhati University. The views expressed in the article are her own)

14 Feature

| May 16 - May 22, 2020

Science and Philosophy in the times of Virus H istory has shown that when man’s very existence is threatened by a scourge the wise man finds the wherewithal to fight it and rebuild society. This rebuilding process is arduous, requiring radical thinking. The past experiences of similar crises show that ingenuity has always triumphed, every danger was overcome and old order was either restored or a new order created whenever such pandemic, as COVID-19 causing intruder came our way, sometimes even converting it into a powerful friend. We know that science and technology have evolved in their own ways to address many banes caused by fallouts of natural disasters, pandemics and other scourges which we now do not attribute to acts of God. Science is certainly needed to keep our civilization alive. Science is wonderfully self-cleansing as theories are peer reviewed and bad theories make way to the waste bin. A good theory reinforces another to produce better theories and this cycle is continued, creating more knowledge and deeper understanding of nature. For the benefit of mankind, scientists have domesticated micro-organisms to prepare wine, yoghurt and cheese. John Postgate, in his book Microbes and Man, argued for the importance of micro-organisms. They make the soil fertile, clean up the environment and protect us from less desirable microbes. “For most of this century most microbiologists have thought that the majority of bacteria in mud, soil, sediments and sludge, be they dead or moribund, were

out of the picture for all practical purposes,” he wrote. “This could be far from the truth. It is a sobering thought that they could be dozing, waiting for the call to leap into activity when a few lookouts sense appropriate change.” Thus we will have to remain contended by living with these tiny creatures and their whims eternally. He studied the genetics of nitrogen fixation showing that it was possible to transfer the DNA encoding the nitrogen-fixing ability to another bacterium, E coli, that had never had that ability. Thereafter vast numbers of viable genetic combinations have been tried out through countless generations of micro-organisms for enhancing life. In the 17th and early part of 18th century, small pox was a repulsive and lethal disease. This disease had been continuously known in ancient China, India and Africa and may have reached Greece and Rome in classical times. In the early 1100s it became endemic in Europe by spreading through the religious crusades. It spread easily in the crowded conditions of European towns. It is estimated that by 18th century it accounted for every one in ten deaths in England, and about 6 crore deaths in Europe. Edward Jenner was then enjoying the pleasures of village doctoring in Gloucestershire in England, where he regularly came across smallpox patients. Here, milkmaids usually caught a bovine version of the smallpox, called cowpox. This middle-aged doctor did a famous experiment on 14th May 1796, when he took some matter from the sores of a milkmaid named Sarah, who had contracted cowpox. He then infected a young boy called

James, by making a cut in his arm. Once he recovered from a mild fever on 1st July, he was cut and infected again. The outcome was in line with the expectation of this experienced doctor. James did not catch the disease. This treatment became news in Britain and soon after, travelled across the world. As he became a rage and a sensation Princess Louisa of Prussia asked him for a vaccine

Science without philosophy, facts without perspective and valuation cannot save us from havoc and despair. Science gives us knowledge, but only philosophy can give us wisdom. (root word Latin for cow) matter. In 1801 US President Thomas Jefferson himself inoculated thirty persons. Russian empress named the first child vaccinated there as “Vaccinof”. In 1804 Napoleon awarded a medal to honour Jenner and got his army inoculated. The vaccination system would make smallpox the first great scourge to be eradicated and in 1980 United Nations declared complete victory over it. Jenner is now often called the pioneer of immunization. From this historical example, it is easy to guess that man’s tenacity and scientific progress will not only win over this fairly new COVID-19 causing corona virus, but eventually will be able to completely eradicate it too.

