G Plus Vol 3 Issue 23

Sex

in our city with Dr. Mithun bhartia

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More than 50% city women want change in the Government

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Minakshi Roy

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New Chic on the block

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VOLUME 03 | ISSUE 23 MAR 19 - MAR 25 , 2016

PRICE `10

No parking signages to remain sans PG advertisements 02

Ward No 1

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11 Back-toback mystery murders rock Guwahati

With G Plus reporting that certain newly erected no parking signages were illegal, GMC removes advertisement spaces from the signages; advertising agencies incur heavy loss

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07 Gauhati West voters upset with present MLA’s performance

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06 Elections, campus opinions and significance of the NOTA button

Builders come under scanner Real Estate Regulation and Development Bill passed

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G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

Lead Story

G

Plus was the first to publish the news that many of the newly installed no parking signages in the city were illegal and would be dismantled within two weeks according to the GMC officials. It has been around a month of that report and the no parking signages are still seen in the city. But interestingly, the advertising spaces on the signages have been removed from many of them leaving a gaping opening. Given the present scenario G Plus again decided to talk to the authorities and the people involved to find out if the no parking signages will remain on the city’s roads.

The cancelation history As reported earlier, according to media reports, the state government had restricted all government departments other than the Guwahati Municipal Corporation from issuing outdoor advertisement rights to any advertising agency in the city. A highly placed source in the GMC talking to G Plus, had said that some advertising agencies were installing the no parking signages in the city by taking an NOC from the PWD and were not following the norms. When an advertising agency installs signages, it has to follow some guidelines as to how much space should be provided for public information, and how much space should be taken for advertisement display. According to the source, in the recently erected no parking signages, the upper part is provided for advertisement and the lower part is used for the designated public information. This may easily lead to only the advertisements catching the public’s attention and not the designated information. The source said that these signage permissions were not provided by the GMC and PWD might have provided the NOCs. GMC commissioner Narayan Konwar, talking to G Plus had said, “All the no parking signages are illegal and it will be removed within a week.” The commissioner said that some advertising agencies had taken NOC from PWD and erected the no parking signages and GMC had already raised the issue with PWD. He also had said that PWD had cancelled such NOCs and notice had been served to the advertising agencies to remove the signages.

On being asked names of the agencies the commissioner had said, “There are mainly two agencies namely Prodigy and Kamakhya.”

Present status After one month of the commissioner’s statement, the no parking signages were still seen on the roads and so we visited him again. This time Konwar said, “The no parking signages on the city roads are illegal.

So we have ordered to remove them.

Our people were in the process of removing the signages when the traffic

No parking signages to remain sans advertisements

With G Plus reporting that certain newly erected no parking signages were illegal, GMC removes advertisement spaces from the signage; advertising agencies incur heavy loss rahul chanda

police told us that they require the same. So we started removing the advertisements from the signages. The no parking signages will remain because the traffic police require them but the advertisement portions on all the signages are illegal and we are removing them all.” The commissioner also said that for the time being, only the no parking signages will remain but eventually if required by the smart city proposal, these will be removed as well. Enquiring if the signages were installed according to any proper no parking plan, the commissioner said that the GMC did not know anything about the installations and these were totally illegal. G Plus decided to talk to the traffic police and the advertising agencies who installed the signages.

Traffic authorities A senior official of the traffic police, talking to G Plus, said that the traffic police required the no parking and speed limit signages in the city but as they do not have any budget

they have to rely on authorities like PWD and GMC. The official said that the PWD had given an NOC to the advertising agencies to install the no parking signages and after that the letter even came to the traffic police for clearance. The traffic police also provided the NOC but according to the official, the signages were installed randomly. The official further said that now as the signages are already installed the traffic police required the same without the advertisements if necessary. The traffic police department has asked the GMC to let the no parking signages remain on the streets as it is helpful for the police. But why did the advertising agencies install such signages which have turned out to be illegal?

The loss bearers When G Plus tried to contact Kamakhya Advertising, their officials refused to offer any comments on the issue. However, Director of Prodigy Communications, Nitin Jain, wanted

to share the whole story. Jain said that it is very difficult to do business with government departments as there are misunderstandings and communication gaps between the various government departments. He said that PWD officials had called him and asked him to install no parking signages on three roads (Bhangagarh to Ganeshguri, High Court to Bharalu, Gauhati Club to Panjabari) in the city within seven days. According to him there was no budget for the signages so there was a deal that the signages will have space for advertisements so that Prodigy can generate the revenue selling the advertisement space. Nitin Jain thereafter personally took a letter to the traffic police department and got an NOC. The signages were installed as desired

by PWD and thereafter, Prodigy went to GMC to ask for advertising permissions as GMC collects tax from advertising agencies. The GMC slapped a penalty of Rs. 2 lakhs and also started removing the no parking signages from the city after just four months of installation. Around 150 signages were entirely removed by the GMC before the traffic department requested GMC not to remove the rest of the signages. But now they are removing the advertising space from the signages which has come as a big loss to the advertising agency. Jain said Prodigy has incurred a loss of approximately Rs. 10 lakhs in this whole mess. Jain said that working with government departments is sometimes very risky as they need everything on time and later, because of misunderstandings, confusions and gaps in communication between the various departments, the business organisations have to suffer.

The PWD officials now say that they have withdrawn the NOC but because of their unplanned and unorganised erection, advertising agencies have incurred huge losses. The remaining no parking signages are also not installed according to any plan making the city look chaotic as cars are seen parked in front of many such no parking signs.

After G Plus reported that no parking signages, which also had advertising spaces, are illegal, GMC started removing the advertising space from the signages GMC now says that traffic police has asked not to remove the no parking signages but all advertisements will be removed in any case Traffic police say they require the signages Advertising agencies which had installed the signages incur heavy losses Agencies blame the government departments for the chaos GMC might remove the signages if so required by the smart city proposal rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

3

Governance

Builders come under scanner Real Estate Regulation and Development Bill passed Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

The Rajya Sabha passed the Real Estate Regulation and Development Bill which will now ensure the setting up of a regulatory body in each state’s real estate sector.

Projects will have to meet completion deadlines or face penalty - bill turns out to be a boon for real estate buyers and dread for developers

T

he real estate sector, which has been a hub of unaccounted activity till late will now come under the government’s scanner. Last week the upper house of the parliament passed the Real Estate Regulator Bill which will help bring clarity for both real estate buyers and developers.

The bill establishes the setting up of a state Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) for every state. This will be in order to address complaints and grievances against any builder and a real estate regulator will be stationed to look after all residential and commercial real estate transactions. A tribunal has been set up for this and there is a deadline of sixty days for resolving disputes. ARIEDA President PK Sharma, while speaking to G Plus, stated that a bill of such kind was long overdue. “The real estate sector was mostly an unregulated activity - there is a regulatory body for telecom, stock exchange and this bill will ensure that real estate too has one. It is very much required. Every state will now have to have a regulatory body to keep a track of their state’s real estate sector.”

This law will be a boon for buyers as this will require all developers to make about 70% of their transactions through cheques via a dedicated bank account. This will also help the authorities to keep a check of unaccounted money flow in the sector. It

will also ensure that developers are not investing in numerous projects while duping the buyers by showing the proceedings of the booking money for one single project. This will facilitate timely completion of projects which seems to be the main focus of the bill.

The law also mandates the submission of information of project factors like project plans, layouts, government approvals, land title status, names of sub-contractors, schedule for completion with the RERA who will in return check and submit it to the consumers. Also the regulator will have to upload all the project information online for easy accessibility of buyers. “The regulator of each state will be authorized to register all projects and the law makes this mandatory. Also, after the registration, the project has to be approved before it can be carried forward. The regulator has to scan each and every project before the approval,” stated Sharma. The current practice of selling on the basis of ambiguous super built-up area for a real estate project will cease to exist according to the law and instead all projects of 500 sq.m. and above will have to be registered with the regulator.

However, the biggest factor of the Real Estate Regulator law is that it makes completion of projects within the stated time factor mandatory - the

biggest problem faced by most buyers in the real estate market. Most buyers complain of projects taking four to five years more when it comes to their completion. However, now the law states that if there is any delay in project completion, the developer has to pay the same interest as the EMI paid by the consumer to the bank back to the consumer. “Before this came into being, developers who were duping consumers by extending the time of completion were not facing any consequences. However, now there is heavy penalty for the violation of this law,” Sharma stated. The first penalty for any developer who violates the law, particularly the tenure of completion will have to pay the consumer 10% of the project cost. If repeated violation happens, it can lead to imprisonment up to three years or more depending on the gravity of the violation.”

There has been a huge flow of black money in the real estate sector due to the absence of a regulatory body. Guwahati as a city is growing and the first definition of growth literally means buildings and skyscrapers.

While praising the law, Sharma mentioned that Guwahati will get an uplift.

“Guwahati’s fast paced real estate sector is growing and along with it, the influx of tons of unaccounted money.

This law will help in blocking that.

Every bit of information, from the project layout to the collection of funds

will have to be made public and they are liable for an interrogation at any time. In my opinion there will be a much needed boom in the real estate sector of Guwahati and Guwahatians are going to benefit a lot since there will be transparency. Also, the public will now be more aware and will have access to much more information and

their fate no longer depends on the developer. Even the slightest disputes can be taken to the regulator who has been given judicial powers by the Centre to take any kind of action he or she deems fit.” bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

4

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

Politicking

More than 50% city women want change in the Government

Juthika Baruah

More than 50% of the city women want a change in the government 10% women will vote for NOTA Women related schemes like widow pension, loans for women entrepreneur, unmarried women, education loan for girl children have been implemented by the government all of which have not made much of an impression

Many city women want a change in the government as they are not satisfied with the prevailing system and also 10% of the women will cast their vote for NOTA as they have failed to find any reliable candidate

T

he state government has implemented many schemes for women but the question that arises is: are the women satisfied with the schemes and will they vote for the present government or do they want a change in the upcoming Assembly election? G Plus has done a survey in the city and found that more than 50% women want a change in the government so that corruption comes to an end.

According to a section of women, although the Government has implemented many schemes, the city women do not get any benefit from these. “We definitely want a change

this time as the present government has failed to rule the state properly and corruption has reached such a level that they have forgotten to solve the burning issues of the state and the people. The city has got its name in the smart city list but there is not a single ray of hope that the city will develop into a smart city if there is not a change this time. In the last 15 years, the city’s roads have not developed and being a resident of Panjabari, which is an important locality of the city, we still do not have a pitch road,” said a women voter while speaking to G Plus.

She further added that in terms

of security, the government has failed to protect the women and crime against women is rising day by day. “Until and unless the government implements strict laws crime will not come down. At night a girl can’t go outside alone as the city is very unsafe and unsecure. In a democratic country like India why can’t girls go out at night? Is it only because she is a girl? Why can’t the mentality of a man be changed and why can’t the government implement a law against such crime so that the men have to think twice or thrice before they commit a crime?

Distribution of blankets or bicycles is not the solution to win the hearts

of the voters but the system needs to be changed,” she asserted.

In the survey it has also been found that 10% of the women have already decided to press the None of the Above (NOTA) button as they can’t seem to find any reliable candidate to vote for. “We will vote as this is our right but as I have not found any reliable candidate I will cast my vote for NOTA. Each time we vote with an expectation that we will get something from the Government but the parties, whether Congress, BJP or AGP, forget their assurances after they come to power. They promised to solve the burning issues

of the state but once they come to power they show their true colours,” said Barnali Kalita, who has chosen to vote for NOTA. “To change the socio-economic condition of the society, women play a vital role and we are focussing to bring more and more women in the party as women are becoming more economically empowered,” said Shahnaz Yesmin Haque, President of Assam Pradesh Mahila Congress Committee, while speaking to G Plus. “In each district we are witnessing more than 1,000 women joining the party which is a positive sign. The government has different schemes for women that are beneficial for them and there are some Self Help Groups (SHG) which are registered under GMC. When the schemes were being launched the SHGs helped the women to get the benefits from the schemes. There are many women related schemes like widow pension, loans for women entrepreneur, for unmarried women, education loan for girl children, etc.,” said Haque.

The SHGs helped the women with provision of loans for starting businesses like tailoring, beauty parlour, handicraft or handloom work, starting a hotel, shop, etc. The government also helps to grant financial aid in case of any treatment of cancer or any other critical disease from Chief Minister’s fund.

The district administration has also pasted stickers on the LPG cylinders as a part of the generic campaign to vote as voting is their right.

As women, especially housewives, spend most of their time in the kitchen, the administration has taken this step to increase voter awareness amongst the women. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

Statement aboutForm-ownership and other particulars about paper IV (Rule 8, The Registration of Newspapers (Central) Rules, 1956) Place of publication

Guwahati

Editor’s Name

Mr. Koushik Hazarika

Periodicity of publication

Weekly

Whether citizen of India?

Yes

If foreigner, state the country of origin

Does not arise

Address

#34, K C Choudhury Road, Chatribari (Opposite Nichols High School), Guwahati 781008, Assam, India

Name and address of individuals who own the newspaper and partners or shareholders holding more than 1 per cent of the total capital.

Insight Brandcom Private Limited, #34, K C Choudhury Road, Chatribari (Opposite Nichols High School), Guwahati 781008, Assam, India

Printer’s Name

Arkashish Publications (P) Ltd.

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Yes

If foreigner, state the country of origin

Does not arise

Address

Katahbari, Garchuk, Guwahati

Publisher’s name

Mr. Sunit Jain

Whether citizen of India?

Yes

If foreigner, state the country of origin

Does not arise

Address

#34, K C Choudhury Road, Chatribari (Opposite Nichols High School), Guwahati 781008, Assam, India

I, Mr. Sunit Jain, hereby declare that the particulars given above are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Dated: 18. 03. 2016

Mr. Sunit Jain Signature of publisher.

5

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

Politicking

Elections, campus opinions and significance of the NOTA button

Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

Campus Opinion The last student body elections in Guwahati saw the rise of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) for the first time. In 2014, the ABVP won one seat in the Cotton University Union body but in the last elections, their tally rose to five. Post the JNU row, the students of Cotton University are doubtful of a BJP victory in the state. The university had recently voiced in unison their issues with the way the central Government handled the Kanhaiya Kumar case.

And it had done so with protests and dharnas staged all over the city with the help of the Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti along with the SFI and AISF

A Kanhaiyan Kumar hoarding in the city

units of Gauhati University. “Keeping in mind how the HRD Minister and a few others in the cabinet reacted to the entire JNU fracas, how can any student even expect anything from the BJP government? This is one vital issue that has now changed the face of politics. BJP’s youth wing, the ABVP, had just got a hold here and now most of the students are unsure whether they are reliable enough as a political party or not.

