Vol 5 Issue 47

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G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018 @guwahatiplus www.guwahatiplus.com

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Volume 05 | Issue 47 Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018 Price `10

Smelly Manik Nagar ‘Garbage Transfer Station’ posing serious health hazard

Beltola Bazar - a lifeline that is turning out to be harassment

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The hullabaloo of undertaking an ASTC journey

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Real estate prices to skyrocket in N Ghy due to proposed bridge from city

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GMC fails to keep Guwahati clean despite 58 NGOs at work for 1 year G Plus News

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ven after one year (from September 2017) of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) engaging 58 non government organisations (NGOs) for collecting garbage from its 31 wards, the city is far from fulfilling the dream of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat.

Guwahati dropped to 207th position in 2018 from 134th in 2017.

Guwahati was ranked 58th in 2016 in Swachh Bharat Survekshan.

Even now the residents of Guwahati are upset with GMC for not being able to keep the city clean; recently it has been

An uncleared garbage dump at Kharguli offering fodder for a stray cow observed that GMC has failed to collect garbage on time from many pockets of the city.

A resident of Kharguli said, “There is always a huge mound

of garbage at the entrance of Dr Bhupen Hazarika Path and

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Hargilla numbers on the rise in city: Census which Lachit ghat at Machkhoa - the area Photo Plus G the new bridge will connect |

Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

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and and real estate prices in North Guwahati are all set to rise considerably with the new proposed bridge which will connect Guwahati to North Guwahati, feel experts.

The construction work for the long pending, six-lane bridge is set to begin within the next few months. Officials informed that it will connect Bharalumukh in Guwahati to Abhayapur in North Guwahati

Hiranya Barman

which is merely three kilometres from the Doul Govinda Temple.

The increased connectivity will be one of the major reasons which will propel the real estate prices to skyrocket in North Guwahati, said real estate developers.

“With the better connectivity, the land prices will definitely shoot up in North Guwahati. The construction of the proposed bridge will certainly help to develop the real estate scenario in North Guwahati,” Ranel Das, a Guwahati-based architect told G Plus.

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n what can be termed as good news for conservation of the Greater Adjutant Stork (popularly called Hargilla or Bortukula in Assamese), Guwahati recorded a higher number of individuals than last year.

A census carried out by Early Birds, an NGO working for conservation in the field of forest and wildlife, stated that as many as 220 individuals have been spotted in 11 places in the city. Moloy Baruah, Dr Monoranjan Choudhury, Debananda Barua, Pranjal Choudhury, Gautam Choudhury, Monorama Das, Monipadma Borthakur, MI Borboruah, Naba Talukdar, Bapan Talukdar, Amiya Das, Bhabesh Goswami and Rakash Kr Deka, a commerce student of Gauhati University, took part in the census.

The iconic shot of a disarrayed stork on the GS Road some months ago Video screen shot

As many as 185 storks were found in the 2017 census, according to the census report. Sightings of the Greater Adjutant storks have been made at Ulubari, the graveyard behind RG Baruah Stadium Complex near the Haji Musafir Khana, Gandhi Mandap,

Seelsako Beel, North Guwahati and Doboka Beel at Pasonia Para, which is at a distance of 3 kilometres from LGB International Airport, among other places. n

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2 Lead Story Snippets Man-elephant conflict in Guwahati; four severely injured

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t least four people including one woman were severely injured during an elephant rampage in Guwahati’s Panjabari area on early morning Friday.

The residents of the area stated that an elephant herd was regularly seen moving in the area but on Friday one elephant attacked the locals injuring at least four people.

The injured people have been identified as Hari Das, Bobita Das, Rahul Das and Upen Das. According to reports, the elephant entered Bagharbori and Panjabari of Guwahati and started destroying houses and vehicles.

The forest department officials, following the incident, reached the spot and managed to chase the herd away.

Speeding truck kills biker at Jalukbari

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

Real estate prices to skyrocket...

Continued from page » 1 He added that the location of the bridge will also play a vital role in determining the land prices in North Guwahati.

“It might also happen that the areas surrounding the bridge might get a boost in terms of real estate but the areas might not get too affected. But overall, it is certainly going to help the people of Guwahati as with the bridge becoming operational, it will take hardly any time to reach North Guwahati from the major locations of Guwahati,” informed Das. Experts in the field of real estate mentioned that it is a welcome move by the state government which has finally

decided to begin the construction of the proposed bridge. However, they also said that the river communication and ferry services will take a hit once the construction of the bridge is complete.

On the other hand, throwing light on the difference in land prices between Guwahati and North Guwahati, Ratul Baruah, a Mouzadar and long-time resident of North Guwahati said that currently a bigha of land in North Guwahati costs Rs 40- 50 lakhs whereas in Guwahati, the current price of one bigha of prime land in Guwahati is around Rs 4 crores.

With the construction of the proposed bridge over the Brahmaputra River, the price of land in North Guwahati is

expected to reach in crores of rupees, altering the scene of real estate in North Guwahati completely.

S. Borooah, a real estate developer who currently builds residential flats in Guwahati opined, “North Guwahati is where Guwahati needs to expand. Its proximity to the airport puts it at a huge advantage locationwise. Plus, given that Guwahati has just no breathing space for expansion, it is only logical that the expansion takes place at North Guwahati.”

Another real estate developer, BK Sarma, said that development of North Guwahati has been long pending. “It is just surprising that the north bank of the Brahmaputra, across from

Govt takes up construction after the boat capsize incident ed, the government will consider all options for providing a safer mode of transport for the people, he added.

The Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority had engaged a Singapore-based company - SMEC Consultant Group - to prepare the detailed project report (DPR) and to undertake the feasibility study for the project.

The bridge will prove to be a huge relief for the city residents as it will reduce the travelling time by road via the current Saraighat Bridge. n

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major accident occurred at Jalukbari on Friday morning.

According to the reports on ground, a scooter was hit by a speeding truck which resulted in the death of the rider.

The deceased has been identified as Tapan Das, a resident of Jalukbari.

There was traffic congestion due to the accident and the police are trying to find out what actually happened.

Further details are awaited.

Guwahati to host India - West Indies ODI on Oct 21

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uwahati is all set to host a One Day International (ODI) between India - West Indies on October 21 at Barsapara Stadium.

The tour includes two tests, five one-day internationals and three T20 Internationals, and will run till November 11.

The last international match held in the city between India and Australia didn’t leave a good name for Guwahati among people across the globe, due to a ‘stone pelting issue.’

Guwahati, has remained so rustic as against the rapid urbanization of Guwahati itself. It is this bridge that will allow North Guwahati to change completely and come at par with Guwahati itself,” he said.

Biju Das, a resident of Guwahati, who had purchased some land at North Guwahati a few years ago to build a farmhouse, was thrilled with the announce of the construction of the bridge. He said that if the bridge is completed on time, he would be happy to make the pristine surroundings of North Guwahati his place of residence as commuting to Guwahati for work would hardly take time. “It would allow me to live in Guwahati virtually and yet live in peace at the same time,” he added tongue-in-cheek. n

Real estate prices to shoot up with the proposed bridge, feel experts Construction for the six-lane bridge is set to begin within the next few months

Indian Army carrying rescue operation after the boat capsized tragedy | G Plus Photo

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day after a mechanized boat sank in the Brahmaputra, state minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the state government will take the matter as a priority to commence work on the six-lane bridge over Brahmaputra connecting North Guwahati.

The proposed bridge announced by Sarma will be 1.6 km long, of which 1.24 km will be designed as a multi-span extradosed bridge – a technology superior to conventional bridge

design in terms of safety and aesthetics.

The bridge has been on the state government’s agenda for a very long time now. It was proposed 40 years ago and saw various plans in the past 14 years but none of them saw the light of the day.

The proposed bridge will be a six-lane carriage-way having overall width of about 33 meters.

The elevated road will start from AT Road (Near Bhootnath) and will meet at Machkhowa on MG Road on Guwahati side.

The main bridge over river

will start forming a Y-junction between the elevated road and the bridge. The approach road will meet at Gauripur on NH 31 (East-West Corridor) on North Guwahati side.

“We have received approval for external aid from the finance ministry. We will avail a loan of Rs 2,000 crores from the BRICS New Development Bank. IIT-Guwahati has finalized the design. We hope to start construction of the bridge within the next six months and complete it by 2022,” Sarma told the media.

Until the bridge is complet-

Increased connectivity will propel the real estate costs to skyrocket Areas surrounding the bridge might get a boost and others might not: experts The price of land in North Guwahati is expected to reach in crores of rupees It will be 1.6 km long, 1.24 km will be designed as a multispan extradosed bridge

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

4 Concern Snippets Ranjan Gogoi appointed as the Chief Justice of India

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

Smelly Manik Nagar ‘Garbage Transfer Station’ posing serious health hazard for nearby residents Nehal Jain jain.nehal@g-plus.in

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resident of India, Ram Nath Kovind has officially appointed Ranjan Gogoi as the next Chief Justice of India. Gogoi is set to take the charge on 3rd October, 2018.

The appointment comes nearly a week after his predecessor Dipak Misra wrote to the government recommending him as his successor.

Justice Gogoi will be appointed as the 46th CJI and also the first judge from the northeast to be appointed as the Chief Justice.

Born on 18th November, 1954, Justice Gogoi was enrolled as an advocate in 1978.

Gogoi practised in the Gauhati High Court on constitutional, taxation and company matters and was later appointed as a Permanent Judge of the Gauhati High Court on 28th February, 2001.

On 9th September, 2010, he was transferred to the Punjab & Haryana High Court.

He also served as the Chief Justice of Punjab & Haryana High Court following which he was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of India on 23rd April, 2012.

Baahubali’s Mahishmati Kingdom themed Durga Puja pandal in Guwahati

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he Bimala Nagar Durga Puja committee of Guwahati is working day and night to build a huge Mahishmati Kingdom themed pandal for the upcoming Durga Puja.

The ve ry popular film, Baahubali was set in the Mahishmati Kingdom.

The artisans working on the pandal are from Kolkata. Although Mahishmati is a majestic kingdom with a height of 110 ft, due to space constraint, the pandal here will be made of 80 ft height and 55-60 ft width.

As many as 850 bamboos procured from different places of Guwahati have been used to build the pandal so far.

The pandal is expected to be open for public one week before Durga Puja.

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t has become rather unpleasant for the residents of Manik Nagar, RG Baruah Road (popularly Zoo Road) to open the doors and windows of their houses due to the garbage dumped on its margin on a daily basis. This is due to the ‘Garbage Transfer Station’ set up by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) right at the head of the Manik Nagar stretch.

The residents, businessmen and commuters alike, have expressed discontent over the presence of a garbage site at this prime location.

“It was a terrible decision by the administration to set up the garbage station in a residential area. It’s like they did not put any thought into the decision and set up the dump on the main road,” informed Rahul Das, the secretary of Royale Pearl Apartment (House no 1) that is situated right behind the garbage plant.

He further emphasized that the residents of the apartment are worst affected by the dump since the foul stench reaches their house and they’re unable to even open the windows for fresh air. Additionally, Das told G Plus that while the residents have complained of the problems via social media platforms in the past, they’re now resorting to write an official letter to the GMC regarding the same.

In the same vein, the owner of a restaurant that runs close to the garbage station said, “Every

The garbage transfer station at Manik Nagar | G Plus Photo morning from around 9 AM to 1 PM we are exposed to the foul smell that wafts out of the dumpster. That is the time that the garbage collected from around the area reaches the dump and the segregation work begins. While a lot of customers used to eat breakfast and lunch during this particular time period earlier, the situation has changed drastically over the years because people do not want to eat their food amidst the stink of garbage and drainage.”

The waste products that reach the dump are segregated into reusable and non-reusable wastes and tied up in sacks. Later in the evening, the garbage sacks are loaded onto a large truck that visits the site once a day and are taken away.

