G Plus Vol 3 Issue 30

Sex

“What you are describing in our city sounds like premature ejaculation.”

PG 18

with Dr. Mithun bhartia

VOLUME 03 | ISSUE 30 MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

PRICE `10

Vreegu’s actions make him a suspect says Priyanka Bharali

PG

02 A G plus exclusive

GMCH under scanner Toddler infected with HIV PG 03

G PLUS APR 23 - APR 29, 2016

Krisha Shivam

New Chic on the block

Page 24

11

2

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

Lead Story

Vreegu’s actions make him a suspect says Priyanka Bharali

KALYAN DEB

I

n a scandal that brought reminiscences of the Rumi Nath nude photo circulation over social media, top-notch singer Priyanka Bharali, who has a huge fan following, found herself in a thick controversy when a few unflattering photos, purportedly attributed to her, went viral on social media a few days back. Priyanka, who is married, was projected to be in a relationship with her co-artist, Vreegu Kashyap and a selfie of the two in an intimate posture, was circulated to support this contention. The relationship apparently went sour and a sulking but combative Vreegu took to the social media to vent his rage. G Plus caught up with Priyanka for a personal chat and sought her clarifications.

As told by Priyanka, she believes that there is a particular group behind the entire incident or else she cannot find any reason for anyone to do something like this. She wants to get to the bottom of this story because she feels that if they could do this once, they could very well repeat it. Regarding the selfies, she has reasons to suspect Vreegu Kashyap since the selfies were taken by him and these could not have been circulated without his direct involvement. “But he might not be associated with the morphed pictures. Such people only wish to do harm to me and defame me and as a result of their activities, they will be investigated by the police,” said Priyanka.

“The selfies were first circulated through WhatsApp and a few of my friends became aware of the fact and informed me right away. I was first informed on 26th April but I happened to be out of Guwahati for a Bihu event, which is why I could not do anything about it. The next day, the pictures were uploaded on

Facebook by some unknown people along with some very inappropriate comments. Meanwhile, some friends suggested that I ignore the matter since it would be a futile move on my part. I also spoke to the police over the phone and I was informed that unless I filed a written FIR, they could not take any action.

“A few days later, two more pictures were morphed and shared on social media but this time those were single photos. It was then that I realised that such incidents could not be taken lightly and so I filed an FIR at the Dispur police station along with the details about the individuals who had uploaded the pictures to Facebook. I also came across a fake screenshot in WhatsApp where it was shown that Vreegu was conversing with someone about the incident and it mentioned that I had discussed the issue with Vreegu. It is clearly a fake screenshot as I did not talk to Vreegu about it and there was no need to for me to talk to him. I was upset about the selfies being leaked which were taken on his phone.”

For Priyanka, more than her image, the incident has affected her, her personal life, and along with that, it has also adversely impacted the people who love and appreciate her music. Following the lodging of the FIR, Vreegu had moved and succeeded in procuring bail. Vreegu’s initial comment to the media over phone was that he was not aware of the incident. Soon as he was granted bail, he contradicted his earlier statement by stating on camera that the pictures were uploaded by someone named Banjit Talukdar. “While I was going through the entire struggle he did not even bother to talk to me. He was a good friend but was he waiting for things to get worse? His actions

make him a suspect,” asserted Priynka.

We asked Priyanka if Vreegu did try to contact her just to provide an

“He is 100% behind me because he loves me very much and he knows the kind of person that I am. Such incidents will not jeopardize our relationship” Priyanka bharali G Plus photo

G Plus photo

explanation regarding the incident to which Priyanka replied, “Until the FIR was filed he did not try to make any contact. It was only after the FIR was filed that he called Jayanta (Jayanta Kakoti, Priyanka’s husband) twice but Jayanta did not answer the calls. Then Vreegu’s sister called him and asked us not to file a case. In his reply to Vreegu’s sister, Jayanta said that the matter was out of our hands and he asked them to approach the police directly. Besides, trying to contact me after I had filed the FIR is of no use since the incident is only hampering me. Rather than he and his family calling me later, he should have contacted me immediately to discuss a solution to this nightmare.”

Luckily for Priyanka, her family has given complete support towards her and it is only because of such support that she dared to go to the police. She said that she would have kept quiet otherwise even if that meant succumbing to depression. As for her husband, Priyanka said, “He is 100% behind me because he loves

me very much and he knows the kind of person that I am. Such incidents will not jeopardize our relationship.”

A question that was tinkering in the mind of her fans was that amidst all the trouble how she has managed to keep performing and maintain her professionalism. Apparently it was very difficult as this incident has badly bruised her. “I was hurt, I even cried but I prepared myself in a way that if people have done me wrong they will have to face the consequences. I decided that while I am performing, I will only concentrate on singing and the struggles that I have gone through in my career has given me the strength to deal with difficult times,” said Priyanka.

As for the seriousness with which the police have taken up the case, Priyanka said, “The police have seized his mobile phones and laptop but that certainly is not enough. The cyber crime department is taking the necessary steps and they are keeping me informed about everything.”

The entire incident has put a question mark on her character and while she is aware about this, Priyanka replied philosophically, “We are living in a world where there are both good and bad people. To write something about a person, one has to know the person but there is no control over the social media. There are people who enjoy blaspheming others; it’s in their nature and it’s pointless for me to pursue them. They cannot judge me and if they hate me, they will never love me. They can continue doing so since it does not bother me. People here do not know the use of social media. It is easy to criticise and even blaspheme others on social media but such people cannot say the same on your face.”

We had a direct question: How did she get acquainted with Vreegu Kashyap? Priyanka said, “It was in 2011 when we met during a TV program where he had performed a song. Just as we meet other co-artists and get close to them, I similarly befriended Vreegu. I worked with him in one of his albums last year.”

Priyanka concluded with a message to her fans: “I would like to tell them that this is a conspiracy to defame me and hamper my career but I have managed hold my head up high and go to the police. Such things will not harm me and with the blessings of my loved ones, I will only keep moving ahead.”

The involvement of Vreegu Kashyap in the scandal is yet to be proved beyond doubt and his fate as regards the law is awaited. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

3

Concern

GMCH under scanner

Toddler infected with HIV

Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

Child treated in GMCH tests positive – he underwent multiple blood transfusions AHRC orders probe into the matter Parents claim GMCH tried to hide the matter

T

he Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), despite being the premier medical institution in the state, is also one of the most neglected. Week after week, there are serious cases occurring right under the nose of the authorities and things are only going downhill. Just a week after G Plus exposed a possible nexus of child swapping, another horrendous example of medical apathy has surfaced.

Last week, a shocking case emerged where a three and a half year old child, who was reportedly undergoing treatment at the GMCH, tested HIV positive. The boy was undergoing treatment at the GMCH for burn injuries that he had sustained and was admitted in April last year. He was kept in the GMCH till October and during the period the child had to undergo multiple surgeries. According to the authorities, the child was brought to the hospital with 40% burn injuries which required immediate surgeries.

The child had lost a lot of blood in the process and had to go through multiple transfusions. The blood given to him, according to GMCH Superintendent, BK Bezbaruah, was taken from the internal blood bank of the GMCH. Following this, the child was released in October, but he had to be brought back again for further treatment. The child was readmitted to the GMCH on 29th March, 2016 and was scheduled to undergo two more surgeries. According to Bezbaruah, this was when the authorities realised that the child was infected with the deadly virus. However, the hospital authori-

G Plus photo

ties also claim that this was the first time they had seen the child after he was discharged from the GMCH last October. “We saw him for the first time after his discharge in October last and we had not heard from the guardians after that until now when he was brought in again. Technically, they should have brought him here earlier. However, since everyone is claiming that the infection happened because of the blood transfusion, we are starting tests from there. There might have been various reasons as to how the child was infected and to get to the source, we have to run many tests. We have pulled out about 40% of his past records and we have set up an enquiry panel.”

According to Bezbaruah, all the blood collected in the internal blood bank of the GMCH go through the ELISA test - an internationally accepted testing measure to detect HIV anti bodies in the blood. ELISA is the most commonly used test to screen for HIV infection because of its relatively simple methodology, inherent high sensitivity and suitability for testing large numbers of samples, particularly in blood testing centres. If one tests positive after this, the patient is immediately referred to undertake the Western blot test to confirm the infection. “The media is reporting the facts wrong. Saying that we store HIV positive blood in our blood bank is nearly impossible because of this test. The minute we detect HIV positive blood, we throw it out. There had to be some infection due to which the child contracted the virus. Chances are there

that the child might have contracted the virus from some other source also.

HIV is not always contracted though blood infections – there are many possible sources which is what we are trying to find out.” According to him, the child apparently had an open wound on his leg and they are trying to find out if that was how he contracted the virus. According to Bezbaruah, the five member committee has started enquiry. “The first phase of enquiry has already begun. We are contacting all the donors whose blood was taken for the child and we will make them go through tests again. The whole enquiry will take a few weeks.”

The family of the child however, is living another horror. Hailing from Hajo, both the parents tested negative. The father of the child, who is a daily wage earner and works as a driver, had reportedly spent most of his earnings for the child’s treatment and also mortgaged their small plot of land. The mother, while addressing the media here, also claimed that the GMCH had initially tried to conceal the whole issue. “We were called back for our child’s surgeries and once the HIV was detected, the doctors here at GMCH even asked us to undergo another test somewhere else. One of them even suggested hiding his reports.” According to his parents, their village has already shunned them for having an HIV patient in the family.

Hajo is a small village about 35 kms away from Guwahati where people are still rather ill-informed about HIV. Most people assume that HIV and AIDS are the same and there

have been cases in the past where the entire community would isolate the entire household which had an AIDS patient. The father of the child being a driver, his profession is already looked down upon by the society and according to him, this makes it harder to convince people that whatever happened was not their fault.

The child has been currently put on Anti-Retroviral-Therapy.

The Assam Human Rights Commission has directed a high-level

inquiry into the matter and a bench comprising of chairperson Dr. Justice A.H. Saikia and member T. Phookan is ordering the inquiry. The commission has directed the tate Chief Secretary to order a high level probe into the matter and especially the circumstances that led to the incident and has ordered for a report from the GMCH within thirty days of the receipt of the notice. bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

4

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

In The News

Pakistani hackers target assam.gov

Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

Pakistani hacker back again – hacks two sites under assam.gov.in Hacker claims access to Assam election data Guwahati based cyber security expert deciphers case – points out many ways how official sites are quite vulnerable to threats

P

akistani hackers are on the roll again and this time, they have targeted two sites belonging to the Assam government. Last week, a hacker from Pakistan by the name of Faisal, posted comments about his hacking activities on his social media page. On his page, Faisal took responsibility for hacking into the official sites of Kaziranga National Park and Assam’s Inland Water Transport Corporation. What is of greater concern is the hacker’s claims that he has access to Assam’s election data.

This is not the first time that Faisal1337 has hacked into an official website. During October last year, the same hacker also hacked into the sites of the Kerala government and the Assam government. All of the sites were taken down and communal sloganeering was left in its place. Faisal took responsibility for all of the hacks and left a list of Assam government sites that were brought down including the Assam State Police’s official site. The official websites of Bodoland University and the Royal Global School, two premier educational institutions in the city, were part of the list. According to the CBI, all of the hacked sites were hosted under the National Informatics Centre and at that time, the attacks were dismissed as non-threatening.

CBI officials claimed that nothing of value was uploaded on the websites and the websites would be up and running shortly. True to word, they were. But according to a city cyber-security expert, the main reason why the sites were hacked was because they were not well maintained. Regular updates are not a priority for government-managed websites, which was one primary reason as to why the sites were vulnerable to attacks. (read g plus vol 3 issue 01 What the Hack?)

The same pattern is being repeated by Faisal Afsal again and this time

Assam might be under a bigger threat. Within this particular server, there Faisal’s Facebook page claims respon- were only these two sites – if there sibility about hacking into several sites were more, they would have also been hosted by the Assam Government hacked. Fortunately the main site of and he also claims that he has access the Assam Government, assam.gov.in, to election data. The page also claims a repository of all of Assam’s election direct responsibility for bringing data, has not been affected as yet since down www.iwt.assam.gov.in (the offi- that website is hosted by a different cial site of the Inland Water Transport server. Kaziranga’s official site has an Corporation) and kaoption to login which ziranga.assam.gov.in means that the hack“The hacking has er had access to the (the official site of the Kaziranga National been committed login details of all of Park), Both the sites the site’s visitors who

by Faisal Afzal were down for severchose to create a perwho is from al days before being sonal account. If one restored. However the checks out the site in Pakistan. When sites are still running the Internet archives he defaced the on outdated versions. (a site that maintains sites, he clearly City based cyber the records of other mentioned security expert, Indrasites), one can see that jeet Bhuyan, spoke to the official site of Kathat (which us and explained the ziranga had a forum was quickly veracity of the various that the hacker had removed by the claims. According to access to. In the fohim, most of the govadministration) rum, the user was reernment sites have to provide his and if you search quired one common server. or her email id and a on Facebook, If there is a single site password to create an that is not patched up account. Most people you will see his in the right manner, tend to use the same posts claiming hackers can use that password across mulresponsibility.” weak link and gain a tiple websites. For backdoor entry into example, let’s suppose the machine. This in that in the forum a turn gives access to person’s email id is all the sites linked to abc@gmail.com and the server. A small file the corresponding injected into the compassword is 1234. It is puter makes it very highly likely that that easy for the hackers to person’s gmail passaccess valuable data. word is also 1234. In Bhuyan went on to say this manner, the hackIndrajeet Bhuyan that both of the sites er can find out the Cyber security expert of the Inland Water passwords of many Transport and the Kaziranga Park are people and have access to a lot of the hosted by the same server. So it is clear users’ personal information, including that the hacker was successful in com- bank records. According to Bhuyan, promising the security of the websites. both the official websites of Kaziranga

and the Inland Water Transport has been constructed using the WordPress web-creation software. WordPress is used to create websites, blogs and apps and the software has a feature that allows security researchers to see if they can discover any flaws in it. Upon such discovery, the software creators provide updated versions to all users. There is an option to auto-update the software but most people don’t use it or are unaware of this feature.

Since frequent updates are necessary to guard against cyber-attacks (there are have been three updates so far in 2016), it happens every so often that the website manager fails to incorporate the latest version. Most of those times when the sites were hacked, it was due to the administration’s failure to simply update the security features of the site. Both the Kaziranga Park and the Inland Water Transport’s sites were running an outdated version of WordPress which made the security breach very simple for the hacker.

A city based journalist mentioned in a report that according to official sources, it is still unclear as to who hacked the sites. The report also stated that there was a chance that “someone from India might have put materials in support of Pakistan in the website.”

However, according to Indrajeet Bhuyan, this is untrue. “The hacking has been committed by Faisal Afzal who is from Pakistan. When he defaced the sites, he clearly mentioned that (which was quickly removed by the administration) and if you search on Facebook, you will see his posts claiming responsibility. The problem with the people responsible for the sites is that they are too arrogant to believe that outsiders are able to hack into their security systems – that there is a possibility that our security systems are actually flawed. Simultaneously, what they resort to, like our city journalist,

is blame Indian hackers. But the fact is that Pakistani hackers hack Indian sites just like Indian hackers hack Pakistani sites, because if they hack their own country’s sites, there is a good chance of being arrested. In this case, a grave concern arises when officials assume that the hackings have been committed by one of our own. When ethical hackers or security researchers try to report flaws to officials, they risk the chance of becoming suspects themselves and getting ensnared into a national security investigation.