AVBP goons have come out openly with their agenda and one recent case was when students in Dibrugarh University students were attacked by them leaving many regional student bodies shaken,” says Dhrubojyoti Saikia, a fifth semester Geography student from Cotton University, who is also an active member of the SMSS - another strong political unit in the University. “There is no way we are backing the BJP government, but we are also unsure of complete support to the Congress as half the new members of the BJP were once Congress representatives and who joined the BJP after Himanta’s shift.”

Overall, most of the campuses in Guwahati remained somewhat divided regarding the upcoming Assembly polls. However most of them have a feeling that this year the elections might turn out to be a game changer and the polls are going to critical to the state’s future.

Most political parties are doing their best to recruit students to campaign for their respective political parties and the campuses of Guwahati are all charged up. The Post Gradu-

ate Students’ Union (PGSU) wing of Gauhati University clearly condemned the acts of Kanhaiya Kumar and the fact that the Congress is currently making the issue its trump card for the upcoming polls. “No one has the right to speak against the nation. The country comes first. A varsity is never above the constitution,” said PGSU president Manab Jyoti Kalita (SMSS). Most of the students of Gauhati University however remained divided about their opinions regarding the 2016 polls; with regional parties like the Asom Gana Parishad allying with the BJP, a huge majority of the Gauhati University Students Union is expecting a change in the power stakes. On being asked if they wanted that change, a vast majority of them replied in affirmity.

“For years, the Congress government has ruled and has drained the State of its many resources and it is time that a change happens and there is a new government,” opined a group of 5th semester students of Gauhati University. However, this answer was not unexpected as GU has always been an AASU stronghold.

The NOTA significance This is where the power of the NOTA comes into effect. Introduced three years back, the NOTA option was first used in the assembly elections held in five states in 2013. More than 15 lakh people exercised the option in the states polls. The figure was however was lower than 1.5% of

the total voters, which did not allow the power of NOTA to take effect.

However, for the first time the ECI has approved a prominent symbol for “None of The Above” or NOTA option and it is being incorporated in all the Electronic Voting Machines.

This year, with so much uncertainty, the place of NOTA in Assam might just hold importance. However, most students reckon it will not be enough.

“The impact of the NOTA is yet to be established, not only in our State but also all over the nation. However, it can be said with certainty that the NOTA option will establish a strong foothold in this year’s elections, even if the total might not be enough to overthrow the other political parties,” said a group of final year students from S.B. Deorah College. Most of the students in Guwahati however, especially students not representing any political parties, were of the opinion that if there is a NOTA majority, the results will be dissolved and there will be fresh elections. This is not entirely true. Firstly, it will take a nation like ours a really long time to see the day when NOTA wins the majority. Secondly, even if that happens the NOTA option will not impact the results of the elections as NOTA does not have any electoral value. Even if the maximum number of votes cast is for NOTA, the candidate getting the most of the remaining votes will be declared winner.

However, the most important reason as to why NOTA is necessary is because it protects the identity of a voter, thus keeping the concept of

G Plus Photo

W

ith Assam gearing up for the 2016 Assembly elections, the youth of Guwahati seem to be divided in opinion when it comes to choosing a suitable candidate. G Plus conducted small question-answer sessions in the local campuses of the city and found that most students were unaware of the significance of the NOTA option The Assembly poll dates have been announced in the state and Guwahati’s youth are all geared up to vote. The ensuing elections are being viewed as a test for the BJP to make a mark in unfamiliar territories after the recent disaster in Bihar. The assembly polls are going to be more sophisticated than ever with all booths having seven basic facilities along with all-women polling booths and mobile squads having GPS-fitted vehicles accompanied by central forces to ensure that complaints are attended to promptly. This year there will be a 4.5% increase in the number polling stations. The number of voters has also increased to 1,98,66,496.

With all this in mind, G Plus recently conducted a small survey to assess campus knowledge regarding the upcoming elections.

After the JNU row and ahead of the Assembly polls, Kanhaiya Kumar is being used as an election pawn in the Congress’ outdoor campaign in Assam. He is also likely to campaign for the Left parties in the State, according to Suprakash Talukdar, State Secretariat member of CPM. “We have got in touch with Kanhaiya. He is likely to campaign for Left parties in Assam. It is good that Congress stood by Kanhaiya and is using his picture to depict the NDA government’s high-handedness but Congress must not forget that it too had imposed Emergency which gagged free speech.” (source: ET)

secret balloting intact. Earlier, a voter who wanted to reject all participating parties could only do so by registering in a separate booth and this did not protect the identity of the voter (Section 49 O). This stood annulled after the SC cleared the NOTA provision. The 49 O gave the poll officials a chance to find out the reason behind rejecting a candidate through the voter’s remarks in Form 17A which was declared ‘unconstitutional’ by the SC. Though NOTA does not affect the final result, it helps the EC to take notice and weed out the parties that are being completely rejected by the people. NOTA will also go a long way since it helps to avoid false voting. Now, even the people who are not supportive of any political party can come out and vote NOTA. Petitions are being filed by SC lawyers to make NOTA more and more effective. IIT-Kanpur alumni and HoD of Mathematics at Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj University, VN Pal, who is one of the petitioners and who filed the PIL for a NOTA in 2004 has also mentioned that in his petition he had strongly contended that candidates securing lesser votes than the NOTA, be completely banned from contesting polls in future. Also, if all candidates are rejected by majority NOTA vote, the elections should be declared null and void and fresh elections be held. These are the current key points that are being battled out by the ECI and hopefully soon, the true power of the NOTA will be effective. bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

6

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

Politicking

A

s the Congress party’s doubts and inhibitions reflect in the delayed move of announcing the candidates contesting from constituencies in Guwahati, sources said that Gauhati West MLA, Hemanta Talukdar, had to rush to Delhi many a time to convince the Congress high command that he will be able to win the elections like last time. On the other hand, BJP has not fielded anyone in the constituency as according to the alliance deal with AGP, Ramendra Narayan Kalita from AGP will contest for the seat. G Plus looks into the development works done in this constituency based on which the constituency voters will choose their future MLA.

Gauhati West voters upset with present MLA’s performance

With the present MLA being known for taking power naps during assembly sessions, the constituency voters are not happy with his performance and Congress is facing a tough time deciding who should contest from the constituency rahul chanda ate of Talukdar in the Jyotikuchi area and according to local residents all requests are redirected to Deka who then decides whether the help should be extended or not. In Jyotikuchi area people have to keep Deka in good humour or else they do not get any help from the MLA. On asking Deka about the developmental work done in the constituency, he said there have been many developmental works done in the constituency and while there is no detailed calculation available, the constituency has definitely developed.

Deka said that he would provide the details later but since the last one week, he is in Delhi with Talukdar who is trying to convince the high command for a ticket. Neither the MLA nor his associate could provide a report about what works they had undertaken in their constituency during the last 5 years.

54 Gauhati West This year there are 2,52,102 voters in this constituency out of which 1,27,682 male voters and 1,24,420 female voters will decide the fate of the candidates. In 2006, there were 1,42,422 voters and in 2011 there were 1,57,498 people in the constituency who voted. The constituency has areas like Majrigaon, Agchia, Borjhar, Kahikuchi, Upardani, Rangapara, Rangmali, Allibari, Bikrampur, Sanpara, Dhipara, Phulguri, Balapur, Mairapur, Nargaon, Batibari, Umsur, Baklapara, Bhattapara, Azara, Chakardew, Mirzapur, Jangarabari, Mainakhurung, Garigaon, Jalukbari, Sadilapur, Sundarbari, Boragaon, Maligaon, Fatasil, Dhirenpara, Gotanagar, Tetelia, Ganeshpara, Jyotikuchi, Dakhingaon, Betkuchi, Ambari, Udalbakra, Santipur, Chabipool, Machkhowa, Bishnupur and Kalapahar. Many localities in the constituency fall under panchayat blocks and the wards under the constituency are 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 and some areas of Ward No. 27. G Plus checks which party won the constituency seat in the past years.

The table shows that Ramendra Narayan Kalita of AGP has won the MLA seat for four terms but last time and in 2001 Hemanta Talukdar of Congress had won the seat. According to sources, Hemanta Talukdar is facing a tough time getting the ticket to contest this time and he has also been to Delhi to impress the high command. But the voters in the constituency will obviously decide whom to

vote for looking at the developmental works done in the last five years. G Plus visits the areas in the constituency to gauge the voters’ mood.

Voters’ view Some parts of the constituency fall on the border areas with Meghalaya and also cover huge forest areas.

We started from the main city area and people from areas like Bishnupur, Chabipool and Fatasil had many complaints. A resident of Bishnupur said that the roads here were pathetic till the last few weeks. The MLA, Hemanta Talukdar, never came to the area in these last 5 years but nowadays he keeps visiting the area quite often.

Similarly, the lanes and by-lanes in the Fatasil Ambari area are pathetic and the living conditions of people in the hills of Fatasil are not hygienic.

Rupam Dey of Jyotikuchi Dhupolia said, “Our MLA recently constructed a lane in the Dhupolia area only because one of his close associates lives there.” Dey said that there are many

The winning candidates and parties since inception of elections Year 1967 1972 1978 1983 1985 1991 1996 2001 2006 2011

Assembly Constituency Gauhati West Gauhati West Gauhati West Gauhati West Gauhati West Gauhati West Gauhati West Gauhati West Gauhati West Gauhati West

Winner Name

Party

G. Kalita Biren Ram Phookun Kiran Chandra Bezbarua Tareni Ramendra Narayan Kalita Ramendra Narayan Kalita Ramendra Narayan Kalita Hemanta Talukdar Ramendra Narayan Kalita HementaTalukdar.

CPI INC JNP INC IND NAGP AGP INC AGP INC

2011 Gauhati West elections result Candidate

Party

Total vote

Prasanna Malla Buzar Baruah

BPF

6174

Manoj Ram Phookan

BJP

43017

Ramendra Narayan Kalita

AGP

35361

Hemanta Talukdar

INC

54343

Nand Kishor Soni

SS

646

Dr. Parul Saikia

AITC

1382

Hasina Ahmed

AIMF

738

Ashok Anan Singhal

IND

12642

Chandra Kamal Bhagawati

IND

707

Ranjeet Kr. Deka

IND

1114

Swapan Kumar Basumatary

IND

1374

Total roads in the Jyotikuchi area which are pathetic and the MLA did not do anything in last five years. Dey said that many local residents have complained to the authorities and the MLA about some old vehicle scrap yards in the area which blocks the way all the time because of many heavy vehicles coming to the yards round the clock but no action has been taken against the yards. Dey said that there is a huge nexus between the yard owners, the police and the close associates of the MLA. Similarly, the road from Lokhra to Ghoramara has remained in a deplorable state all these days and the local people are rather irked. According to them, the MLA has not done anything in the last five years. The people in Rani area are threatened by the wild elephants that come down from the forests of Meghalaya and the local residents say it is difficult for them to live there. They have asked the MLA many times for some security ar-

157498 rangements but in vain. The women’s committee of Ujjol Path at Dhupolia have gone many a time to the MLA for construction of their road, but the regular response of the MLA only was there was no fund at the moment. So the local residents have decided that they will not vote for him this time.

Bhetkuchi people feel that their roads have improved just prior to the South Asian Games and they said that the MLA cannot take credit for this. Listening to all these complaints G Plus thought of talking to Hemanta Talukdar for his views.

Hemanta Talukdar G Plus tried to contact the MLA while he was inaugurating the construction of a road at Dhupolia Jyotikuchi and asked him how many roads had he constructed in the area in the last five years. Talukdar said, “I don’t remember, please ask Moon Deka.” Moon Deka is a close associ-

The main opponent Four-time MLA from the constituency, Ramendra Narayan Kalita said, “Hemanta Talukdar has not done anything for the constituency.” He said that in the hilly areas of the constituency, especially the areas bordering Meghalaya, are much undeveloped and people do not get even electricity and water in those areas. He said that the developmental works like the Barsapara Stadium which happened was because Kalita took initiative and allotted the land for the stadium when he was an MLA. He also said that if a survey is done in the hilly and forest areas of the constituency, everyone will vouch for the work done by him did when he was the MLA from the constituency. He said, “In five years, Talukdar received Rs. 5 crores for the constituency. I dare him if he can provide a calculation of how much he spent on what.” Kalita lost the last time but he said that this time he will definitely win as the people of the constituency know who works for them.

At the end the voters will decide who will win but Congress appears to be facing a tough time in deciding whom to field in the constituency. G Plus checked out all those who contested in the last elections.

So there was a tough competition between AGP, BJP and Congress last time, but as BJP will not contest this time, the BJP votes are favoured to go to AGP. While Congress is yet to announce its candidate, Dr. Jury Sarma Bordoloi seems to be another probable candidate from the Congress party. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

7

Crime

Back-to-back mystery murders rock Guwahati Two female bodies, one of which was badly burnt, were recovered in the city within a span of four days suggesting brutal rape and murder

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Two back-to-back recoveries of bodies indicate rape followed by brutal murder

he recovery of two young female bodies within a span of merely four days from two separate deserted areas has once again raised questions about the safety of women in Guwahati. Crime against women in the gateway of the northeast is certainly seeing a rising trend. While earlier this week on Monday, a charred body of a 16 year old girl was found under mysterious circumstances in an abandoned hut in Jyotikuchi, another frightening recovery was made from Sector 1, Noonmati on Thursday where the victim appeared to be raped and then choked to death.

First recovery was made in a hut in Hillview lane in Jyotikuchi The body of the victim was found in charred condition with several wounds all over According to investigations so far the girl was murdered and her body burnt with kerosene

Jyotikuchi Incident On Monday morning locals discovered a burnt body of a 16 year old girl in a deserted hut in Hill-view lane at Jyotikuchi. The victim’s body was sent to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for post-mortem the same afternoon and a case has been registered in this connection at Fatasil Ambari police station.

Officials of the crime branch of city police, CID and forensic department were also present at the crime scene to collect evidence.

It is suspected that the victim could have been raped before she was killed and set ablaze. The local residents however alleged that the now abandoned hovel from which the body was recovered had been a hub of illegal activities and two youths who resided in the same are currently missing. Some youths were often seen hanging around the place who also were involved in antisocial activities. Locals also expressed suspicion that the unfortunate teenage girl could have been a victim of flesh trade.