Until the truck arrives, the sacks are scattered all over the road, complained the residents of Manik Nagar. They further added, “Sometimes the entire entry point of Manik Nagar from Zoo Road

gets blocked by the garbage. At other times, it’s spread across the main road which causes massive traffic jams.”

The stretch of Zoo Road, that is a crucial artery of the city, has witnessed a huge growth in the volume of traffic in recent years. But, the commuters too are having a harrowing experience crossing the large pile of dump. The foul smell that comes out of the site adds to the harrowing experience. n

GMC mulls plan to procure equipments to curb the problem

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he garbage spread on the road not only gives off a foul, unbearable stench but is also a source of health problems. While ‘Garbage Transfer Station’ that was set up at Manik Nagar by the GMC back in 2015, wasn’t always a source of problem, the officials too have been lately receiving multiple complaints regarding the same.

Speaking to G Plus, Manojit Bujarbaruah, executive engineer of GMC said, “The idea behind the transfer station is to transfer garbage in enclosed space, instead of open. Hence, garbage lying outside the station is not acceptable and should be curbed at the ear-

liest. The issue has come to light very recently and we suspect that the reason behind the menace is shortage of compacter vehicles.

“Presently, we have one compacter vehicle and one garbage truck to carry the garbage from the station to the dump located at Boragaon. By the time the truck dumps the garbage and comes back for another trip, more garbage gets collected at the station.

We are currently procuring more equipment for garbage collection and vehicles for waste segregation to curb the problem, which can be expected to be solved in a month’s time.”

In a move to curb the ever-growing problem of waste and

its disposal, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) recently launched an awareness campaign in the city with the aim to promote waste segregation at source.

Additionally, a highly placed source at the GMC told G Plus that Guwahati will receive 400 more litter bins before Durga Puja this year; these dustbins will be installed across all major commercial areas.

Earlier, when asked about the performance of the NGOs working in tandem with the GMC that are responsible for collection of garbage from across the city, Manojit Bujarbaruah said, “Among the NGOs, some are working efficiently while

others are average and a few are not taking their work seriously at all. We, at GMC, have identified 11 such NGOs whose performances have been really bad and we’re taking strict action against them.

Not only are they being penalized, their contracts will also being terminated if they do not start functioning properly.”

At a time when the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) led state as well as national government is laying a lot of emphasis on the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, citizens of Guwahati have been continually expressing discontent over the steps being taken by the administration towards achieving its cleanliness goals. n

Poll

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

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Guwahati footpaths have been overrun and nobody cares: G Plus Poll Chetan Bhattarai

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e just saw the PWD minister surveying work of colourful tiles on the footpaths of Guwahati. There is a beautification drive going on in many parts of the city. A lot of people welcomed the drive, but many are already worried that soon after the beautification drive, these places will be occupied by vendors selling vegetables or fish or some other product. Guwahati’s footpaths have been overrun by petty businesses and there seems to be no hope left for pedestrians in this modern city.

In between all this, G Plus found that most of the footpaths have been occupied by either vegetable vendors or fish sellers. The ratio of occupancy was roughly 3:1 for vegetable vendors and fish sellers. This made us call for a poll on whether they should be removed. To our surprise, 74% of the respondents in a total sample size of 856 were of the view that they

should be removed. Only 26% believed that the fish sellers and vegetable vendors should be allowed to operate until suitable locations are allocated to them.

Respondents expressed that not only vegetable vendors, normal shopkeepers have extended their shops right onto the roads.

It’s illegal, but no strict action has been taken so far. In the mornings shopkeepers would just take out the goods from their shops and occupy the footpaths as a display area. The footpaths have thankfully not become homes yet in Guwahati, felt the respondents.

Apart from that footpaths are used as parking spaces, market places, public toilets, garbage disposal sites and roadside eateries.

This illegal footpath utilisation is rampant throughout the city, felt the majority of respondents.

Those in favour of removal of vendors from footpaths felt that the city was getting crowded with vegetable vendors and fish sellers.

Due to the economic progress of Guwahati and mushrooming of apartments and housing colonies there has been a rise in all kinds

Do you think fish and vegetable vendors occupying the footpaths should be removed?

Yes

74% Votes

856 No

26% of vendors providing services at the doorstep. These vendors are un-organised and put their goods

on sale right on the footpath as there are not many options for them to set up shop. This has cre-

ated problems for the pedestrians who now have to use the already crowded roads to walk. Respondents felt that the government is busy with bigger projects and is neglecting the rights of the pedestrians. The footpaths are meant for walking and should be strictly used for just that, felt the respondents. Most of the city pedestrians are seen sharing the roads with other vehicles and getting irritated when honked upon. The safety of the pedestrians in Guwahati was neglected, felt many, and they strongly advocated that footpaths should be dedicated just for the purpose of walking and nothing else.

The 26% respondents supporting the vendors felt that the government was to be solely blamed for not understanding the demands of the city dwellers. The city residents are a busier lot and having a fish or a vegetable vendor nearby is an added advantage.

They agree that occupying the footpaths is not good but argue that these are poor people are only trying to eke out an honest living. n

6 City Snippets Soon, you will need a written approval to deposit cash in others’ account

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he State Bank of India (SBI) and other nationalised banks have come forward with a new rule in which cash can be deposited in an account only with a written permission of the account holder.

One cannot just go to a branch and deposit the cash in an account like in the past. Online deposits are not affected by this rule and deposits through SBI Green Remit Card and SBI Insta Deposit Card will continue.

The rule bars even family members from depositing cash without the written approval of the other member holding the account. A form for the purpose will be issued by the banks.

This rule has been brought on the request of the IT department as during de-monetisation, a lot of cash was deposited in people’s accounts. When the Income Tax department enquired with the account holders, they simply claimed that the money was deposited without their consent.

Keeping this in mind all the government banks have changed rules to deposit cash in accounts. This rule is also to check the growing number of fake transactions and banking frauds in the country.

UGC drops all PG courses of Krishna Kanta Handique State Open University

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he University Grants Commission (UGC) has barred Krishna Kanta Handique State Open University (KKHSOU) from taking PG students in any stream apart from Assamese from the current educational year.

This is a serious setback for the university as well as students as a huge number of students used to be enrolled in the KKHSOU every year.

The KKHSOU websites have removed all other subjects except Assamese in this current educational year and the online admission portal now only offers MA in Assamese Literature.

However, the Registrar of KKHSOU, A. Chaudhury has been camping in New Delhi for the last few days to meet the UGC Chairman to re ve rse the situation, as it has become a big blot for the university.

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

Beltola Bazar - a lifeline that is turning out to be harassment Hiranya Barman

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eltola Bazar, one of the oldest traditional markets in Guwahati, which has been a lifeline of the Beltola locality for over two decades, is struggling for space now and at the same time giving a harrowing time to commuters.

A few years ago Gauhati High Court had restricted the vendors’ business hours to time limits but the nature of the market, with its heavy footfall, virtually overruled the court’s orders informally even if not on papers. The High Court had set time limits for the bi-weekly market which is set up on Sundays and Thursdays from Beltola Tiniali stretch to Jayanagar Chariali. On Sundays, the bazar was told to be set up from 5 am to 12 noon while on Thursdays from 5 am to 10 am. However, at present, Beltola market continues to function till 10 pm to 11 pm on

both the days.

“To commute through the Beltola market on Thursdays has slowly become impossible. Arrival of more vendors in recent times has made the place more crowded. It would be quite impossible for emergency services to ply in times of need,” a resident staying near the market said.

“While Beltola market is important for people staying nearby to cater to their requirements of vegetables and other commodities, a strict timing is the need of the hour for convenience of commuters. The Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) has a bigger and stricter role to play in this,” another resident said.

The vendors of Beltola Bazar mainly come from Kharupetia, Nagaon, Barpeta, Nalbari, Sonapur, Boko, Byrnihat and Singra.

There are around 700-800 vendors that include permanent and fleeting ones.

“To travel from a distant place to Beltola with vegetables is not an easy task. A time limit would

Completion of permanent market building remains a distant dream

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onstruction of a multi-storey building adjacent to the market was taken up in 2014 by the authority to accommodate the vendors.

However the construction hasn’t seen any sign of completion till date.

“The contractor who was assigned the construction of the building sought the High Court’s intervention when he was deprived of his payments.

He was later paid upon the High Court’s intervention. He

however, didn’t complete the work due to other reasons. The building was initially meant to be four storeyed but due to some technical fault it has been reduced to one storey. The GMC has been blind to this issue for long,” an official source said.

Vendors however are apprehensive of the fact that they would at all get any space in the multi-storey building.

However, they shied away from vending in the upper floor and rather chose to vend in the open. n

Beltola market and its full congestion | G Plus Photo kill most of our business hours.

We are not illegal either as we pay taxes against our trade to GMC,” a vendor from Barpeta said.

“A respective time limit would be problematic for the vendors.

We have called on the government for setting up of 9 vending zones in the city. The government’s de-

cision is pending on the issue,” Organizing Secretary of Street Vendors’ Association, Tultul Kachari Sonowal said.

About 40 per cent of the vendors have been plying their trade at the market for more than 10 years and the rest for about 5 years. n

Beltola Bazar a heritage market

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eltola is a traditional market that was earlier a small “haat” market when it was part of the Beltola Kingdom. A Guwahati chapter research work on vending in India namely, “Street Vending in Guwahati: Experiences of Conflict” by Centre for Urban Equity, CEPT University in Ahmedabad and Society for Social Transformation & Environmental Protection (sSTEP) has revealed that though a multi storey market is under construction for vendors in Beltola, it is very

difficult to tell whether both vendors and customers would go there for trade. The capacity of this multi-storey building to accommodate 700-800 vendors is also doubtful. As Beltola is an old, traditional and historical market, the entire stretch from Beltola Tiniali to Jayanagar Chariali should be declared as “heritage market” by GMC. The traffic should be diverted towards Beltola Chariali from Beltola Tiniali and towards the national highway from Jayanagar Tiniali on Thursdays and Sundays, it said. n

Potable water, toilet and space crunch for vendors

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endors are of the view that even if heavy taxes are collected through lessees by GMC they are deprived of space, toilet and potable water.

Vendors said that absence of demarcated spaces for individual vendors lead to chaos on market days. The June-October period sees more vendors in the market resulting in space crunch.

Absence of public toilets has been a source of harassment for the vendors since time immemorial.

Vendors who come from distant places to the

market and reach at night have cited absence of toilets as a major problem. Vendors, upon asked what they do to answer nature’s call, cited that they had no way out other than using toilets of people staying nearby or preferred going to distant places.

Women vendors face the brunt of this problem the maximum. The rising concern of open defecation by the vendors in absence of public toilets cannot be negated.

“I consume less water during business hours to cut down going to the toilet,” a Garo women vendor said.

The research

by CPET University and sSTEP has recommended that to prevent exploitation by private parties, the GMC should create representative market management committees that can safeguard the interests of vendors. It also recommended formation of street vending committees and zonal vending committees in all markets.

The research further suggested that as tax collection through lessee has revealed an exploitation of the vendors, the GMC should collect tax by

engaging their own employees or strictly monitor the taxation system of lessee.

“As per rough estimate, the GMC earns revenues of Rs 26 lakhs per year from Beltola market (if there are minimum 500 vendors and each pays Rs 50 per market day). Looking at the amount of revenue earned by the local government, it is imperative for the authorities to provide basic amenities such as shade, potable water, public toilet, storage and night shelter to the street vendors of Beltola market,” it said. n

In The News

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

7

Section 377 and the Social Media – Why so much fuss?

Atiqul Habib manages the digital desk of G Plus and offers his opinion on social media reactions in the aftermath of the decriminalization of Section 377 verdict, the situation on ground can be extremely dicey. There are still hate-mongers hiding in plain sight – people for whom the 377 verdict is too difficult to digest – something that would not go down their gullet.

Post the verdict, it is equally important to identify sensitive areas where violent behaviour has been reported against the

Members of the LGBTQ community of the city during a rainbow pride rally in Guwahati | G Plus Photo Atiqul Habib

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n a groundbreaking decision, the Supreme Court of India lifted the ban on gay sex on 6th September 2018. The decision has put to rest a long-term legal battle and has brought new hope for the LGBTQ community in the country.