As science take this virus to task, it is important that we want to learn to laugh in the face of distress. We want to be whole, to coordinate our energies by harmonizing our desires and building up our wisdom. Amidst the devastation when one only sees the seemingly daunting task of rebuilding life, feeling hopeful is more important than anything else. Hope instilled because of support, tireless, efficient and dedicated efforts create a feeling that the devastated society will emerge out of this calamity with stoicism and dignity. Life is an eternal renewal and even in the face of this crisis, man can and ultimately will move forward. Will Durant in his book The Story of Philosophy writes that “Science tells us how to heal and how to kill; it reduces the death rate in retail and then kills us wholesale in war (or pandemic); but only wisdom - desire coordinated in the light of all experience – can tell us when to heal and when to kill.” “Science without philosophy, facts without perspective and valuation cannot save us from havoc and despair. Science gives us knowledge, but only philosophy can give us wisdom.” The will power is a striving persistent vital force, a spontaneous activity, a will of imperious desire. The intellect may seem at times to lead the will, but only as a guide that leads his master; the will power as Arthur Schopenhauer stated “is the strong blind man who carries on his shoulders the lame man who can see.” Though it is not clearly understood at that moment but in posterity we know that when some societies erred to make the most of an

DWAIPAYAN BORA opportunity, others could utilize it to lead an important change, and create historical landmark. In this context it is important to note that for centuries the giant ships that powered the Venetian republic were built in the Arsenale, in Italy. In the 16 th century with an organized workforce of about sixteen thousand, Arsenale could produce one fully equipped fighting or merchant ship a day, which in contrast took months elsewhere in Europe. At the same time Italy was also witnessing a renaissance in learning. Surprisingly however it did not lead to a breakthrough in technology or an industrial revolution there, which finally erupted in Britain, in the 1700s. Why is it so? Analysis shows that rapid Industrialization was more about politics than about geographical chance. The British will power to create a conducive political system for exploiting the benefits of industrial processes helped it to snatch the industrialization early mover advantages from Italy. Industrial revolution sprung up in Britain due to capitalism and a market system, under which the world still lives today. The fight against this virus and a two-month global lockdown has brought to us new challenges. It is now time that we as a nation reflect and choose the right path that takes us to a good life after the virus. (The author is an engineering professional working in an oil and gas major in Kuwait. The views expressed in the article are his own. Email: jeetbora@gmail.com)

Vivekananda Kendra NRL Hospital resumes mobile medical camps

n the wake of COVID-19 the Vivekananda Kendra NRL Hospital has brought health care to the doorsteps of the needy. They have been playing a unique role in serving the rural population surrounding Numaligarh Refinery and other remote villages of Golaghat district by conducting Mobile Medical Camps (MMC). The two MMC units of the hospital have resumed their services from April 27 after lockdown restrictions were relaxed; maintaining stringent protective measures such as social distancing, regular sanitization

and use of face masks and PPE as per the government guidelines. While one MMC unit is deployed in a nearby village, the other unit visits Numaligarh Refinery Marketing Terminal for COVID-19 screening of truck drivers and attendants, limiting daily registrations to 40 patients to avoid crowding. Villages covered till now include Ponka, Bishnupur Sewjpur, Rongbong-I, RongbongIV, Bormahari Pathar, Rangchali, Parghat-II. Any person found with high fever or other COVID-19 symptoms is immediately directed to a Government Hospital for

further testing. The initiative of Mobile Medical Camps was adopted by VK NRL Hospital in 1998 with the support of NRL. It initially began with a skeletal set up of a doctor, a nurse and nursing attendant who visited nearby rural areas and provided free medicine and advice based on clinical examination. 12 such centers within 5 km radius covered a rural population of 25,000. Over the years, the MMCs have grown manifold organizing on an average of 6 camps a week covering 60 villages within a radius of 10 Km of the Refinery and treating 50,000 plus patients in a year.