According to police officials and from the investigation so far, the

KALYAN DEB

Locals also expressed suspicion that the unfortunate teenaged girl could have been a victim of trafficking The second recovery was made in a wooded area in Sector 1, Noonmati on Thursday.

The body was discovered by passersby at around 9:30 am who alerted the police incident suggests that the girl was murdered and her body burnt with kerosene. Police also mentioned that there were injuries in the lower part of the body. “We suspect that she was killed at some other place and her body was set on fire in the hut.

A glitch in the case Police faced a glitch during the identification of the body when a hawker from Hajo had earlier claimed the victim as his daughter and that too with full conviction. The police promptly visited Hajo to carry out further investigations. However, it soon came to light that there was confusion in the identity of the victim. The alleged father of the victim received an unidentified call soon after and the caller assured him that his daughter was safe and in sound health. The confusion took place as the daughter of the hawker has been missing since 5th March and he expressed suspicion that she had fled to Guwwahati.

It was also informed that the missing daughter had received a laptop under the Anundoram Barooah scheme of the state government last year and had sold the laptop for Rs 10,000 just a day before she went missing. Meanwhile, the phone call has cleared the air about the missing girl who was later located in Athgaon in Guwahati.

However, we can confirm it only after receiving the post- mortem report,� mentioned an official of Fatasil Ambari police station. Meanwhile, mystery still abounds the identity of the victim.

Noonmati incident Following the Jyotikuchi incident where the burnt corpse of a 16 year old girl was recovered, another body of a 22 years old girl was discovered in a deserted and wooded area in Segunbari, Sector 1, Noonmati. It was informed by police that the body was discovered by passersby at around 9:30 am on Thursday who alerted the police later. Police reached the spot at around 11 am from where the body was recovered. The victim, who is the eldest daughter of the family, had left home on Tuesday afternoon at around 3:30 pm for some personal work. When she failed to return and not being able to

reach her on phone, family members of the victim contacted friends and relatives to trace her whereabouts. It was from 7:30 pm on Tuesday that her phone was found to be switched off.

Troubled family members filed a missing report at Noonmati police station only to later discover the dead body of the victim in the woods in Noonmati.

Family members of the victim have filed an FIR which mentions that the victim was raped and later choked to death. However, they have not raised any suspicions upon anyone.

A case (case number 111/16) has been filed in Noonmati police station under section 201, 376, 302 and the body has been sent for post-mortem.

Police informed that further conclusions may be reached only after the arrival of the report. Meanwhile, a bag was also recovered from the crime scene which had her college documents. However, the mobile phone of the victim was missing.

The victim had left home on Tuesday afternoon at around 3:30 pm, failed to return in due time and her phone was switched off Troubled family members filed a missing report in Noonmati police station on Wednesday morning A bag containing her college documents was also recovered from the crime scene; however, her mobile phone was missing kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

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G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

Concern

Guwahati languishing at 50th position in Swachh Bharat due to non-sanction of funds from the central govt

Juthika Baruah

7,135 beneficiaries to receive funds for construction of toilets in their individual households Stainless steel litter bins will be installed in the Secretariat

Public toilet in a Guwahati locality

G Plus Photo

200 litter bins have been installed across the city Public toilets are under construction in some places in the city

GMC takes up a slew of initiatives at its own expense to place Guwahati in the top-10 from its current 50th position including construction of modern public toilets and establishment of Waste Purchase Centres with Transfer Stations

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he central government has not released any money for the Swachh Bharat mission for Kamrup (M). Guwahati city was ranked a lowly 50th which is a far cry from the Guwahati Municipal Corporation’s target to be among the top 10.

The city, which found its name on the Smart City list, was placed 50th which begs the question that with the city coming at such a low position, will it be able to fulfil the dream of transforming itself into a smart city? Swachh Bharat stresses on creating awareness among people with regard to keeping their own surroundings free from garbage and other wastes and Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has created an online account for monitoring the various activities under the mission.

Sanitary supervisors/Swachh Bharat Mission officers have been appointed in every ward for promoting public hygiene and sanitation in their respective wards apart from fulfilling their compulsory duty of registering complaints of residents and taking

swift action on them.

Speaking to G Plus, Commissioner of GMC, Narayan Konwar said, “We have not received a single penny from the central government and the expenses of the Swachh Bharat mission has been entirely borne by GMC. We are trying our best to bring the city in the top 10 and for that we have constructed many numbers of public toilets and portable toilets in some places.”

A source of GMC said, “We have given a proposal to construct 100 toilets per ward in individual households and we have received 7,135 beneficiaries which implies that more than 100 toilets have been constructed in each ward except for some wards which have got less than 100 toilets. An amount of Rs. 4,000 will be sanctioned by the central government per household. The first instalment of Rs. 2,000 will be given to start the work and the second instalment will be given after it has been uploaded in the website.”

The source informed that GMC has successfully inaugurated modern public toilets under the Public Toilet

scheme of Swachh Bharat Mission at Fancy Bazaar, Khanapara and Nepali Mandir and the project has been executed under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode. The salient features of the toilets include ramp provided for the physically challenged, modern urinals and water closets provided in the toilets, separate toilet for the physically challenged, blank walls which can be used for advertisements and bio digester tanks provided as an alternative to the conventional septic tank.

Some more public toilets will be constructed at Chabipool, Sarabhatti Chariali, Beltola, Basistha Chariali, Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH), Mathgharia and DC office premises. “We will provide the maintenance part to the private companies so that it can be well maintained as a section of people do not know the utility of the toilet and due to the unhygienic conditions of the toilets people do not use them. We have also installed six numbers of portable toilets and another 4-6 portable toilets will be installed. As there is lack of space in the city we cannot construct

community toilets in some places,” informed the source.

The source further stated that compared to other cities, Guwahati has got a good rank as the city has high population. “Guwahati’s population is more than the other cities and it is a difficult city to maintain.

The city also does not have enough open space for which some works have to be left out,” the source said.

In order for segregation of waste at source, GMC has initiated a project for purchasing of dry waste from the citizens. Accordingly, one Waste Purchase Centre with Transfer Station has been constructed near Rajdhani Nursery on RG Baruah Road and under Athgaon Flyover, Guwahati. Similar transfer and dry waste collection stations will be constructed at Hatigaon Chariali, near GMCH, BK Kakati Road, near RK Mission Bridge, behind Adabari bus stand and Chabipool.

In the transfer stations, auto tippers and tricycles ascend a ramp and unload the garbage into a dumper and compactor directly. There is ad-

equate facility of water for cleaning and measures are taken for sanitization inside the station along with the provision leach ate treatment facility.

Since the functioning of the transfer station, adjoining areas around the station have been declared as dustbinless areas. The GMC also installed 200 numbers of litter bins and stainless steel litter bins will be installed in the first phase at the Secretariat for the commuters.

The source further stated, “The people should also be aware so that they can cooperate in order to bring the Swachh Bharat ranking closer to the top of the list. The public toilets should be well maintained by the public as well and we have provided dustbins in many places. Also there is door-to-door collection of garbage but people still throw garbage by the roadside. The civic sense of the people should be improved. Only then will the city become clean.”

juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

9

City

Microbial Contamination of Water in Bhootnath slum

Karishma Hasnat, Sanitation Scribes Project

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tifa Khatoon lives with her parents and three siblings in the informal urban settlement of Bhootnath in West Guwahati, Kamrup (M) District. A student of Kaliram Baruah Girls’ High School in Bharalumukh, Atifa carries a water bottle to school every day like the rest of her friends. But in a classroom of 30 students, Atifa is the only one who drinks water collected from a hand pump. “We collect water from a hand pump and it is our only source of drinking water. I don’t like the taste of boiled water, so I just fill my water bottle directly from the pump,” says Atifa who frequently falls sick and complains of stomach pain and diarrhea even missing school sometimes in the process.

It has been 25 years since Atifa’s parents moved into the informal settlement at Bhootnath that houses around 200 families. We advised them to use safety measures to overcome the problem at the user level - boiling the water before drinking, proper handling of water from transportation point to storage, keeping the pots covered, sterilizing the utensils used for storage and following hand washing practices.

There are hundreds of children like Atifa today drinking contaminated groundwater. The families in the informal settlement at Bhootnath lack access to safe and regular supply of drinking water. Here, children are raised in crowded shacks without adequate sanitation and are exposed

to water-borne diseases. Over the years, contaminants and hazardous waste have made their way through the soil into the groundwater supplies in the settlement.

At the household level, the reliability of the distribution system that provides water to the people is crucial in maintaining quality. According to a report released by the Centre of Environmental Information System (ENVIS Centre), Assam, there is inadequate supply of water in most of the urban areas of Guwahati.

About just 30% of the total population in Guwahati is dependent on water supplied by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) from the Brahmaputra River. The rest of the people generally depend on ground water source for drinking and other domestic purposes.

Surveys conducted in the past have concluded that poor environmental surroundings, sanitation systems built within the house without maintaining a standard distance from the source and presence of stagnant water bodies nearby are some of the reasons for microbial contamination of water. Such contamination was found both at the source and storage levels. Aparna Bhattacarya, under whose supervision one such survey was carried out believes that efforts should be made at local schools to educate both parents and communities and that greater emphasis should be laid on spreading awareness among women.

Cancer Prevention and Control Workshops

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ancer Research Foundation, India in association with Dr. B Borooah Cancer Institute, a city-based cancer hospital will conduct a series of workshops on Cancer Prevention and Control at different Universities of the state.

The objective of these workshops is to raise awareness on Cancer Prevention research amongst new generation of scholars pursuing research in various allied health disciplines.

The first of these workshops will be held at the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya on the 19th March 2016. The main focus of the workshop will be on basics of cancer epidemiology, understanding the role of population-based cancer registries in cancer control, and cur-

rent and future aspects on preventive cancer research. The speakers will be experts from Dr. B Borooah Cancer Institute. This workshop will be followed by another one at Assam Down Town University in the month of April 2016. Cancer Research Foundation, India is a registered NGO based in Guwahati.

Notably, one third of all cancers are preventable and any effort toward cancer prevention and control are immensely helpful to lower the burden of cancer in this part of the country. According to the report of Population-based Cancer Registries published by the National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research, the incidence rates of cancers are highest in the northeast India.

Akash launches its 3rd franchise centre at Dharapur

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kash Institute, a leading institute for medical and engineering coaching, has launched its new franchise at Dharapur so that the students of the locality get the best education to crack the entrance examinations as per their chosen streams. Launching the institute, Managing Director of AESPL, JC Chaudhury said, “Our mission is to reach every corner of the country and take engineering and medical aspirants closer to their dreams. We have achieved the reputation of dispensing bestin-class educational services after years of hard work and experience and now we want to make these services accessible to as many students as possible.” Besides medical and engineering classroom courses, the institute will also provide coaching for foundation level classes for NTSE, Olympiads, etc. for Classes VIII, IX and X students. These students will be thoroughly prepared for their school as well as state board examinations.

They will also be groomed thoroughly for various competitive examinations.

BJP candidate gets bail on graft charges

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breather was granted to BJP’s Palasbari constituency contender, Pranab Kalita, as the Gauhati High Court on Monday granted an interim anticipatory bail to him in a case where Kalita was alleged of fund defalcation during his stint as the legislator in the area almost a decade back. Last year, the former MLA landed into trouble when the then Kamrup (Rural) district administration had filed a case alleging sheer misappropriation on the MLA fund. A district administration enquiry into allegations of gross misappropriation of the funds found that Kalita had misappropriated his MLA fund in the name of implementation of three schemes.

Subsequently, the Kamrup District Authority registered a case against him slapping charges of graft and criminal breach of trust. The report revealed that the then legislator had swindled money in the name of constructing a library, a road and five ring-wells in 2005-06.

Senior advocate Bijon Mahajan appeared for Kalita. The counsel submitted before the court that all the three projects were completed and the said charges were false. The counsel, citing the delay of almost a decade in registering the case, said that the entire case was a political vendetta by opposition. The HC ordered the police to file the case diary on the matter on 19th April and granted the anticipatory bail to Kalita.

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G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

Buzz

Assam Silk to get trademark by 2017

“The Smartisans,” organized by Stoic Marketing Solutions will bring together luxury and lifestyle brands, local silk weavers and potential customers under one roof in an effort to promote the dying silk industry

Juthika Baruah

The Smartisans, the first exhibition of its kind, will facilitate buyers and sellers to meet under one roof The exhibition will be held on 3rd April, 2016 at Hotel Gateway Grandeur Assam Silk to get its trademark in 2017 from the Bureau of Trademarks & Patents

The marketing team of Stoic addressing the media

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ith the purpose of giving life to the dying silk industry Stoic Marketing Solutions announced “The Smartisans,” a first of its kind symposium which will amalgamate fashion, lifestyle and food to provide an opportunity to the buyers and sellers under one roof. Stoic Marketing aims to host two chapters of the The Smartisans each year and the brands associated with The Smartisans will get an opportunity to share the platform with some of the biggest names of the industry, thus providing them a unique opportunity to match their skills and flourish with the leading brands.

This season, an initiative has been taken by Stoic to promote the neglected and slowly decaying Su-

alkuchi weaving industry. “The Sualkuchi weaving industry has come to a good position from 2013. Sualkuchi is known for Assam Silk but the market has gone down as in present days the market has been taken over by the non-Assamese who bring silk materials from outside. In order to keep Assam Silk alive, and it being the trademark of Sualkuchi, a testing laboratory for purity of silk has been opened in 2015,” said Hiralal Kalita, one of the weavers from Sualkuchi, while speaking to G Plus.

Kalita also said that they had applied for the trademark to Patent & Trademark Bureau in 2013 and it is likely to be approved in 2017. He said that the market for Assam silk has gone down as people do not know

the difference between Assam Silk and the silk which is produced from outside and buy silk materials of outside as a result of which the local weavers do not achieve their desired results in sales.

There are around 12,000 weavers in Sualkuchi and they do not get the right platform to deliver their products. The Smartisans is a good initiative through which the weavers and designers can showcase their products and they will also get an opportunity to meet the buyers under the same roof. Kalita also said that the foreign tourists mostly prefer silk stoles, bedsheets, cushion covers, etc. rather than the traditional attires.

“I get an ample number of orders of these products from the foreign tour-

ists as they use these products more than the traditional attires. I make only 10% of traditional attires and the rest are other products as the demand for those products are more,” said Kalita.

Sajma Parvez, Co-Founder of Stoic Marketing said, “The Smartisans aims to provide the most exclusive shopping experience to its discerning patrons under one roof providing shoppers with a common platform housing all major brands, marquees as well as new aspirants from the city who set the benchmark for their industry. The event will be a shopper’s delight with brands that add value to the latest trends and styles of the industry.”