A five-judge panel in the Supreme Court was unanimous in its decision to end the law commonly known as “Section 377” that prohibits “carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal” which is widely interpreted to refer to gay sex.

With the LGBTQ community

celebrating the historic judgement, one can say, "Sex orientation is like religion; it’s good to have one, but dangerous to bring it out into the limelight."

Regardless of this historic judgement – what needs to be asked is if our people are actually responsible?

Social media channels and chat forums are flooded with “inappropriate content” – photos and videos alike.

Now whether you are straight or gay, this “content” has drawn a lot of attention and has spread like wildfire on the internet.

However, netizens are never what they portray to be. Our people have had a history of a mob-frenzy and unpredictable behaviour. While people on the internet have supported the 377

Guwahati based Iron & Steel Company bags award from Union Ministry

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D Iron & Steel Co of Guwahati, manufacturers of renowned XTECH TMT BARS, has been awarded with “Certificate of Appreciation” for excellence and consistency in quality of their products and contribution to the steel production in northeast, by the Ministry of Steel, Government of India, at a function in New Delhi on Sept 13, 2018.

The award was given by the Union Minister of Steel, Chaudhary Birender Singh, in recognition of its outstanding performance and service to the

infrastructure sector with high quality TMT Bars and leading to contribution in the economy of northeast.

Total 24 units were selected in different categories from all across the country.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Dilip Goenka, Managing Partner, KD Iron & Steel Co said that this award recognises KD Group’s commitment towards initiatives and innovations which are trendsetters, exemplary and add value to the secondary steel sector. n

LGBTQ community.

The internet is a trending world and only the popular opinion makes headlines; but is this an actual acceptance of the decision? It wouldn’t be surprising if we, in due time, start hearing cases emerge out of the northern belt of India about hate crime – with people now targeting the LGBTQ community.

And why just the northern belt?

Our people in the northeast are equally capable of being hate mongers and frenzied, case in point, the Dokmoka lynching incident.

Rest assured, for the LGBTQ community, the battle against the court has been won, but it could just be the beginning of the battle against the society. n

8 Concern Snippets Regional satellite centre for tobacco quitline services inaugurated

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

Highrises on Guwahati hills not the safest of options: NORSAR Hiranya Barman

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Regional Satellite Centre for Tobacco Quitline Services under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (H&FW), Government of India was formally inaugurated at Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI), Guwahati on the September 13.

Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, former chief minister of Assam, inaugurated the Tobacco Quitline Services as the chief guest during the inaugural function.

The recent Global Adult Tobacco Survey-2 (GATS-2) of 2016-2017 has shown that compared to 20092010, tobacco consumption in the state of Assam has increased to 48.2% from 39.3%.

The prevalence of current tobacco smoking and smokeless form in the state of Assam is 13.3% and 41.7% respectively and national average for the same is 10.7% and 21.4% respectively.

The prevalence of tobacco consumption in Assam is much higher than the all-India average tobacco consumption. Also, as per the GATS-2 report, 92.4% of adults believed that smoking causes serious illness and 95.6% of adults believed that use of smokeless tobacco causes serious illness. So, the quitline services will offer an opportunity to the tobacco users who are willing to quit its addiction.

Dr Amal Chandra Kataki, Director of Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) stated that there is an existing National Tobacco Quitline Services at Vallavbhai Patel Chest Institute, New Delhi under the Ministry of H&FW. The Ministry recently took three more institutes from across the country for setting up of Regional Satellite Centre of Tobacco Quitline Service.

The three regional centres will be Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Dr BBCI, Guwahati and National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences at Bangalore.

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re building constructions safe on the hills of Guwahati? Well, experts are not quite in favour of high rise constructions on the city’s hills.

However, Guwahatians are tending to build high rise buildings on the hills. Also, a greater number of educational institutions have been set up negating the ecological balance; how much of risk this poses to people’s lives is a vital question.

Speaking to G Plus, the head of department of earthquake hazard and risk of Norwegian Seismic Array (NORSAR), Dominik H Lang, said that the haphazard fashion of building construction on the hills of Guwahati was a matter of “serious concern.”

NORSAR was established in 1968 as part of the Norwegian-US agreement for the detection of earthquakes. Based in Oslo, a team of NORSAR headed by Lang is currently working on an earthquake damage estimation project for Guwahati city in tandem with Assam Engineering College.

“Buildings are being constructed on the slopes, which is huge threat to life. The uneven foundation of such buildings on the slopes is definitely not strong. An earthquake of big magnitude can turn those buildings into rubble within seconds,” said Lang, while giving an overview of the project, adding that Guwahati is geologically and topographically different from the other cities in the country as it is based on soft soil.

Soft soil bases in seismic zones are more vulnerable to earth-

The haphazard fashion of building construction on the hills of Guwahati was a matter of “serious concern.”

Dominik H Lang, Head of department (NORSAR)

What if a disaster strikes?

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xperts opined that technology would play a big role in mitigating problems after a disaster.

They held an idea that immediately after an earthquake the local authority should know about the accessibility of the rescue teams and have overview maps that help the rescuers.

“They should know where to send the rescue teams and how to launch rescue operations.

Technology should come up in

High rise buildings on a hill in the city | G Plus Photo quakes compared to hard soil.

“The growth of Guwahati is directed along the major roads, while it is restricted because of physical constraints like hills and water bodies. It is affecting the size of the city. Distance between the buildings is shrinking and the city has a dearth of open space,” he said.

When contacted, the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) officials re-

fused to talk about the building permissions given on the hillocks of Guwahati.

Sources in the GMDA have said however that building permission of ground plus one (two storey) is the norm that has been allocated on the hills. The source also said that the Authority can act against illegal constructions only when complaints against such illegal constructions are filed. n

Green Belt norms continue to be flouted

such a way that overview maps showing disasters are made available to every stakeholder.

Overview maps indicating relative and absolute damage distribution would be of great help. Instead of having a single map of the city which creates confusion, smaller maps demarcating the city in smaller units are much better. The smaller maps will show damage and loss distribution of each unit,” the experts from NORSAR including Lang believe. n

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onstruction of buildings in green belt areas have been flouting norms since time immemorial.

Adjacent areas of the beels in the city- Borsola, Xorusola, Deeporbeel and Silsakobeel, areas near river side, Jyotikuchi, Saokuchi etc are regarded as green belt areas.

Apartments as high as 14 storey to 18 storey are being constructed in these areas. GMDA officials are of the opinion that not more than one storey can be built in these ar-

eas. Residents of Saokuchi green belt areas are a confused lot. While they don’t know whether their area was newly designated as green belt they continue to make RCC buildings that are more than one storey.

“We had acquired building permission from GMDA to build two storey. Later we got to know that this area has been newly designated as a green belt. We don’t know what to do now,” a resident of Saokuchi said on condition of anonymity. n

Weather report for the week Guwahati

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Partly Cloudy

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34°/26° C

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32°/26° C

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34°/26° C

SATURDAY Scattered Storms

33°/26° C

Health

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

Advanced cancer care: First stoma clinic of NE opens in Ghy Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

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he first stoma clinic of the Northeast became operational recently at the B Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) in Guwahati.

Inaugurated on September 8, the clinic comes as a relief to stoma patients who will now have access to a dedicated facility to seek stoma-related treatment.

Stoma is an artificial opening created surgically for cancer patients and sometimes for other patients who have a condition where the natural passages like the rectum or the bladder are removed permanently.

This artificially created opening aids in the discharge of urine and stool in such cases. It remains permanent in many cases, but requires proper care. A person who has undergone a surgery to get stoma is called an ostomate.

Authorities at the BBCI informed G Plus that the clinic

First stoma clinic of Northeast became operational in Guwahati People with stoma require special care which was lacking earlier Special tests are required for washing and cleaning of stoma These are available at the BBCI stoma clinic Nurses will be trained in stoma care at Tata Memorial Hospital Mumbai From Jan 2016 till now BBCI has created permanent stoma for 35 patients Clinic will create awareness for stoma patients in the northeast.

Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute | G Plus Photo was started with the support of Ostomy Association of India which is a voluntary organisation of ostomates, nurses and doctors working in the field of stoma.

People with stoma require special care which was lacking in the city and in entire Assam prior to this.

“There are special tests required for washing and cleaning of stoma which are available at the clinic. It will be manned by nurses who are trained in stoma care,” Said Dr Bibhuti Bhushan Borthakur, medical superintendent at BBCI. Officials added that training will be imparted to nurses on recognizing stoma abnormalities, care of the stoma patient in the immediate post-operative period, support needed for the patient to become independent and practical demonstration on nutritional requirements among others.

Authorities at the BBCI informed G Plus that from January 2016 till date, the cancer institute has operated on and created permanent stoma for 35 patients. In addition to this, around 360 tracheostomies, or creating stoma in the wind pipe, are performed at BBCI to overcome breathing difficulties for patients with advanced head and neck cancers. In the year 2016, out of 11,864 cancer patients,

“Earlier patients did not have anybody to go to if they had a problem. Since it is not a natural process and stoma is an artificial fitting, it is prone to a number of problems,” Dr B B Borthakur, Medical superintendent at BBCI.

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2,541 (21.4%) patients with head and neck cancer underwent the surgery.

Experts feel that the first-ofits-kind stoma care clinic will provide a holistic treatment for stoma by helping to provide better care as well as awareness for stoma patients in the northeast.

“Earlier patients did not have

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anybody to go to if they had a problem. Since it is not a natural process and stoma is an artificial fitting, it is prone to a number of problems,” mentioned Dr Borthakur.

Further, with a view to provide sensitisation among the patients about various aspects of stoma, the experts at the clinic will also guide the patients on taking care of the stoma and keeping the artificial opening clean.

The clinic was inaugurated with an intensive day-long workshop for nurses followed by an interactive session for patients having stoma in Guwahati on September 9.

The first stoma care clinic in the region will be managed by trained nurses under the supervision of surgical oncologists at BBCI. Here the patients will also be given appliances and products which are useful in caring for stoma.

BBCI officials said that through this clinic, they are planning to train the patients, nurses as well as doctors in stoma care.

They further informed that the Ostomy Association of India will also train two nurses from BBCI at Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai for providing better services to the patients of the region. n

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9

Snippets Traditional games of Assam on the verge of extinction

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raditional Assamese games like Thengal d’Or, Dhop khel, Dhora Hao, Bonda Boha Hao, Alang Dalang, Tang-Guti, and others which once shaped the childhood of the people of yesteryears, are today on the verge of extinction.

If you’re in your late 20s or early 30s, your parents and grandparents could tell you a tale or two about the magic of these childhood games.

But will the children of this generation? Most likely not, because many of them spend their time playing video games in a virtual world. This addiction has brought the traditional Assamese games mentioned above, and many others, to the brink of extinction.

The project “Nabin Tan Man Bikas Yojana” was conceptualised by the Heritage Conservation Society of Assam last year to instil among students the spirit of sports, for their physical and mental development and to preserve Assam’s traditional games.

A city-based group dedicated to the preservation of Assam’s heritage had written to chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal last year, requesting to incorporate the project in schools as an extra-curricular activity.

However, the project is on hold even after a year and is yet to take off.

Gauhati Commerce College student dies under mysterious circumstance

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n a very unfortunate incident, a student of Gauhati Commerce College has reportedly passed away on Friday.

The student has been identified as Probal Saikia. Probal was a student of BCom 5th Semester.

Under mysterious circumstances Probal started foaming at his mouth at around 2 am, on Friday. He was imme diate ly rushed to the GNRC hospital thereafter. He was declared dead today afternoon.

Reportedly, Probal is a resident of Jorhat.

10 Concern Snippets IIT-G student leaves note before suicide; police suspect she wasn’t ‘happy’ with career option

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

102 and 108 ambulance services temporarily shut in city, people affected

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n a very unfortunate incident that took place at IIT Guwahati on Wednesday, a student from Karnataka identified as Nagashree Aithal, ended her life in her hostel room by hanging herself to death.