The Mobile Medical Units are equipped with Mobile Laboratory facility with provision for on the spot blood report of essential blood tests like haemoglobin, blood sugar, blood grouping etc. Apart from the primary health care services the camps also conduct awareness programs on various communicable and noncommunicable diseases including health and hygiene. MMCs also provide regular medication to routine patients suffering from chronic illnesses like hypertension, thyroid disorders, diabetes and epilepsy. Since 2017, the MMCs are also

carrying out regular screening of rural women for breast cancer and cervical cancer. In addition, the MMCs also carry out regular first aid training program for local population and police constables, CISF jawans, forest guards and teachers from nearby schools and colleges including camps beyond its earmarked area on the request of various NGOs, especially during natural calamities like floods. Vivekananda Kendra NRL Hospital was established on September 19, 1997 through aMoU between the Numaligarh Refinery Ltd. and Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari.

Fiction

| May 16 - May 22, 2020

The Raid (Part 2) The story so far: Excise inspector Bismita Baruah gets a tip off that a shady group of people were using an abandoned hut in the woods near Nikamul Satra to run an illegal liquor trade. With the help of local villagers Rafiq and Dhaniram, she plans a late night raid to smash the gang.

jolt of the jeep brought Bismita out of her reverie. Outside, the skies had darkened and there was a chill in the air. A light drizzle had started. Bismita cursed impatiently, “Dhetsala! Why did it have to rain today, of all days?” She turned to her aide at the back seat and called out, “Get out my raincoat and keep it ready.” The smooth, pitched road had unobtrusively transformed into a bumpy one, badly in need of repair. The jeep trudged along painfully slowly and a couple of minutes later slowed down to a crawl, irritating Bismita. “Come on Dhaniram! At this pace we’ll reach Nikamul tomorrow. Hurry up! I want to be done with this job as quickly as possible,” she snapped.

Bismita stared at the two bamboo poles spanning across stream with trepidation and noted with mounting dread that the makeshift bridge had no side bars to hold on to for support. But, unheeding her words, Dhaniram instead brought the jeep to a complete halt. “Baideo, Raja and Rafiq are waiting here!” the driver responded indicating with a nod of his head to her left. Puzzled, Bismita turned around. Indeed, Rafiq’s bike stood under the huge Nahar tree and the two boys were coming towards her looking quite serious. The boys were supposed to be waiting for her at the entrance to Nikamul Satra and they were planning to strike exactly at midnight. Why the change of plan, she wondered. Putting on her raincoat, she stepped down from the Jeep and enquired, “What are you doing here? Is there a change in plans?” “Ma’am, the rains have rendered the roads impassable. Moreover, with the three boys in the hospital, Madhu and his cronies are on high alert. Madhu has engaged some goons as lookouts. It’s better if we go through the fields and reach the forest from the other side and not from the village side. It’s going to take us a couple of hours longer, but then, we’ll have the element of surprise on our side.” “What? Walk for a couple of

hours? Are you mad? I’m calling off this operation, right now!” Bismita was aghast at the prospect. “But we’ll never get this chance again, Ma’am!” With the boys in the hospital, they are already on high alert. And we have also heard that after tonight they may suspend their activities for a few months. We’ll miss a golden chance, ma’am!” Inspector Ratul, interjected. Bismita again wanted to turn away, but the sight of the boys wouldn’t leave her nor let her turn away. Besides, what if I am transferred, she reasoned to herself. Reluctantly, she forced herself to go through with the plan. Bismita was not as agile as she used to be while in college. With two boisterous boys around, and a job which had her on call at any odd hours of the day or night, she never found the time (nor had any inclination) to go for any sort of exercise. Even her health freak of a husband could not induce her to go to the gym with his taunts, exhortations and pleadings. Her out-of-duty physical activity entailed a few badminton sessions with her boys in the winter and a leisurely after-dinner stroll around the residential campus with her husband. And now this confounded situation faced her. The prospect of walking two-three miles to the village seemed daunting. As turning back ceased to be an option, Bismita gritted her teeth and stomped away towards the way Raja and Rafiq pointed setting up a brisk pace for the rest to follow. The boys looked at each other, grinned and jogged up to her while the stunned constables and her driver followed at a much more discrete pace. The muddy road where she had loved to splash around as a kid could not bring any pleasure today as she huffed and puffed along with her retinue. An hour passed in silence. The sky was dark now and the pace had slackened. Raja came up beside her and broke the silence. “Ma’am we have another 2 miles to cover. If you want, we can rest here a bit,” he said, pointing towards a Namghar with a “baatsora” (a covered eave leading towards the main structure, in this case a temple). Feeling relived at the opportunity to rest her legs