Shyamant Hazarika, Delhi based fashion designer will also exhibit his

collections at The Smartisans. Hazarika said, “To complement the jet-set lifestyle theme, the first season of The Smartisans is a magnificent and novel initiative to showcase the best that the region has to offer in the field of luxury and lifestyle. Featuring a stunning line-up, visitors will be treated to a selection of the city’s most respected and sought-after brands, and I am beyond thrilled to be a part of it.”

The Smartisans will be held on 3rd April, 2016 at Hotel Gateway Grandeur.

juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

Weather report for the week SAT 19 March

SUN 20 March

MON 21 March

TUE 22 March

WED 23 March

THU 24 March

FRI 25 March

More sun than clouds.

Mostly sunny.

Mostly sunny.

Sunny

Sunny

Sunny

Sunny

18 / 34 °C

19 / 36 °C

18 / 34 °C

16 / 30 °C

16 / 32 °C

19 / 34 °C

20 / 34 °C

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

11

Ward Watch

WARD NO

1

Concentrated Area Sadilapur Ward number 1 Sub-division 1(a) Councillor Sukur Ahmed Phone number 8876683245 Area sabha member Tabibul Ali Phone number 9864276286

G Plus Photo

Problems Lack of drainage system and Poor road condition

Sadilapur victimised due to biased governance Locals deprived of drainage, proper road and water supply since establishment of the locality

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he days prior to the spring season which come with an overwhelming cloud of dust engulfs virtually the whole city. People are seen with scarves wrapped around their faces or with handkerchiefs covering their nose to avoid breathing in the dusty air.

It is no different in Jalukbari which is one of the gateways to the city and its surrounding areas. Sadilapur, located in the same area, also sees a similar situation. However, the only difference is that the cloud of dust remains for most part of the year. Due to the ongoing construction of the flyover, the road condition that leads to Sadilapur has gone from bad to worse apart from the time when it rains. The only means of public transport being shared autorickshaws, the vehicles have to pass through a thick cloud of dust to reach Sadilapur. As and when it rains the road, with its large potholes, gets covered with mud.

However, Sadilapur provides a different picture socially. A residential area with houses spread over a 3-km radius, it is a peaceful locality to reside in. People from different communities live in peace and harmony in a neighbourly environment where participation of every family in the social occasions is largely seen. In the city’s busy scheduled lifestyle where one is rarely familiar with the person living

next-door, the locals of Sadilapur are supportive of each other in happiness and sorrow. The area also had the residence of journalist Parag Das who was assassinated by SULFA members and has a lane named after him. However the fellow-feelings have not been fruitful when it comes to addressing to the basic requirements of the area.

Despite being one of the oldest localities of the city with the trail of civilisation dating back to four generations, the area fails to make it to the list of beneficiaries of development. The area lacks a drainage system, source of drinking water and proper road condition. The lack of drainage system is one of the major concerns of the people of the area as the waste water earlier used to drain out to the open fields which are now covered by residential complexes.

Due to the same the backyard of every resident has turned into sewage dump yard. The problem gets enhanced during the monsoons when the rainwater rushes into the residences and the sewage gets clogged due to lack of a proper outlet.

“It is since the settlement of civilisation that the area has been lacking a drainage system. It is only on paper that the area is considered a part of Guwahati. Otherwise people have remained deprived of these basic facilities. As there were very few residences in the

area, the water used to drain out to the empty plots but now it is a different scenario. The problem worsens during the monsoon as the houses are at a lower level than the road and the rain water moves into the residential premises.

The area has an urgent requirement of a drainage system in order ease the problem of the people,” stated Mrinal Hussain, a local resident.

Hrishikesh Das echoed a similar opinion about the problems of the people stating that the area was the first to have a constructed road but now suffers from severe problems. Bordering Garigaon, which portrays a much more developed picture, Sadilapur’s situation remains very poor. “It was during the AGP government in 1985 when the road had undergone construction. No further initiative thereafter has been taken till date. The authorities were also approached several times for approving the construction of a drainage system but no step has been taken till date,” Das asserted.

Part of the road that connects to Garigaon was sanctioned by MLA Hemanta Talukdar in 2004 but the constructed road lasted for only two years before it wore out. From 2006 the condition started deteriorating and soon the entire road got damaged to an extent where even two-wheelers face a tough time plying through. Locals also

KALYAN DEB

Councillor says On discussing the issues faced by the locals of Sadilapur, Councillor Sukur Ahmed expressed conformity with the problem of drinking water.

He also assured that until the GMDA water supply project is made available to the locals, he will look into any necessity and take necessary steps to address the problem. The councillor also dismissed the supposed bias of the government on the basis of vote distribution. “There are several lanes that have been constructed and many that needs to undergo construction.

Even the lane in front of my house has not been constructed since 1987.

However, because of the limited funds allotted to us priorities have been given to those areas which required it most. There is no second opinion that Sadilapur requires development and necessary steps are being taken for the same,” stated Sukur Ahmed, councillor, Ward No. 1.

He also informed that the PWD has been notified about the required development of the area and Ajanta Neog has also agreed to the same.

However, due to the election code of conduct being currently in place any release of fund is restricted and the mentioned repairing project has to be kept on hold till the elections are over. The councillor also mentioned that the part of the area that connects Sadilapur via Garigaon has been placed before the PWD which will initiate the repairing of the road including drainage on one side of the road. alleged that it is due to the vote distribution that the government is biased against the people of the area.

Drinking water is also one of the major concerns of the locals of the area. Due to lack of any government water supply project most residences rely on submersible bore-wells and jet-pumps. Even after having powerful pumps the necessary requirement of water is not being met. The problem increases during winter when rainfall

becomes scanty. It also requires mention that despite the water reservoir being constructed in Pandu, which is a neighbouring area, the water supply projects have not been initiated in Sadilapur. The area is a connecting lane to Lankeshwar adjacent to NH 31 and the other way proceeds towards Saraighat Bridge and Jalukbari. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

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G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

Buzz Swapnil Bharali

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he buzz that had been created over January and February soon escalated into a veritable din by the first week of March. The hardworking jury comprising Kulkul Rahman, Kashmiri Nath and Mandakini Dass had gone into action from the last week of February. The 82 nominees of Guwahati had been prudently divided among the three ladies and in the run up to the D-Day of 12th March, the judging for the 24 categories had been duly completed. Vivanta by Taj opened its famed doors of hospitality to the crème de la crème of Guwahati’s food aficionados and the assembly was impressive. Decked up in brilliant red and sparkling off-white, the Joysagar Hall exuded plushness beyond compare and in the glitz of the moment the ceremony took off with my opening remarks. Now I am not sure how much of an Oscar Awards replication I managed to create, but the hush of expectations that descended among the 300+ audience sent a tinge of nervousness up my spine. Among the audience sat the venerable chief guest, Chef Manjit Singh, Corporate Chef of the ITC Group of Hotels, Suresh Hinduja, Principal Advisor to the Guwahati Food Awards, Chairman of the Jury, Ashish Chopra and the huge sprinkling of nominees, expectation of recognition of their work writ large on their faces.

The lavish spread at GFA 2016

man, Dhruba bers Jacky Za em m ry ju ith w kini Dass apnil Bharali ath and Manda L-R - Host Sw ar, Kashmiri N hk La l tu A a, Hazarik

Hos th

Juhie Singh Saboo receiving the award for the Best Multi Cuisine Restaurant (Terra Mayaa) from Sunit Jain, publisher, G Plus

Ranbir Kar and his wife receiving the award for the Best Fast-Food Chain (Chick N Chilly) from Viv ek Daga of Patanjali

A creme de la creme audience enjoyed an evening of awards, laughter and food at the GFA 2016

tM Chief Gues a h a Gopal M

Pallavi Barua (Director, GFA 2016) presenting an award to Karpumpuli Pegu (Phat Town)

The initial wel ceremony progresse awards as listed in t in various categorie of the Year. It was a hilarating, exciting a expectations of the seemed to spark off entertainment filler invited stand-up com thanks to the spons din Time, Asomiya Taj, Big 92.7 FM an

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

Winners

Buzz

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Arhee and Abhishruti Bezbaruah of Paradise (Best Assamese Cuisine) posing with the winner’s certificate Mausam Phukan of Ziya (Best Continental Cuisine)

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lcomes, felicitations and speeches apart, the ed to its first award and thereafter a series of the box here totalling 31 awards that went out es including Chef of the Year and Restaurant an exhausting experience as much as it was exand happy. Many of the awards went as per the evening, I felt. And yet there were others that ff long debates later on. In those tense 3 hours, rs and some comic relief was provided by the median and performer, Sanjay Rajoura. A final sors Blender’s Pride Reserve Collection, Pratia Pratidin, Magic Cook, Patanjali, Vivanta by nd Outreach for their support all through out.

(L-R) - Pallavi Barua, Mukesh Mour, Sunit Jain, Manjit Singh Gill, Ashish Chopra, Suresh Hinduja and Swapnil Bharali unveiling the Guwahati Food Guide 2016

The evening also saw the release of the first ever Guwahati Food Guide – a comprehensive, wellresearched multi-coloured 280-paged handbook that carries 219 listings of eateries, food joints, ice-cream and juice parlours, pubs, bars, lounges and clubs on to fine-dine and all-day diners of Guwahati. Speaking on the occasion, Suresh Hinduja complimented the G Plus team that managed to produce the book saying that it was one of the finest food guides in the country and more than comparable to The Times Food Guide of Mumbai.

All in all, it was an evening of celebration of food which successfully sent an important message to the participants to maintain their product quality and the improvements that are expected of them in the coming year leading up to the Guwahati Food Awards 2017.

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14

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

Sports

Gossaigaon and Silchar to clash in CM’s Cup final

A motivational initiative for nurturing talent at the grassroot level, the CM’s Cup saw participation of players from all corners of the state

Goal mouth action: Tinsukia (Blue) vs Gossaingaon at Nehru Stadium

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ossaigaon and Silchar will go head-to-head in the finals of CM’s Cup under-19 football tournament. In the second leg of semifinal Silchar clinched a 8-6 victory in a high scoring match against Tezpur which also confirmed their berth in the final. However the date of the finals are yet to be declared as the election code of conduct came into play. The final match was earlier scheduled to take place on March 18th which was shifted after the announcing of election dates. Earlier Silchar had faced defeat against Tezpur in their first leg semi-final match by a 3-2 margin. In a challenging competition the Tezpur boys showed great determination and rode on Suresh Sahu’s brace to go into the second leg with a one goal lead.

Silchar made a comeback though after Junjun Buragohain put his team ahead scoring in the additional minutes of the first half. It was Tezpur’s turn to dominate throughout as the whistle of the second half blew. With frequent inroads, Tezpur drew parity through Suresh Sahu in the 54th minute and went on to score again in the 83rd.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Gossaigaon registered a 4-0 victory against Tinsukia which not just assured them of a place in the finals but also gave them a difference of 9 goals in the

semis. It was Binoy Kumar Brahma who opened the account for Gossaigaon in the 60th minute. Two snap goals by skipper Sujalal Brahma in the 82nd and 89th minute gave them the upper hand in the match. The domination became even stronger in the injury time when substitute Nerswn Narzary shot another one into the net. Earlier, Gossaigaon had routed Tinsukia 5-0 in the first leg of the semi-finals. The Gossaigaon boys went 3-0 ahead in the first session and added two more after changing over.

Gossaingaon, Silchar, Tinsukia and Tezpur were the other teams which reached the semi-final stage of the tournament.

Tournament Structure Keeping in mind the potential of football in Assam and with a vision to tap talented players right from the grass-root level, the initiative of Chief Minister’s Cup under-19 Football Tournament was brought into existence. The tournament was played across 56 subdivisions that helped to unearth young footballers and create a pool of talented players for the state level and also promote the sport to a greater extent by involving a large

numbers of players. The competition was organized at sub-division level, cluster level, zonal level and state level. The sub-divisional competition was organized in 56 sub-divisions amongst 16,384 school students in the under-19 age group from high/ higher secondary school and junior colleges. The selected sub-division teams qualified to participate in the cluster, zonal and state level competition as per the tournament’s structure.

Out of 56 teams from the sub-division level, 15 teams made it to the cluster of which 4 made it to the zonal level. The players of the sub-division level were selected through exposure camps held in 25 schools through which the team consisting of 16 players were selected through coaching camps. After holding the sub-division matches four teams were selected for the cluster level and the winners of the level made it to the zonal level.

The outstation players were provided food and accommodation along with jerseys and other required utilities. As a boost to their motivation the performers of each match were provided with prize money. The schools from where the students came were also instructed to put their names on the notice boards and spread the news of their excellence among their friends

and faculties. The championship has been organised by the Directorate of Sports and after completing the preliminary rounds in various places, the double leg semi-finals and final are being organised here in Nehru Stadium in R.G. Baruah Sports Complex.

Inaugural ceremony The tournament that kicked off on 2nd February was inaugurated by chief minister Tarun Gogoi who, during the ceremony held at Rudra Singha Sports Complex in the city, said football is a popular game played in the nook and corner of the state and the tournament would go a long way in creating a healthy sporting environment by building up peace, harmony and development. Gogoi also mentioned that the state government has been all along giving priority to sports as it inculcates competitiveness, discipline, bonhomie, camaraderie and team spirit and brings about a congenial atmosphere which is so vital for a society or state to progress.

“The yardstick of any development is sports and that is why our government has accorded priority towards its development,” he said, adding that the state-of-the-art stadiums that came up during the National Games in Guwa-

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hati has enabled the state to host a number of national and international tournaments, including the upcoming South Asian Games. Gogoi said football has undergone major transformation in its playing techniques.

“Gone are the days when we used to play football barefoot in muddy fields.

Today football is all about skills and brains,” he added. Minister for Sports & Youth Welfare, Ajit Singh who was also present during the ceremony, said that the CM’s Cup Football Tournament would give the much-needed exposure to over 16,000 school students and help them in achieving their potential. Listing out the initiatives by the Sports & Youth Affairs Department, Singh said that the coming up of the Football Academy at Sarusajai Sports Complex has helped to unearth latent talents through proper training.