The case was later taken up by North Guwahati Police.

The police, during the course of investigation, have found a note from Nagashree’s personal diary in which she had asked for forgiveness from her family.

According to the police, she mentioned in the note that she was sorry that she could not live up to the expectations of her family and that no one was responsible for her death.

From the note found, the police have suspected that the deceased was not happy with her career option.

The number of suicide cases, unfortunately, have risen in the premier educational institution and this reportedly is the 3rd case of suspected suicide in this year.

People excluded from NRC will be deported

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haratiya Janata Party’s General Secretary, Ram Madhav, on Monday last, said that people excluded from the final list of the National Register of Citizens in Assam will be disenfranchised and deported to their country.

Madhav, in a news reported

by PTI, said that no other country tolerates undocumented migrants, but India has become a ‘dharamshala due to political considerations’.

“Next step will be disenfranchising - deletion of names of illegal immigrants from the voters’ list and deprive them of government benefits. 3rd stage will be deportation,” said Ram Madhav while addressing the gathering in New Delhi.

GVK-EMRI employees protesting in Guwahati | G Plus Photo Saumya Mishra saumya.mishra@g-plus.in

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he operations of 102 and 108 emergency ambulance services in the city have been temporarily called off since September 10 by the GVK-EMRI, the company which manages the 102 and 108 ambulance services in the state. This has affected the

emergency services in the city.

GVK-EMRI officials told G Plus that the decision was taken after the striking workers assaulted top officials of the Hyderabad-based company at a negotiation meeting held in Guwahati recently.

“We had called the drivers, technicians and other striking workers for a meeting for negotiation, but a consensus could not be reached and at the end of the meeting they assaulted the senior officials of our company who had

come to Guwahati from Hyderabad,” informed an official of the company.

Fearing the safety of their workers, authorities decided to temporarily completely call off the services of the 102 and 108 ambulances following the meeting with the striking workers.

Close to 3,000 staff of the 108 and 102 ambulance services of the state went on an indefinite strike from September 4 affecting medical emergency services across the

From tonsured heads to arrests, the protest sees it all

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n a unique form of demonstration, close to 150 agitating workers, who have been protesting outside the GVK-EMRI’s office in Lokhra over the past week, tonsured their heads in protest against the nonfulfilment of their demands.

Additionally, a few workers were also arrested in the city, for assaulting company officials.

In order to minimise the impact of the strike, GVK-EMRI had started conducting fresh recruitments during the initial days of the strike. However, they decided to stop the recruitment process after the protestors confronted and assaulted the new joinees as well.

The company authorities said that two of their demands including reduction of their duty hours from 12 to 8 hours and implementation of service rules have already been discussed with the labour commissioner and the talks are ongoing.

Further, officials informed that the staff members were already given leave encashment

in their last salary and they were also offered increment with an arrear for the months of July, August and September which will be paid along with the salary for the month of September.

On the other hand, the agitating employees of the GVKEMRI said they had not received any wage revisions and that they had to work for 12 hours every day. They added that one of their main grievances included nonimplementation of the service rules.

“We have approached the labour department as well as the National Health Mission, but still no attention was paid to our demands,” informed an employee and union member.

Currently, the striking workers are having talks with the state government, the results of which are awaited, informed sources.

A total of 695 ambulances were operating under GVK-EMRI in the state. Out of these, 380 were running under 108 ambulance service while 315 were operational

under the 102 service, informed officials.

Talking about the government’s preparedness during this period when the 102 and 108 ambulances have completely stopped plying, Ganesh Saikia, Joint Director Health, Kamrup (Metro), told G Plus that currently there are 16 vehicles from the ‘Adarani’ ambulance service which are being used to cater to emergency cases.

“In addition to this, we have some basic older ambulances which were purchased around 10 years ago by the state government, so we are utilising their services,” said Saikia.

He added that in some dire cases, if need be, they can also request private hospitals and clinics.

“There are close to 68 private hospitals and nursing homes all over the district. Out of these, at least 40-45 of them would be having ambulance vehicles of their own. They can also support us in times of need,” added Saikia. n

city as well as the state.

All the field staff, drivers, medical technicians as well as the call takers of the Emergency Management and Research Institute (GVK-EMRI) have called a strike on account of their various demands.

Some of their major demands include an increment in their salary, leave encashment, reducing their shift duty from 12 hours to 8 hours and implementation of the rules of the labour law.

Immediately after the workers called the strike, the GVK-EMRI had arranged for Adarani vehicles in addition to some ambulances provided by the government to carry out the emergency operations. However, they too, were called off after the assault on officials.

The tussle between the management and the employees has continued for 10 days now, affecting people across the city and state who were reliant on 102 and 108 ambulance services. n

State health and family welfare minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that every pregnant woman who is taken to a government hospital for delivery during the duration of the strike, would be provided with a travel allowance.

He added that the process of payment will start from September 15 and they will be paid Rs 1000 each. Further, talking about the government’s role in the ongoing strike, the minister said that the government has no say in it, as it was the internal matter of the company.

“The issue raised by the 108 ambulance service employees is not our matter of concern since the GVKEMRI has engaged them and they are not government employees,” said Sarma.

Guest Column

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

11

The hullabaloo of undertaking an ASTC journey The author, a guest columnist, writes about a unique and hitherto uncharted practice of ASTC bus operators while transporting passengers from its Paltan Bazar hub to the ISBT

Bondita Baruah

baruah3107@gmail.com

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ounded in 1948 as the Transport provider of Assam and baptised as a Corporation in 1970, the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) is one of the major public sector revenue generating services of the state of Assam. The statistical figures of ASTC are impressive; it employs over 5,000 people. Bus services include day and night fleets as well as city buses, aggregating to more than 1,500 in number. Over 14,000 passengers commute everyday covering an overall distance of more than 67,000 kms. The longest route operational under ASTC is to and from Guwahati Lekhapani, that is 670 kms.

One vital motto of ASTC is to provide time bound journey at affordable cost. Over the years infrastructural facilities have also improved. Special Volvo services have come to be operational; PPP (public private partnership) has been initiated to gain comforts of travel. An additional feature announced in January this year has been that of premium Volvo B8R biaxle and Volvo B11R multiaxle coaches.

While the statistical input of upgrading the transportation sector has been praiseworthy and the picture appears rosy, the ground realities urge the need for renovation of some basic facilities.

ASTC’s office at Paltan Bazar, Guwahati, is the main hub for most people procuring tickets and tending to the many counters for queries regarding their journeys to their respective destinations.

As per sources, approximately 14,000 passengers are bound in fleet on a daily basis. Although repair and renovation are seen to be in progress at Paltan Bazar, the maintenance of the entire compound is a virtually casual affair. There is litter right from the entrance to the exit, which challenges the notion of hygiene in the area. Dearth of cleanliness is a visible factor within the premises of ASTC. A noticeable difference in hygiene is also discernible between ASTC buses and private buses that operate ‘under’ ASTC. While the charges for day and night services of both the ASTC and private buses are the same, it is observed that ASTC buses are low in maintenance, unclean, with soiled curtains; some having muddy looking seat covers bearing testimony of being unwashed for a long time and some display splutter of betel nut inside the buses or on window panes. Unhygienic conditions as these are hardly spared a serious

Connecting ASTC buses at ASTC Paltan Bazar | G Plus Photo

thought and the lack of dedication on the part of those entrusted with maintenance responsibilities further deteriorates the condition of the buses. Most private buses on the contrary, are clean and tidily kept.

For the convenience of passengers using day and night services, ASTC arranges for connecting buses to the Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) from where the scheduled buses leave for the designated journeys. Paltan Bazar being a congested area makes it difficult for the bigger buses to operate from there; as such the connecting buses are provided.

Since passengers board the main buses from different locations such as Paltan Bazar, ISBT, Khanapara and so on, therefore for about four buses embarking on the main journey, one connecting bus is coordinated from the Paltan Bazar depot. Everyday such connecting buses make regular trips to the ISBT and are supposed to help passengers comfortably reach this destination. The starting point being Paltan Bazar, only passengers having an ASTC or under-ASTC ticket are supposed to board these buses. While passengers of ASTC are not charged any fare, passengers with tickets of private buses are charged a minimal fare of Rs 15.

The journey begins from Paltan Bazar and is routed through Nepali Mandir stop, Rehabari, Beltola Chariali, Lokhra, NH 27, on to ISBT. Presuming if a bus starts at 7.30 PM from the Paltan Bazar depot, it should reach ISBT by 8.15 PM, which is the maximum time required, despite traffic at certain points.

Interestingly, the hullaballoo is created by those appointed by

o i | G Plus Phot ISBT, Guwahat

ASTC for checking tickets or collecting fares from the boarders of private tickets. As directed to the passengers, the time of departure of these connecting buses is almost always accurate.

However, this accuracy is maintained to ensure that passengers reach ISBT on time. It is for the ones who would be picked on the way; these people have a fairly good idea of when the connecting buses leave the depot. So every day the connecting buses leave with passengers at their specific time but as soon as they leave the premises of ASTC, the connecting buses get converted to normal city buses. On an evening trip, a particular connecting bus stops at the Nepali Mandir ‘city bus stop’ for about ten minutes to collect passengers and all along the way there are passengers who would board and get down from the bus which is meant only to take passengers to the specific destination called ISBT. This freight of traffic in and

out of the connecting buses has, over the years, grown to become a commercial business for the employees of ASTC, especially during the evenings as there is a rush amongst the general public to reach home early. The fares collected by unscrupulously boarding these short distance passengers between Paltan Bazar ASTC and ISBT are collectively shared by the driver, the one or two handymen, or any other party, if there be any. Moreover, there is no limit to the number of casual passengers that are picked.

Since the purpose is only to quickly gather as much money as they can, there can be as many as 50 such passengers being stuffed into one connecting bus – way beyond the bus’s capacity and to the inconvenience of everybody.

The original boarders from Paltan Bazar are ‘seated’ and the passengers who get on the way ‘stand’ in the bus for the duration of their respective journeys. In such a commotion, if activities of theft or robbery are to take place, who would be held responsible or

who would take the blame for it?

Moreover, the luggage of the long distance travellers is at great risk since most of the time they carry valuables in the journey. Such luggage is not allowed to be kept near the passengers; rather it is deposited at the bus driver’s box so that more passengers can be stuffed on the way. The luggage of a person who is seated at the back can easily be lifted by a reprobate without anybody’s discern.

This connecting trip thus becomes a very time consuming affair. So a bus that starts at 7.30 PM and is supposed to reach the ISBT at 8.15 PM, reaches only by 9 PM. When the handyman is charged for being late or for taking on casual passengers, he turns a deaf ear. Passengers naïve enough who are unaccustomed to this private money minting process at the cost of their inconvenience and time, usually run into a state of panic for getting late.

Another issue that awaits these passengers on arrival at ISBT is that the main bus is already delayed by a specific amount of time and is in a hurry to leave the depot. As a result, the passengers who have made this already tiresome journey on the connecting bus do not get even a few minutes for refreshments before embarking on the longer journey.

To top this, the toilet on one wing of the ISBT, which is the hub of buses journeying within Assam and the entire north east, has been under a process of reconstruction/ restoration/renovation for more than six months now. A person having to answer nature’s call has to rush to the other wing of the depot where the toilet is situated at the extreme end, while being caught in the dilemma of whether he or she would manage to board the designated bus on time or be stranded at the ISBT. For a toilet to be inoperative isn’t a big issue, but in an ISBT where thousands of passengers commute everyday a toilet in one wing left in an ‘out of order’ condition for months together definitely matters, especially to old people, pregnant women, women with babies, physically handicapped and so on.

While the transportation sector of Assam definitely looks glossy with the latest introductions to facilitate travel, the proper functioning of basic amenities and unruly performance of connecting buses too need to be addressed in the largest transportation corporation of the northeast. n

12 Cover Story Snippets Govt bans Saridon, 327 other drugs

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

Increase in number of Hargillas a concern or a joy?