which had gone numb, Bismita marched up to the steps of the namghar without uttering a word. Her aide rushed to her with her water bottle which she accepted gratefully and gulped down a few swigs from it. Relaxing, she looked around. Light from the moon edged out from the clouds bathing the whole place in a silvery-grey hue. An earthen lamp flickered inside the “Manikut”, throwing eerie shadows on the mud clad ikora walls of the Namghar. The steps leading up to the Namghar were flanked on both sides by an elephant head along with the trunk. The Namghar was rustic, untouched by modern elements. The pillars which held up the whole structure, were centuries old teaks, strong and sturdy withstanding the ravages of time. Images of the legendary “BurhaDangoria”, a spirit

which is said to haunt the Namghars, sent a chill down Bismita’s spine and she shivered involuntarily. “Come! Come! Time to move on!” she exhorted the rest and started striding forward. The others scurried, hurriedly, behind her. After moving for around 500 metres, they came across a stream. Bismita groaned as she saw two bamboo poles spanning across stream and she realised she had to depend on the strength of the bamboos to cross the stream. She stared at the makeshift bridge with trepidation and noted with mounting dread that it had no side bars to hold on to for support. Raja came up to her and spoke hesitantly. “Ma’am, I’ll go first. You hold my hand and I’ll help you across. There’s nothing to be worried

about.” Bismita glared at him without another word, strode on ahead of him, before he could do or say anything. The others watched her in astonishment. All her experiences in the field as an Anthropology student came to her mind and after moving a few steps her confidence reinforced her and she crossed the makeshift bridge, a bit clumsily, but without falling off it. She punched the air in triumph as she stepped on the grass on the other side of the stream. The others grinned and followed her across. The euphoria of revived childhood, vanquished all bitterness towards the raid, and with renewed vim and spring to her tread, she strode ahead without waiting for the others. Surprised to see the change in her mood, the rest of the team also perked up and followed her into the darkness. As the night advanced, the clouds grew darker and heavier shrouding the moon in a thicker cloak. It was getting difficult to move ahead. Dhaniram whipped out his heavy duty torch, but was immediately cautioned by Raja to put it off. These sorts of torches were generally used by the guards of the forest department and could warn the gang of the presence of authority and they would immediately wipe out all evidence of their illegal activity. Raja was however equipped with a simpler torch which the local villagers used and which would not seem suspicious. So by the dim light, they made their way and soon reached the outskirts of the village. The villagers were in deep slumber inside their homes and the whole village was enveloped by a thick blanket of silence. Even the pariah dogs lay crouched amongst the hay stalked up in the front yard of the homesteads, and did not make a sound as this small group groped through the darkness towards the woods in the far side of the village. Bismita instructed everyone to move in a single file. Raja headed the file followed by Bismita, the constables and then her aide. Rafiq and Dhaniram flanked the