Additional Chief Secretary, Sports & Youth Welfare Department, RT Jindal, Commissioner & Secretary, Sports & Youth Welfare Department, Ajay Tewari, Vice President, Assam Olympic Association, Premadhar Sarma, General Secretary, Assam Football Association, Ankur Dutta, international athlete, Tayebun Nessa were among others who were present in the inaugural function. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

15

Art

In Conversation with Subhrajit Roy

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Vaishnavi Sundar

he Gauhati Cine Club (GCC) in association with “Women Making Films-India (WMF)” recently organized “International Festival of Women Film-makers” at the Kanak Lal Barua Auditorium, Assam State Museum, Guwahati on February 27-28, 2016. In this connection, independent filmmaker and founder of WMF, Vaishnavi Sundar visited Guwahati with her film “Pava.” She also coordinated a workshop on “Crowd Funding” organized by GCC during this twoday festival. From theatre to WMF, from crowd funding to current status of independent film-making, she shared a lot in a tete-a-tete with Subhrajit Roy.

Geographical and linguistic factors shouldn’t be problems in reaching out to the greater audience until the filmmaker classifies the target audience.

Short films are either screened at festivals or are watched online.

Do you think television channels should come up with shows promoting short films?

Brief us about the two organisations you are associated with.

One is my company, “Lime Soda Films.” I write, produce and direct under that banner. Anything that I do comes under this production company. The other one is “Women Making Films-India (WMF)” which is not exactly an organisation; it’s just a community of female filmmakers. I started it in Chennai, but we have international members as well. If anybody or organisation want their films to be screened, the basic requirement is that they need to be a member in our website which is absolutely free. I am garnering a lot of attention in the website and an international membership automatically raised the quality of the community. Eventually with this, I want to make a self-sustained model for female film-makers. If you visit my website, you can find a full film crew out of the members. If someone wants to make a film and wishes to get all of them together at one place, they can all assemble once the shooting location is decided. That’s what the position of the community is right now.

‘Women Making Films’ - by this which one do you imply? ‘Women on camera’ or ‘Women off camera?’

Both. Anybody having anything to do with film-making can be there.

The only criterion is - let’s say if she is an actress, she should have acted at least in one film. Because in the website, she has to put her work details in the portfolio link. Same with the other stakeholders in film-making, i.e., at least one film to their credit.

Crowd Funding is a new concept of fund generation for film-making in India. With the film “I am” being honoured with the national award, the concept

Vaishnavi Sundar (centre) at an event in Guwahati has come into limelight. What do you make of its future?

Actually, it is not new in India.

Only in technical terms it is now called “Crowd Funding.” Back in our villages, people have always crowd funded the folk art form. While performing on the streets, the artists lay a towel in front of the audience. People watching the show pay money on it and the collection of that day is used for the next performance. This is crowd funding in one sense. Much before “I am” was made, Shyam Benegal had made “Manthan” in 1976.

Though it was not called a crowd funded film, but it was made by five lakh employees of the milk cooperative society who contributed Re. 1 each. People of the cooperative society contributed for a common cause.

The concept is the same; it’s just that the technological term has changed with the advent of social media.

Do you think that social media plays the most important role in fund generation with reference to crowd funding?

Of course! At one go you are reaching out to millions of people.

Without internet in general and social media in particular it is not possible. It is impossible to geographically map so many people to explain your situation and requirements.

Thus, through social media, you have access to like-minded people.

Do you think that the investor concept will fade away eventually because of crowd funding?

Investor concept won’t go away.

It can still be there parallel to the concept of crowd funding. Now-a-

days, most of the films are made as collaboration projects. It will no longer be a monopoly where there would be a single producer.

A short film always presents a good story and carries a good message. If that story is told by a big film-maker, say a film like “Bombay Talkies,” it leaves its mark in Bollywood. If a new comer makes the same thing, do you believe the same message will go to society?

Definitely there will be a huge difference. If a big shot does it, it will go viral in 30 seconds and will have so many views on YouTube. But if I make it, it will have to wait for a little while until a significant number of people watch it and share it. In

case big guns in Bollywood making a short film, the fans will automatically share it just to tell the world that they are aware of it. Otherwise, the audience is intelligent enough to judge a good film.

Do you think geographical and linguistic barriers are there which affect a film in reaching its goal?

I don’t think so. A film-maker needs to clearly identify the niche audience here. A section of audience just thinks about their money’s worth when spending on tickets while the other section actually appreciates the proper art form. For them geographical and linguistic factors don’t matter. The basic problem lies in the access to those films.

What I am doing in my community in particular and on cinema in general is to bring films from different parts of the world on to a common platform. This is my aspiration. Television is a very powerful medium. If a channel features one film a week on weekends, it would be a fantastic start. Slowly, it will be popularised, people will start loving it, look forward to it and then the channel can increase the number of films depending on the demand. The problem is the breakthrough; people should break the belief that it won’t be watched. You need to identify the market and create demands for the products, i.e., shorts and independent films.

Do you think such independent film-making is a lucrative career?

Sometimes you don’t choose a career because it is not going to pay you well. But when you take an off-beat path like independent film-making, you need to make a conscious decision to draw a line between making films for money and making films because of your love for it. Personally, I am in the second category. It’s your dedication to your art which may not be lucrative, but you do it because you want to tell a story.

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G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

G Talk

Cloud of uncertainty Do voters have a right to E

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um AAPke Hain Kaun? Well, by no stretch of imagination is my indication towards the saccharine sweet Salman Khan movie here. Given the political climate prevailing in the city, I am just wondering where that most vociferous anti-corruption plank called AAP has disappeared this time. I thought these elections presented the absolutely appropriate moments to ruffle a few feathers, cause major heartburns and burn a few holes in the pockets of at least the candidates of Guwahati. It would have been pop-corn munching entertainment.

What I am hinting towards is the cloud of uncertainty hovering over the political landscape of Guwahati.

While the BJP has long declared its candidates for the four constituencies of the city – with two of them being real heavyweights – the Congress Party is in a teetering, dilly-dallying mode having failed to come with its second list until we go to press. The grapevine has it that there will be “sweeping” changes with the sitting MLAs being swept out mainly on grounds of non-performance laying the platform for fresher, younger blood. And so, while Himanta Biswa Sarma and Siddhartha Bhattacharyya have firmly launched their respective campaigns in Jalukbari and Gauhati East respectively, people are expectantly awaiting the choice between Bobbeeta Sarma, Tinat Atifa Masood and Ashima Bordoloi to replace Capt. Robin Bordoloi in Gauhati East while Bolin Bordoloi is expected to be announced in Dispur. With the wait turning excruciating, the voter this time is not too spoilt

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for choice with the minimal options available to him. In this situation, a touch of variety in the form of AAP would have been welcome. Also, given the non-visibility of the new Liberal Democratic Party which was formed late last year with much fanfare on social media, the voting would boil down to pressing the EVM button either on the Lotus or the Hand.

The caution should start here actually. Who does one vote for given that the vast majority of the voters do not have any party affiliations or political fixations? In a country where excellence takes a backseat to mediocrity, we in Guwahati need to exercise our discretion to the best of our ability. With the exit of Himanta from the Congress Party, Guwahati was left without a minister in CM Gogoi’s cabinet – Capt. Bordoloi remaining perennially unfit for a portfolio despite his seniority. The new names that the grapevine is throwing up also would not be worthy ministerial candidates going by the yardstick of seniority. By Capt. Bordoloi’s own admission in an interview with G Plus, his lack of a ministry proved to be a huge hindrance in his efforts to better his constituency’s condition. And so, Guwahati city therefore just has to elect at least one candidate with ministerial experience or capabilities. This is only thickening the cloud of uncertainty.

The second Congress list is presently eagerly awaited.

Swapnil Bharali Executive Editor

Karmic repercussions

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know about the selection criteria of their candidates?

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wouldn’t so much as dare question the competence of our constitution but I wouldn’t be wrong in opining that the number of amendments made to it does point to the fact that there exists a whole lot of loopholes that need plugging. One of them, and a major one at that, is the allowance of any Ram, Jadu and Madhu from being considered as qualified to contest an election. The effective result of this loophole is there for all to see. Supposed leaders, with hardly any academic qualifications, are today Deputy CMs of states besides there being such scary provisions that allow the Devi Lals to almost become the Prime Minister of the country. While we have been thrust with our variety of democracy, it will be prudent to mention that democratic principles survive if the electors and candidates are sufficiently educated and capable of deciphering the right from the wrong, the good from the bad.

This unfortunately is not the case with India. While education is a continuous, life-long process, it consists of an entire gamut of learnings not just restricted to academics. In the process of being so educated, people learn about morals as well. It is these learnings that allow people to be discerning. Political parties have always thrust candidates upon the voters and played the emotional card to win elections. But today, India has evolved and the number of educated voters is more than ever. It is important that these educated voters know who they are voting for and why their supposed candidate of choice has been nominated for election. It is here that the information on the selection criteria of a candidate becomes vital so that people can have enough reasons to answer the long-pending question: why should we vote for all these “right” candidates?

Swapnil Bharali

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hile it would be always be good to know about the criteria of selection of a particular candidate, it is not really absolutely necessary in our system of democracy. Our elections are mainly party specific and that is the practical truth. Voters usually go by the face and personality of the Chief Ministerial candidate of a particular party. In the current instance, it is Sarbananda Sonowal for the BJP and Tarun Gogoi again for the Congress Party. Yes, in case of an independent candidate, it would be important for him to gain the confidence of the electorate and so, such a candidate would want to impress upon his voters about his capabilities. But in case of political parties, the candidate selection is usually based on the popularity and “winability” of a particular candidate and the respective candidate selection committees or “high commands” do scrutinize their candidates in as thorough a manner as they can. At least they are supposed to do so. And so, a voter keen on ensuring that the larger interest of the state is served and being in favour of a particular party which, by his assessment, would ensure that the state will be properly governed, would anyway vote for the candidate that the particular party has nominated.

In such a situation, knowing a candidate’s background or the candidate selection criteria becomes quite immaterial.

Towards this end, it is the complete responsibility of the political party to ensure that whatever selection criteria they are following should essentially throw up candidates whose credentials need not be questioned. The halfbaked, poorly educated or incompetent candidates can easily be weeded out through the selection criteria adopted by each party. After all, the politically conscious Indian voters of today cannot be fooled anymore and parties would do well not to forget that.

Koushik Hazarika

Sidharth Bedi Varma

SS has officially lost it. Nothing that an RSS Pracharak has done in the past few months can be termed as productive. Right from breaking the legs of a horse, to calling ‘homosexuality’ a psychological problem, they have become the agents of utter embarrassment for a government that portrays itself as an ‘agent of change.’ It’s time we stop taking them seriously. We know RSS is not essentially the BJP but that is only on papers, isn’t it?

The RSS has apparently graduated from the 5th standard and now its workers will don the ‘big boy’ trousers. They took the step to “keep up with the changing times.” It took the RSS just 91 years to understand this. I feel they have taken this step to blend in with the ‘normal’ crowd.

Brown trousers, white shirts … police uniforms anyone? Basically with this, the RSS has reinforced the fact that they will continue to be policing agents and will dictate eating habits, public display of affection, sexual orientation and also carry out national rescue missions.

It was comical how the floods in Uttarakhand in 2013 brought the

RSS out of its hibernation and they carried out their rescue operations in the freezing cold in shorts. No, they don’t deserve any sort of applause for working in tough conditions because it was their un-evolved uniform for which you could see them flail around and shiver in the cold only because no one got them full length trousers. Now this very ideology has fathered the BJP, a party who’s MLA, Ganesh Joshi, in an act of unnecessarily brutality, used metal rods to break the legs of Shaktimaan, a police horse. Joshi was booked for the assault and has not been arrested or questioned so far. The horse will most probably be put down because animals cannot survive such brutality and euthanasia of humans has not been approved because many people would actually vouch in favour of ridding the world of the BJP MLA. Each time Joshi swung that stick, he ensured that his karma hits him hundred times harder. But before karma hits him we must see what happens when the police get their hold on him. He must not be equally abused, but shouldn’t he be?

Interactive

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ear Congressmen, I wish you were a bit more planned. I wish you had started this so-called pipeline work not just before the elections because in the name of development you guys are making another scam. First making the roads and then in one month digging them up again and keeping them lying untouched even after the work of the area complete. I guess you are waiting for the next government to complete it or it might be a planning for next 5 years. Anyway cheers to your spirit. At least you realized that the city needs better facilities which could have been made available in your last 15 years of kingship.

Ankeet Beriwal

Dear Sir,

Letter to the Editor Silver lining

Come elections, many opportunistic so-called leaders come out like weeds in search of a ticket from any party without considering policies, principles or ideologies of the party. The glaring example in today’s scenario is Sankar Prasad Rai, an ex AASU leader, who in an interview with your esteemed paper, had extolled greatly on the virtues of PM Modi as his choice of leader. But in the midst of all these cases, there is Dilip Bora, an ex top cop of the state, who formally joined AGP only after the said party had released its candidates’ list.

Truly, Dilip Bora is one silver lining in today’s gloomy political sphere.

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury Ambari, Guwahati-1

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

What steps does the Assamese cinema industry need to take for its revival?

The Assamese film industry is struggling for survival amid serious competition and comparison with Bollywood and world cinema.

With its various limitations and financial constraints can the Assamese film industry actually revive itself?

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Rekha Saikia

Hiral Dugar

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Priyangshu Choudhury

Deep Medhi

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Bhaskar Goswami

Partha Prawal Goswami

have been a movie buff since my young days and truth be told - the quality of Assamese movies has dipped immensely. Even the acting looks fake and forced. Cinema is representation of reality on screen. Our Assamese fraternity has the tendency to overdo everything. The actors chosen are so ill-directed that even a newbie will spot a horrendous performance from a distance. Acting is a serious genre and with the kind of actors who are amongst us, no wonder our government has turned a blind eye!

he actors need to start acting and stop overacting. Cinema is a very serious subject and our film fraternity has made a mockery of it. Instead of hiring people simply based on looks, directors should look for real talent. And it’s not like there are none. There is plenty, but our directors are very busy making their and their families’ dreams come true to give two whacks about someone else!

he Assamese film fraternity is filled with directors who have been working for years.

It is time that the industry welcomes new and fresh directors. A change in the style of direction is much required and that can only happen with the flow of young, fresh minds into the industry. Over the years, we have heard the same names act, direct and produce Assamese movies.