The problem of hacking will continue until there is an active willingness on the part officials to acknowledge and manage the problem. Today, most of the tech companies like Google and Facebook maintain the bug bounty program. This program is managed by hackers and security experts who report back to the tech companies about any flaws that they discover in those companies’ sites. India’s white hat hackers have been singled out by Facebook for their prolific contributions to the social network giant’s four year old bug bounty program.

According to Adam Ruddermann, the technical manager of Facebook, no other country than India has more individual contributors to Facebook’s bug bounty program and there is the irony. We have so much talent in this country and yet our official sites get hacked. This is solely due to the fact that our country’s security researchers and hackers have no proper platform where they can report flaws and not be confused with hackers of malicious intent. It is high time that the Indian Government takes this problem seriously and launches such a platform to safeguard the country’s sites and applications.” bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

Constitutionally sound!

Brothers Yash and Nishkarsh Kothari of Uzanbazar are Constitutional experts having memorized the entire Indian Constitution and are currently listed in the Limca Book of Records KALYAN DEB

W

hile fiddling around with a computer and experimenting with different software, an assignment was given to them by their father to prepare a power-point presentation on the Indian Constitution. Although the brothers were not aware of what they were up to back then, with the passage of time the duo inscribed the Indian Constitution in their minds.

Brothers Yash Kothari (20) and Nishkarsh Kothari (16) have memorised all the head notes, parts, basic facts and schedules of the Indian Constitution – one of the bulkiest constitutions in the world. Both of them can reproduce from memory the schedules, articles and the amendments of the Indian Constitution almost instantaneously and interpret the various aspects like any great legal panjandrum. While for Yash, who was merely 6 years old back when he got his first hold of the Constitution, it was part of doing something productive, for Niskharsh, it began out of curiosity when he grew up to be 10 and the idea of getting to literally digest the Constitution got implanted in him.

It started with Yash who was given a limited set of articles and gradually Nishkarsh teamed up with him. Soon the brothers got excited enough to memorize the entire Constitution. As the duo went on to make different slides of each article along with their head notes, they started to gather interest in it. In the process they decided to complete the entire Constitution. Meanwhile, they were also motivated by their father Dileep Kothari, who is a lawyer by profession, and it precipitated the idea to master the Indian Constitution.

“Initially it was more like fun since I could play with the computer and design stuff. It was just fun and was just a part of our extracurricular activities. But since the last four to five years we got a better grip of it and started understanding what it is and then it

(l-r) yash kothari and Nishkarsh Kothari

occurred to us that if we have managed to reach the halfway mark, why not complete it all the way. As it is, we had already got a complete grasp of 50% of the constitution.

That is when we started doing it seriously,” the 20 year old Yash shared with G Plus.

“It started with Yash but I was very curious about what he was doing and taking it seriously also gave us the boost to keep going. We wanted to specialize in the field. It was later when I reached 7th standard that I actually understood the articles,” added young Nishkarsh.

The duo over the years, have prepared over 5000 slides covering the Indian Constitution. The slides are so designed that it can be played as a power-point presentation and which also helps their father Dilip Kothari in his work. Their rendezvous with the Indian Constitution began in 2009 when Yash and Nishkarsh got a better understanding of the different articles and their use in one’s daily life. Soon they started delving on the lesser known facts of the Constitution such as the various amendments. Now such is the situation that both of them can reel out the schedules, articles and the amendments of the Indian Constitution, and interpret the various aspects. They are well and truly constitutional experts. However, in the initial stages it was not in their mind to reveal their talent but instead take the world by storm by setting up a record. There were very few people who knew about this but soon the duo’s talent was published in a reputed news paper and their feat was appreciated by many.

Father Dilip Kothari decided to put his sons’ talent for the world to see and he created a Facebook account called “Constitution Teens” that consists of thousands of slides that the brothers have created. Within no time the page gained popularity not only among students, but was also largely appreciated by dignitaries of the legal fraternity

from all over the country. The brothers became examples of excellence at school. Soon their desire to be registered in the Limca Book of Records was on the verge of coming true and which would set a benchmark in the law fraternity. Even after understanding the entire constitution back then they claimed to know the head note from article 1 to 395. Both Yash and Nishkarsh were given a set of fifty questions each in the presence of 15 distinguished educationists. However, it was under the condition if the brothers miss out on a single word their claim would be rejected. As one could have prefigured, the Kothari brothers answered each question immediately and thus on 22nd April, 2014 the duo was registered in the Limca Book of Records.

The achievement influenced the brothers to such an extent that both have decided to pursue careers in law. Yash, who initially wanted to be an engineer, saw an ocean of opportunities in this particular field and is currently a second semester student at Department of Law in Gauhati University. He wants to take the Constitution as his honours subject. Nishkarsh has appeared for his 10th and awaits results and in the meantime is preparing for Common Law Admission Test (CLET). Yash and Niskarsh have both done their schooling from Faculty Higher Secondary School, North Guwahati.

Besides concentrating on the Indian Constitution both brothers are avid music lovers and musicians as well. Yash and Nishkarsh play the guitar and keyboards respectively and were awarded musicians in school.

Football is another field of interest for both and this results in big clashes between the two with Yash being a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo while Nishkarsh roots for Lionel Messi. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

5

City

6

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

Governance

Illegal encroachments spawning illegal businesses in city

Juthika Baruah

Eviction carried out in Khanapara and Sorusola Beel 50-55 illegal structures have been demolished in Khanapara Gird wall has been constructed along the four sides of Sorusola Beel to protect the ecosystem The drain along NH-37 has been widened for free flow of excessive rain water G Plus photo

The administration has undertaken eviction drives in different parts of the city as encroachments are resulting in illegal businesses and traffic congestion

I

t is very unfortunate that even after massive eviction along the stretch from Khanapara to 9th mile, people are still encroaching the area setting up illegal business of selling liquor.

Last week the district administration had started the eviction drive from Khanapara-9th mile to Ganesh Mandir and also in Sorusola Beel and several illegal structures were dismantled. The drain along NH37 was also dug up so that the rain water could easily flow out faster to control artificial floods in the city.

“The eviction drive has been carried out as many encroachers have set up illegal businesses which hamper the free flow of traffic. The construction work of the drain along the National Highway is in process and after it gets completed the encroachers will not be able to occupy the place anymore.

We have evicted them many times but the encroachers keep returning to occupy the place. However, it will soon be cleared once the construction of the drain is completed,” said Prasanta Kathkatia, Dispur Revenue Circle officer while speaking to G Plus.

Kathkatia said that there are some habitual offenders who usually hamper the work of the government and it is not necessary that everyone

should settle in the city. “It’s not necessary to come and settle in the city by encroaching government land. It becomes difficult for us to provide land for government offices due to these encroachers who occupy the place. We have been continuing the drive and since one and half years the scenario has changed to some extent.

It will be completely different in one or two years when the encroachers will stop occupying the spaces,” Kathkatia said.

The Deputy Commissioner, M. Angamuthu, had earlier said that the

eviction drive has been taken up to clear all water channels. He pointed out that 50% of water is carried by the Bharalu River. He also highlighted that 366 landslide prone areas have been identified by the experts of Assam Engineering College. For ensuring safety of life and property he requested people living in vulnerable landslide-prone areas in 19 hillocks of the city to take shelter in the safer places to avoid unwanted accidents during the monsoon period. He also disclosed that no eviction drive will be carried out in 366

G Plus photo

places. He sought active co-operation from the councillors to create awareness among the people. He requested councillors to take active roles for making the city garbage free. He also informed that the district administration has already directed all commercial establishments to keep dustbins in front of their establishments. He requested councillors to keep strict vigil in this regard in their respective wards.

“We will carry out eviction drives along water bodies across the district. During previous evictions, we had dismantled several concrete structures that had been built illegally along these water bodies. Those structures had obstructed the smooth flow of water. But the problem is people keep on encroaching in these areas,” Angamuthu said.

The administration has also declared the stretch from Khanapara fly over to Ganesh Mandir as a no-parking zone in order to avoid traffic congestion. During the drive 50-55 houses have been evicted of which most were huts, one a concrete house and one a garage.

On the other hand, the water resource department has constructed a gird wall along the sides of Sorusola Beel to protect the ecosystem of the

water body. The administration has also evicted the encroachers in and around the Beel where 13 concrete houses, two huts and a 100 feet wall has been demolished as these had been built illegally.

The drive targeted unlawful residents who had returned to the area after one round of eviction which had been carried out earlier. At least 22 illegal structures were demolished.

Police and officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) also assisted the district administration during the latest eviction drive.

The administration has also directed the NHAI to ensure that all cattle roaming in and along the NH 37 in the area are collected and handed over to nearby cattle sheds.

The district administration had last month issued an order prohibiting street vending activities in that stretch and asked local officials to take action against encroachment within seven days. It had said that such activities were causing severe traffic congestion as well as inconvenience to the general public commuting on the road in that part of the highway. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

AAGSU protests over 20 year old’s rape death

7

Crime

Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

T

he streets of Guwahati have been burning with protests and silent marches over the killing of Champa Chetri, a twenty year old beautician from Tinsukia who was brutally raped and killed in Tinsukia on 28th April. Following this, on 9th May, the Guwahati city Unit of the All Assam Gorkha Students’ Union (AAGSU) organised a candle light assembly demanding justice for Champa.

Champa Chetri – a beautician in Tinsukia did not return home on the eve of 28th April and her body was spotted by two local boys floating by the Dihing River. On close observation it was found that the assailants, after raping her, even took the trouble of burning the body so there would be difficulty in identifying the corpse.

Two accused, Moinul Ali and Biswajit Khatri, have been arrested and a case has been registered at Margherita Police Station: Case Number 94/16 U/S 366,376,342/34 IPC against them.

Nanda Kirati Dewan, Central Executive Member, AAGSU while addressing media persons at the Union’s General Headquarters at

Gorkha Thakurbari, Paltan Bazar, Guwahati in the sidelines of the candlelight demonstration said, “The AAGSU considers rape followed by murder to be one of the most brutal of crimes against women and nothing

less than death penalty on being convicted is fair. AAGSU favours most sensitive and responsive mechanism to address atrocities on women and children with deterrent laws to the extent of chemical castration and

death penalty for rapists and also maintain a rape accused electronic directory to raise red alert on their movement.”

Addressing the local media, Dewan also expressed his regret as to

how cases like these are totally ignored by the national media. The non representation of such issues at a national forum is one of the prime reasons as to why victims of these families await justice for years and years.

“It is reflective of the negligence which the northeast region has been facing in general as far as media coverage is concerned,” Dewan stated.

Celebrated Mountaineer, Ms. Anshu Jamsenpa from Arunachal Pradesh, model Rewati Chetri, cancer survivor cyclist Ms. M Sangma, President of Greater Guwahati Gorkhali Women’s Society Lila Rai addressed more than five hundred youngsters regarding the brutality of the issue.

Resham Sharma, General Secretary of AAGSU Guwahati Mahanagar, Santosh Acharya and Mona Bastola President and General Secretary respectively of Guwahati City Unit of AMGSU, Kamal Pradhan youth activist and co-convenor of Gorkha Youth of Guwahati (GYG) were also present during the protest.

bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

Guwahati witnesses series of drug busts CID says bigger racket involved

Bipasa Saikia Kashyap

T

he Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Guwahati had a major step up when the department successfully brought down a major drug operation in the city.

The department, in a recent bust, seized around 54.65 kilos of opium and 2.06 kilos of morphine from the city’s Ulubari locality last week.

Four persons were arrested following the bust, including a key opium supplier from Manipur. The arrested individuals are identified as Abdul Kalam, Md Mojibur Rahman, Sohrab Khan and Ram Milan.

NCB Zonal Director (Guwahati Zone), Praveen Kumar Deshwal, stated that this was a successful operation in a long time. “During the operation, both the supplier Abdul and the buyer Sohrab along with the carriers were taken into custody.” He added that these guys were the internal part of the illegal drug nexus for over a year now.

“The consignment we seized came from Manipur in a truck and was scheduled to leave the city in a SUV. The accused made secret compartments in the car to conceal the consignment. We have also seized the vehicles.” Heroin based drugs

Md. Jehangir arrested and brought to Guwahati Railway Station Police Thana

are prepared after morphine is extracted from opium. The opium is extracted with the help of a chemical named acetic anhydride which becomes the core product for heroin-based substances. According to sources, Manipur has become one of NE’s biggest producer of opium besides Arunachal Pradesh.

Abdul and Mojibur are from Imphal (East) District of Manipur.

Shorab Khan hails from Gaya in

Bihar and Ram Milan is from Rae Bareli, UP. This is the newest update in the city. For the past three weeks, Guwahati has been witnessing a series of drug busts leaving Guwahatians worried about the city’s policy against drugs. The same week, two drug peddlers identified as Alfred Das and Raja Ahmed were arrested from Hatigaon for the possession of sizeable quantities of heroin and

other narcotics. Prior to this, three peddlers were nabbed from SK Bhuyan Road in Dighlipukhri last week. This was another major bust where the Latashil Police nabbed the accused from their residences.

Trilakya Borah, OC of Latashil Police Station stated that most of the heroin and brown sugar come into Assam from places like Imphal and Silchar. The accused were found in possession of heroin and about 4 ki-

los of other unidentified narcotics, alongside a lakh of rupees in cash and several stolen computers and mobile phones. While speaking to G Plus, R. Chandranathan, ADGP CID said that there is a bigger racket involved here and that the police were planning to go after them.

“Investigations are on and now we are putting more pressure than ever before so that the ones controlling these rackets are brought to justice.

The ones who have been caught are actually the low level peddlers of the entire nexus.”

Additionally, just yesterday, Guwahati Railway Police arrested Md. Jehangir of Manipur who was in possession of 34 kilos of SPMPRX WOCKHARDT capsules.

These are opioid-based substances that cause respiratory arrests and cardiac arrests if overdosed. Jehangir was nabbed while he was travelling on Saraighat Express from the Kamakhya Junction Railway Station and has been detained at the Guwahati Railway Thana. The seized consignment was brought from Kolkata and was bound for Manipur.

bipasa.saikia@g-plus.in

8

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

Ward Watch

WARD NO

08

Concentrated area A.T. Road Ward number 8 Sub-division 8(b) Councillor Sunita Bhilwaria Phone number 9435706657 Area sabha member Amit kumar jain Phone number 9864065322

Disruption of landline, damage of newly constructed road and accidents are the outcomes of water supply project T G Plus photo

he A.T. Road (Assam Trunk Road) is one of the busiest areas located on the southern quarter of the city. Surrounded by commercial institutions on both sides the stretch of the road in the eastern side begins from Paltanbazar and extends to Jalukbari.