Nisha Mahanta Bordoloi

rear end. They entered the woods stealthily taking care not to make any sound. Rafiq came forward and volunteered to go ahead and check if they had posted any lookouts. As he went ahead, the rest crouched down low on the ground, in squatting position. Soon Rafiq returned with the good news that there was no one around. Maybe because of the rain they had lowered their guard. This was a good opportunity for the team and swiftly they reached the door of the shed and took position on both sides of the door. Dhaniram came forward and kicked on the door with his brute strength, which gave way with a resounding crash and immediately all of them rushed inside. A cacophony ensued. A couple tried to run away through an exit at the back, but Raja and Rafiq had that exit covered and they were caught. The culprits knew their game was up. Within seconds the constables had rounded up everyone and had them handcuffed. Sealing and locking the place down, the group started their return journey with the prisoners. It was still dark and the village slept on, unaware that their problem had been resolved. Dawn was breaking by the time they reached the jeep. The village was stirring. To avoid any hassles, the prisoners were bundled off in the back of Bismita’s jeep. A constable shifted to Inspector Rafiq’s Bullet and soon they were on their way to town. Exhaustion overpowered Bismita but she warded off sleep forcefully. Only a couple of hours more and she would be home with her boys and Diganta. The culprits would be taken into custody and due process of the law would take over. Raja and Rafiq, who had accompanied them back to the police station, thanked and congratulated Bismita for the successful raid. On her advice they had decided that the shed would be converted into a library cum activity centre for the kids of Nikamul Satra. They shook hands and bid their farewell. A couple of hours later, with all filing of papers done and the culprits put behind bars, Bismita heaved a sigh of relief, sat down on an executive revolving chair, stretched out her legs, rested her head on her outstretched arms and closed her eyes. In an instant she was fast asleep, all stress of the day wiped out from her face.

(Concluded)

16 Fun

| May 16 - May 22, 2020

Horoscope of the week

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

17th and 22nd May will be great days for you to share your ideas with your seniors, connect with them. 22nd May schedule your important meetings. 16th May you will be emotionally hurt by your colleagues or superiors. 18th May you could have a fall out with a superior or someone at work.

Lay low on 16th May, you are bound to have disagreement with people at work or there could be changes in your work place. Avoid making any promises on 16th and 19th May, you will have to live up to them. 18th and 21st May will be great days for you to connect with your senior and share your ideas with him/her, host your important meetings on these dates.

The first half of your week will be slow; the second half will be great. For good results host your meetings share your ideas with your superiors, network with your business associates on 19th and 22nd May. Avoid any Sunday meetings with your workmates and/or extended family, it will be a disaster.

You will have an amazing week 16th, 17th and 19th May will be great days for you to connect with your senior and share your ideas with him/her, you could host your important meetings on these dates. You could have issues with your seniors or your extended family on 18th May, don’t get into a confrontation. On 21st May be careful while dealing with the opposite gender.

This will be a great week for you. 17th, 18th and 21st May will be great days for you to share your ideas with your seniors and build a relationship with them. Host your important meetings on 18th and 21st May. 19th and 22nd May you could have issues at your workplace either with your seniors or your clients. Avoid getting into a confrontation.

This week will be great for you. 17th, 18th and 22nd May will be excellent days for you to schedule your important meetings. 17th May you could host an online get together with your colleagues, seniors and parents. Avoid hosting any meetings especially with your seniors on 22nd May. You are bound to have disagreements.

You have a great week ahead of you. 16th and 19th May will be great days for you to share your ideas with your seniors or simply just connect with them. You could schedule your important meetings on these dates. Watch your words and actions on 21st and 22nd May, you could have disagreements at work. Other days will be average.

This week you will have a bad start but your luck will generally pick up by the end of the week. Avoid planning any event with your work buddies or seniors on 9th and 10th May. You might have disagreements with them. On 12th May your boss will be more 3 receptive to your ideas. Avoid making any plans for 15th May. Rest of the days will be average for you.

A slow week for you with not many achievements. You will have issues at work or with your superiors or clients on 20th May, try not to get into a confrontation. 21st May will be a great day for you to build a rapport with your seniors and people at work, host your important meetings on this day.

Watch your words and actions on 18th May; you could create your own problems. 19th May you will be emotionally hurt either by your parents or your seniors. 22nd May will be a great day for you to connect with your senior and share your ideas with him/her, host your important meetings on this day. Other days will be average.