The rut has to be broken.

he revival of the Assamese industry is very much dependent on better quality performers and more importantly, directors. Also, good quality technicians - like sound effects, visual effects should be updated and made more realistic. There should be peppy numbers in movies to keep the audience entertained. Also, location wise, it will be really great to see Assamese movies shot in exotic places.

he Assamese film fraternity needs to realize that films are a serious mode of representation. The kind of artists flocking our current film industry are doing nothing more than just promoting themselves. The entire concept of the Assamese film industry needs to change. Better actors, better directors, better technicians and bigger resources are what is missing and is most needed by the fraternity for its revival.

he Assamese film industry can actually revive itself. We have the technicians and the logistics. What we lack is intent. We never try to work on our strengths. All we need is less theatrics and more of subtle acting. Assamese films are loud and actors overact. Also we need to do proper promotion of a film, so that the audience craves to watch it. Producers complain that there are no theatres to screen Assamese films.

But do they ask what profit will an Assamese film bring to the theatre owners? If I am paying Rs. 200 to watch an Assamese film, I must get something in return. We need a similar kind of revolution and experimentation like the Bengali industry and I am sure this can be achieved. If we start today, I am sure in a decade from now we too will be having brilliant films and we might just win the Oscar for India as well. Revival will require efforts from each and every individual who love Assamese films.

Meet Meet Meet

17

In Focus

Suresh Swami

Entrepreneur

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he winner of Restaurant of the Year in the Guwahati Food Awards, 2016 coupled with the fact that the restaurant has an average footfall of 9000 customers every month, GM Gopal Maharaj’s success is because of the innovative mind of Suresh Swami and that makes it stand out in the crowd.

The restaurant came into existence in 1966 and is now a family heritage.

Born on 21st August, 1966 at Goreswar in Kamrup (R) to father Late Gopal Swami and mother Anchi Devi, Suresh Swami comes from a simple family with a humble background. The youngest of four siblings,Suresh did his schooling from St. Joseph’s North Point in Darjeeling and came back to Guwahati to pursue a degree from Gauhati Commerce College. It was during his college days that Suresh started gaining experience in professional matters as he started to help his father with his business while continuing his studies at the same time.

Soon after attaining a degree in commerce he went on pursue his masters in law and joined JB Law College. However, he had to quit mid-way as responsibilities came upon his young shoulders after the demise of his father. Out of compulsion Suresh had to take charge of the restaurant which was then a dhaba.

However, as successful as he is today, it was not a part of Suresh’s plan to be an entrepreneur and he rather wished to be an architect.

“After I had finished my school my father was not keeping well. So it was out of compulsion rather than choice that I had to become an entrepreneur.

But of course, what destiny had planned worked out well for me. The enterprise was started by my father around 1966.

So, for us, this is a family heritage. It was then a dhaba. But it was during the 90s that it had undergone the transformation from a dhaba to a restaurant. It also came with a certain risk of losing the customers who belonged to the section that could afford dhaba food. But the change was necessary with the changing times and in order to survive and we went through the transformation well on time,” mentioned Suresh in a conversation with G Plus.

Suresh also feels blessed to have the highest number of customer footfall among Guwahati’s premium restaurants. The secret behind being the best is that the best quality products and ingredients available in the market are used to cook the food served at the outlet. Suresh also believes that it is essential for the employees who cook the food to be happy as one works best only with a happy frame of mind. “We make sure that the people serving the food are happy and are doing so in a hygienic environment.

During pep-talks with the employees I tell them that people choose to cometo us for a change from the regular good food at home. So we must serve them to the best of our ability and with sheer happiness. There might be times when a customer may not be content which we must accept and thereafter bring necessary replacements. Afterall the entire

process is manual and variations are likely to occur,” Suresh stated.

Besides being an entrepreneur Suresh was an enthusiast of mountaineering and trekking. He was also associated with the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and has been on several trekking expeditions. The love of being close to nature also takes him to places which are calm and peaceful and away from the bustle of the city. The same passion later translated towards yoga and meditation. For over two decades he has been associated with the Art of Living Foundation, founded by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and is now a senior faculty of meditation.

“I attended the Art of Living program around twenty years ago when it first took place in the city. The name sounded interesting, so I decided to give it a try. Attending the program added a new dimension to my life. Besides work and family responsibilities that we are all aware of, understanding the responsibility towards society is also important.

“All forms of services are good but the best form of service is to uplift somebody’s state of mind.” That is what ignited the desire in me to be an Art of Living faculty and contribute towards creating a happier and healthier society,” Suresh mentioned.

With the motto of “Happy through Meditation” and “Healthy through GM food” Suresh plans to keep serving the society. In future he is looking forward to starting more outlets of GM Gopal Maharaj. Suresh married Mita Swami in 1989, daughter of Late Ratan Bawri, a pioneer of his times. Late Ratan Bawri produced one of the earlier Assamese films “Aparajita” starring Rakhi, the then reigning queen of Bollywood. Mita Swami has been Suresh’s biggest strength and critic at the same time. He is blessed with two sons, Divyanshu, an engineering aspirant and Keyush, a bright young mind.

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G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

Lifestyle

Sex

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in our city

My girlfriend and I are both studying in class 12 in a reputed school of Guwahati. We have had a limited physical relation but we want to have proper sex (the whole way). My parents will be going on a vacation shortly and we feel this is a good chance. Are we too young and should wait? Please suggest some safety measures anyways.

The Indian constitution or law does not define the age for sex. It is assumed that marriage qualifies a person to have sex. In India, the marriageable age is 21 for male and 18 for female because it is presumed that by that age they have achieved the mental, physical and psychological development that is required for an active sexual and married life. But is it so?

No two individuals are the same. It is not uncommon to find people of the same age group having different levels for maturity.

Premarital sex is not uncommon in today’s world. It is slowly becoming the fashion statement while aping the west. There are some wonderful things of the west which we do not endorse like gender equality, openmindedness and attitude of society towards sex.

There are two things that trouble me in your query when you say you want to take sex to the next level.

“Lovemaking” would have been a better word to use here. I had written about this in depth a few columns back. What is the next level? You do

not need sex with a female to have orgasmic pleasure which in my view should be the ultimate level. This can be acquired also without vaginal sex (which is what people mean when they talk about having sex).

To have sex or not is entirely your prerogative because my role is not to play guardian. There is nothing wrong in having premarital sex in my view. At least you know whether you guys are compatible before marriage rather than spending a miserable married life sleeping in separate beds. But some people carry a lot of baggage after having premarital sex.

Are you and your partner prepared for it? What is the hurry? Are you guys going to two different towns or college after your 12th? If you decide to have sex, please use some kind of contraception. But my parting question to you is: are you going to stand by your partner if the condom breaks or if the pills don’t work? If you are not man enough, please don’t bother spoiling her life as our society will forgive you but she will be stonewalled!

Dr. Mithun Bhartia is an expert in Diabetes, Thyroid and Sexual matters. He has returned from England after 12 years. His clinic is in Panbazar near Hari Sabha. Send your queries to advicesexologist@gmail.com

VAASTU SHASTRA

VAASTU ASPECTS ON

ATHGAON AND A.T. ROAD

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his area starts from the Paltanbazar flyover up to Athgaon (near the Marwari Maternity Hospital) via Chatribari towards southwest and up to Bharalumukh at west. This area was initially located at the west and southwest part of the city if we leave out the Maligaon area. So this part of the city always controlled the business of hardware, automobile parts and machinery.

The Assam trunk road runs from the Paltanbazar flyover point to Bharalumukh in the east-west direction. It has two strategic bifurcations towards Chatribari and Athgaon in the southerly direction. Two more roads connect A T Road with Fancy Bazar namely the M S Road and the S R C B Road which are running towards north.

Though the business establishments were controlling the business of hardware, machinery and automobiles in the entire northeast region from this area, not all shops are doing roaring business. It would not be proper to name the establishments but the shops which are facing north are doing very good business in comparison to the ones opposite them.

The south facing shop owners have to take certain necessary precautions. The owner/manager must sit at the southwest corner facing east. The cash box should be kept to his right side. The entrance to the shops should be from the southern southeast or exclusive south. The place of puja should be kept at northeast. The heavy items should be kept at west and south.

The Athgaon flyover was completed a few years back. This has affected the north facing shops covered by the flyover. Their natural parking space at front got reduced and the positive energy from north got blocked. They should install a convex Pa Kua mirror in front of their shops to reflect

the poison arrows coming from the flyover.

On the other hand, the shops on the northern side of the flyover have got support from the concrete structure and they are being benefitted.

It is said that the south-eastern shops have the least Vaastu potential. There is a battery shop at the south-eastern corner near the flyover at the M S Road crossing which is doing roaring business. The owner sits facing east at the southwest corner and the shop has its entrance from the eastern northeast.

There are several transport companies and warehouses on the western part of Sati Jaymati Road in Athgaon. Knowingly or unknowingly, most of the warehouses are Vaastu compliant as their west has been kept heavier.

There are quite a number of multi-storeyed complexes in the Athgaon area which have made the western part of the area really heavy. But the Vaastu of the individual flats are not known and it is learnt that the residents are staunch believers of Vaastu and they have taken all care to adhere to the Vaastu norms.

There is a round building near the Athgaon flyover known as the “Gol” building.

Energy is not stable in round structures and business is not doing well in this building. There was an old cinema hall named Choudhury Talkies near this building which got closed down as its northeast was truncated by the railway track.

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

recipe of the week Ingredients

Mango diced Sweet curd or cream Muri or puffed rice

PROCESS

MURI and MANGO

T

ake a glass. Drizzle some honey on the bottom and along the inner surface of the glass. Scoop pieces of sweet mango and put at the bottom.

Follow with scoops of thick yogurt. Heap more mango pieces on top. Sprinkle some crispy puffed rice for a bite. Garnish with raisins if you wish. Mix with a spoon and enjoy.

A tablespoon of honey

This is a quintessential Bengali dessert eaten when the mango season is in full bloom. Very simple and satisfying.

KULKUL RAHMAN Entrepreneur, mother and a passionate cook

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

19

Lifestyle

Cool Couture

Clutch it like a winner

It’s HOLI, MIND IT!

H

andbags and women are like inseparable twins. I can hardly do without handbags.

No dressing is complete for me without a handbag. Just as various clothes are worn for different occasions, bags are also selected to suit different occasions.

A nice bag can easily complement and enhance an outfit. This explains a lot why there are tons of stunning bags that are available all over the city - may they be designer or at your regular department store. However, aside from the regular handbags, one of the latest fashion trends is the clutch bag craze. As there is a mandate for women to look more womanly nowadays, this fancy bag is starting to take the world by storm. The clutch handbags are mostly used for formal occasions like banquet or dinner parties in the evening and this explains why clutch bags are also called evening bags. Sure, they may not be the “handiest” of all the bag styles out there, as they constantly require your hand’s attention.

Experimenting with something that totally contrasts is currently one of the hottest fashion trends, and not following rules is another. Today, you can find girls who will carry a large, envelope style, clutch bag even if they’re quite small in size and still look chic while at it.

Probably, the only “rule” that you can actually stick with when choosing the right clutch bag to take is to match it with the occasion. If you only want a “reusable” clutch that will match any occasion, go for a glittery or embellished clutch. Colourful and shiny ones could also work for everyday outfits. Whether it’s a classic black clutch bag with a twist you need for your next special occasion or an on-trend textured clutch to house

your office essentials through the working week, this is the statement accessory to have for any event.

Again, these pieces now come in different designs and styles. So you can always find something that is actually casual and something that is more appropriate for black-tie events.

We’ve found the best of clutch bags in the store mentioned below - from eyecatching sparkling ones to chic allblack numbers. Metallic box clutches with textured detail are a failsafe for those on the hunt for a wedding guest accessory, while bright colour pop clutch bags work wonders to boost a work-wear outfit.

Think fringing, leather, embroidery and jewels, there’s something for every style and budget. The mes-

A

sage is clear; clutch bags are no longer an afterthought. This season, your stand-out piece should be an eye-catching accessory which can totally transform your look or help you tap into a trend with ease.

Grab some stylish bags and accessories at Exclusive Line, G.M. Tower, Fancy Bazar, Guwahati.

Contact: +8486000555

Sonika Ajmera Fashion Epitomist

SIP GREEN TO GET LEAN

I

f we ever contemplate creating a Hall of Fame for supplements, there would be a few would be inducted automatically.

Simply from the top of my head come whey protein, caffeine, creatine and one of my all-time incomparable favourites GREEN TEA EXTRACT.

burn additional calories even while at rest.

This property is especially due to its main active polyphenol element EGCG (epigallocatechingallate). Currently, new analysis from Polska shows that green-tea extract has another ace up its sleeve to help fat loss: interference macromolecule uptake by the body.

HEALTH BENEFITS-

THE STUDY-

Most people know that green-tea extract provides a laundry list of health advantages like a reduced risk of bound cancers, polygenic disorder and Cardiomyopathy (chronic disease of the heart muscle).

It also enhances brain function and reduces stress, boosts immunity which basically declines as we age and finally also aids muscle and joint recovery while even boostingfat loss.

Researchers from Poznan University fed subjects a starchy meal of cornflakes with milk (about fifty grams of carbs, seven grams of protein, two grams of fat and 250 calories) along with green-tea extract (which contains about 250mg of EGCG) and also placed some subjects on placebo.

In a 2015 issue of the journal, Scientific Reports, they reported that the subjects who consumed green-tea extract with corn flakes absorbed fewer carbohydrates over a period of half an hour from the meal than the others. This seemed to result in the flexibility of EGCG to inhibit the enzymes ‘alpha-glucosidase’ and ‘alpha-amylase’ that ordinarily break down starch into smaller

FAT LOSSWhen it comes to fat-burning, the best way that green-tea extract works is by increasing the body’s rate such that you

A Better Life

visit to a doctor after the festival of colours is common in India. Diseases, especially of the skin and eye are bound to happen with the quality of colours that are now available in the market and with the way people play HOLI these days.

Manufacturers mix harmful chemicals in colours and play with the health of the consumers for the sake of profit.

The chemicals added by them are so injurious that if they unfortunately enter a human body, they may cause fatal infections.

Most colours sold in the market are oxidized metals or industrial dyes mixed with engine oil. These chemicals are known to cause serious harm to a person’s health, especially kids. Most water colours have an alkaline base which can cause serious injuries. Not just for us, these colours are toxic for our environment too. They mix with water and soil causing pollution.

Even the way people play HOLI these days is becoming dangerous.

People should realize that what is fun for them could cause injury to the eyes, ears and skin of another person. And I speak from my very own experience of almost losing an eye.

Some tips to make this HOLI safe for you: 1. Use only the best quality natural colours available in the market. The money that you’ll save by buying cheap colours will ultimately have to be paid to your doctor.