However, the busiest part of the road is the area from Paltanbazar to Bharalumukh that has several commercial institutions and also interconnects with a number of other areas. The lanes on either side connect to M.G. Road and Chatribari among several other areas.

The Athgaon railway flyover that was opened for traffic in 2005 however, eased a major chunk of the problem for the commuters. The completion of the 626.4-metre-long double-lane Athgaon flyover connected Paltanbazar with Bharalumukh. However, due to its restricted breadth the road faces traffic congestion for most part of the day.

Vehicles of all kinds from two-wheelers to the heavy ones and the human-powered vehicles add to the traffic chaos.

Irks of the people Kedar Road is an area that is interconnected with A.T. Road and meets under the middle of the Athgaon flyover whereas the eastern end meets the Brahmaputra banks at M.G. Road. In a recent report by G Plus it was found that there were several problems that led to the deplorable condition of the

area. It was also found that the GMDA/ JICA water supply project which is underway in the area for the past three months has been a reason of havoc for the locals and for those carrying out business in the area.

Meanwhile, the road that leads to Kedar Road from A.T. Road that can be accessed from underneath the Athgaon flyover is in a condition that is much worse than that of Kedar Road. A conscious local of the area informed G Plus that the ongoing GMDA/JICA project has been a major cause of several problems in the area. It was informed that the newly constructed road was first damaged to lay the underground water pipeline which is under the responsibility of GMDA. The unfinished and damaged road has been the reason for innumerable mishaps and accidents on a regular basis besides several other problems. G Plus decided to enquire about the matter and provide a detailed report on the same.

The buildings of the area have several commercial institutions in the lower floors while the upper floors have residences. While discussing about their problems it was informed that the road was constructed only three months prior to the initiation of the water pipeline project. Meanwhile, the project was carried out before the elections were held in the city and during the same, half of the well-constructed road was ploughed out even as vehicles

had to travel through the road. The same happened to both sides of the road of the Athgaon flyover.

“The condition of the road is as bad as it can get. It was on 8th February that the road was damaged. We tried to contact the GMDA officials but could not get access to any of them. Most of the work is carried out late in the night and during day there are neither the labourers nor the contractor. The condition has worsened to such extent that water gets clogged on the damaged part of the road. Accidents have become a regular issue. Every other day motorcycles or rickshaws stumble due to the condition of the road and many have suffered serious injuries. Since half of the road is damaged it is only a narrow stretch of the road that can be used to commute,” stated a local of the area adding that since the road on the other side of the fly over is in even worse condition vehicles from both sides use this particular road to ply though. Similar views were opined by several other locals.

Disruption of landline Meanwhile, it was also informed that while the pipeline project was carried out the landline phone connections of BSNL were also damaged. Due to the cables being damaged the landline phone connections of the residents and the business institutions were disconnected. Locals remained deprived

of the services for two months and yet were billed. “We had informed BSNL about the problem and steps are being taken to fix the connection, but we had to pay the rental even when we were not provided the services. On complaining about the same it was informed that the amount can be compensated after a written complaint is filed following which the necessary steps will be taken by the higher authorities,” a resident of the area asserted to G Plus. It was also informed that restoring of connections has been a continuous process ever since the cables were damaged, but no permanent solution has been provided so far. According to locals there are still disruptions in the connections and cross-connection is a regular occurrence.

KALYAN DEB

Suspiciously parked vehicles

The road also has several vehicles that are parked in a part of an area under the flyover. It was informed that some of the vehicles have not been moved for several months. Some of the vehicles have been parked for around six months and vehicles even from the Machkhowa area have been parked in the area. Locals expressed concern that these vehicles could be lifted or might precipitate other illegal activities. However, no complaints or rather steps out of concern have been taken either by the locals or the authorities and no one has conducted any inspection of these vehicles.

Councillor Sunita Bhilwaria apprised Councillor’s Say G Plus that all the authority members have been informed about the condition of the road and requisite measures will be taken shortly in order to rectify the damages. “I had visited the area and talked to the people who discussed about the problems that is being caused due to ongoing pipeline project.

The commissioner and the additional commissioner have been notified about it. The additional commissioner of GMC has assured that the problems will be discussed with GMDA officials and will get it solved as soon as possible. I have also approached the contractor of GMDA who assured that the road condition will be improved soon after the pipeline project is completed,” the councillor stated to G Plus. Meanwhile, the problem of the phone lines being disconnected was not in the knowledge of the councillor.

However, Bhilwaria assured that she will approach BSNL and try to get the problem solved. kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

9

Politicking

Governor to play major role in BJP forming next government?

With Congress and BJP both expressing confidence to form the next government who will the Governor invite if both the parties together with their allies virtually win equal number of seats rahul chanda

W

tough contest as Siddhartha Bhattacharya from BJP used good strategy against Bobbeeta Sharma and did not leave any stone unturned resulting in a mixed response by the voters. Dispur urban votes majorly went to Atul Bora and the rural votes were pulled by Akon Bora which indicates another tough contest. Gauhati West Congress votes got divided as Hemanta Talukdar stood as an independent candidate and so Ramendra Kalita of AGP is looking confident. Similarly many constituencies in the entire state will witness tough competition.

hile Prime Minister and BJP’s tallest campaigner, Narendra Modi, during his election rallies, pointed at Tarun Gogoi’s body-language as an indicator of the end of Congress rule in Assam, Rahul Gandhi on the other hand, the Congress party’s most sought-after campaigner had predicted a Bihar-type mandate against the BJP. Amit Shah, BJP national president, is expecting a clear twothirds majority mandate in favour of his party and its allies. Similarly, ahead of the 19th, both Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and BJP state president, Sarbananda Sonowal, claimed that their parties will sweep the polls in Assam. But the show of confidence apart, the people of Assam remain confused about who will form the government as G Plus tries to analyze the situation better.

History Till 2014, Upper Assam - a division based on the direction of the Brahmaputra - was a traditional Congress stronghold. In 2011, the party won most of its seats in this region when it swept to a two-third majority to win the Assembly elections for the third time in a row.

In 2014, however, during the Lok Sabha elections, it saw a heavy reversal where they were down from 41 to less than 34 of the assembly segments. The BJP made heavy gains in the region; its share went up more than three times, rising from 13 to 45. The defining trend

The calculation The BJP, which had immediately after the 2014 Lok Sabha victory, announced its “Mission 84’ (exactly two-thirds of the 126-member House) for Assam, incidentally contested in only 89 seats, leaving 24 and 13 seats to its allies, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodo People’s Front (BPF), respectively.

The Congress on the other hand contested in 122, leaving four seats to its last-minute ally, the United People’s Party (UPP) headed by former Rajya Sabha member Urkhaw Gwra Brahma and backed by the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU).

According to Congress leader Apurba Bhattacharjee, in the first phase, Congress will win 28 to 30 seats, and in the second phase Congress will get 35 to 37 seats. Apurba also said that their ally UPP, will get around four seats and Congress will easily form the government. BJP spokesperson Bijan Mahajan, talking to G Plus said that, ‘Everything is inside the ballot box but talking to a cross-section of voters and knowing the voting patterns, BJP is admittedly in a position to say that a BJP-led alliance will easily form the next government.’ Mahajan did not give any calculation but claimed that BJP winning the elections is the fact. But a Congress insider said that the state Governor should not be biased as he is a BJP supporter.

Will the Governor help BJP? A

senior

Congress

leader,

talking to G Plus, said that this time Congress has a 50-50 chance of winning the elections. The leader said in anonymity that he is apprehensive about who the Governor will invite to form the government should both the Congress and the BJP led alliance get 50 seats each. The Governor is bestowed with the power of inviting a party to form the government if that particular party has the mandate and in such a scenario the party is expected to prove its majority in the assembly within fifteen days. So if the BJP led alliance gets 50 seats and so does Congress the Governor might very well invite the BJP to form the government and within fifteen days the BJP can horse-trade the requisite number of MLAs to prove their majority. The source also said that there might be a post-poll alliance with the AIUDF if Congress individually does not get 64 seats, but again the source is apprehensive that if the BJP is invited to form the government then the BJP might strike a deal with AIUDF seeking external support and can even buy off independent MLAs to prove its majority in the assembly. The source said that if

Congress individually even gets 60 seats then the party can easily form the government. The only concern is that the Governor should not be biased towards helping the BJP to form the government. Listening to the sources, it seems that the Congress is eying towards a post-poll alliance with AIUDF but both AIUDF and Congress are offering a masked front by publicly slamming each other.

The major contests Congress turned BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma on the day of polling, said that Tarun Gogoi and all his cabinet colleagues will lose, barring two. He also hinted that Rockybul Hussain will lose in Samaguri. But recently Hussain, talking to media, said that he will quit politics if he loses and even Tarun Gogoi is confident that Kamakhya Tasa will not be able to upset him.

Talking about Guwahati, people feel that Himanta Biswa Sarma will surely win as the entire Jalukbari constituency converted to BJP along with him. Gauhati East has a

of the 2014 elections in Assam was the electoral demise of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). The regional party lost nearly 20% votes and was reduced to a non-entity in Upper Assam. The BJP was the single beneficiary of the decline of the AGP and the Congress. Together, the two parties lost 27% votes, just a little less than the 32 gained by the BJP. Theoretically, the BJP stands to gain more in this election because of its alliance with the AGP. If the regional party can transfer its four to five percent votes in Upper Assam to the alliance, the Congress runs the risk of getting wiped out.

Meanwhile, the Congress can hope to win Upper Assam, and the state elections, as it feels it has retained the votes of the religious minorities — around 34% of the total electorate — and has managed to win back the support of Assam’s tea tribes and Ahoms. Congress leaders believe tea tribes have returned to them because Modi failed to deliver. The counting day will be the most exciting day for all the politicos and even the people of Assam as the sealed fate of the state will be opened. The question remains as to what role the Governor will play this time. rahul.chanda@g-plus.in

10

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

Snippets

4th International Convention of SPIC MACAY inaugurated at IIT Guwahati

I

IT Guwahati witnessed the kick start of the 4th International Convention of SPIC MACAY. The inaugural ceremony of SPIC MACAY was decorated by the Honorable Governor of Assam and Nagaland Shri Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya (Chief Guest), Director of IIT Guwahati, Dr. Gautam Biswas, Dean of Student Affairs, Mr. ChandanMahanta.

Honorable Governor of Assam and Nagaland Shri P.B. Acharya while addressing the national and international dignitaries, said ‘I am very happy to be associated with 4th International Convention of SPIC MACAY and this is a very unique opportunity especially for the people of North – East India, to come forward and have an overwhelming experience of witnessing Indian Classical Music and Art’. He also said, ‘I support this movement and wish to see every Indian child be interested in Indian classical music and art and take part in them’. Supporting International Yoga Day, he added

T

link is in our government schools’.

Congratulating the entire organizing committee for putting up a great show and also appreciating all the participants both national and international participants for being a part of this convention, he added ‘I also invite all international participants to come and join me over a cup of coffee to share your experience, anytime in this weeklong convention’. Suggesting the participants, how lucky they are for being a part of this convention, he

RTA to clamp down on errant school and private buses

he Regional Transport Authority (RTA) of Kamrup Metro has constituted a team comprising senior officials to regulate plying of city buses on the basis of safety parameters. The committee will be headed by Mukta Nath Saikia, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup Metro.

The team has also been directed to randomly check vehicles at least twice a week in different locations of Guwahati. The RTA has

T

‘Learning Yoga is a very key aspect in every human being’ and wanted participants to actively take part in the yoga, being conducted in this week long convention. Owing to the wonderful performances of various artists, he added ‘Feast to the eyes and feast to the ears is a feast to the soul’.

He talked about strengthening of the nation by adding, ‘Empowerment of society is strength for nation’, and quoted ‘Strength of the chain lies in its weakest link – Societies weakest

added ‘Every artist is a big volume of book, this convention is a great opportunity to study them’.

The mesmerizing evening began with performances by an internationally acclaimed Indian classical flutist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia who is a recipient of Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhusan. This was followed

by Sattriya Nritya (Assamese Origin), which is one among the eight principal classical Indian dance traditions by ‘Bayanacharya’ Shri Guru Ghanakanta Bora Muktiyar, who is one of the most eminent exponents and gurus of Sattriya dance.

9th – 15th May, will be a plethora for a large spectrum of cultural events. Several events would be taking part throughout the day in various parts of IIT Guwahati. The participants will learn classical and folk forms of music and dance, traditional crafts, literature, arts etc from a celebrated Guru, who has mastered their skill in that particular art form, in an intensive workshops.

taken this step in view of rising incidents of errant driving of private and school buses in the city during recent months which have in cases resulted in serious mishaps and loss of lives and injuries to a number of people.

All the Circle Officers under the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) area, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) East or his representative, DCP Central or his

representative, DCP West or his representative, DCP (Traffic), the Joint Director of Health Services of Kamrup Metro, DTO (R&L) of Kamrup Metro, DTO (Enforcement) of Kamrup Metro, DTO and Secretary of RTA Kamrup Metro and the Superintendent of Excise of Kamrup Metro will be its other members.

Meanwhile, the team has started its work and during a major drive today in Basistha Chariali and Lalganesh localities, it seized ten buses found to be not following norms under the relevant acts and also collected fines amounting to Rs 37,400. The team also filed cases against 16 vehicles, including buses, on various charges.

Orientation programme for Haj

T

he Joint State Haj Committee, comprising Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Sikkim, conducted an orientation camp today at the Haji Musafirkhana, Guwahati for Hajj pilgrims 2016 with the objective to enlighten them on issues concerning rituals to be observed during the pilgrimage. Around 4,475 pilgrims including 3110 males and 1365 female will travel to Mecca from the four states this year.

Sukur Ali Ahmed, Joint Secretary to the Government of Assam, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department and Executive Officer and Secretary, Joint State Haj Committee who was present in it informed that a total number of 4475 pilgrims will travel to Mecca from the four States.

Out of which 3110 are male pilgrims and 1365 are females.

During the orientation program the baggage weight, custom clearance, health related issues, cash management etc., were explained to the pilgrims.

These orientation programmes will be conducted in almost all districts head quarters of the State, where master trainers will guide the pilgrims on different aspects of the travel so that they can perform the Haj without any tribulations.

Kamrup (M) ADC Fakaruddin Ahmed was also present and presided over the meeting held on the occasion.

Guwahati to Dist Admin forms cell to host Asia Cup keep check on prices qualifier I

he All India Football Federation (AIFF) has zeroed in on Guwahati as the host of the Indian national team’s home leg of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualification play-off round against Laos. The Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium (Sarusajai) in Guwahati will see that fixture kick-off on Tuesday June 7th at 7 p.m.

The last time the city entertained the national team, skipper Sunil Chhetri scored a brace to down Nepal 2-0 in a 2018 World Cup qualification match, nearly fourteen months ago. However, that win was not enough as India bowed out of the race for Russia 2018, only to remain in the hunt for a place in the 2019 Asian Cup in the UAE. The Federation Cup final on the 21st of this month has also been allocated to the Guwahati venue. India’s premier cup competition returns to the city after a hiatus of four years. It

was in 2012, when all matches were played at the Nehru Stadium, meaning a first for Sarusajai to get a taste of the Federation Cup. Kolkata club Mohun Bagan have been playing all their AFC Cup matches in Guwahati in lieu of the Salt Lake stadium being closed for renovation for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup and the incapability of the Barasat Stadium to get a nod from the AFC due to lack of basic AFC standard infrastructure.