Continued from page » 1

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he Ministry of Health, on Wednesday, banned the manufacture for sale or distribution of 328 fixeddose combination (FDC) drugs with immediate effect.

Among the roughly 6,000 brands estimated to be affected by the ban are popular drugs like the painkiller Saridon, the skin cream Panderm, combination diabetes drug Gluconorm PG, antibiotic Lupidiclox and antibacterial Taxim AZ. The health ministry, through its notification published on March 10, 2016, had prohibited the manufacture for sale and distribution for human use of 349 FDCs under Section 26 A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

But the matter was contested by the affe cte d manufacture rs in various high courts and the Supreme Court. Complying with the Supreme Court verdict in December last year, an expert pane l forme d by the Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB), in its report to the Centre, stated that there is no therapeutic justification for the ingredients contained in 328 FDCs and that these FDCs may involve risk to human beings, the statement stated.

Buzz of honey bees to keep elephants off rail tracks in Guwahati

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he Northeast Division of Indian Railways in Guwahati has taken up a new and unique idea of keeping the elephants off the railway tracks by playing the sound of honey bees.

Speaking on the initiative, the Chief Public Relations Officer of Northeast Frontier Railway, Pranab Jyoti Sharma, said that the idea was discussed with the forest officials and tried out. After that, it was established that the buzzing of honey bees irritates the elephants and they stay away from the railway tracks.

Earlier on September 07, the Union Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal, took to social media and said that Railways has come up with ‘Plan Bee’ which involves setting up of devices near tracks, which emit the ‘buzzing’ sound of bees, saving elephants from train accidents.

hile it can be said that the increase in the numbers is a cause of joy for conservationists, concerns revolving around the health of the storks cannot be negated.

“Storks mainly feed on fish, crabs and other amphibians. Ever shrinking wetlands are forcing storks to change their eating habits. Finding no way out they feed on the dead and decayed.

The maximum of its population is now seen on dumping zones. Food poisoning has been a concern, as

Time management is important to get the exact number of storks and to carry out a census. This year we started as early as 8 am.

Around midday, storks fly away to resting places after feeding on the dead and decay. As many as 287 individuals were recorded sighted in 2002, the highest ever and 113 in 2010, the lowest so far Moloy Baruah, President, Early Birds

Storks feeding at the Boragaon dumping ground | G Plus Photo death of storks recorded earlier is due their changing food habits.

One of the interesting phenomena is that the birds are not present in the places where they had their roosting places earlier,” Early Birds President, Moloy Baruah told G Plus.

“Areas around BorchalaSoruchala Beel, areas between Gopinath Bordoloi Airport and the SOS Village School and the Machkhowa graveyard had lost the proud privilege of presence of this carrion eater scavenger bird.

Scarcity of food and shelter are the main reason for the dwindling number of the species,” Baruah

added.

The Early Birds NGO had planted Kadam and Ximolu plants at the graveyard present behind RG Baruah Stadium complex years ago. The storks have their nests and often rest there on the branches of the towering trees now.

“Time management is important to get the exact number of storks and to carry out a census.

This year we started as early as 8 am. Around midday, storks fly away to resting places after feeding on the dead and decay. As many as 287 individuals were recorded sighted in 2002, the highest

ever and 113 in 2010, the lowest so far,” Baruah said.

The Greater Adjutant Storks breed for 8 months, i.e. from September to March. In these months they are also engaged in courtship which is finding suitable partners to breed. However, the breeding season might vary depending on temperature variation or climate changes. Interestingly, storks don’t breed if the surroundings are not favorable to their appetite and their off-springs. Conservationists feel that compromise in abundance of foodlike frogs, small fishes, snails etc. would force storks to skip breeding. n

Creating awareness on conservation of storks

Unplanned city/outskirts development proving to be the bane

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elling of trees has been a concern leading to a threat to conservation efforts of storks as those birds prefer towering trees for nest building.

Trees besides beels (stagnant large water bodies) are also preferable places for storks to build nests. Increase in encroachment of beels has been a major concern for conservationists. It has been found that nesting places for the species are located at Hajo Road near Dodora and Singimari Village and at Mandakata and Suptaguri villages at North Guwahati. However,

even after great initiative by conservationists and wild life NGOs, Singhimari and adjacent village areas have witnessed rampant felling of trees due to fragmentation of families. Tall trees in these areas once served as ideal habitats for building nests. In 2006, Early Bird NGO found 11 nests at Rangmahal at North Guwahati in five trees and five nests in two trees at Mandakata. “Those trees have been completely wiped out in the above areas at least three years back. The same area had more than 50 nests till 1991-92,” Baruah said. n

reen Oscars winner, environmentalist Purnima Barman who is also known for her conservation efforts of the Greater Adjutant Storks, blamed it on unplanned building constructions in and around the city as a threat to conservation of the Greater Adjutant Stork.

“There is simply no planning of building of constructions in and around the city. Towering trees are felled incessantly in name of buildings. They are expanding the city to the villages now. Villages in Assam have the highest density of Greater Adjutant Storks. If constructions are permitted

in the countryside not only the storks but other species would be under threat too,” Barman told G Plus.

Barman is of the view that if census had been carried out in the non-breeding season an increase in number of the storks would have been noticed. “The storks are having breeding tendency at present. They are busy searching for mating partners and are busy breeding. However, it is a good sign that Early Bird has carried out a census,” she said.

Barman said that around 550-600 Greater Adjutant Storks can be found in the whole Kamrup district. n

Cover Story

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

13

GMC fails to keep Guwahati clean...

Continued from page » 1 the GMC clearly has not been collecting the garbage.”

Similarly, the SRCB Road in Fancy Bazar faces the same problem. The Volvo Point at Ulubari is a place which has virtually acquired a permanent

stink because the residents of the area throw garbage near the point and it is cleared by the GMC workers intermittently every week.

Reacting to the allegations, GMC executive engineer, Manojit Bujarbaruah said, “We know that these places are facing this problem and we are purposely

doing it so that the public can understand that these places are not for dumping garbage.”

He revealed that the idea is to make the city bin-free and the households and commercial establishments are expected to give the garbage to the NGOs and not dump it on the roadsides.

Another source from GMC said

that the local body even carried out a number of campaigns to make the public understand that garbage should not be dumped on roadsides but people continue to discard their garbage on roadsides. Talking particularly about Kharguli, the source said, “The entrance of Kharguli is not a garbage dumping place.”

It needs to be mentioned that previously there were 200 bins in Guwahati but now there are only 130 bins. GMC officials claim that the NGOs, after collecting the garbage, are expected to dump the garbage at the designated transfer stations (there are 2 such stations across Guwahati), or in the designated dustbins. n

NGOs fail to collect garbage regularly

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ven after the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) engaging 58 non government organisations (NGOs) to collect garbage from its 31 wards since September 2017, the citizens of some wards complained that garbage collection is not regular and the scenario is deteriorating.

“It’s been around two months that the NGO workers did not visit our locality to collect garbage,” said Dipali Das, a resident of Ujjol Path, Jyotikuchi adding that earlier the NGO workers used to collect garbage from the Jyoti-

kuchi area once every four days.

Similarly, a resident of Rupnagar said that the NGO workers visit their locality only once in three

more complained about the same problem.

After Ramky (company which used to collect garbage door-to-

after which 58 NGOs were hired through transparent tendering process, claimed a GMC official.

Explaining why 58 NGOs were

Situation going from Bad to WORSE! days and sometimes they do not show up for as long as a week.

Even residents of prominent areas like Kharguli, Uzan Bazar, Six Mile, Maligaon and many

door in Guwahati before June 2014), GMC had hired 31 NGOs to collect garbage from door-todoor from July 2014. This contract agreement ended in June 2017

hired this time, a senior GMC official said, “There are some wards which cover a huge area and it is difficult for a single NGO to cover all the households in that ward.”

Adding that the smaller wards have one NGO now and some wards are divided into two and some into three parts, the NGOs hired in September are covering the wards accordingly.

Citing an example the official explained that ward number 6 covers areas from Deepor Beel to Lokhra. So, the area being vast there are three NGOs engaged to collect garbage in that ward.

But the initiative does not look to have worked completely and the residents are unhappy with GMC. n

GMC not serious about garbage collection: NGOs

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he onus may be on the 58 non government organisations (NGOs) for collecting garbage door-to-door regularly but many NGOs are of the view that Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) is not serious about the work.

An NGO member, among the 58 NGOs, talking to G Plus in anonymity said, “We are not getting our payments regularly from GMC, so it is affecting the garbage collection process.”

He revealed that the workers working with the NGOs have to be paid on daily wage basis and because the bills are not cleared

by GMC regularly the workers tend to abstain from work.

The door-to-door garbage collection process was unsuccessful till July 2017 because the system was not selfsustainable and GMC had to spend Rs 30 lakhs from its own pocket, revealed a source from GMC.

Lighter and faster

A GMC source said, “Ramky left because it was not able to generate revenue. Similarly, the 31 NGOs were also not able to make any profit because most Guwahati households do not want to pay for garbage collection,” adding that GMC lost Rs 30 lakhs every month on the project.

GMC generates Rs 5 crores to Rs 6 crores as revenue from various taxes and the same is used to pay salaries to all the employees and initiate new projects. The state government is not providing any extra funds since years, a GMC source claimed.

The NGOs are expected to generate revenue for the urban local body by collecting the monthly garbage collection fees.

The expectation still prevails.

But public do not pay, claimed a source in one of the 58 NGOs. With the ongoing situation the garbage collection process looks like a failure and a solution does not seem to be in sight. n

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14 G Talk E

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G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018 T

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Something isn’t right…

ould you agree with me if I tell you that dear ol’ Guwahati is slowly effusing a sense of discomfort for its residents?

Some situations make good examples.

I am a resident of Kharguli and so am coerced into using the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Road for regular commuting. I mean, that’s the only way out of my locality and into the city for me.

In the course of getting on with work, I have to traverse through Uzanbazar. Now, this entire area has come under the onslaught of the water supply scheme that the successive governments have been promising Guwahatians but have failed to deliver so far. In the process, our roads that have been dug up to lay pipelines have not been even partially repaired for smooth commuting at least. The localities have been resembling a war zone for months now. And yet, in another part of the city, pavements are being fitted with coloured tiles! I mean, where has the sense of priority gone?

Another case in point: Protesting GVK-EMRI employees against what they term as bad working condi-

tions such that the city has remained bereft of emergency ambulance services thus holding the sick to ransom. The protest is acceptable; it is the failure of the government/administration to resolve the issue that gives one an uneasy feeling. Day after day of this news making front page headlines does give you the feeling that an already inept governance system has somehow also turned insensitive.

And finally there is a distinctly altered sense of self-appraisal with the Assam Police around its newly launched social media handles. Clearly elitist and anglicised, the tweets and posts are indeed good, very creative. But have they delivered the desired results?

Have these tweets reached the desired targets of ignorant witch hunters and hearsay-influenced anti-social elements? Have the police changed its inertia to lodge an FIR at the first complaint? Who is going to do an appraisal of that?

Something is distinctly not right in this city and these are only a few instances.

Swapnil Bharali Editor

Negotiating an Indo-Pak solution

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s an untested new leader takes the reins of our neighboring country Pakistan, the world focuses its attention on him. Everyone seems to ask - Will he be able to turn around Indo-Pak relations? Thus at this time one cannot help analyze this situation but in terms of the method called Principled negotiation or “negotiation of merits” proposed in a 1981 best-selling book “Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement without giving in” by Roger Fisher, William L Ury and Bruce Patton, all members of the so-called Harvard Negotiation Project - a project created at Harvard University which deals with issues of negotiations and conflict resolution. The project, at some time, identified four crucial factors for successful negotiation: people, interests, options and criteria. How is this theory of Principled Negotiation more useful and applicable vis-à-vis Positional Bargaining in such a complex historical problem?