2. Don’t get too boisterous and do not let others be rude to you.

3. Gaudy purple, green, yellow and

orange have more harmful chemicals in them and should be avoided.

4. Oil and cover your hair, wear shades and apply nail paint. Make sure that your face is well creamed before you start playing.

5. Use good quality cleansing milk for removing these colours.

6. Avoid associating with people who go crazy during HOLI; use your past experience.

7. Avoid throwing water balloons. It hurts.

8. Avoid over indulgence in bhang, drinks or food so that you don’t have to repent later.

9. Keep pain killers, anti-oxidants, anti-allergic tablets and your doctor’s phone number handy.

10. Keep your family informed of your whereabouts.

People must realise that Holi is a festival of colours, sharing joy and love and enjoying; not of causing inconvenience to others. So, this time when you play with colours use good quality or natural colours and play according to the convenience of others.

Happy Holi!

Madhur Jayne A practicing chartered accountant and a certified nutritionist. He is the co-founder of a coaching centre for chartered accountancy and commerce students. He is a life coach and trains people on subjects like time, health, lifestyle and people management. Visit www.madhurjayne.com for more details.

units which are meant to be absorbed by the intestines. The starch that does not break down into smaller sugar units cannot be absorbed by the body and virtually gets flushed down the drain.

TAKE HOME POINTS-

By limiting the amount of edible starch from a meal, (that gets broken down into smaller sugar units for energy) you are compelling the body to use the starch over an extra half an hour which will lower your carb intake and your overall daily calorie intake. This helps the body with fat loss (along with boosting metabolic rates).

All of this makes green-tea extract a real get-lean juggernaut! To take advantage of these advantages, consume about 200mg of EGCG from green-tea extract before or with meals.

BIBHU MONI SINGHA, Fitness Expert & Sports Nutritionist Gym Manager, Training & Nutrition Head, SFL Fitness, Guwahati

20

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

Reviews Cast: Alia Bhatt, Sidharth Malhotra, Fawad Khan Director: Shakun Batra

R

ahul (Fawad Khan) and Arjun (Sidharth Malhotra) are based in London and New Jersery respectively while their family consisting their parents Harsh (Rajat Kapoor), Sunita (Ratna Pathak Shah) and Daadu (Rishi Kapoor) are settled in Coonoor. After Daadu suffers a heart attack, Rahul and Arjun rush to their hometown.

While Daadu is a happy go lucky character, the tension between Harsh and Sunita who are struggling with their marriage is evident. In the meanwhile, Rahul and Arjun too have some unsettled issues which come to the fore when they start living together.

Tia (Alia Bhatt) becomes a common link between both the brothers unknowingly and forms an additional tension to their already strained relationship.

Amidst all the personal as well as ups downs as a unit, will there be a happy family photo of

vie Mo view Re

Kapoor And Sons?

After I first watched the trailer of Kapoor And Sons, I was under the impression that the dysfunctional family drama card of Dil Dhadakne Do was once again being used with a cliched two brothers falling for one girl theme. Fortunately, Shakun Batra and Ayesha Devitre’s writing came as a breath of fresh air concentrating on a dysfunctional family but with such brilliantly written flawed characters that you relate to each of them.

What works for this script is the way it flows, the connectivity of scenes, character nuances and spot on dialogues.

From the dining room fight scenes to a lovely evening family get together, Batra’s characters come to life because of their realistic nature.

I particular laud the way how sibling rivalry is tackled due to misconstrued situations. In a subtle manner, the writers convey with great ease, a pressure

children have in Indian families to be ‘perfect’ or for that matter how younger siblings are generally labeled to be ‘irresponsible’ and how it forms a part of their personalities.

Families may be the closest bonds one has but as a unit when they fail, it is a collective effect. This is exactly what the story nails.

Daadu’s character is written to please the audiences with a humorous touch. He is a weedsmoking, porn-watching Daadu and while at start it is hilarious, after a point his mischief seems forced. Another character that could have been crafted in a better manner is Tia. A lone child who lost her parents at an early age, Tia’s ‘live in the moment’ nature is slightly stereotypical considering her past.

Winsome moments for the script are in the second half when it is revelation time for each member to come out clean about their mistakes.

Better late than dead

B

etter Late than DEAD is every survival game ever.

You gather resources to craft stuff, which you use to survive and gather more resources to craft more stuff to survive.

Repeat until you win, die, or get bored. And you will get bored.

Better Late than DEAD does not do anything to mix up the formula. It has the stamina, hunger, and thirst that come with every survival game these days, and you need to keep these up in order to survive, as well as your standard health bar.

The resource gathering/crafting system system you use is every resource gathering/crafting system ever: punch a rock to collect rocks and punch a tree to collect wood, then combine to create an axe, use to collect more rocks and wood, rinse and repeat ad infinitum. This applies to every item you collect/ craft in the game and gets very boring very quickly. However, that’s not all that’s wrong with Better Late than DEAD. The game controls very poorly and the graphics/art style is very

unappealing. In fact, the game can look downright painful at times. The only thing Better Late than DEAD does differently is that it gives you a third person perspective. And a beard. That’s it. Do not buy Better Late than DEAD. Buy Minecraft. Buy ARK: Survival Evolved. But do not buy Better Late than DEAD; it is the epitome of uncreativeness in video games short of buying/ stealing Unity assets, putting them into your game without any thought, and calling that a game.

NOW SHOWING

Anuradha Cineplex

Noonmati 03612656968, 9954544738 Kapoor & sons 11.15 AM, 5.30 & 8.30 PM Love in tawang (Assamese) 2.30 PM

PVR Cinemas

Dona Planet. GS Road 08800900009 Kapoor & sons 10.00 AM, 12.45, 3.30, 6.15 & 9.00 PM London has fallen 11.30 AM jai gangaajal 1.30 & 9.15 PM Spotlight 4.20 PM Neerja 6.50 PM

Fun Cinemas

HUB, GS Road 9864800100, 9864800200 Kapoor & sons 10.00 AM, 12.30. 3.05, 5.45 && 8.45 PM

me ga view Re

Apsara Cinema Ulubari 0361 2541335

Book:

The Battle for Sanskrit:

Is Sanskrit Political or Sacred, Oppressive or Liberating, Dead or Alive?

Album:

Sweven

ASTC Complex, Paltan Bazar 9854066166 Kapoor & sons 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM Dare you 11.30 AM & 5.30 PM Bus 657 2.30 & 8.30 PM

Rajiv Malhotra

Brooke Waggoner

u Yo LD ad SHOU re

u Yo LD TEN SHOU LIS

S

GOLD Cinema

Author:

Artist:

weven continues on the odd, misshapen path Brooke Waggoner began to explore on 2013’s Originator. Waggoner isn’t so much interested in the destination as she is in the journey and, consequently, Sweven can feel a little bit formless as it flits from schizoid rockers and twinkling instrumental interludes to

Kapoor & sons 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM

fully formed orchestral pop.

Clearly, some of these tracks are meant as nothing more than vehicles to set the mood, functional aural sketches that keep the album slightly off-kilter. As the record winds along, the settings turn expansive, relying on strings and doubletracked vocals, arrangements that suggest an ever-opening

world while also functioning as a counterpoint to the album’s frenetic beginning.

If the two halves don’t quite match exactly or if the songs deliberately evade instead of hook, the atmosphere remains alluring, as does the suggestion that Sweven is headed in directions Brooke Waggoner never intended to go.

The book explores the battle between Western and traditional approaches to Sanskrit and Sanskrit civilization. It exposes the dominant Western scholarship, in particular its subversive allegation that the Sanskrit heritage has been a political weapon for social oppression. Without adequate critical inquiry, Indian English-language elites have internalized such lopsided ideas and enshrined them

in various mainstream institutions.

Controversial and thought-provoking, the book proposes a set of debates for the intellectual kurukshetra (battlefield) pertaining to the social, political, historical and contemporary dimensions of Indian Sanskrit. It is intended as a wake-up call to the traditionalists and seeks to inspire a home team to pursue such debates.

GOLD Cinema

Salasar Building, Lakhtokia 9854066166 Kapoor & sons 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM Bus 657 11.30 AM & 5.30 PM Dare you 2.30 & 8.30 PM

GOLD Cinema

LG Towers, Narangi 8811001898 Kapoor & sons 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

A

ssamese film ‘Love in Tawang’ has been released successfully on 11th March all over. After making its foray in movie production with a venture based on deforestation titled ‘Mahasamar,’ Tezpur-based Siddhartha Telefilms’ new venture, directed by Dipak Nath, follows a bittersweet romance between young lovers hailing from distinctly different cultures. The film’s story, script and dialogues have also been written by Dipak Nath. Nath, a cultural activist of Tezpur, while playing a very prominent role was also the storywriter of ‘Mahasamar’. Apart from the scenic locations that promise to offer considerable visual stimulation, the film, with its unexpected twists and turns, also brings to the fore the culture and customs of Arunachal Pradesh, the influences of modernity upon the traditional life, and the growing cultural and emotional distance among various communities living in hills and plains.

The lead romantic pair in the movie has been essayed by newcomers, Dhruv and Spainee. Others in the cast of artistes are Arun Nath, Atul Pachoni, Subhash Mudok, Biswajeet Hazarika, Juri Devi, Simashree Bora, etc. ‘Love in Tawang’ also features three popular artistes from Monpa and Bhutanese cinema. The three ar-

‘Love in Tawang’

New Assamese film releasing this Friday

Entertainment

Sanskar Bharati’s 3-day drama festival

‘ tistes from Arunachal Pradesh are Jambey Tenzin, Changtasi and Rizong Bey Tamblung. The film has been cinematographed by Hiten Thakuria at the beautiful locations of Arunachal’s Tawang District, Dibang, Bhalukpung, etc., with the Red MX camera. ‘Love in Tawang’s music has been scored by Abhijit Barman and Dipak Nath. The film has five songs in all - three of them are in Assamese while the other two are in English and

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Hindi. The lyrics of all the songs have been written by Dipak Nath. The songs have been rendered by Zubeen Garg, Dikshu, Priyanka Bharali, Barnali Kalita, Manoj Kashyap, Satyasandha Hazarika and Kabita Das. Choreography has been done by Uday Shankar.

The film has been edited by Diganta Khaund. Make-up is by Prashanta Bora. The film’s chief assistant director is Jayanta Sarma. Hemen Bora is the film’s production controller.

21

Sanskar Bharati Purbottar’ is going to organize a 3-day drama festival at Ravindra Bhawan, Guwahati from 4th to 6th March. Four plays will be staged. For the first evening ‘Lachit Borphukan,’ written by Jiten Sarma, directed by Manik Roy and Hindi adaptation by Ashok Sharma will be staged from 6 pm. The drama will be presented by Voice Theatre, Guwahati.

The aim of the play is to present the heroics of Lachit Borphukan to the rest of the country. On the second day, two plays will be staged. The first, ‘Loss of Culture is Loss of Identity,’ written and directed by Mirnia Game, will be presented by People Foundation Society, Arunachal Pradesh at 4.30 pm. The second play at 6.30 pm, ‘Eikhobibusu Hinghanbiyu,’ written and directed

by Guruaribam Pishaktombi Devi will be presented by Women’s Art and

Cultural Association, Manipur. The aim of this play is to show the relation between human beings and animals, other creatures, trees, plants etc. In this modern world, human beings are a violent species and there is no sympathy for animals and other creatures of the world. The play aims to sensitize the human race towards this. On the closing day, Guernica Creatovista, Mirza, Assam will present the play titled ‘Shakira Ahibo Bakul Tolor Bihuloi,’ written and directed by Himanshu Prasad Das which will be staged at 4.30 pm and 6.30 pm. The play will show how a small incident creates a huge change in a village of contemporary Assam named Bakultol. For this drama festival, Sanskar Bharati Purbottar has also built a committee having members like Pranjal Saikia, Manju Bora etc. on its advisory board.

Romantic album ‘Love You Baby’ released

n Assamese romantic album containing four modern songs of distinct style and titled ‘Love You Baby’ was released recently in Guwahati.

The album has been musically arranged by two very promising young music directors of Assam, Tarun Tanmoy and Nilutpal Xobdo. The first track of the album titled ‘Dehe Prane’ is written and tuned by Tarun Tanmoy and rendered by Nilutpal Xobdo and Jayshree Deka. The second track, ‘Aji Monote,’ is written by Madhusmita Gogoi, Abinash Priyam and Anup Neel, tuned by Nilutpal Xobdo and rendered by Nilutpal

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For the first time in Guwahati Universal Fitness Training Academy, in association with SFL Fitness Gym & MMA is organizing the “1st north-east seminar on fitness, bodybuilding, sports & exercise nutrition on 20th March, Sunday, 2016. The exclusive nutrition partner of the event is “Ritebite Nutrition Max Protein Bar” from Naturell India Pvt Ltd, Co-Sponsored by food & beverage partner “24 Mantra” and refreshment partner “Organic India”.

The event is specially being conducted to create awareness of fitness amongst the common people, careers in fitness and the overall development of the fitness industry. It will also put lot of emphasis on nutrition and supplementation for leading a healthy life.

Xobdo. The third track titled ‘Moloya Esati’ is written by Madhusmita Gogoi, tuned and sung by Nilutpal Xobdo and the last one titled ‘Baby I Love You’ is written by Nilutpal Xobdo, Abinash Priyam and Rxk (Kalpa), tuned and sung by Nilutpal Xobdo.

Releasing an album at a time when piracy has become a serious issue is truly a remarkable effort. Singer and composer Nilutpal Xobdo shared his feelings saying that all his team members worked very hard on this album. He also added that the Assamese music lovers will be able to get a new kind of flavor with each and every song.

ipz Talukdar, a singer who has risen in popularity by sheer hard work and dedication, is not only blessed with a fabulous voice but backs it up with solid technique and a compelling stage presence. Though he belongs to a different field by profession, he is equally engaged in music. According to him, music exists in his soul and he can’t even breathe without music.

The concept of making singles has become more popular than making an album containing multiple tracks. Social networking sites like Sound Cloud and Facebook have played a major role in making these songs popular. Nipz Talukdar has recently released his new Assamese romantic audio-video song titled ‘Dharaxar…’ on YouTube and social media platforms which was very well received by the Assamese music lovers. All the private music channels of

The album has been made with special focus on the young listeners. Though the audio album market is not reliable at present, they have released this album with a lot of hope and courage. The album is produced under the banner of Xobdo Production.

All the members involved with the album have appealed to the Assamese music lovers to listen to the songs and encourage them in their musical journey. During the forthcoming Bihu season, ‘Love You Baby’ will be a remarkable addition to the music world.