The Green and Maroon brigade play their last Group ‘G’ fixture on the May 11 against South China AA of Hong Kong, squeezed between either leg of their Federation Cup semi-final against Shillong Lajong. Also, having qualified as group toppers, Bagan play their Round of 16 match at home on the 24th against any one of Ceres, Selangor or Tampines Rovers.

n order to keep on the price hike of the essential commodities the Kamrup (M) district administration has set up a complaint cell at the DC office in the city. The DC has

G Plus news

I

also asked the Food and Civil Supplies Deputy Director to ensure deployment of his officials at the control so as to serve its purpose. He also asked the officials manning the control room

to submit him reports on action to be taken against traders charging prices more than the stipulated rates, if they received any such allegations.

NCB seizes huge cache of Opium

n one of the biggest seizures of contraband in the region, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Guwahati has seized around 54.65 kilos of opium and 2.06 kilos of morphine from the city’s Ulubari area recently.

Four persons, including a key opium supplier from Manipur, were arrested. They were identified as Abdul Kalam, Md. Mojibur Rahman, Sohrab Khan and Ram Milan. NCB Zonal Director (Guwahati Zone), Praveen Kumar Deshwal said, “This is a suc-

cessful operation in which both the supplier Abdul and the buyer Sohrab along with the carriers were nabbed.”

Abdul and Mojibur are from Imphal (East) District of Manipur while Sohrab is from Gaya in Bihar and Ram Milan is from Raebareli in UP. Deshwal added that the smugglers, part of an inter-state drug racket, were in the illegal trade for over a year. “The consignment came from Manipur in a truck and with plans to be shipped from the city in a SUV.

They made secret cavities in the SUV to conceal the consignment.

The vehicles were also seized,” he informed.

Sources said that Manipur has, over the years, become a major producer of opium in the region besides Arunachal Pradesh. “After morphine is extracted from opium, with the help of a chemical named acetic anhydride, heroin based drugs are prepared,” said sources.

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

Assam Cricket Association to go to polls on 12th June

11

Sports

KALYAN DEB

Responding to a plea from the ACA to hold its annual general meeting, the Gauhati High Court on 9th May directed that the same be held on 12th June and a new executive body be elected According to the judgement the court has barred Bikash Baruah from participating in the meeting

I

Panoramio photo

n a judgement on 9 May last, Gauhati High Court directed the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) to hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and elect a new executive body on coming 12th June.

The court has also barred former secretary Bikash Baruah from participating in the meeting which will be held at Barsapara cricket stadium here. Giving the directions, the High Court bench of Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice Rumi Kumari Phukan said that if incumbent president Gautam Roy wants to contest the elections again, he must not preside over the annual general meeting limiting his participation to only attendance.

In a plea from the ACA to hold the annual general meeting for the past few days before giving its verdict that the elections be held under the supervision of retired High Court judge C.R. Sarma, the court has appointed Sarma as an observer in the meeting and election and asked him to submit a report to the court within seven days from the conclusion of the meeting. The court has also asked the commissioner of police of Guwahati to ensure adequate security in the meeting to keep any untoward incident from taking place.

The court had barred the ACA from holding its annual general meeting in connection with a public interest litigation filed by former ACA secretary Sahajananda Oja who has alleged gross financial anomalies in the association over the past decade.

Ojha, a former Team India assistant manager, in his PIL mentioned some of the instances of alleged fith

nancial mismanagement by ACA. Ojha had also alleged that the present set of ACA office-bearers had refrained from holding its annual general meeting since 2009 thereby flouting all norms of accounts and finances including the provisions of its own constitution. The Gauhati High Court, admitting the PIL, had asked the police to take custody of all documents till the case is disposed off.

Following the PIL, the ACA in January pleaded for permission from the court to hold its meeting in order to get funds released from the BCCI which was vehemently opposed by Ojha. The ACA has been bankrupt for nearly a year following nonrelease of grants from the BCCI as the association has not been able to submit its financial accounts which is passed in the AGM. The meeting has not taken place for the past two years as a result of litigations. The bench

also fixed 21st June as the next date of hearing on the financial anomalies alleged by Ojha.

It was learnt from sources that ACA had been earlier receiving Rs. 80 crores ever year from BCCI. Meanwhile it has been also been reliably learnt that Sanatan Das, Sushanta Bishwa Sarma, Bishnu Ram Nunisa, Ajay Sharma and Anil Bora are the probable contestants for the post of honorary secretary. It was also speculated by sources that Bikash Baruah has planted his corresponds in the governing body in order to get a ticket back to the association. Baruah has been plotting for the post of vicepresident.

Earlier, in a landmark decision that was hailed by the cricketing fraternity, the governing body of Assam Cricket Association had imposed a life ban on Bikash Baruah ending his long stint as the secretary of the

G Plus photo

state cricket body – a stint which was marred by myriad controversies. The decision was taken by the ACA Governing Body in the wake of the recovery of 61 cheques from the drawer of the ACA secretary last year.

The cheques, amounting to over Rs. 12 lakhs, were issued by the BCCI for state players a few years back, but these were never handed over to the beneficiaries. Following the alleged financial irregularities ACA lodged two cases against him.

Meanwhile, the BCCI in India is facing turbulent times as its members are battling it out in the Supreme Court over a series of changes proposed by the court-appointed Lodha Committee. It has landed itself in a strange situation of being asked to elect a third president in 16 months following the abrupt resignation of incumbent Shashank Manohar on Tuesday last.

The amendment of the proposed changes and transparency as per the Lodha report has been opposed

by BCCI and several other state associations as it could bring some paramount changes in the supreme body of cricket. It will also engulf the state associations. Meanwhile, formation of a new governing body could be directed towards the first step of cleansing ACA. Being surrounded by anomalies the ACA has become questionable. Although, having made it to the elite group in domestic cricket one may remain hopeful of seeing more emerging players. As there is no question about the lack of potential among the cricketers, it is only possible that the running body be made free of any kind of corruption.

The court also directed that should Gautam Roy want to contest the elections again, he must not preside over the annual general meeting The court had barred the ACA from holding its annual general meeting in connection with a PIL filed by former ACA secretary Sahajananda Oja, who has alleged gross financial anomalies in the association in the past decade The Governing Body of Assam Cricket Association had imposed a life ban on Bikash Baruah in the wake of the recovery of 61 cheques from his drawer which were meant for distribution among players of the state

kalyan.deb@g-plus.in

12

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

Snippets

GHC rejects Three children Pranjit’s bail for missing from second time Snehalaya, N Paltan Bazaar G Plus news

Lack of security and negligence on the part of the management are the key reasons that children abscond from the home and take a wrong path once they enter the outside world Juthika Baruah

S

nehalaya, a home for destitute children has failed to protect the children under its care and this has been proven several times as many children have absconded from the orphanage and most recently, three children escaped due to a lack of adequate security.

When G Plus prodded the administration for answers, the padre who responded to our queries said that they were unwilling to share any information with the media. This reluctance on the padre’s part to provide any answers was an indirect admission of negligence on the management’s part. He commented that the children entered the home at night seeking shelter and it was not possible to keep an eye on each and every child that sought refuge at night. He said that perhaps the three missing children

were unwilling to remain at the home.

This statement contradicted the information provided by another young resident of the home who claimed that the three children who went missing had been staying at the home for about a year and they absconded after consuming drugs.

The home’s security guard stated that the main gate remained closed until 12:30 PM but past that time the gate was opened. He went on to say that children moved freely in and out of the compound once the gates were thrown open and there was no record kept of their movements in and out of the home. The children could easily disappear without anyone knowing of their whereabouts.

A local resident, who spoke to G Plus, accused the management of gross negligence and total apathy. She

o breather for Congress youth leader Pranjit Choudhury as the Gauhati High Court Justice, Paran Kumar Phukan, rejected the tainted leader’s anticipatory bail plea for the second time on Wednesday.

Choudhury moved the court for the second time seeking an interim bail on the fresh ground that the bail will allow him to be present on the counting day of the polls slated on May 19. Public prosecutor Ziaur Kamar said, “The ground taken by the petitioner has no merit since his presence during the counting of Pranjit choudhury votes is not mandated by the Representation of the People’s Act and the petitioner is at liberty to appoint his agents for the purpose.”

Rejecting the plea, the court further observed, “In this case, accusation of rape, causing miscarriage and cheating has been brought against the accused and the offences are of serious nature. It appears that the earlier order of rejection is sought to be assailed through the second petition on some flimsy grounds.”

Justice Phukan had earlier rejected the first interim bail plea after the public prosecutor objected to it citing that Choudhury being an influential person may hamper the investigation. Choudhury landed into trouble around three weeks back following allegations by a 23-year-old post graduate student of Gauhati University of sexually exploiting her on the pretext of marriage. He has been on the run for almost three weeks now. He had contested the recently concluded state’s assembly poll from Kamalpur seat for the ruling party.

City police on the other hand are yet to nab him. The victim girl has alleged that the police department has not been trying to arrest him due to political pressure. She said that the leader is hiding somewhere at Kamalpur.

However, chief minister Tarun Gogoi had already stated that Congress will not interfere in the investigation and will not stand by Choudhury if he is proved guilty.

G Plus photo

lambasted the administration about caring more for themselves at the expense of the well-being of the children under their care. She claimed that the organizations such as Snehalaya were money-making ventures with no particular concern about providing adequate training to the children and ensuring that they remained safe and protected. She pointed out that security at the home was virtually non-existent which led to incidents of escape and drug-abuse among the children who were supposedly being cared for by responsible adults.

She further stated that the home was located in an area notorious for crime and the absence of adequate care and security ensnared the boys at the home into a criminal web which included the trafficking of children. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

G Plus news

T

Ulfa (I) ultimatum to drug mafia

he Paresh Baruah led Ulfa (Independent) faction on Monday issued an ultimatum to the drug mafias of the region to stop the menace or face action. Ulfa (I) Publicity Secretary, Arunodoi Asom said, “The Ulfa (I) hereby issues a final warning to those who are involved in illegal drug racket in the region to give up their activities. Playing with the life of the youth will not be tolerated and Ulfa (I) will punish them.” He added, “We urge everyone to pass information of any such known rackets in the state to Ulfa (I). If possible provide the names of the police officials having nexus to these drug mafias. The faction will take necessary action.”

The outfit faction alleged that a section of state police officials and their agents have been aiding the underground drug mafia of the region. “It’s a conspiracy against the state. Those who were used by government machineries against anti-Ulfa movements earlier were given a freehand to run such rackets in return,” alleged the faction.

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN 15 May

MON 16 May

TUE 17 May

WED 18 May

THU 19 May

FRI 20 May

Passing showers

Heavy rain

Heavy rain

Numerous showers

Showery

More sun than clouds

20 / 32 °C

22 / 29 °C

22 / 28 °C

20 / 33 °C

22 / 34 °C

20 / 33 °C

SATURDAY

14 May

Showery

22 / 32 °C

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

13

City

Swapnil Bharali

Networking platform for city construction industry with forthcoming Galloper Talks

G

allopper Talks, an inspiring series of talks for the Construction and Building industry professionals will be held in Guwahati on 27th May 2016, Friday at The Radisson Blu. The main intention of Gallopper Talks is to push the Building and Construction industry (currently facing a prolonged sluggish activity) forward by embracing change and innovation and fostering greater collaboration across the sector. As technology opens up new worlds of previously unthinkable opportunities, Gallopper Talks seeks to bring together national industry thought leaders and change agents for a high-impact, collaborative event and to deepen the attendees’ understanding of unprecedented power and possibilities now available to those who design, build, operate, maintain, plan and trade in this vital industry.

The line-up during the evening will consist of noteworthy speakers from different areas of the industry, each one incredibly passionate about the cause he/she champions. These accomplished speakers will share their experiences on their journey to excellence, talk about their challenges and endurances and hope to inspire more individuals from

the audience to walk the paths that is their true calling.

The sessions so far have been very successfully held in Mumbai and Pune since March 2015. The topics have ranged from cultural comparisons in architecture to skill development to architectural solutions for urban issues and much more. Each Talk is carefully rehearsed and the speaker given 15 minutes to share his perspective of the industry with the audience. This is then followed by networking and interac-

tions across the board.

Speakers in Guwahati include the German MD of Hafele, Mr. Jurgen Wolf, Citibanker turned social innovator Santosh Parulekar, co-founder of the Raahgiri movement Sarika Panda and the doyen of BIM in India, Sabu Francis. All speakers will talk on topics relevant to Assam and the northeast.

Gallopper Talks is the flagship programme of Gallopper, an organisation which was founded in mid-2014 by Architects Sibani Chakravarty Sarma

and Parthajeet Sarma, both alumni of the prestigious Sir JJ College of Architecture, Mumbai, after their respective experience of nearly two decades (each) within the realms of Design and Construction. Both the founders of the organisation are originally from Guwahati.

Gallopper was born from the strong belief that to meet challenges like “Housing for all by 2022” and others, the building and construction industry needs to ramp up capacity building.

And one of the most efficient ways of building capacity within an existing system is to collaborate, something that is lacking in the industry with professionals working in silos. Given the lack of an ‘open innovation’ approach, over time the building and construction industry has also suffered from a ‘lack of innocence’ image, and operates in seeming shades of greys. This is despite the crucial role it plays in nation building, contributing 8% to India’s GDP. By highlighting success stories, Gallopper today provides a platform for professionals to learn and to collaborate with industry stake-holders. The side effect of this is a ‘feel good’ image of the industry.

Gallopper Talks is now recognised as a programme of inspiration and knowledge sharing in different domains of the built environment. It facilitates collaboration and networking among academia, civil society organizations and professionals from disciplines like architecture, engineering and construction management – who are engaged with development and urban issues.

Gallopper Talks in Guwahati is presented by Godrej Interio and the German Major, Hafele in association with AAA (Association of Architects, Assam).

Golden Jubilee celebration of

Shri Shri Sitala Mandir from 17th May

Juthika Baruah

A

kon Bora strongly believes that Maa Sitala’s blessings have been instrumental in his selection to lead the Dispur Constituency and this time round, he believes that a similar miracle can occur considering that he recently concluded a 3-hour puja to the blessed Mother.

With this year being the Golden Jubilee year of the temple, there is an expectation of wonderful events occurring within the Dispur Constituency. The Golden Jubilee celebrations will begin from 17th May onwards and they will last for five days with many events planned to mark the occasion.

“The temple was established in 1967 by the Yuba Sangha Club of Railway Colony, Bamunimaidan. The project was initiated by three members of the club with a barebones setup. It was after 1993 that the temple was built in as an RCC edifice with the initiative of Satya Narayan Jha, who assumed the role of President of the temple. The Golden Jubilee celebrations are being held to commemorate 50 years of the temple’s existence,” said Gauranga Dutta, one of the temple’s founders.