The Indo-Pak issue is now over seventy years old. While one party dubs it as a problem of cross-border terrorism, the other terms it as a territorial dispute. But after numerous parleys and discussions at various levels of the governments, this problem is yet to see its solution. The Indian government takes the Shimla Agreement of 1972 signed between the then Heads of Indian and Pakistani governments, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, as the basis of further negotiations, which the successive Pakistani

GUWAHATI ADDA

Hitchhiking in Guwahati Conversation from a 1.5 km long journey from point A to B which, in peak Guwahati traffic, takes 20 minutes to cover on a two wheeler.

Biraj: Dada, lift dibo niki? Can you please drop me to the SBI nearby?

Me: Sure!

Biraj: Thanks. I need to get to the bank. My salary has not been credited yet.

Me: Umm, why? Half the month is already gone.

Biraj: Well, they have mandated that I must have an Aadhaar card, otherwise they will not credit my salary.

Me: Hey, I don’t think that it allowed. Or is it?

Biraj: Frankly, I don’t really care. Pata nahi from where they keep bringing out these damn rules. Also, from whatever little knowledge I have, I think citizens of Jammu & Kashmir, Assam and Meghalaya have 3 more months until this becomes mandatory. But because I work in a fancy company, they call the shots and I obey.

Me: Hmm. Well, I don’t think we can really do much about it, might as well just sign up. Aadhaar started with government subsidies, then loans, tax returns and now salaries. I think everyone is living with borrowed time when we’re talking about linking everything with Aadhaar. It’s like we’re living on udhaari ka time, and the government expects us to be aabhaari about introducing biometrics.

Biraj: I am not amused with your sense of humour, but at least your word play is more honest than acche din. Hey look, we’ve reached the destination. I’ll get down here. Thanks <We spot some construction work on the footpath with some new tiles and designs> Me: Well, at least something good is happening?

Biraj: Yes, it’s a great initiative for the hawkers and vegetable vendors. The administration never managed to allocate vending zones, so they might as well succumb to pressure and make fancy new footpaths for them to let business run as usual. <As Biraj got down from the bike, jaywalked gloriously across to the bank, a bike drives on to the footpath, parks itself there. I drove away, without my helmet on thinking about how we continue to be one of the best symbiotic ironies in existence> Sidharth Bedi Varma

The author, a resident of Kuwait, explores how the theory of Principled Negotiation can be more useful and applicable vis-à-vis Positional Bargaining to solve a problem as historically complex as the Indo-Pak relations

rValuing our own lives

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governments have either accepted or rejected.

With this backdrop, a presumptive gain was thought to have been achieved when a rare summit level talks between the heads of states of these two neighbours, Atal Behari Vajpayee and Gen Pervez Musharraf, was held in Agra in July 2001. The circumstances of this summit are hereby analyzed to re-understand the reasons of its failure and set it up for posterity.

In the preparation to this summit there was hard posturing within the Indian government on the question of extending invitation to the then Pakistani President because it was felt that as the incumbent was not an elected President, he might not be the right person to talk to. This is when the Indian government followed the first proposition of Principled Negotiation –“Separate the people from the problem” and the invitation was extended.

The two countries’ focus on the negotiations was very divergent. It is interesting to know that India was maintaining that points of mutual interests should be discussed, while Pakistan was hard selling the position that Kashmir or the territory was its main issue for discussion. India's maturity was truly displayed by their stand because they felt that as Kashmir is a long disputed issue, it should not be the core issue of discussion while other major issues about mutual social and economic developments remained on the side walls.

Thus India “focused on interests, not positions,” unlike Pakistan and fulfilled the second proposition of Principled Negotiation.

India wanted to expand trade ties, people to people contact, cross-cultural exchanges and opening up of the border to facilitate these, through talks. These would have been mutually beneficial to both the countries and would have built confidence on each other’s ways of doing things.

This illustrates India's position during the negotiation towards the third proposition of Principled Negotiation to “invent options for mutual gains,” so that at a later stage the more complicated issue of territorial dispute could be resolved.

India and Pakistan had signed the Shimla Agreement of 1972 on

O pinion Dwaipayan Bora

resolving the Kashmir dispute. It was a comprehensive blue print for good neighbourly relations between India and Pakistan.

Under the Shimla Agreement, both countries undertook to abjure conflict and confrontation which had marred relations in the past, and to work towards the establishment of durable peace, friendship and cooperation. It contains a set of guiding principles, mutually agreed to by India and Pakistan, which both sides would adhere to while managing relations with each other. These emphasize: respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, noninterference in each other’s internal affairs, respect for each other’s unity, political independence, sovereign equality and abjuring hostile propaganda.

Though the Shimla Agreement has gained unqualified support from the Indian government over the years, Pakistan had its fair share of problems with it, sometimes supporting, while at times rejecting it. Thus, it would have been better had both the parties made an objective approach to the problem and fulfilled the fourth basic proposition, i.e., “Insist on using on objective criteria for its negotiation.”

It is observed that as the two parties in the negotiations followed two principles of negotiation and had different views on the problem, the results came to a naught. The talks failed miserably, increasing the feelings of hostility between the two countries.

But all is not lost. If we are honest in our approach towards the whole issue, the solution is not far away or very difficult to achieve.

Like Gandhiji had said, “Honest differences are often a healthy sign of progress.” And this may be the time of reckoning as a brand new government led by the charismatic Imran Khan takes charge in our neighbouring country, Pakistan. n

Letter to the Editor

our editorial of Issue 46 dated Sep 8-14 was a poignant reflection of the utter lack of value that we Indians attach to our own lives. We are totally careless about taking safety measures for ourselves. Bike riders treat the helmet as an unnecessary hindrance that spoils their riding looks, if not anything else. And motorists refuse to buckle up and get irritated when they have to. If this attitude continues, our country is always likely to face disasters like the Brahmaputra tragedy and we have only ourselves to blame for this.

Sukhwinder Anand

Paltanbazar, Guwahati

In Focus

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

Samujjal Kashyap Filmmaker, Film Editor

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enowned filmmaker and film editor from Assam, Samujjal Kashyap, has directed over 60 music videos, 10 documentary films and 400 episodes of television serial. He first made his mark in the entertainment industry with his stylise editing in 2009.

Hailing from Barpeta in Assam, Samujjal did his schooling from St Mary’s High School, Barpeta Road and went to Madhab Choudhury College (MC College) Barpeta for higher secondary education in science. Later, he moved to Bangalore to study computer science engineering from Oxford College of Engineering.

Samujjal, who developed a passion for computer art while he was pursuing higher secondary education, quit engineering in his third year to pursue his dream.

“Back when I was in Barpeta, there was no professional training and barely any scope in the field of computer art. But while I was studying in Bangalore, I got introduced to many people working in the field and I knew exactly where to get my formal

training from. So I quit engineering college and instead joined design schools,” he recalled, while speaking to G Plus.

Samujjal did a two-and-ahalf-year diploma course from Arena Animations where he learnt the basics of animation and designing. While his parents didn’t approve of his decision in the beginning and his mother didn’t think that a job in animation could pay off bills, they started supporting him soon enough.

He simultaneously joined MAAC Bangalore where he did a threeyear course called Red Box 1, learning advanced visual effects.

Additionally, he joined Manipal Institute of Media and Entertainment to learn the art of film making with specialisation in editing.

He started his journey as a video editor with a regional television news channel based in Bangalore, where he worked for nearly two years. During his tenure there, the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack shook the country.

“When the attack happened, it was the most hectic week at work. I remember not leaving office for around 3-4 days due to the TRP war among various chan-

nels. That’s when I realized that editing news packages and being time-bound wasn’t my calling,” Samujjal said.

Soon after, he quit the job and joined a film and design studio in the same city. Samujjal describes the work at the studio as the most satisfying one. “For the first time, I loved my work,” he said. There, he took on major projects like Nike Bleed Blue Campaign, Kingfisher 2009 Calendar promo videos, British telecom ad commercials, among others.

Samujjal decided to shift back to Guwahati, where his dad was running the Kadambari Studio. While in school, Samujjal only saw the studio as a fun space where he went to hang out and eat fast food, but now he saw it as an opportunity. He thought of taking the studio to greater heights with his acquired knowledge. Speaking to G Plus about Kadambari Creations, Samujjal informed, “Kadambari Creations is an independent media production company that started way back in 1990 with the aim to give cutting edge to the film/video production process in

this region so that every aspect of the process is covered. We also launched an editing and post-production department that houses the best high-end equipments.”

In Guwahati, the editor turned director has worked on hundreds of projects for the Who’s Who of the Assame se entertainment industry. He also had a one-day stint at a regional news channel here but chose to stick to the entertainment business.

Samujjal, whose work made a mark in the Assamese entertainment industry within a very short span, decided to take on a bigger role from editor to director. In 2011, he directed his first music video ‘Duporore Rodali’ and went on direct famous television serials like ‘Shabda’ and ‘Nishabda’.

A four-time recipient of the ‘Best Music Video Director’ award, Samujjal has also directed his own documentary film called ‘Tezpur 1962.’ The film won the National Film Award for Best Investigative Film in 2016.

Speaking to G Plus about the film, Samujjal said, “I had read about the Youth Emergency Organisation (YEO) that had been formed

15

during the evacuation of Tezpur.

Though it is a common belief that everyone left Tezpur in 1962, the YEO was the re patrolling the area. So, I wanted to make a fictional film about YEO. The idea was with me for two years. After I met a few people at the Films Division of India, I started work on the documentary. Renowned documentary filmmaker Joshy Joseph helped me in every aspect while making the film.”

Samujjal, who is married to ace graphic designer Sheetal Kashyap, is father to a two year old girl. He is currently editing upcoming film ‘Adi’, and directing the music video of Hindi song ‘Palkein’. Talking about his future plans, Samujjal informed G Plus that he is working on a second documentary film and plans to direct a feature film soon.

Is the government’s latest step of beautifying the city’s footpaths with coloured tiles another instance of messing up priorities or is it a step in the right direction?

Japheth Vanlalentawn Tuolor

I think the government should ban eating betel nut, paan masala, gutkha in public places. Otherwise there is no other option. We need to make spoiling public properties an offence. We need strict rules and the public has to abide the same. My humble suggestion: CCTv cameras should be installed at every nook and corner. Big screens have to be installed at important places. If any person is seen breaking the rules, the still captured while in action has to be flashed on the big screen for 24 hrs to be watched by all. Also, a fine of not less than INR 1,000 has to be imposed. I hope this will act as a deterrent to stop this social disorder.

Ravi Sarma

The BJP led Assam government has adapted the business model from Gujarat. They know how to market things the same way as a marketing guy. A lot has been done on theory and practical when it comes to Smart City. But why so selective about renovation or face-lift? This is nothing but sheer marketing strategy to make the business from outside flourish for the onlookers. Please take a look at the pathetic road condition of Udalbakra or Lalmati near Sarania hills. There the roads and drains are all at the same level. I guess and I strongly believe we do have other parts of the Guwahati in similar state. Government please stop wasting the money which you have earned from commoners by way of taxes.

Samim

The government is trying to beautify the city. We should be happy but the point is there is no planning in this whole thing. Most probably only a few top areas will be covered under this beautification drive.

Soon, people will forget about it and the rest of the areas will remain unchanged. The administration should announce the areas it is going to put these so that people are excited about it. Also, like everyone else, I would suggest that the broken drains and roads should be given first priority rather than these cosmetic pastimes.

Rupam Dutta

No need to use coloured tiles since our people love to colour the streets with gutkha stains. It is the favourite pastime of most of the people. They can make canvas with gutkha stains on any given road.

Manash Pratim Chow Poran J. Gogoi

Assam government are you high on weed or something? Coloured tiles on footpath... seriously? That’s what you came up now. A few droplets of rain drowns the entire city and one cannot differentiate the road from the footpath and you are giving us footpaths with colourful tiles.

If I may ask: do we even have footpaths?

Well, at first we should have proper footpaths without holes in them.