New Single

Dharaxar…

Assam like Ramdhenu, Rengoni and Jonakk also featured the song. The song has been written by Bijiyeta Patgiri and composed by popular Assamese music director and singer, Dikshu Sarma. The key roles in the video have been essayed by Amrita Gogoi

and Nipz. The video has been directed

by Simple Gogoi and editing has been done by Moni Rajkonwar. Cinematography is done by Bitul Das, make-up

by Bijiyeta. The song is produced by Saneka Talukdar under the banner of SN Production.

KALYAN KUMAR KALITA

22

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

Citypedia

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Horoscope Aries Early on you could notice a desire to escape from life’s responsibilities, stresses, and strains. This is due to a tie between Mars and Neptune, which might even see you sacrificing time and resources to help others. And you’ll also enter your social high point of the year as the Sun hikes into Aquarius. Again, your attention may be drawn to groups or causes that you might profitably join or help.

Taurus Indeed, a connection between Mars and Neptune might even see you making a regular contribution to a charity or other good cause.

A romantic relationship could also benefit from heightened sensitivity and imagination, making for some sensational dates. If you’re thinking of entertaining at your place, the weekend spotlights a Full Moon, which could be perfect for a party or get-together.

Cancer

Gemini Hold to your vision at the start of the week, as a powerful blend of energies suggests that your intuition could override logic. If you get a feeling to connect with someone or move in a certain direction, go with it. If you have doubts, don’t hesitate to get feedback from good friends. The Sun dances into Aquarius and your sector of travel and adventure midweek, making for a lighter, more upbeat vibe.

Inspiration could strike, encouraging you to hire a life coach or take a course that can help you utilize your skills and abilities. You’re naturally psychic, so if you want to develop this skill, this is very much a time to make a move. The Sun glides into Aquarius and your zone of shared resources this week. Be careful around the time of Saturday’s Full Moon, especially if you’re shopping the sales.

Virgo

Leo You’ll easily tune in to other people’s feelings, particularly at the start of the week. And while this might give you insights into what makes others tick, you can also use it to your advantage, particularly if you’re eager to resolve relationship or financial matters. The mood shifts a little once the Sun eases into your opposite sign of Aquarius, with a more sociable aspect showing up.

You’ll need to take a little bit of care this week, especially if you’re discussing important matters. There’s a chance that a misunderstanding could result. However, your sixth sense will let you know which people you can trust (or not), so be sure to make use of that. If your regular exercise and diet schedule has fallen by the wayside, you’ll be eager to explore other options as the Sun dances into Aquarius on Wednesday.

Scorpio

Libra

It might help to write a to-do list before the week begins, because it could be all too easy to get sidetracked once Mars aligns with Neptune. The days ahead could see you volunteering your time to help others when you may have a stack of tasks of your own to complete. However, tension could ease somewhat as the Sun enters sociable Aquarius.

Save your romantic intentions for the first half of the week. A special alignment between Mars and Neptune in your zone of leisure and pleasure could see you enjoying some spectacular dates. If your love life has been a bit dull recently, this is your chance to rekindle the spark. The Sun eases into your home and family sector midweek, encouraging you to take a bit of a respite and indulge in a massage or a few spa days.

Capricorn

Sagittarius

Aquarius A potent Mars/Neptune tie in your money sector could see you eager to exploit an idea that could enhance your status and income. However, be sure it’s completely above-board before you commit. You’ll begin to feel more energized once the Sun dances into your sign midweek. Indeed, it’s time to take those projects off the back burner and make a start. In addition, Saturday’s Full Moon can make for a boisterous evening out if you’re up for it.

Sudoku

There’s a romantic quality showing up early on that could give special sparkle to your relationship with a significant other. However, when it comes to collaborating on a project, make sure that you’re both on the same page. The Sun moves into Aquarius and your personal financial sector midweek, encouraging you to take stock of your money situation and be inventive about ways to earn extra cash or increase your income.

Pisces

It’s time to pursue your dreams and explore far horizons. If you need inspiration or feel you could do with some self-improvement, this might be the opportunity to take on the services of a life coach who can help you. However, you’ll enter a natural phase in which it’s wise to kick back and relax as the Sun eases into Aquarius midweek. Use this opportunity to get your bearings and think about what you’d like to achieve in the coming months.

A Sudoku puzzle consists of 81 cells which are divided into nine columns, rows and regions. The task is now to place the numbers from 1 to 9 into the empty cells in such a way that in every row, column and 3×3 region each number appears only once.

last week solution

You may be tempted to promise more than you can deliver. You also have a chance to clear away unwanted emotional baggage, though this may be at the prompting of a friend. You might need to address a blind spot around a key relationship if you’re to remain on good terms. Saturday’s Full Moon in Leo can pave the way for travel plans, especially if you’re smitten by pictures of sunnier climes.

AMBULANCE

Ambulance 102 Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Downtown Hospital 9864101111, 9435012669 GLP Social Circle 2737373 GGUMTA (Mirza) 03623-227109 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251 Free Ambulance to GNRC Hospitals Toll Free: 1800-345-0011 Arya Hospital, Ulubari 2606888, 2606665 Ganga Blood Bank 2454742, 2455029 Lion’s Club of Ghy Central 2546611 Marwari Yuva Manch 2546470, 2547251 Saharia’s Path Lab (24 hours) 2458594

BLOOD BANK

HOSPITALS

Arya Hospital, Ulubari (2606888, 2606665) B Baruah Cancer Institute (2472364/66) Brahmaputra Hospital Ltd (2451634/678) Chatribari Christian Hospital 0361-2600051, 92070-44374 Downtown Hospital 2331003, 9864079366, 9435012669 Guwahati Medical College (2529457, 2529561) Guwahati Medical College Emergency (2263444) International Hospital 0361-7135005 Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (2541477, 2543998)

Marwari Hospital & Research Centre 0361-2602738/39 Marwari Maternity Hospital 0361-2541202/01 Nemcare Hospital 0361-2528587, 2455906, 2457344 Pratiksha Hospital 0361-2337260, 2337183/84 Basistha Military Hospital (2304617/0351) Railway Central Hospital Casuality (2671025) Redcross Hospital (2665114) Sri Sankardeva Netralaya 0361-2233444, 2228879, 2228921 TB Hospital (2540193)

Wintrobe Hospital 0361-2519860, 98647-77986 IHR-Institute of Human Reproduction 0361-2482619, 098641-03333 Dispur Hospital Reception 97070 20370 82539 99124 361-2235759 (Landline No. / Fax) Hayat Hospital

8011003110 GNRC Hospital 1800-345-0022 (Toll Free) GNRC Ambulance 1800-345-0011 (Toll Free)

24-HOUR PHARMACIES Arya Hospital, Ulubari (2606888, 2606665) D Modern Medicos, Maligaon (9864366763) Candid 24x7, Panbazar (2604422) DEAD BODY CARRYING VAN GLP Social Circle 2737373, 9435047046 Marowari Yuva Manch 2542074, 2547251 GGUMTA 98640-16740 ELECTRICITY SUPPLY Call Centre – 9678005171

OTHERS Fire Emergency 101 State Zoo 2201363 GMC Carcass Pickup 9435190720, 9864047222 LPG Emergency/Leakage 2385209, 2541118, LPG Booking (ivr System) 7670024365 Child line Guwahati 1098

GMC helpline number for garbage collection

RADIO TAXI SERVICES Prime Cabs 0361- 2222233 Green Cabs 0361-7151515 My Taxi 0361-2228888 Cherry Cabs 8876222288

Vigilance and anti corruption toll free number

8811007000

1800-345-3767 police station

SP, Kamrup District: Ph- 2540278 DGP Control Room: Ph- 2540242 SB Control Room: Ph-2261511 Police Control Room: Ph-2540138, 2540113 Azara PS: Ph2840287 Basista PS: Ph-2302158 Bharalumukh PS: Ph- 2540137, 2731199 Borjhar PS: Ph-2840351 Chandmari PS: Ph- 2660204 Chandrapur PS: Ph-2788237, 2785237 Dispur PS: Ph-2261510 Fancybazar PS: Ph- 2540285

Fatasil Ambari PS: Ph-2471412 Geetanagar PS: Ph-2417323 Hatigaon: Ph-2562383 Jalukbari PS: Ph-2570587 Jalukbari Out Post: Ph-2570522 Jorabat: Ph-2896853 Khanapara: Ph- 2281501 Khetri PS: Ph-2787699, 2787220 Latasil PS: Ph-2540136 Noonmati PS: Ph- 2550281 North Guwahati PS: Ph-2690255 Paltanbazar PS: Ph-2540126 Panbazar PS: Ph-2540106 Pragjyotishpur Ps: Ph-2785237 Women PS Panbazar: Ph-2524627

23

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

Guwahati girl takes a lead in the ‘Femina Miss India Popular Award’

Consensio Sunburn

7

Events

Days

Events

March 19th to March 25th

MAR 19 DMD, 1ST FLOOR,DOLEY COMPLEX AT 6:00 PM

NIGHT OF ANGELS

V

oting for the Femina Miss India 2016 contest began last week where Guwahati-girl, Rajkanya Baruah, has taken an early lead for the Rabbler Miss Popular award. Already making a direct entry to the top 21 of the main pageant after winning the Femina Miss India Kolkata event in January, Rajkanya is currently the leading contender for the title after beating her competitors and gaining more than 30% of the total votes. For the very first time, the common people will be able to vote for the Miss Popular award through the Rabbler app while the Miss Multimedia crown will be decided through Mobstar. These apps are available for free download in Android and iOS. Rabbler also consists of a paid feature which can be used to boost votes for one’s favourite contestants. Boosting the votes will enter the voters in a luckydraw, where one of the fans will win a dinner with fbb Femina Miss India 2016.

G

old’s Gym Calisthenics challenge: This challenge is designed to test the fitness of an individual at a physiological and psychological level to decide who can outperform under pressure.

A NIGHT DEDICATED TO ALL THE ANGELS IN CITY !!

SPINNING LIVE WILL BE DEE JAYRIK DJ SHAN A.KA SHANTANU SUTRADHAR ÐEEJAY GYAN A.K.A EAGEN B ASSAM ENGINEERING COLLEGE AT 5:00 PM

GUWAHATI FOOD AWARDS 2016

A STATE LEVEL GROUP DANCE COMPETITION

MAR 20

Research Conclave 2016 underway at IIT-G

R

esearch Conclave 2016 is being held under the auspices of Student Academic Board, IIT Guwahati, from 17th-20th March, 2016. It is a staunch platform to nurture the young minds towards research, innovation and entrepreneurship, which intends to bring the integrity of the students towards both industries and academia to redress the academic research challenges, concerns of the entire student community and upcoming entrepreneurs from all over India.

The main attraction of the event was notable speaker Padmashri laureate, Dr. KL Chopra, eminent scientist, at the inaugural ceremony on 17th March, 2016. Other erudite personalities such as Shri Krishna Prabhu, General Manager, WIPRO Infrastructure, Dr. RM Pant, National Institute of Rural Development and Dr. Pramod Khambete, Industrial Design Centre, IIT Bombay, graced the occasion.

SFL FITNESS GYM & MMA GUWAHATI AT 10:00 PM

1ST SEMINAR ON FITNESS, BODYBUILDING, SPORTS & EXERCISE NUTRITION Cafe Hendrix AT 8:00 PM

OLS EAST DIVA 2016 GUWAHATI AUDITIONS TERRA MAYAA AT 8:30 PM

VANS LIVE NIGHTS II DUALIST INQUIRY & MADBOY MINK

24

G PLUS MAR 12 - MAR 18, 2016

Catching Up Most shared story of the week

New

Chic

on the block

A

massive amount of Rs. 362 lakhs was released by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to the Government of Assam for the conservation of Deepor Beel and the G PLUS Facebook fans were delighted with the news

Guwahati

as it got 325 likes and 18 shares.

However, people in the comments were skeptical about how the funds would be put to use.

facebook.com/guwahatiplus twitter.com/guwahatiplus

GYAN

Did you know?

Gandhi Mandap

Minakshi Roy About Me

Hi, I am Minakshi Roy. Affectionately called Mina, I am a 23 year old girl from Guwahati. I am pursuing my graduation from KKHSOU. I am an active model and have worked with brands like Snapdeal, Tatkala, designer Nibedita Pathak for Nandini magazine, Tata Steel and Shine Furniture Company. Apart from modelling, I love clicking photos as a hobby. I also love to spend time cooking in the kitchen.

Mojo

My positive attitude towards life is what gives me strength. I want to shape my future for betterment of myself and my family. I am a person who knows the value of hard work because you can’t achieve something unless you work hard.

Route in the Woods

G

andhi Mandap is a two-storeyed white monument located atop Sarania Hills at a distance of 2 kms from the bottom of the hill. It is a memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. It was built in 1969 and was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Late Indira Gandhi on 2nd October 1970 to serve as a comprehensive exhibition on the life of the Mahatma. The library in the building is

W

a notable feature of the memorial. However it is no longer visited by researchers. Mahatma Gandhi had also stayed in Sarania Hill when he came to Guwahati before Independence. The top of the peak also provides a panoramic view of Guwahati city along with the Brahmaputra River flowing by. It is also a vantage point to watch the sporting action going on at the Nehru Stadium.

Like every aspiring model, I want to be the best. I would like to give acting a fair shot in the near future.

PIC OF THE

Ka m u r of the week

WEEK

ith the elections are just round the corner, some Guwahatians are already irked by some age-old pre-election rituals of the government.

One is where authorities requisition public transportation vehicles for election duties harassing commuters in the process. Private vehicle owners are often forced to hide their vehicles at home due to this. Elections are necessary but lack of public transportation in every election is a real kamur.

WHAT DID I JUST HEAR?

W

ith the RSS replacing the loose fitting khakhi knickers with brown trousers, RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav recently pledged to return the volunteer organisation to its ‘half pants’ again. “The RSS has updated itself because they are now in power. They would wear full pants instead of half pants, but we would again make them return in ‘half pants’,” Lalu told the media recently.

The Helmet is back

Photo: Adib Zamali

Printed & Published by Sunit Jain on behalf of Insight Brandcom Pvt. Ltd. and Printed at Arkashish Publications (P) Ltd., Katahbari, Garchuk, Guwahati and Published at H/No. 34, K. C. Choudhury Road, Chatribari, Guwahati - 781008, Editor: Koushik Hazarika.

Phone: 0361 2737737, Email: info@g-plus.in, RNI No: ASSENG/2013/52641