G Plus photo

The organizing committee has informed the public that a cultural procession will be held on 17th May and the procession will depart from the temple’s premises. There will be

an Aarti competition on 20th May followed by a cultural night on the 21st May. The main attraction of the fiveday programme will be a stage play by Trinayan Yatra from Kolkata.

Speaking to G Plus, Satya Narayan Jha attributed the growth of the temple to the assistance of people from the locality. He mentioned that the temple’s many needs were also met by do-

nations from worshippers who hailed from all over. The temple pond was completed to facilitate religious rituals practiced by the temple attendees.

Shri Jha went on to say that almost all of the funds required by the temple came from donations and the government’s help was minimal. There were no governmental funds allocated for the temple but local MLAs were able to stir up some assistance if requested to do so by the temple’s administration. He said that in its long history, the temple had overcome many obstacles with the blessings of the Mother.

Speaking about the history of the temple, Gauranga Dutta said that worshipping at the temple carried great benefits since many of the temple’s devotees had their wishes fulfilled. A puja is held every Saturday and Tuesday and worshippers who visit the temple are served with bhog (Prasad) after four kumaris (pre-pubescent girls) are served the same. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

14

Buzz

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

Administration extends deadline to 31st May for implementing Assamese on hoardings

Juthika Baruah

Deadlines to implement regional language extended till 31st May From June 1 officers will start a drive to enforce the rule on those who fail to follow the rules Failure to follow the rule will result in the cancellation of Trade licenses G Plus photo

The district administration has made it mandatory to incorporate the hoardings, signboards with the regional language by 31st May post which a drive will be initiated to enforce the rule

T

he Kamrup (M) district administration has extended the deadline of transforming the hoardings and signboards till 31st May and that the same will be enforced if it has not been changed within the stipulated time.

In order to ensure that the regional language should not die, the administration has taken the initiative and the use of English language in hoardings and signboards have increased so much that the regional language has lost its dignity. The administration has also met representatives of Asom Sahitya Sabha and decided to extend the date till 31st May so that all the government and non-government institutions, schools and colleges could adapt the language in their signboards and hoardings. “The deadline has been extended so that it becomes easier for the people to get some time to change the hoardings including advertisements and those who will not follow the rules will be taken strict action and the same will be removed as officials from June 1 will begin a drive to enforce the order,” said Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (M) M. Angamuthu.

The deadline has been extended as some organisations sought more time to fulfil the requirements and therefore the administration has decided to extend till 31st May. Welcoming the move of the

administration, Secretary of Assam Sahitya Sabha Paramananda Rajbongshi said, “We welcome the move of the administration as it is very important to have the Assamese language in the hoardings, signboards, banners etc. as it is the regional language of the state.

While standing on some parts of the city it seems like that we are not standing in our native land but standing somewhere else. The signboards, hoardings all are in English. When a foreigner comes and sees the English language they will have the concept that our regional

language is English which will be a misconception. We are not against the English language but our native language should be known by all.”

Rajbongshi said that in other states it is seen that they give priority to the mother tongue. “First we should give priority to our mother tongue. English and Hindi should be known to all but we shouldn’t forget our mother tongue. Now-adays, the parents also proudly say that their children know to speak in Hindi or English but don’t know Assamese much. We should teach our student to speak or write their

G Plus photo

own mother language be it Assamese, Bodo, Karbi etc. The visitors while coming to the city or in other parts of the state should know our regional language which will only be possible when people will start to use the language,” said Rajbongshi.

Earlier, Commissioner of Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) Narayan Konwar said that the corporation will implement the new rule from the financial year as the new trade license will be given.

At the time of issuing new trade license new guidelines has been given and if they don’t follow the rules then the license will be cancelled.

“We have discussed with the traders to implement the regional language in the signage and they have agreed to do so. There are many non-Assamese traders and we will have to solve the issue through understanding and discussion. And as there is no legal act we can’t take immediate action against them and therefore we will implement the rules very soon,” said Konwar.

The District Administration has also formed a cell to implement the regional language in the signage, banners, hoardings etc. The district magistrate who have issued instruction as per the order memo dated 01/06/98 PLC 12/97/15, order memo dated 5/7.2002 ALC 45/86/45, order memo dated 5/2/2008 PLC 12/97/76 and or-

der memo dated 11/02/2010 PLC 5/2007/78 has formed the cell with five revenue circle officer of the five revenue circle along with Commissioner of Police and Commissioner of GMC. On the other hand, the global companies are seeking government circular so that they can send the approval for the change of hoardings to the headquarters. “As we are global company we cannot change the hoardings according to us. The logo, size are approved by the headquarter and even the space left on both the sides in the hoardings are specified by them. I have repeatedly asking the administration to provide us with a circular so that we can change the hoardings and signboards to make it in Assamese which needs an approval by the head office. One hoarding costs around Rs. 1-1.5 lakhs and the company is ready to bear the loss but they need a circular as to how much authentic it is,” said an employee of a German based company.

But it is unfortunate that the administration is not aware that such companies have sought for government circular and it has been said by DC that if such circular is necessary they will provide the same so that they can also change the hoardings within the stipulated time. juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

Hafiznagar No. 2 in Bamunimaidan the cleanest slum in NE

Juthika Baruah

15

Society

Hafiznagar No. 2, the cleanest slum in the northeast 120 children from the community have been mainstreamed 70 households are living in the community Training has been provided in children’s rights and women’s rights Fancy Bazaar Gate 3 & 4 next on the agendum of UTSAH

G Plus photo

The initiative of UTSAH has made Hafiznagar No. 2 the cleanest slum in northeast and the people have been empowered to deal with their own problems and reduce the vulnerability of their children

H

afiznagar No. 2 slum in Bamunimaidan has turned into a village and has been transformed into the cleanest slum in the Northeast, thanks to the initiative and efforts of the Universal Team for Social Action and Help (UTSAH), a non-government organization (NGO).

UTSAH, which is a child rights organisation, aims to achieve a just and equitable society where all of its people are empowered to live and thrive. The children of slums are the most vulnerable members of society and UTSAH has taken the initiative to protect the children, uphold their rights and make the city as well as the state slum-free.

The slums lack the necessary infrastructure to provide decent housing, electric supply, sanitation, safe drinking water and a secure environment for its children. These poor living conditions create an environment in which children can be easily exploited. UTSAH has partnered with the Hafiz Nagar No. 2 community in order to improve the living conditions of its inhabitants, educating the residents about hygiene and the ways and means of living a responsible life.

Miguel Queah, the founder of UTSAH, commented to G Plus that the NGO’s mission was to create safer spaces for the survival, growth and intellectual development of children who lacked basic care and protection.

The organization placed emphasis on

enhancing basic services, providing educational facilities and fostering means of earning a livelihood among the community’s working-age youth and adults.

Queah went on to say that his organization first examined the area to determine how many children lived in the slum, what were their activities and how they dealt day-to-day with the challenges of their daily lives.

The NGO discovered that many of the slum’s children worked for drug dealers and were being exploited by these criminals. Some children had become victims of child-trafficking.

The founder listed some of his organization’s achievements - the rescue of more than 200 child labourers, the mainstreaming of 120 children into the Sarba Siksha Abhiyan schools, the training of 200 plus children between 2011 and 2013 regarding information about their personal rights, the education of more than 150 community women in the same period about protecting their children’s rights and the facilitation of a safe water supply for the 70 households in the community. Additional achievements included training women about their own rights, rescuing children from chemical addiction and training an excess of 500 personnel from the Crime Investigation Department (CID), Border Security Force (BSF) and the Assam Police in ways to protect children and enforce juvenile justice.

Hafiznagar No. 2 slum has been

declared the cleanest slum in the northeast and it has tied up with the Smile Foundation to start a non-formal education programme in the community. After the children are provided with a basic education, they are shifted into a mainstream programme and to date, 120 children have been enrolled in government schools.

One of the residents of Hafiznagar No. 2, Hamida, who is a student of Class XI said, “I like to study but at first it was difficult for us to go to school. After UTSAH took the initiative of providing us education, we have completed our educational re-

quirements. I am a student of class XI and I was helped by Queah Sir who assisted us with books, schools fees and other necessities. Earlier on, the railway authority would come and evict us from our homes and sometimes, they would raid the community during meal-times. But now we are not subjected to such torture after the NGO provided us with necessary guidance as to how to deal with the problems.”

Queah further stated that their future plans include facilitating public toilets for the community, providing solar lighting and representation of the residents into the Rajiv Awas

G Plus photo

Yojana to seek better housing. They have also urged the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) to provide housing for the people as decent shelter is very important while trying to make a living.

Queah said that the community residents have been trained in different activities and women have been empowered to protect themselves and their children against sexual and physical exploitation. Many of the boys were involved in illegal activities and quite a few of them were imprisoned but after the necessary training, a large majority were earning a living as daily wage labourers. He said that the members of the community were better-equipped to deal with the problems of life, their homes were well-organized and they were very aware of the necessity of good hygiene in being able to lead a healthier lifestyle.

The next slum that will be served

by UTSAH will be the Fancy Bazaar Gates 3 & 4. The NGO has determined that well over 300 children in that community are suffering from all manners of deprivation. The organization will also replicate this model in 81 slum areas across the 27 districts of the state with anticipated support from the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

juthika.baruah@g-plus.in

16

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

G Talk

Administering HIV E

H

D

I

T

O

eard about Azkaban? Without going into too many details, Azkaban basically is a frightful prison in Harry Potter’s magical world in which only death is possible; escape is not among the options. While JK Rowling never really painted a picture about the interiors of Azakaban, the imagery still remains fresh in the mind – dementors and all.

Well, it seems we have an Azkaban right here in Guwahati and it is flocked by “dementors,” “death-eaters” and all sorts of unwilling prisoners who have been cursed enough to be “lodged” in it.

And ironically, it happens to be a place where people flock for life rather than death. At G Plus, we have been closely tracking certain disruptive and unholy activities taking place at the Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH).

We had brought into focus a baby swapping and kidnapping nexus, that is currently under investigation, a couple of editions back. But the latest issue confronting the premier government-run health facility of the state is something beyond belief. A toddler being injected with HIV through a blood transfusion with the blood taken from the internal blood bank of the institution is simply not an acceptable act and demands extreme condemnation. I mean, how moronically lax, slack, slipshod and lamentably sloppy can one get?

We are carrying our first-hand report on the matter in this edition with personal interviews of the superintendent of GMCH. I would urge you to read it. The superintendent has blamed

R

I

A

L

the media for distorting facts related to the incident. He has described the extremely stringent procedure that is followed to eliminate HIV content in the blood stored in the internal blood bank of GMCH – ELISA test and all.

And to top it all, he has countered the allegations of a toddler being injected with HIV by indicating that he might contracted the same from “many possible sources” because apparently, the patient had an open wound on his leg.

Now, what exactly is this gentleman trying to tell us? What many possible sources? Mosquito bites? Infected needles because the toddler might just be a drug abuser? Sexual activity with an AIDS infected woman? What? Or is the gentleman taking all of us for nincompoops who are unaware of how HIV is generally transmitted?

The truth of the matter will be out anyway and the Assam Human Rights Commission has slapped a case on the GMCH over the incident. The matter of concern is the extreme laxity and an attitude of negligence that seems to pervade the poor man’s abode of treatment which has turned it into a virtual Azkaban – a place where misery and death is dished out with alarming regularity. The success rate of many operations (as there have been) is nothing to gloat over; this success is only expected and part of the job of GMCH. Administering HIV and then defending the same through lies, deceit and misrepresentation is not!

Swapnil Bharali Executive Editor

The Digital India Ambit

T

SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA

he Digital India dream is almost a year old now and it has triggered several programs from both private and public sectors to provide a significant boost to the Digitalscape of the country. The country has focused itself towards e-governance by initiating several programs like DigiLocker, Attendance.gov.in, MyGov.in, SwacchBharatMission Mobile app, eSign framework, Online Registration System (ORS) and National Scholarships Portal many of which are yet to realize their full potential. The sector has made a grand entry in terms of big shows across the nation, international investors and activities to reach out to the masses which have captured the world’s imagination.

But as more people are gaining access to the internet, the lack of security and its numerous loopholes are evident. This is in reference to the recent cyber attack on the IRCTC website and closer to home, the Kaziranga Tourism website. A crucial element of cyber security is privacy speaking of which, a local celebrity was also a victim where her unwanted photos were allegedly leaked.

While digitizing India is an important step, there is also a need to

make digital security more robust, especially ones that can breach individual privacy. The Government needs to closely study a digitallyempowered society, the assets it will create and the assets that need to be empowered and protected.

What safeguards does the government offer in case there is theft and misuse of data from the various services they have offered?

What if the documents I upload on the DigiLocker are misused? There needs to be a review of the IT Act that safeguards ‘privacy’ as an aspect.

Can sharing content over the internet be protected by law even though people would do it willingly? Does this come under the ambit of Digital India or more importantly a secure India?

Significantly, it was reported that the Minister of State for Personnel, Grievances and Pensions, Jitendra Singh made a statement indicative of the fact that the Government was drafting a legislation that seeks to provide protection to individuals against breach of privacy through unlawful means. Maybe this would be a welcome step in terms of protecting the individuals and cover all aspects on privacy – Data and Identity.

Given the drug racket busting spree currently in Guwahati, would it be worthwhile to legalize sale of herbal drugs like marijuana?

T

he forbidden is always enticing, attractive. Loosen the tag, lose the attraction. While I am in no way expressing support for marijuana consumption, especially knowing the ill-effects that it brings, I do not want to digress from the point of discussion today – should marijuana be legalized? The human mind is frail thing, eminently susceptible. At the expense of not wanting to sound philosophical, I would prefer to state that the human mind is considered matured after a certain age – matured enough to vote and so choose the life one wants for oneself. And so, everything boils down to a matter of choice. The choices of a mature mind should, in no way, be an impediment to what is considered or purported to be forbidden by other equally matured minds.

In support of my advocacy of legalizing the forbidden, I would want to cite the example of The Netherlands where intoxication of every form is legalized. Marijuana happens to be a minute case in point. I would also take support of all those paeans sung in praise of the forbidden and “Let it be” by the Beatles is just a small example. The eminently creative Farhan Akhtar humorously declared while sharing a prize that he had jointly won with two other creative members of his team: Three on a “joint” is just perfect! The metaphor just couldn’t be missed there. The praise for the expediency of the “joint” simply cannot be curtailed because of the sheer qualities that it carries. That it gives an intoxication is only incidental. But that it is an antioxidant is not. Its herbal values hold it at par with the medicinal qualities of alcoholic products like brandy. The point of concern remains its abuse but so it is with alcohol which is a legal product. It is all about deciphering the guys from the men; it is all about ensuring that a product is made legal with official retailing outlets so that its abuse is minimized. As I have said before, when it is not forbidden, it loses its attraction.

Swapnil Bharali

T

here is a reason why I am and forevermore will be against drugs and in this case Marijuana. The legalization of Marijuana is not something we should preach for. Without marijuana/ganja being legal we have our hands full with too many incidents which could include car accidents, public harassment that could amount to rapes and other forms of abuse.