Then the government should take steps towards beautification. I always appreciate the good steps but in reality the problem is that the government keeps on making new schemes which in reality don’t show up. So first, we should cover the holes, because these holes take lives. After that, if some money is left, then it should be used for beautification.

16 Feature

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

‘Out of the

Real life stories from the LGBTQ community of Guwahati Chandrika Das

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oming out takes a lot of courage! Some people use humour to reveal truths in casual conversations, some use emotions. Sometimes, the family reacts in desirably, at other times your luck might just ditch you.

Being closeted isn’t a happy feeling; not being able to tell others who you are, is just not great. Yet while coming out as lesbian, gay or bisexual can be a difficult proposition, there’s no point pretending otherwise.

G Plus presents some real stories from Guwahati’s recently “liberated” LGBTQ community post the landmark Supreme Court judgement decriminalizing Section 377 of the IPC.

Gayatri understands that she needs to fight her battle alone, and there’s not much support she can expect from her family. She plans to open up about her sexual orientation to her family once she has a job in hand, although she fears her reality might get her parted from her family.

“I don’t know how I’ll gather the courage, but I

would be.

Gays have normal relationships too, and share equilibrium in both emotional and physical level. “My longest relationship lasted for 8 years. But strangely, many in our society think we sleep around with people just for fun,” said

like Delhi or Mumbai. He takes pride in the fact northeast India is quite broad-minded when it comes to the topic of LGBT. All said and done, he however isn’t very happy with people taking the gay culture as an opportunity to be in the limelight. He feels that several “attention seekers” have come out in the recent times, just to gain sympathy of the society.

Chow Poran Gogoi

“I am 28, and I am an open gay person,” declares Chow Poran.

Poran is a renowned fashion choreographer of Guwahati.

For Poran, it all started when he was a student of Class VI and was studying in an all boys’ school in Bangalore. Poran has been effeminate since childhood.

While the rest of his friends were busy playing different sports, his interest was into dollhouses

Gayatri, 28

For 23-year old Gayatri (name changed), confiding even to her closest friends was not an easy task. Gayatri belongs to a very conservative Brahmin family, where girls are not even allowed to marry outside their caste. Second among three siblings, Gayatri is currently pursuing her Masters outside her hometown, i.e. Guwahati. The first time Gayatri understood her sexual orientation was when she was 18; life hasn’t been the same thereafter.

She battled with herself constantly - emotionally and physically for several years until she decided that ‘coming out of the closet’, at least to her closest friends, could bring some peace to her.

While she is proud of being lesbian, things have not been easy. She has often been looked down as ‘abnormal’ and ‘not-agood person’ by many whom she confided in.

“I have never been able to connect with boys at an emotional level. Most of my friends would talk about their male flings and the more I heard from my ‘straight’ female friends, the more I realised that I held the same feelings for girls. There was a female friend of mine with whom I liked holding hands, spending time, sharing things, and that’s when I understood myself; I wanted to be with her physically and emotionally.”

I often receive messages from educated females (read friends) on WhatsApp saying “I Love You” followed by the ‘laugh until you cry’ emoji. That’s when I feel bad that love for me most often comes as a mockery.

certainly can’t get married to some man only for the sake of my family’s happiness. I can’t play with someone’s life, and mine. So either way, I know, I’m going to face the loss.”

While she is happy that the law has finally spoken on her community’s behalf, she still isn’t very sure if society would embrace her. All she can do is hope and keep fighting.

Dipankar Kashyap

“When did you know you were gay?” I asked. “When I was born,” he replied.

Dipankar Kashyap is a familiar name in Guwahatian society. He is an ace fashion designer, choreographer and filmmaker from Guwahati.

Unlike Gayatri, Dipankar has had a blessed and easy life.

He doesn’t remember playing with cars as a toddler; his room would be filled with dolls, and he remembers dressing them up as beautiful girls.

As far as he could recall, everyone in the family knew about his orientation since the very beginning, but no one ever asked or discussed with him that it was wrong. His family members and close acquaintances have always let him be comfortable in his own skin.

Dipankar takes pride in being the ‘He’ in his relationship, asserting that his gender has nothing to do with his sexuality.

There is a sense of pride in it too, and one can get a feeling as to how he feels being with his partner; he is equally caring as any other man

You can often understand a person is gay from his body language. Some people are very subtle, but some are loud.

There might be reactions, hand movements or eye gazes.

the designer.

In his words, gay people go through the same relationship and break up phases as people who are straight.

He considers Guwahatians to be much more open minded in comparison to metropolitan cities

and make-up. While it was okay during the early years, things started changing over time.

As he grew up, he realised that he was not attracted to anyone from the opposite sex; he preferred boys. By the time he reached Class X, he had started reading about LGBT culture and all that he could understand was that “gay people were very lonely.”

For Poran, support and hate came equally. While his sister has been supportive, many others from his family have distanced themselves for years now.

Poran shared that anyone from the LGBTQ community who have failed to be in the closet for a long time, tend to be creative.

Further, he is of the opinion that the glamour industry is a better platform than the mainstream professions because it gives one the scope to be themselves. For him, a private or government sector job has always been a frustrating chore.

Poran isn’t very happy with the media and people talking about the recent

’

Section 377 verdict as one which “decriminalises gay sex.” For him that’s quite offensive. He rather wants people to talk about this verdict as one which would bring equal rights and opportunities to the LGBT community.

“There is more than just sex that this section calls for. We don’t want a section which would allow us to have sex. We want basic human rights and that’s what the Supreme Court decision is all about,” said Poran adding, “I am disgusted and hurt at the same time to see well educated people of our society circulating offensive messages and statuses on Facebook and WhatsApp after the Section377 verdict. This shows the mentality of our people and you can well expect where we are heading to.”

Ananya, 27

“Love is love for me. Now if love came to me in the form of a female, is that my fault?” asks Ananya.

27-year old Ananya grew up in an all girls’ missionary school.

“I am a woman, and that by default puts me in the marginalised community. On top of it, I’m lesbian. So you can understand how the society perceives us. I had opened up about my orientation long back.

I received support, but have been shunned by my own people, too.”

Ananya came out of the closet after years of suppression, but life for her hasn’t been fair.

She has often been hurled abuses and shamed in public, so much that she has been considered a subject for rape at times. For her, pretending to be someone who she is not has been exasperating and tiring at the same time.

Life of a lesbian is much more difficult than of a gay, she says.

Away from pride parades, meetups and heated discussions, she feels she is being loathed by her own people. “It is easier for men to come out and express themselves, whether at protest rallies or public gathering. But in my case, I see no hope,” said Ananya.

Inspite of hatred flowing into her life every passing day, she takes pride in being able to challenge patriarchy; she doesn’t need a man to be complete.

There have been days when she was forced to live by rules set by others. When choices became unbearable, she even thought that suicide could be her last resort.

She recalls dark days when she overdosed herself on depression pills.

Despite the loneliness, Ananya hopes that there will be change in attitudes, and she will one day be considered ‘normal’ and just as human as others. n

Trotter

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

Man flies from Germany to Russia with 20 live snakes in hand luggage

‘S

nakes on a plane’ is no longer just the name of a Samuel L Jackson movie - it is now also an incident that played out in real life. A man recently confounded airport authorities in Russia after they discovered he had flown into the country with 20 live snakes in his hand baggage. The passenger, whose name and nationality were not given, flew from Germany to Russia with the reptiles inside his bag - fortunately without any untoward incident.

According to Newsweek, the man managed to board at the Dusseldorf Airport in Germany without raising any eyebrows.

It was only after he landed in Moscow that officers from the

Environmental Protection Agency noticed the snakes inside his bag. RP Online reports that the man said he had bought the nonvenomous snakes from a market in Germany.

German police did not report

him while he boarded the flight, which means he might have had the documents necessary to carry the snakes. However, he did not have the requisite permission to bring the snakes into Russia. Russia’s Sheremetyevo International Airport confirmed the incident in a statement, reports Newsweek.

“The reptiles were in canisters, packed in bags, carried in hand luggage. There were no documents provided for the reptiles,” they said. “The species of snakes will be determined by specialists, but according to preliminary information they are not of a venomous species.” The snakes have now been placed in quarantine in Moscow.

(Source: NDTV)

Optical illusion T-shirt that makes boobs appear bigger sells out

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ush-up bras and breast enlargements have been commonplace for years, for those women wanting to achieve a bigger cup size. But now a Japanese designer has given women (and men) an easier way to make their chests appear larger, and it's a hit.

Website ekoD Works has already sold out of an unusual T-shirt which uses an optical illusion to give the appearance of bigger boobs. "With a unique MOUSOU mapping technology, ekoD Works effectively expresses the volume of your breast by the distorted grid patterns in the front,"

the website reads. "That's the concept of this 'breast boost' printed T-shirt. Wearing it, you will surely attract a great deal of public attention."

The science behind the T-shirt is fairly straightforward. When staring directly at the pattern, the lines distort dramatically outward, meaning the chest appears bigger. When looked at from the side, there is a big difference.

Already, the T-shirt - available in pink and white for NZ$55.40 - has sold out, with the retailers promising another shipment in soon.

(Source: NewsHub)

17

Novelist who wrote 'How To Murder Your Husband' essay charged with husband's murder

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ast week, police in Portland arrested 68-year-old Nancy Crampton-Brophy. She is charged with the murder of her 63-year-old husband, chef Daniel Brophy.

At 8:30 a.m. on June 2, police and medics arrived at the Oregon Culinary Institute, after students and instructors arriving for class found Brophy suffering from a gunshot wound. The firstresponders attempted to revive him but weren't successful.

Crampton-Brophy is a selfpublished author of romantic suspense novels, many featuring chiseled ex-Navy SEALs — books with "rugged men, strong women and a good story," she touted on her website.

In 2011, for a blog called See Jane Publish, Crampton-Brophy wrote an essay titled "How to Murder Your Husband." (The post is no longer public.)

The essay described a range of possible motives for murdering a husband, ranging from avoiding the financial hit of a divorce to infidelity by a "lying, cheating bastard," and even the possibility that the wife is a professional contract killer.

It also weighed the pros and cons of different methods: "Guns — loud, messy, require some skill. ... Knives — really personal and close up. Blood everywhere. Eww."

The couple had been married for 27 years, according to The Oregonian, and were reportedly inseparable. Brophy was a lead instructor at the culinary institute, where he was remembered as "the resident encyclopedia of knowledge" with "offbeat sense of humor and creative approach to teaching."

But a neighbor, Don McConnell, told the Oregonian of an odd interaction with the widow.

"She never showed any signs of being upset or sad," McConnell said. "I would say she had an air of relief, like it was almost a godsend." He asked if the police had been keeping her updated.

"She said, 'No, I'm a suspect,' " without emotion, McConnell said.

(Source: NPR)

Rat pulls alarm at Washington building, forcing out residents

Man finally loses virginity at 45 after getting bionic penis

A

man who was born without a penis says he has finally managed to have sex aged 45 after having a bionic organ implanted using his own skin.

Andrew Wardle underwent an intensive 10-hour operation to fit the £50,000 bionic penis which he has described as ‘ridiculously big’.

The caterer, from Greater Manchester, said he and his girlfriend Fedra Fabian are delighted with the results of his major surgery at London’s University Hospital.

Andrew was born with bladder exstrophy, a rare birth defect that meant he was born with testicles but no penis. Bladder exstrophy typically affects one in every 40,000 births but Andrew’s

case – of having no organ at all – is said to only affect one in around 20 million people. Now that he has undergone surgery, he says he is excited for the future with Fedra, 28, including having children.

He had to walk around with an erection for 10 days and had to wait six weeks before having sex but Andrew – who uses a button in his groin to inflate the organ – told The Sun his life is now ‘back

on track’. Speaking about ‘losing his virginity’, Andrew said: ‘It’s fantastic. After all Fedra and I have been through, it’s the cherry on the cake,’ he said.