Watch yourself on 16th and 22nd May, avoid making any promises or getting into a confrontation. You could have disagreements with your seniors or work associates; this is not a day to schedule important meetings. 18th May you will be emotionally hurt either by your parents or your seniors. 19th May will be a slow day for you. Rest of the days will be average for you.

16th May is an ideal day for you to mingle with your seniors and people at work and build your work network. 17th May you will be emotionally hurt by your colleagues or superiors or your extended family. Be careful with your words and actions on 20th May you will create your own problems.

2. Lotus

curio-city

Dilbert By Scott Adams

1. Sydney Opera House

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

Sudoku 42 1 3 6 77 6 1 1 13 2 2 6 7 5 43 6 8 35 1 5 8 1 1 3 9 67 9 8 69 7 86 2 5 29 8 5 4 76 2 4 4 2 3 6 1

Daily DailySudoku: Sudoku:Fri Fri15-May-2020 8-May-2020

6. Identify this doyen Assamese culture?

noun confusion; turmoil; jumble.

very hard medium

last week solution 25 31 89 42 77 54 66 91 48 13 92 29 86 98 35 17 54 29 71 38 13 62 47 55 69 47 14 86 32 86 58 73 91 75 23 64

14 3 5 76 87 35 8 92 31 76 7 6 18 55 63 9 7 25 44 82 6 4 39 76

69 24 43 12

51 21 4 9 67 93 88 58 1 2 53 29 37 9 5 1 4 12 76 47 2 3 81 68 95

Daily DailySudoku: Sudoku:Fri Fri15-May-2020 8-May-2020

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

British Slang. exhausted; very tired

3. The Chutiya Kingdom which ruled northeast Assam for

4. Which sporting institution was founded by John Houlding in 1892?

[ mey-ley, mey-ley, mel-ey ]

adjective [nak-erd]

over 400 years

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

melee

4. Liverpool FC

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

Word of the week Word knackered of the week

5. Waikiki Beach, Hawaii

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

6. Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla

curio-city

very hard medium

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

Lifestyle

| May 16 - May 22, 2020

Vaastu rules for letting out your house

n several occasions, it is seen that the house has extra rooms or becomes too big for the residents. It becomes important to let out the extra part to generate some extra income.Some people build a house with that purpose only i.e. construct few extra area to be let out for rent. For some elderly and lonely persons also it becomes important to let out a portion to someone for the sake of security and companionship. While doing so, it is extremely important to follow the Vaastu rules because according to the Tenancy Act, the laws are tilted towards the Tenants and it is not easy to vacate someone if they turn out to be sour mangoes.

Here are a few things to keep in mind! If you intend to rent out only one room, make sure it is located in the northwest or southeast corners. If you have decided to rent a portion of your house, retain the north or the east areas for yourself and rent the portions to the south and west. It is important to have the northeast lighter at all the

time and when the tenant vacates the portion at south or west, get a new tenant at the earliest or start using the area yourself. Keeping the area empty may cause financial loss and mental stress.

Hemanta Kumar Sarmah

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

It may so happen that the northeast portion of your house is lucky for the tenant.But never let it out as it may cause you mental stress, problems in conceiving a child and even loss in income. The southwest portion will also result in positive changes for the tenant. But since it too, is connected to the owner, renting it out may cause instability in your life and you may face dominance from the tenant. Do not put someone else in the southwest area. If you have to decide between letting out the ground floor and the first floor, check the position of the stairs and the setbacks. If the setbacks to the north and east are open, retain the ground floor; if the

to give away on rent.

same is true for those on the south and west, shift to the first floor.

staircase is located in the south or west, it’s better to rent the floor above.

If the stairs are constructed in the northeast, north or east portions, rent out the ground floor since stairs leading downward are considered as a positive sign in these areas. However, ensure that the roof of the staircase block is lower than the portion at south and west.