Now you add an illegal substance to this mix which is known to lower your inhibitions and not keep you in your senses, or as some would say, make you ‘carefree.’

What follows next? Discarding cases based on the fact that the accused was under the influence of a certain substance?

Such people are actually public nuisance. Just because they feel ‘free’ to express themselves after being stoned does not mean that the rest of the public have lost their sense of decorum. Legalize it and then see what happens when students roll into class flying high as a kite.

Fine, don’t believe a non smoker? There are studies that prove marijuana users have an abnormal brain structure and poor memory and that chronic marijuana abuse may lead to brain changes resembling schizophrenia. The study also reported that the younger the person starts using marijuana, the worse the effects become. Legalizing marijuana will only make its access easier for the younger generation. And if you’re out of a job and can’t pay rent, you know what to blame.

The other plethora of issues you’ll have to deal with will include decreased quality of life, damaged personal health, endangering public safety and did you know, marijuana consumption is also related to bad sex life including impotency? But you could argue that it could be India’s solution to birth control.

SIDHARTH BEDI VARMA

I

Interactive

n an unfortunate turn of events, a three and a half year old boy has been transfused with HIV contaminated blood, after he came for treatment for his burn injuries at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital. After undergoing multiple operations during the course of the treatment, the child was reportedly diagnosed with HIV positive.

The child’s parents, who are from Hajo, confessed that both of them were HIV negative, and expressed utter shock at the fact that their son was detected HIV positive. The tragic occurrence is a grim reminder of an earlier incident in June 2013 when 5 people were transfused with contaminated blood at Mangaldai Civil Hospital in Assam’s Darrang district. How long the people of the region would suffer for the negligence of the hospital authorities?

Chandrika via email

Letter to the Editor Dear Sir,

Your last issue carried a piece, “For better or for verse” on two young poets of Guwahati. The piece indeed made for a great read. It is rather amazing to see such young children who are still in their teens write such mature poetry.

I had the occasion to go through the books of both Alisha and Arshia and was really impressed by the command that they had over the English language besides their strong vocabulary base. I would urge them to keep writing and keep trying to improve their work which, by itself, is of such high quality at the moment.

Siddharth Borah via email

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

Given the number of drug busts in Guwahati, is the city fostering a generation of drug Abusers?

With the cops conducting numerous drug busts in the city, concerns have been raised about the quantity of substances that are floating around the city, right under the very nose of the Commisionerate.

Does this signify a worrying trend that the city youth are slowly becoming victims of substance abuse? G Plus seeks some answers from Guwahatians.

I

would suggest that the sale of minor, herbal intoxicants be legalized just as alcoholic beverages are. Also, it should come with strict notices that sale is prohibited to minors.

That way, a semblance of control can be administered the way the sale of alcohol is controlled. Of course, there will be exceptions here and there but at least a whole generation need not suffer.

Bibhash Deka

Y

es, it is a matter of grave concern because the young are at the receiving end of it and the most affected also. They are ruining their future and careers because of drug abuse.

It is very necessary to keep a proper check on them and rehabilitate them in such a way that stay away from drugs permanently otherwise this drug disaster will ruin the whole city.

Ashish Pandya

E

very society contains a variety of people.

During formative years, some manage to tow the straight line while others falter.

I am not sure what the varieties of drugs are that are available in Guwahati and what are the numbers of abusers. I also do not know the age brackets they fall in. But it is surely an alarming situation.

Rimjhim Mandal

P

arents often live in denial that their children can do no wrong – especially when it comes to “doing” drugs. It is imperative that all parents go through a reality check on their children’s activities and keep tabs on them when they are alone or with friends. Also, parents need to be stingy when it comes to pocket-money and other endowments.

Jitu Moni

D

rug abuse often comes from peer pressure. It is more prevalent among boys and less among girls. The peer pressure to outdo each other in a l l matters, good or bad, is what pushes youngsters to try their hands at drugs. And once hooked, it often becomes impossible give it up.

I wouldn’t say a whole generation is being fostered but there is no harm in checking and balancing things when there is time.

Diku Talukdar

T

he main cause for this drug market is that, the young generation are so much unemployed that in order to get money they can do anything, so drug paddlers are increasing day by day plus the drug users, most people are prone to depression and anxiety to forget all tension more young people are going to addiction of drugs and the users are increasing day by day, so the market is increasing and the demand going high.

DUE to this more crime rates is also increasing, actually they are working in a chain system in our city guwahati.

Myna Barua

S

pawning a whole generation of abusers would be stating things too far. That will be an exaggeration. But the number of recent drug busts is surely cause for alarm. And it is fairly easy to see that all this peddling has been happening right under nose of the police which is cause for even greater alarm.

abu Malik

I

know a couple of youngsters in my locality who are on to drugs. However, much as I have considered bringing it to the notice of their parents, I feel apprehensive about doing so because I might sound like I a m accusing something. But the way the kids are going, they are not going to make their parents too proud of them. I hope through this column, my concern will catch the attention of the concerned parents.

Mon Imaan Hazarika

17

In Focus

Meet

Dr. Navanil Barua Neurosurgeon and cultural activist

D

r. Navanil Barua was born to Luit Konwar Rudra Barua and actress Arati Barua. He was born in Shillong under circumstances where his father had to take a break from an ongoing Bihu function because his signature was required to get his mother admitted to the hospital. About the incident Navanil said, “He saw me nine days after my birth.

So had I not survived those nine days he would never have seen me.” Now a wellknown neurosurgeon of Assam, Navanil did his schooling in Guwahati and went on to acquire his MBBS and MS from Gauhati University in 1985 and 1989 respectively.

However, several hurdles came his way while he pursued his medical studies. The Assam Agitation was one and the untimely demise of his father shook Navanil to the core. But it also inspired him to take his studies seriously in order to build a career for himself. “In the first MBBS I didn’t do very well but my second MBBS onwards I started getting positions in the University. I always wanted to become a surgeon. I did residency surgery, some orthopaedics; I also did some psychiatry which today helps me understand my patients better. But to be honest, I wanted to become a plastic surgeon. With the cultural background that I have, I wanted to do something creative. I thought being a plastic surgeon would be ideal for me,” Navanil Barua mentioned to G Plus.

Ironically however, in the APSC, he got selected in all departments except plastic surgery. Navanil took up the challenge of neurosurgery and got admitted into AIIMS. It was a tough decision to leave his wife and the newborn behind for three years. He acquired his MCH in 1997 and was offered a job in AIIMS. In fact, the world was open to him. But his passion and love for Assam brought him back. While he awaited a government appointment, he was offered a job in GNRC. His career got the deserved boost and today he is the director of the neurosurgery department leading a team of 8 neurosurgeons. Navanil underwent several trainings and got opportunities to perform some pioneering surgeries in Assam and north-eastern India. He also trained for spinal surgery in Switzerland.

With more than 19 years of experience in neurosurgery, Navanil has successfully performed innumerable brain and spinal surgeries. “I must admit that Assam is still lagging behind because neurosurgery is a very equipment-intensive subject and the equipment is very expensive for which things have to be commercially viable.

Initially, everything was a big challenge.

I started comparing my results with my friends in other parts of India and found out that I wasn’t doing badly at all,” Navanil stated.

Navanil is also active in several cultural fields. He is trained in Sattriya and in college he used to take part in plays and debates. His high point was when was asked to accompany Late Vijay Shankar on tabla in the GMCH cultural fests. Today he is an active and conscious cultural activist. He is also associated with Vrindavan Theatre and has acted in the movie “Khel.”

Navanil always had strong political

convictions was a member of Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad. “I always had belief in regionalism or sub-nationalism. Today, through social media people have come to know that I harbour regional sentiments. A big moment came during a Jatiya Abhibartan by AGP three years back where I was invited as a speaker. My hardhitting speech was picked up by the media: a doctor involved in a political discussion.

In a convention on permanent citizens of Assam a year ago I was invited as a speaker

by Adip Phukan and Manjit Mahanta. By evening the congratulatory calls poured in and I found out, to my dismay, that I was the new vice-president of Asom Sangrami Mancha. I was made a member of the core committee and that’s how I got sucked into politics,” Navanil said.

However, Navanil believes that as a qualified neurosurgeon he will serve the people better through his field of expertise and presently has no intention of getting involved in politics. Meanwhile, he is all for assimilation of various cultural entities of Assam like Hindu Bengalis and Marwaris. “I want to bridge gaps. Such people do not know anything beyond the geographical boundaries of Assam and I want to assimilate them. There has to be an assimilation process and it cannot be one-way assimilation,” stated Navanil.

For the youthful and unromantic Navanil, things turned upside down when he met Sarmistha who has gone on to be the support pillar of his life. “It was not designed at all. She used to come to me for notes and I used to walk her to her classes as her parents trusted me. But I happened to break their trust. Somehow a relationship developed and I was pleasantly shocked when she proposed to me. I took my time to respond but eventually her parents got to know and confronted me.

So immediately after I passed my masters I married her,” Navanil mentioned. The couple is blessed with two sons Snikdhanil and Diptanil.

18

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

Lifestyle

Sex q

VAASTU SHASTRA

VAASTU ASPECTS OF

in our city

W

e are a newly married couple living in the Chandmari area of Guwahati. I am 26 and my wife is 23. I think I am ejaculating off too early. No sooner are we into the act that I have this uncontrollable urge to ejaculate. While my wife has not expressed any feelings of being unsatisfied so far, I can quite make out from her expression that I am not being able to satisfy her. How can I prolong the act?

A Communication is the key to a successful relationship and marriage. Why are you hesitating about asking her the question? It is possible that she may be irritated with you about something completely unrelated. Don’t assume anything in life. What you are describing sounds like premature ejaculation which means you are ejaculating earlier than when you would like.

This can be subjective as no two individuals are alike and our requirements and expectations vary. For example, Mr. A and his partner may be very satisfied in their sex life even though he ejaculates within 4 minutes but Mr. B and his partner may be unhappy even though he can prolong the act to about 8 minutes.

The treatment depends on the cause and sometimes sex therapy is needed. You need a consultation to explore why you might be experiencing premature ejaculation. It is always advisable that you see a sexologist together as a couple.

Problems are better explored together and solutions can be arrived at far more easily 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

T

he entire Kharguli area can be divided into three parts—the riverside, the main Kharguli Road and the hillside. Until 1960, this was a hilly area with lots of trees.

Approach roads were built in later years and Kharguli became one of the most sought after areas for residences along the Brahmaputra River in the northeast.

The MG Road runs up to the Governor’s residence and the erstwhile Belle Vue Hotel from the Uzanbazar riverside. We have discussed about this area earlier. The main road starts from Barowary in Uzanbazar and connects the Sector I area of the Guwahati Refinery along the banks of the river.

This road has a flat area near Uzanbazar for a stretch of about 1 km with hills on the northern side blocking the river view. There are several apartment complexes along this road. The residents on the southern side of the road should have their main entrance facing the north or north-east. They should take care not to place their septic tanks on the southern or western side of their dwellings. The entire Kharguli area has a good water supply provided by the Guwahati Municipal Corporations and most of the residents do not need personal bore-wells or wells for this reason. They MUST have their underground storage tanks located on the northeast, east or north sides of their property - no exceptions. The overhead tanks must be along the southwest, west or south. The same rules apply for the residents on the northern side of the main road but their main entrance must be from the south or from the southsoutheast. Those having the benefit of a by-lane can have their entrances facing northeast or north-northwest.

The Vaastu varies from block to block on the hillside as the road zigzags every now and then. There are large individual plots on the hills of Kharguli and the owners must exercise extreme caution in planning their entrances and houses. Those having individual hillocks should construct their

KHARGULI

driveway starting from northeast, east or north towards the south and west so that the southwest remains the highest point on which to construct their house.

The famous singer Zubeen Garg’s home is situated on the Kharguli hillside with a natural slope towards the north and east, thus rewarding him with name and fame.

The owners of properties who have hillocks facing south or west, are facing difficulties in planning their entrances. Care should be taken not to cut the southwest area and make it lower in comparison. They should construct the approach roads from the southeast or the northwest heading in a north-easterly direction. The house should be constructed in the southwest part if possible or on the western or southern part so that there are lower areas towards the north and east. If the northeast, north or east is at a higher elevation and that portion of the land is owned by others, the property should be abandoned as it will never provide any Vaastu benefits except misery.

There was a builder who started

building an apartment complex by digging from the southwest with the road angling up in a north-easterly direction. There was a mishap of a landslide and several workers were killed, buried under the deluge of mud and soil. Additionally, the plot was not rectangular and had a cut in the northeast sector. The construction was halted and there was a long delay in the project. The Vaastu was rectified later on and the project was completed.

The famous Navagraha temple was built in the 18th century in the southern section of Kharguli. The temple has its entrance from the east and has slopes all around it. Every year, thousands of devotees visit this temple around the Assamese New Year to appease the nine planets and seek blessings for a fortuitous year.

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

recipe of the week CREAMED PANEER

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of butter 2 onions diced 3 tablespoons of tomato sauce Paneer is a fresh cheese common in South Asian cuisine. It is very popular as a vegetarian staple fare in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Paneer is prepared by adding food acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar, to hot milk to separate the curd from the whey. The curd is then drained in muslin or cheesecloth and the excess water is pressed out. The resulting paneer is dipped in chilled water for 2–3 hours to improve its texture and appearance. From this point, the preparation of paneer diverges based on its use and regional tradition.

H

PROCESS

500 gms of diced paneer

eat pan and add butter and onion.

Fry till golden in colour. Add the peas and let it cook till soft. Add tomato sauce and fry some more. Now add the diced paneer. Toss around for a minute, pour the cream and take off fire after a minute.

Enjoy!!!

1/2 cup of cream 1/2 cup of fresh peas KULKUL RAHMAN Entrepreneur, mother and a passionate cook

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

Shoes glorious shoes

Lifestyle

Cool Couture NUDE STRAPPY SANDALS

Summer: the season of outdoor dining, roses and unfortunately, sweaty feet. When the heat kicks in closed-toe shoes are not an option, but this season’s crop of sandals will make you forget what an ankle boot even looks like. Check out our comprehensive guide to the sandals every woman must have stocked in her closet this season.

This classic sandal is a must-have all year round. If you haven’t snatched one up yet, try this bowtied take on the minimalist heel.

THOSE RATHER FLAT FLATS

THE DAY-TO-NIGHT BLOCK HEEL

These are the sandals you’ll wear all through summer and even deep into fall. They go with everything. The low, comfy heel will work with you all day, from the office to happy hour to dinner and finally to an I-shouldn’t-bedoing-this-but-who-cares nightcap.

FUN VACATION GLADIATORS A pair of hyper-decorated sandals makes for an instant mood-booster. Try this pair or make a pit-stop at a craft store and DIY your own. Let’s just say you’ll be walking on glittering grass across the meadow with this.

Along with the casual sneakers, the shoe trends bring a bunch of flat looks for fans of comfort and femininity combined. They come in eyelet leather and as slingback flats with a very comfortable material.

We have build up the shopping lists as we go along, watching collections after collections.

We have gone from the individual shops of Fancy Bazar to the branded stores on the GS Road and in its malls - some physically, some mentally - and have always found some looks that are utterly me and my style! Maybe I might give away some of the older and less practical ones to those in need. I am certainly not missing out on spending my savings on some incredible pieces fresh off the stores though!

C

ertain strict and restrictive fat-loss diets contain no dietary fat which results in a loss of your androgen levels.

This leads to a situation where a person who is attempting to lose fat gains it instead. This unfortunate situation occurs because the male secretion androgen plays a key role within the metabolic functions of the body that promote the building of lean muscle. If a person has an occasional testosterone count, it will be tough for him to achieve a lean body-mass since muscle is an energetic tissue and muscle tissue requires a large number of calories to sustain it and boost the resting metabolic rate.

The reason: One

of

the

biggest

reasons why a “LOW FAT DIET DOES NOT WORK”… is because fats helps in boosting up the testosterone levels in our bodies but that does not mean that you can simply indulge in deep-fried fatty foods. You need to eat the proper varieties of fat. For your benefit, here are my recommendations for the six most powerful fatty foods that assist in boosting your androgen.

1. Flaxeeds 2. Whole-Eggs 3. FattyFish (Salmon,Tuna&Mackeral) 4. Almonds 5. Walnuts 6. Chia seeds All of these fat-containing foods support the elevated production of

Best version of

yourself

Managing

I

Stress

t’s painful to see how the youth are resorting to toxic substances these days to ease what they think is STRESS. Whether it is alcohol, cigarettes, chewing tobacco or hardcore chemical drugs, they are placing their hands on everything.

It isn’t a pleasure to see young boys and girls smoking or chewing tobacco as part of their daily routine. And when one tries to find out the reasons behind their indulgences, they attribute it to stress. But if one digs further, one realizes that what they call stress is nothing but LIFE. This new age, with plenty of distractions and entertainment everywhere, has taken a toll on the tolerance levels of our youngsters. So what was just part of life in the good old days is now labeled as “STRESS.” The crucial question is that are these toxic substances really helping them manage stress or making things worse?

This entire trend boils down to two things:

1. Whether what one labels as STRESS is really

stress or is it just perceived as stress? Is stress plaguing the person all the time? Are the smallest inconveniences of life creating a sense of hopelessness?

It is time one realizes that some things are just part and parcel of life. Nobody’s life is perfect. Everyone has problems of some kind or the other and everyone has to face them. Too many people take themselves too seriously.

2. How can someone deal with such a situation?

Observing and learning from others who are undergoing the same pressures of life but at a far higher level. Closely watch their coping mechanisms when they are hard at work.

Sonika Ajmera Fashion Blogger

Why low fat diet is bad

19

testosterone that you would like to be assisted with in burning away your belly fat. In addition, these foods also have other health advantages...

For example: The olive oils, walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds contain omega three fatty acids that will keep your heart active and healthy. Whole eggs contain healthy cholesterol and fatty fish also contain omega3s which are beneficial for reducing inflammation and maintaining a fat-burning metabolism.

Although these four food categories should be an important component of your diet to enhance androgen production and reduce belly fat, there is a bigger reason why accomplishing that goal is vital to your health. Of course, belly-fat reduction goes a long way towards boosting your natural androgen levels but what impacts a person’s long-term health even more is the statistical correlation that belly fat has with androgen levels.

Scientists have discovered that body fat contains aromatose, an enzyme that acts as a catalyst in the conversion of androgen into estrogen, the main steroid hormone in women.

Here are a few tips on how to deal with the stresses of life:

1.

Eat regularly and exercise regularly. An irregular diet can lead to an unhealthy body and mind while exercise helps in keeping the mind and body active.

2.

Develop a hobby, which can help with relaxation and inducing a general feeling of goodwill. It can be anything like painting, writing, reading or any sort of activity that one enjoys.

3.

Learn meditation and relaxation techniques. Anxiety causes stress and a calm mind makes a person stable.

4.

Make the mind strong and avoid any negative or conflicting thoughts. Replace them with positive assertions. Always smile and have a positive attitude.

5.

Proper sleep is very important. Good sleep is considered a cure for chronic stress.

6.

Find out the causes of stress and try to be proactive in dealing with the same.

Planning in advance for various ways to deal with a stressful situation can work wonders.

7.

Always stay close to people who radiate a sense of positivity. Such people can reduce stress levels to a great extent.

8.

Stay away from alcohol, drugs, caffeine.

The idea is to not to get addicted to harmful things.

Madhur Jayne A practicing chartered accountant and a certified nutritionist. He is the cofounder 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.

Having extra estrogens floating around in your system triggers the body to slow its production of androgen which in turn, leads to less testosterone, more belly fat and a greater production of estrogen. It’s a vicious circle.

Yes, it’s true - you lose testosterone naturally as you age but gaining extra weight will accelerate the process.

In a research experiment, scientists monitored the health of men ranging in ages from forty to seventy over a period of nine years. What they discovered was that men who became overweight experienced a far greater drop in their androgen levels than men who maintained a standard weight.

Losing belly fat may sound straightforward... but as you have realized by now, it’s insanely difficult to lose weight if you already have low levels of testosterone.

The graph below shows clearly that when testosterone levels go down, fat levels go up.

And as fat goes up, testosterone goes down even further. And this process continue to repeat itself again and again.

Solely eating a diet heavy in fatty acids is not enough to revive your testosterone levels.

You must also exercise. In my next article, I will discuss ways to raise your androgen levels to the best possible level very naturally by employing a SPECIFIC TECHNIQUE OF STRENGTH TRAINING. Till then, don’t forget to browse my next article on GPlus.

“TRAIN SMART & GAIN GREAT RESULTS”.

For further Workout Programs & Diet follow me on Facebook or log on to my website – www. bibhuuniversalfitness.com. You can also watch my videos in my youtube channel.

BIBHU MONI SINGHA, P.G.D. Fitness & Nutrition Gym Manager Training & Nutrition Head, SFL Fitness Gym & MMA CMPPT & WTPS IFBB, Madrid, SPAIN Fitness Expert & Sports Nutritionist, Life Member IAHF, Life Member & Regional Director, IAPEN Life Member, NSI, Member ACSM, U.S.A. www.bibhuuniversalfitness.com

20

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

Review Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Nimrat Kaur, Prachi Desai, Nargis Fakhri Director: Tony D’Souza

B

orn into a Hyderabadi family, a young Mohammad Azharuddin is convinced by his Naanajaan (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) that he will become a great cricketer some day and play 100 test matches for team India.

Soon, Azhar turns out to be a brilliant batsman and India’s high run-scorer thanks to his talent and a young captain too.

Once his professional life is on track, Azhar’s family decides, it’s time for the lad to get hitched.

He meets Naureen (Prachi Desai) in an arrange marriage set up.

The two soon tie the knot and his cricketing career keeps soaring.

The fame starts to play with his head and he gets dazzled by the riches. On a tour to London, he meets the Hindi cinema’s famed beauty Sangeeta (Nargis Fakhri). Initially being well cautious about his marital status, Azhar unintentionally falls for Sangeeta. The duo fall in love and he soon announces it to the world by dedicating her his Man of the

vie Mo view Re

match award.

Then starts the discourse of his fall as he meets a bookie named M K Sharma (Rajesh Sharma) and is pulled into a match fixing. Further, an 8 year battle at the court challenging the decision over life ban on cricket is what we see.

Azhar could easily be said to be one of the weakest films when it comes to portraying a real-life character on-screen. The writers have a great subject at hand and there is so much to explore but what they stick to is an overly commercial approach.

Filled with extremely corny dialogues that make little efforts to convey anything sensible, there is less to look out for in this script.

It also seems more like, pieces from Azhar’s life have been simply weaved together in a montage to make us sympathize with him and his situation back then.

The courtroom scenes are written poorly with snooty dialogues assigned to Lara Dutta’s

character that make the entire sequence highly fictitious. Side characters are gravely underdeveloped as opposed to their importance in Azhar’s real life.

With an explosive content at hand, the film fails to cash in on it to make it a juicier or a realistic affair.

It is a shame that in a country like India where Cricket is religion, a film like Azhar leaves you with nothing for its former captain.

Emraan Hashmi plays the lead protagonist Azhar. While it was said that the actor spent a lot of time with Azhar to get into his character, it hardly shows in the film. Lopsided shouldered walk does not make up for his weak act in the film. We see too much Emraan in the film than Azhar thanks to his typical dialogue delivery.

Prachi Desai’s demure act of Naureen, the wife he wronged is quite decent. She does not have much screen-time but manages to do exactly what she is expected to in the film.

A

More if you like to take your time and explore, and less if you are in it to power through to the conclusion. We ended up at 16 hours, landing somewhere in the middle of both speed and exploration.

A Thief’s End does a masterful job easing players into the action. The first several chapters set the tone in terms of visuals, audio, and storytelling, while also serving as a tutorial to help gamers familiarize themselves with its mechanics.

As you would expect from a Naughty Dog game, the voice acting is superb, with voice actors such as Nolan North (Nathan Drake) and Troy Baker (Sam Drake) leading the way. In fact, the entire cast sets a high bar. Emily Rose (Elena Fisher) and Richard McGonagale (Victor Sullivan) aren’t heard

as often, but the impact of their performances is nevertheless substantial.

If judged by PS4 standards, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is a gorgeous game to look at. PlayStation exclusive titles tend to be the best-looking console games around and this is no exception. It’s not as dark as The Last of Us, but you can see similarities between the two games.

There are also gameplay similarities between Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and The Last of Us. You’ll spend a lot of time boosting up your companions and tracking down crates that allow you to access objects high out of reach. There will be large portions of gameplay where you’re making your way through an environment and get lost in the on-going conversation, as you did with Joel and Ellie.

Album:

Captain America: Civil War 2.15 & 8.00 PM Azhar 11.00 AM & 5.30 PM

PVR Cinemas

Dona Planet. GS Road 08800900009 The Jungle Book 3.40 PM Baaghi 1.00 PM Captain america: Civil war 10.00 AM, 12.50, 5.50 & 8.45 PM Azhar 10.15 AM, 3.55, 6.20 & 9.05 PM

Fun Cinemas

Captain America: Civil War 2.45 PM 1920 London 12.45 PM Azhar 10.30 AM, 5.30 & 8.00 PM

GOLD Cinema ASTC Complex, Paltan Bazar 9854066166

1920 London 2.30 & 8.30 PM LOkabandhoo (Assamese) 11.30 AM & 4.00 PM Baaghi 11.30 AM Azhar 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM

Author:

u Yo LD N HOU S ISTE L

ability to make such stale bread taste delicious. They are the crouton kings of post-hardcore, and standout cuts like “Looking Down the Barrel of Today,” “Dissonance,” “A.D.,” and “From Grace We’ve Fallen,” all of which could easily be plugged into any previous outing and not look suspicious, serve as proof of their master-chef status within the community. Concrete Confessional can be borderline silly in its saltiness, but it’s the best kind of comfort food, even if it breaks your jaw.

Captain America: Civil War 12.15 & 5.30 PM Azhar 9.45 AM, 3.00 & 8.45.00 PM

Ulubari 0361 2541335

Om Swami

Hatebreed

T

Noonmati 03612656968, 9954544738

Apsara Cinema

Book:

Artist:

death, insanity, police brutality, dystopia, and most importantly, not understanding his pain. Despite the near constant rancor, Jasta and company have always been keen promoters of selfimprovement, and Concrete Confessional does nothing to tarnish that reputation. Jackhammer breakdowns, fevered, thrash-induced shout-alongs, and assorted calls to arms that every hardcore punk/thrash fan will see coming a mile away lead the incursion, but what separates the band from their myriad contemporaries is their

me Ga view e R

Kundalini: An untold story

The Concrete Confessional

he stalwart, Connecticutbased punk-metal unit’s first collection of new music in three years, Concrete Confessional picks right up where 2013’s Divinity of Purpose left off. Muscular to the point of T-shirt ripping, and punishing enough to incite an arrest warrant, the 13-track set rarely innovates, but longtime fans shouldn’t feel any buyer’s remorse, as Hatebreed deliver the goods, as per usual. Frontman Jamey Jasta, ever the fevered, generalist authoritarian, delivers a full-on assault against all of the agreed-upon posthardcore evils: the man, celebrity worship, drug addiction,

Anuradha Cineplex

HUB, GS Road 9864800100, 9864800200

UNCHARTED 4: A Thief’s End Thief’s End is like a long-term relationship, complete with both peaks and valleys. There’s the honeymoon phase where things are new and exhilarating. Then comes the routine that brings with it a fair amount of work and effort. In the end, however, players will realize that similar to most relationships, the best reward comes in the form of the complete package. While Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End definitely requires some work to get the reward, you’ll have no regrets.

We’ll begin by saying this review is based only on the single-player experience. We were unable to put ample time into the multiplayer prior to launch, and therefore cannot give it a fair assessment. That being said, players can expect to put anywhere from 15-20 hours into the story mode.

NOW SHOWING

GOLD Cinema Salasar Building, Lakhtokia 9854077177

u Yo LD ad SHOU re

A

n untold story.

You don’t have to be a monk to enter the ultimate realm of happiness! Yes, it’s true.In his book Kundalini – An Untold Story, Himalayan ascetic Om Swami unveils the enigmatic story of kundalini, the formless aspect of the Goddess or your primordial energy. With workable steps for awakening this energy source, the author explains the eso-

teric and practical meaning of kundalini and the seven chakras in his usual humorous style. These riveting anecdotes are based on his personal experience gained from years of intense meditation.Take an awe-inspiring journey – something no other book on spirituality can offer – from the origins of kundalini all the way to Swami’s own sadhana in the modern age.

1920 London 11.30 AM, 2.30 & 8.30 PM Baaghi 5.30 PM Azhar 11.00 AM, 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00 PM

GOLD Cinema

LG Towers, Narangi 8811001898 1920 London 2.00 PM Azhar 11.00 AM & 8.00 PM LOkabandhoo (Assamese) 5.00 PM

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

21

Entertainment

S

amujjal Kashyap was recently accorded one of the highest honours in Indian Cinema - the National Award for the ‘Best Investigative Film’ for his movie Tezpur 1962.

Samujjal is the proprietor of Guwahati-based Eastern Television Productions. He is a celebrated film director and editor and VFX artist of Assam.

He started his career at the very young age of 16 and with his infectious penchant for filmmaking he began to churn out defining documentaries, feature films and television serials that ushered in a new-found freshness in the film industry of the region.

He has to his name some notable documentaries like Tezpur 1962, Witch Hunt (a 22-minute documentary) and Maya (one episode weekly of different stories in and around Assam).

G plus caught up with the ace filmmaker for a frank chat.

What is Tezpur 1962 all about?

This documentary is based on the situation that prevailed in Tezpur at the height of the Indo-China War of 1962. It also trails the contribution made by some individuals who, despite being tempted to leave guard and flee for fear of life, held their ground for the greater interest of the people of Tezpur. The documentary has made a poignant presentation of the selfless service provided by the erstwhile YEO (Youth Emergency Organization). It took a tremendous effort to collect the strewn threads to weave this saga of sacrifice and despair. The documentary gives a vivid sketch of Tezpur, a small town in central Assam, which was caught unawares as the 1962 war between India and China took a bad turn. The civil administration was completely paralyzed and security forces left the town and its people to fend for themselves. With no other option left, the people of Tezpur began to evacuate the town leaving behind everything that they owned.