The underground water tanks, bore-wells and basements affect people living on the ground floor. The roofs of staircases leading to the terrace, lift rooms, overhead water tanks, etc. impact the life of those living on the floors above. Hence these factors also need to be taken into account while deciding which portion of the house

If your house faces the north or the east, and

Shak Shuka

Quick and easy Iftar special recipes Sandeep Das

Soyabean Fritter Curry

Ingredients Soya bean 200 gm

Onion 1finely chopped Ginger 1 inch finely chopped Green chilli paste 1tsp Curd 50 gm Cardamom 4 Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder 1 tsp Coriander powder 1 tsp Cumin powder 1 tsp Garam masala 1/2 tsp Milk 100 ml Flour 20gm Sugar 1/2 tsp Cumin - 1/2 tsp Oil 100 ml for deep fry Ghee 2 tsp Salt to taste Method Soak soya bean in warm water for an hour and the squeeze water properly. Heat oil in a pan; add chopped onion, garlic, ginger and sauté

Shimu Dutta

In a bowl add curd and beat it properly. Then add all the powder spices and mix it well.

yy Eggs4/5

yy Turmeric powder

yy 1 onion chopped

yy Salt

yy 2 tbs garlic finely chopped

yy Kashmiri chilli powder1 tbsp yy Yoghurt 2tbsp

yy Tomato puree 1 and 1/2 cup or as required to taste

yy Mustard oil 1 tbsp

yy Chilli flakes 1 tsp yy Salt as required yy Black pepper1tsp yy 3 tbsp Refined or olive oil Method

In a kadhai add ghee and sugar and let it cook till the colour changes, later add cumin seeds and cardamom and give it a mix. Add the curd mix and let it cook. Add salt, green chilli paste and let it cook for 2 minute. Add milk to the gravy and when it starts boiling add the fitters and cook on low till the gravy becomes thick. Check the seasoning and serve with steamed rice. Shak Shuka

yy Tandoori masala1 tbsp

yy Tomato 1

yy Pinch of sugar

Soyabean Fritter Curry

Fish Tandoori Ingredients yy Fish 6-8 pieces

yy Kashmiri chilli powder

In a bowl add thepaste and mix flour to make soft dough. Make fritters of any shape and fry them in hot oil.

If you are having any litigation or court case going on with the tenant, or if he has encroached/ illegally occupied the rented premises, elevate the southwest corner and keep the northeast cleaner and lower as compared to it. This will increase your energy level and your problem will be solved sooner.

Ingredients yy Tomato chop 1 cup

yy Red/green capsicum finely chopped

for one minute. Then add soya bean, salt, turmeric powder and gram masala give a good mix and let it cook for 4-5 minutes. Cool it properly and make a fine paste.

The portions that are being retained and rented out should be rectangular or square, and the north east and south west corners should not be cut .That is the rented portion should not be in an L shape or with extensions.This will cause problems for both, the landlord and the tenant.

• In a pan add oil when hot add the chopped onions and cook till it changes colour. Now add chopped garlic, tomato and capsicum and let it cook for 7/ 10 minutes. Then add the tomato puree and the spices and let it cook for another ten minutes until gravy becomes thick. • Now add some water and let it cook for another five minutes. Now crack all the eggs directly in the pan, do not touch the eggs with the spatula just cover it for five minutes. • When the eggs are cooked garnish the dish with coriander or dill leaves and serve hot with toasted bread and enjoy.

yy Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp Method

• Marinate the fish with the spices, yoghurt, oil and salt and let it rest for fifteen minutes. • Preheat the oven at 200 degree. Arrange a baking tray with baking paper. • Now add the marinated fish in the baking tray and let it cook for 15 minutes or until it is cooked. You can also shallow fry the fish in a frying pan. • Serve the tandoori fish with a simple rice preparation. Add oil in a pan followed bysome cumin seeds. Now add steamed rice, salt, chopped coriander and mint leaves along with green chillies and lemon juice. Mix it well and serve hot with tandoori fish and steamed green beans.

Fish Tandoori

18 Catching Up

| May 16 - May 22, 2020

PIC OF THE