In fact, it is the only town of independent India which was evacuated for fear of war. Tezpur would have been a different story altogether had not the Chinese announced unilateral ceasefire to the immense relief of the political leaders of India and most importantly for those people who put up a brave effort to stay back in Tezpur. ‘Tezpur-1962’ is a tribute to those civil soldiers and unsung heroes who took up the mantle of vigilantes

A

number of single Assamese videos have been released on the internet as well as on private entertainment channels but due to a lack of viewership, only a few will be able to win the hearts of viewers.

However, it is a good sign that a lot of newcomers have shown interest in producing such videos and these singles hold a lot of potential which is why the trend of making singles is becoming popular.

Dipanjali Dey, a promising singer, has recently released her new single video, ‘Radha’ in both the audio and video format. This is her second

despite having no defence resources at hand and were also unsure of the consequences in the face of a massive onslaught by the Chinese who were on the verge of usurping Tezpur.

In Conversation with Samujjal Kashyap, National Award winning filmmaker

Researching something so sensitive must have been difficult. How did you go about it?

I think a lot of it depends how you approach your subject and the people involved. We always maintain a very low-key in our approach and try hard to get the facts rights. At the end of the day you want to be neutral as a filmmaker. I always believe that in documentary filmmaking, your film will only be as good as you can hide the director in you. I make no promises of what’s going to happen to the film. I think the more relaxed you make people feel about your presence, the more comfortable they’ll be. I firmly believe that filming something sensitive usually gets better only if you go along with the people in it.

What is this genre of ‘Investigative Film’? Could you elaborate it for our readers?

Basically the genre of Investigative Film suggests that the film involves some sort of an investigation to tell a story which has remained untold. For me I was lucky to get onboard the best team and my subject specialist was Mr. Mrinal Talukdar (senior journalist) whom I’ve known since my childhood.

He has done some very important research on the political scenario of India and China back in 1962. Together we could dig deep into the subject and put this film in the right perspective.

Did you encounter anything interesting while making the movie or any problems that you’d like to share with our readers?

Someone rightly said it is always more easy to write history than to film it! For us practically, our story is totally based on something which happened in 1962, i.e. more than 50 years ago. So the primary challenge was how to tell the story with the same intent and without much visu-

als of that time. All we had was some stock footage. I never wanted to lose the intensity of a story which has fire in it and neither I was in a mood to do some fictional shooting. So I had to shoot lot of referential footage. We had to shoot for almost 2 years to complete the film. A few locations like the Bum La pass were challenging too. We had to do a lot of shoot in sub-zero temperatures and in snowfall conditions.

My cinematographer-cum-friend Nahid, couldn’t accompany me for the Arunachal Pradesh schedule. So that was another role I had to don and I had to do the cinematography in the freezing conditions! We had to also shoot a lot of things which involved the Indian Army. Besides all these, we had another major problem. Most of the people in my film are in their eighties. So handling their health condition was a major challenge. But today it gives us immense satisfaction and confidence looking back on our days with the film.

What are your plans for having a screening of the movie in the city and across the state? We are sure fans must be looking forward to watching the movie. venture after ‘Jiya Jiya’, which was highly appreciated by Assamese music lovers. Dipanjali Dey, although not a professional musician, dabbles in music to fulfil her dream of becoming a popular singer. The lyrics of the song ‘Radha’, depicting the love and sentiments of a young girl, were written by the cine journalist, Kalyan Kumar Kalita. The song was composed by Hrituv Hazarika and musically arranged by Palash Gogoi. The entire song comes to life in its beautiful rendering by Dipanjali Dey. The key role in the video has

We do have a plan for a screening in Guwahati as many people have made requests. We had a successful screening at Siri Fort Auditorium on 6th May by the Directorate of Film Festivals and at the India Habitat Centre by the Habitat Film Club on 10th May. I was very happy to see the reactions and response of the people on social media. We do have two screenings fixed in Tezpur on 21st May and in Barpeta on 15th May 2016. The Guwahati screening will be announced soon and I am very excited to meet my people that day.

What other plans are you involved in?

2016 is going to be a busy year for me. I have many more projects in the pipeline. But at the same time I need to give time to myself too. I am very much aware that with this recognition of a National Award comes more responsibility and expectations and so I am going to be a bit more careful now before starting a new film. I would never do a film for the sake of doing it.

The subject has to really excite me. So I will wait for the right time and surely come up with an interesting film in the future with the blessings of the almighty and my people.

Dipanjali Dey releases second single ‘Radha’ been played by Dipanjali, Supravat, Priyanshi, Pranjit along with child artist Purnima Das. The choreography was put together by Shubham Chakrovorty and Suraj Ray and the video was directed by Ajay Malakar. The song was cinematographed and edited by Umesh Ghosh. Makeup was done by Manashi Rahang. The album is presented by AD Shraddhanjali Produc-

tion. The singer, Dipanjali, hopes that Assamese music lovers will accept her second venture as enthusiastically as the first one and continue to encourage her in her musical journey. Apart from this, the singer also recently released a new Bihu song titled ‘Bordoisila Aahise’ and currently has plans for a new song.

KALYAN KUMAR KALITA

22

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

Citypedia Taurus

Gemini

Digging up an old idea or reviving a half-finished project could bring promising and surprising results. If you feel inspired to return to a plan that seemed to be going nowhere, after a little tweaking it could bring spectacular results this time around. The same applies to creative projects for which you may rediscover your enthusiasm and finish with a resounding flourish.

Hidden information and buried secrets may come to light in the week ahead. The reason is that the focus on your mystical and spiritual sector could encourage you to unburden yourself regarding events that need processing. If there’s something on your conscience that you’ve never told a soul, this might be a good time to reveal it, providing you can find someone you trust enough.

Cancer

Leo

Virgo

A meeting with an old friend could prove quite delightful, particularly if you haven’t seen each other in some time. Chances are good that you’ve both changed and you might get along better now than you did in the past. And with Jupiter pushing forward in your sector of talk and thought, communications look more promising in general.

Libra

What does it mean when the planet of good fortune turns direct in your psychological sector? You could find that you begin to trust your intuition and become more responsive to its messages and subtle hints. The hard work you’ve put into a spiritual discipline, such as mediation, yoga, or self-analysis, could begin to show results. Difficult situations in your outer life can begin to change for the better.

Capricorn

If you’ve had no luck regarding a court case or other legal matter, things could change for the better once Jupiter pushes forward on Monday. If you’re traveling or working abroad, stay alert for opportunities that could expand your options. This can be a time of magical encounters. Romance looks to be very sweet, with this week’s alignment sure to rekindle the flame of love and give a budding romance a passionate boost.

Jupiter storms ahead in your financial sector from Monday. If you’ve experienced delays, you should see more activity soon. However, be alert this week for openings that could enable you to enhance your income or improve your status. The past plays an important role in the present, so an old boss might have a tip or new job for you or give you the name of a contact who can be of help.

Scorpio

If you feel you’ve been held back lately by unfortunate timing, this should end starting Monday as Jupiter pushes forward in your sign.

Good things may start to come your way as a result, and you’ll realize that all those opportunities you thought had passed you by really haven’t. Stay alert, as they could start arriving soon!

Sagittarius

If you’ve had a disagreement with someone or need to renegotiate a deal, this week’s blend of energies can help you do just that.

Whether you or another makes the first move, the willingness to listen and find a compromise that works for everyone can get you back on track. With lucky Jupiter forging ahead in your sector of friends and long-held dreams, you may gain ground by joining groups connected with your interests.

With your ruler Jupiter pushing forward in your sector of career and goals on Monday, you may find that opportunities you’ve been awaiting now begin to appear. You could also get help from a boss, superior, or authority figure who wants to see you do well. But with Mercury retrograde in your lifestyle sector, you’ll need to take care when dealing with paperwork, taking messages, or negotiating deals.

If you’ve had issues with business affairs or shared finances, things might begin to look up when Jupiter dances forward on Monday. If money has been delayed for whatever reason, you should hear news that confirms it’s on the way. You’ll also find that a focus on the home front encourages you to redecorate, remove clutter, and generally get your place shipshape. Entertaining should go well, too.

Communication is key this week, so be sure to keep everyone in the loop, as it will help avoid misunderstandings and needless mistakes. If you have a particular issue to deal with, the days ahead can be perfect for helping you resolve it. Be willing to sit down and discuss core problems. You may find that a chat can propel you forward to greater success in the future.

Aquarius

Pisces

GUWAHATI

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

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 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

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY Call Centre – 9678005171

BLOOD BANK

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

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

Sudoku

police station

last week solution

Aries

Hidden treasures may come to light this week. If you’ve been mulling over ways to increase your cash flow, try rooting around in the attic, cellar, or other nooks and crannies. Also, you could hear good news regarding a job you thought you’d missed, so stay tuned for a letter or phone call. If you feel moved to try again after a previous failure, your efforts could be rewarded.

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.

Comissioner of Police: 0361-2540278 DCP, Traffic: 0361-2731847 DCP, (Central): 94350-49599 DCP, (East): - 94350-83103 DCP, (West): - 94350-27744 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

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)

About Sudoko

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

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

GMC helpline number for garbage collection

8811007000

Hospital

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)

Vigilance and anti corruption toll free number

1800-345-3767

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

Promo Fashion Show of North

East India

Fashion Week held at Terra Mayaa

A

ffluent Ray of Light (ARL) opened their journey into the 2nd edition of the North East India Fashion Week with its first promo fashion show in the region at Terra Maya on Saturday last.

The fashion show, conceptualized by acclaimed fashion designer Yana Ngoba, witnessed the participation of 13 young designers who have successfully carved a niche for themselves in the fashion industry. The designers and weavers who showcased their collection in this gala fashion evening are Arita Kashyap, Priyanka Buragohain and Dimbeswari Kherkatary from Assam; Milli Indira Dangngo, Techi Yapar and Minu Mara from Arunachal Pradesh; Charlee Mathlena and Lalthabiki Chawngthu from Mizoram; Rupert W. Lynrah from Meghalaya; Gloria Ovung from Nagaland; Huanpi Rani from Bengaluru and Archana Kabra from Rajasthan.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Operating Officer and founder of Affluent Ray of Light, fashion designer Yana Ngoba said,

7

Events

Shraddhanjali Kanan, Opp. Assam State Zoo, Zoo Road, Guwahati, India AT 6:30 aM

POWER OF FITNESS Dreamland Amusement Park, Guwahati, India AT 3:00 AM “With this event we want to promote the weavers of the region who lives in disguise but are so important for the designers across the world. At NEIFW, our focus is to support weavers of Northeast and brilliant emerging designers. We also offer weavers and designers the opportunity to retail through our online boutique connection and to showcase their designs in international platform and in dealing with manufacturers and buyers.”

“

A

Days

MAY 15

The Funny Rascals” – the first ever Hinglish stand-up comedy show in Guwahati turned out be a wonderful evening filled with sound of laughter as noted comedians Nitin Rivaldo and Appurv Gupta tickled the funny bones of the house packed audience at ITA, Machkhowa. The comedy show was organized by Guwahati Round Table 235 under the banner of Round Table India as a charity fund-raising event to raise funds to build classrooms and school infrastructure at Shankardev Sishu Vidya Niketan in Dadara (Near Hajo).

Speaking on this great response, Rajat Sureka, Chairman of Guwahati Round Table 235, said, “I thank the people of Guwahati for this wonderful response. The laughter evoked by this comedy show will spread smiles to those 500 under-privileged students at Dadara by giving them opportunity to go to a school with a better learning environment and infrastructure. Stand-up comedy being a new genre of performing arts, will also help create platform for aspiring local artists.”

n unofficial chapter of the Robin Hood Army conducted their pilot drive in Guwahati. They fed about 30 people at the railway station and will conduct more drives in the near future.

Event

May 14th to May 20th

Guwahati laughs with “The Funny Rascals”

‘For a Noble cause’

23

FLO Northeast Chapter event

T

SUMMER9TEEN.2 ZERO MILE, R. G. Barua Road, Ganeshguri, Guwahati AT 1:00 PM

Trapoholic & Bollytonic Noon THE LILY HOTEL , SIX MILE AT 3:00 PM

Summersins Pool Party

CAFE COPA

SONIC SUNDAZE

he 1st event of the year 2016-17, under the leadership of Ms. Indrani Deb, Chairperson, FLO North East was held in India Club on 12th May 2016. It was a program packed with knowledge sharing as well as bonhomie amidst fun. Ms. Ruprekha Goswami, renowned photographer, shared some insights into the science and charisma of the shutterbug. This was followed by FLO members, coming in dressed up through the ages, as famous women personalities or representating styles of those ages and gracing the ramp with a show of their panache and style. FLO member photographer, Ms. Priti Bhartia, hosted the photo booth to capture memories of FLO’s first evening of this year, for all members.

24

G PLUS MAY 14 - MAY 20, 2016

Catching Up Most shared story of the week

New

Chic

Recent installations of Self service payment kiosks for electricity bills at 6 Mile, Dispur and Kalapahar was reported by GPlus. Owing to the utility friendly nature of the initiative by the concerned department, the post was shared 24 times with 203 likes and it reached around 7000 people. facebook.com/guwahatiplus twitter.com/guwahatiplus

on the block

Krisha Shivam About Me

We do not know who we are until we take time to discover who we can be. Hidden within us, our unrealized potential is an entity we are yet to become.

I’m Krisha Shivam, hailing from the city of love - Tezpur, I did my schooling from KV No. 1, Tezpur. I’m a 19 year old who is currently pursuing her graduation from University of Delhi and by profession I’m a model and an athlete who has been practicing Taekwondo for the past 12 years.

Mojo

Being fit is a mantra I strictly follow because the purpose of training is to tighten up the slack in our body. I believe in being bold, from the clothes I wear to how I talk. For me boldness does not necessarily mean stripping. It means being different and confident.

Route in the Woods

PIC OF THE The ‘heat’ of the moment

Photo: Adib Zamali

WEEK

Gone are those days when women used to stay inside the house. Whether it is business, army or fashion industry, you can find talented woman in each and every field. And I’m really working hard and preparing for something big.

My biggest desire is to represent our country on an international platform someday in the future.

Guwahati

GYAN

Did you know?

Anundoram Barua flyover

T In Association with

he Chandmari f lyover, as it is commonly known, is the perfect places for an adda. As the sun goes down youngsters can be seen hanging out throughout the entire stretch of the f lyover adding to the beauty of the area. But the name of the f lyover is scarcely known to people. It was named after the great Sanskrit scholar Anundoram Barua and only a handful of the denizens know

or call it Anundoram Barua Setu. For most of those who whiz by the bust of the late scholar, it is the Chandmari f lyover. It is also the best vantage point to enjoy any event taking place at the AEI ground.

The f lyover was opened to all in 1985 which brought a major advancement to the area as it eased the traffic route of the area which was earlier connected through Rajgarh.

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