Surgeons used muscle, nerves and skin from Andrew’s arm to create the penis in the pioneering operation. Andrew thanked surgeon David Ralph for giving him a chance at a future. ‘I’m just looking forward to having a fresh start. It’s like I’ve been through a war and I’m just healing and getting my head straight,’ he said.

‘I owe it to my amazing surgeons to go out and enjoy my life.

‘I want to thank everyone past and present in the NHS who has got me to this point in my life – I would not be here without you today.’

(Source: Metro UK)

A

rat in Washington, D.C., found a whole new way to ruin the day of the residents.

Residents of a condo building hustled out of their homes last summer when the fire alarm sounded. But there was no fire. No one knew what had happened until they checked surveillance footage showing an empty area near an emergency door.

The rat was caught redhanded in a viral video that has Twitter wondering: Why? The debacle started without any unusual activity, as the rat

sniffed and scurried up a metal railing. It pawed toward the alarm. Maybe it was an attractive color, or maybe a crumb lingered on top. Either way, after a cursory sniff, the rat took a leap.

Its front two paws immediately grabbed the white handle of the fire alarm, pulling it.

The rat made an effort to hold on, pulling at the alarm again while performing a fairly impressive pullup. But it wasn't enough to save the rodent from tumbling onto the floor. It wasn't seen again.

The surveillance video shows alarm lights flashing.

(Source NBC)

18 Review

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

Starring: Mrunal Thakur, Riya Sisodiya, Adil Hussain, Rajkummar Rao, etc.

Director: Tabrez Noorani

D Movie Review

LOVE SONIA

irector Tabrez Nooraani’s drama, Love Sonia, opens with a group of school children observing a butterfly trapped in a glass jar. Noorani does not waste time dwelling on this innocence and playfulness. The lyrical scene, with its obvious metaphor, is a preamble to a story about sex trade and human trafficking. It is quickly left behind to focus on the plight of a debt-ridden farmer and his daughters.

Adil Hussain plays the burdened farmer with barren fields and two teenage daughters. The fair and frail older child, Preeti (Riya Sisodia), is sold off to the local landlord and moneylender (Anupam Kher), while the younger, stronger girl Sonia (Mrunal Thakur) is held back to help in the arid fields.

Writers Noorani, Ted Caplan and Alkesh Vaja do not spare any punches. The experiences are shocking; the milieu is dark, claustrophobic and filthy. There is no joy and only flickering hope. The most harrowing plot point is the way in which international rings operate to transport women across the world for the pleasure of men willing to pay a hefty price. Women are locked into cargo containers, entrapped, as they sail for weeks till they dock at Hong Kong or even North America.

The acting compensates for some directorial and script limitations. Often the story feels like a series of headlines linked together. But the compelling performances and a hard-hitting storyline power Love Sonia. When the two-hour viewing ends, one feels the need to take a deep, deep breath. n

Starring: Vicky Kaushal, Taapsee Pannu, Abhishek Bachchan, Ashnoor Kaur Director: Anurag Kashyap

M

anmarziyaan is the least violent Anurag Kashyap film imaginable. No one gets their head bashed in, no one shoots their arch-rival dozens of times; even hockey sticks are wielded more as a threat than as an actual weapon. Yet, in a step forward for the director, Manmarziyaan explores other kinds of violence, like the sort of verbal and emotional wounds dealt to each other by young people in love. It also looks at the healing power of forgiveness— again, not what one might think of as a Kashyap theme.

The movie revolves around three central characters - Rumi, Vicky and Robbie. Rumi (Taapsee Pannu) and Vicky (Vicky Kaushal) are in love and they can’t stay out of the bedroom. When they’re caught red handed by Rumi’s family, pressure

H

onor and Huawei have been pushing new models out at a frenetic pace for the past few months, and after attacking nearly every product segment, it’s time for the sub-Rs. 10,000 space to get some attention. The new Honor 7S is aimed right at value-conscious buyers, and Honor is hoping to tempt them with style, features and functionality. The phone is priced at Rs 6,999 for 2GB RAM and 16GB storage model.

Design:

In terms of looks, there really isn’t much that sets the Honor 7S apart. The phone comes in three colour variants - deep blue, black and gold. The design is clean and simple, with zero fuss. There’s an 18 : 9 screen on the front, with relatively little blank space around it. The front camera, flash, and sensors are all in one horizontal line with the earpiece. If not for the bright silver Honor logo on the front, this would be a very minimalist phone.

The power and volume but-

builds up to get married. But Vicky has cold feet and keeps avoiding Rumi’s request to bring his parents over and ask her hand in marriage.

Eventually, she gives up on him and agrees to an arranged marriage.

That’s when Robbie (Abhishek Bachchan) enters the proverbial love triangle.

The performances by Taapsee, Vicky and Abhishek are special, to say the least. Taapsee overcomes a few initial hiccups to sink her teeth into the central role.

This is by far, the best performance of her career. Vicky, as the quintessential Punjabi munda, who does not really have a handle on life, is superb too. But it’s Abhishek’s performance that adds to the drama. He plays the good guy with masterful restraint.

Manmarziyaan is as much his film, as it is Taapsee’s. n

Honor 7S

tons are on the left, and are within easy reach. There’s a tray on the right with individual slots for two Nano-SIMs as well as a microSD card. The 3.5mm audio socket is on the top, and you’ll find only a Micro-USB port on the bottom. There’s no speaker grille because the earpiece doubles up as this phone’s only speaker. There’s also no fingerprint sensor, which is perhaps unavoidable for a budget phone.

Specifications:

The Honor 7S has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, and there are no variants. The 5.45-inch screen has a resolution of 720x1440 which is crisp enough for most people. The cornersarenotrounded and there’s

Cinepolis Christian Basti 09435025808 Manmarziyaan 01:25 PM, 04:50 PM, 08:15 PM

Grande Cines Paltan Bazar 09854017771 The Predator, English 10:30 AM, 03:45 PM

The Nun, English 01:55

The Nun, English

PM, 06:50 PM, 09:05 PM Love Sonia 02:45 PM, 08:20 PM Stree 03:25 PM, 06:15 PM The Predator, English 09:20 PM The Predator, Hindi 04:20 PM Mitron 05:35 PM

11:00 AM, 03:15 PM

Anuradha Cineplex Noonmati 0361 2656968 Manmarziyaan 10:00 AM, 05:30 PM The Nun, English 01:00 PM

The Predator, English 03:15 PM, 08:30 PM Gold Cinema Paltan Bazaar

Movie Review

09854066166 22 Days 11:00 AM Mitron 11:15 AM, 05:15 PM Manmarziyaan 02:00 PM, 05:00 PM, 08:00 PM Stree 02:15 PM, 08:15 PM

Manmarziyaan 12:45 PM, 06:00 PM, 09:00 PM Love Sonia 01:00 PM Stree 05:15 PM

Mitron 08:00 PM PVR Cinemas Dona Planet 08800900009 Manmarziyaan 09:30 AM, 12:55 PM, 03:25 PM, 09:20 PM The Nun, English 10:30 AM, 06:25 PM

Mitron 12:40 PM The Predator, English 04:05 PM, 08:50 PM Stree 06:35 PM

Galleria Cinemas HUB 09706989143 The Predator, English 09:15 AM, 06:30 PM Mitron 11:20 AM The Nun, English 01:35 PM

Manmarziyaan 03:30 PM, 09:00 PM MANMARZIYAAN no notch, so nothing is clipped.

Honor has gone with a 3020mAh battery, 13-megapixel rear camera, and 5-megapixel front camera.

This phone supports 4G but only on one SIM at a time. You get an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, and proximity sensor. There’s Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, and GPS. The Honor 7S does have face recognition, but the setup process warns that this phone could be unlocked by people or even objects that look like you. Combined with

the lack of a fingerprint sensor, this can be a disappointing experience.

Camera:

Coming to the camera performance, Honor 7S features a single 13MP camera lens at the back with LED flash module. The camera offers decent output with good detail and colour reproduction in bright lighting condition. In low-light, the images appear a bit flat, but it does yield a decent result for its price.

Honor’s camera app takes a little getting used to. You switch

modes by swiping right to bring up a panel of options, and then tap to choose one. Swiping left brings up the preferences page. There’s no automatic HDR; this is a separate camera mode that you have to choose. On the other hand, there’s no manual mode but there are white balance and ISO settings in the menu. It takes at least four taps and some scrolling to adjust the brightness or saturation.

You can record video at up to 1080p, but clips are saved in the ancient 3GP format. The default resolution is 720p.

Verdict:

Bottom-line, in case you want a smartphone that offers decent performance for under Rs 7,000, Honor 7S might not be the best option. For a similar price as the Honor 7S, you can grab Xiaomi’s Redmi 5A that pack the more reliable Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 chipset. Otherwise, it would make more sense to increase your budget and spend on a slightly more expensive Honor or Redmi device. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

Multi-starrer Assamese movie ‘The Underworld’ to be released on Oct 5

A

fter keeping the fans waiting for a long time, Zubeen Garg, the heartthrob of Assam is all set to appear on

the silver screen once again and this time to play the role of a ‘don.’

Zubeen’s latest movie, ‘The Underworld,’ is all set to be released on October 5.

The movie has been produced

by Sahir Hamid and Najim Hamid and the direction and screenplay is by Rajesh Jaspal.

Ibson Lal Baruah has worked on the dialogues of the movie, while the music has been done by Zubeen Garg.

The cast of the movie includes Late Biju Phukan, Zubeen Garg, Parineeta Borthakur, Nipon Goswami, Utpal Das, Baharul Islam, Pabitra Rabha and Dignata Hazarika among several others.

The film, shot in parts of Mumbai and Guwahati, will show the dark side of underworld in a very dramatic manner.

The trailer for the action packed movie was released on September 5 and promises to depict a lot of suspense and drama.

Brajanath Sharma Drama Festival gets under way

S

amahar Natya Gosthee’s 12th Annual Brajanath Sharma Memorial Inter-State Drama Festival was inaugurated on the evening of September 10 by veteran Sattriya dance exponent, Padma Shri Jatin Goswami.

The main focus of the festival this year is on women playwrights and directors.

Kohinoor, the souvenir of the

talked about women’s condition when violence spreads out during a killing spree. Represented by two isolated women – a Hindu and a Muslim – fleeing for their lives amidst raging violence, Baagh (meaning the man-eater tiger) tried to analyse the reasons for such disturbances in society.

On the evening of September 11, Samahar Natya Gosthee presented their highly acclaimed

City-based Visual Creations presented their maiden show Why Justice - Raise Your Voice, written and directed by Ankita Das. The play deals with harassment of women and gender bias.

Natya Gosthi of Jagiroad presented Jonaakar Gaan, a play written and directed by theatre personality Tarun Talukdar, which revolves around a depressed youth.

19

Rima Das’ Bulbul Can Sing receives overwhelming response at TIFF

N

ational award-winning filmmaker Rima Das’ film “Bulbul Can Sing” premiered at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) 2018. It was screened to a packed house on Monday, and she is overwhelmed

by people’s response to it.

Bulbul Can Sing is about a teenage girl, Bulbul, living in a village in Assam, fighting he r way through love and loss as she figures out who she really is.

Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), said, “Last year, Rima Das came to the festival with ‘Village Rockstars’, her delightful drama about a girl with a dream.

She is back with another breath of fresh air, once again shot amidst the timeless beauty of her home village in India’s Assam state. As in the earlier film, Das imbues every frame with insight and respect, and this time there’s a growing exploration of adolescence.

‘Bulbul Can Sing’ is no simple rural idyll.”

Das, writer-director-producer, made the film independently, in the same way as her earlier film, Village Rockstars.

Sharing her joy, Das said in a statement, “It’s a huge honour to present ‘Bulbul Can Sing’ to such a lovely audience at TIFF, I am completely thrilled and overwhelmed by their response.

Thank you, TIFF and my team back home. I missed my team a lot.”

Rima Das’ debut film as a writer-director-producer, Man with Binoculars (Antardrishti) premiered at Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2016. Village Rockstars, her second feature, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival 2017 under the Discovery Section. The film has been screened at more than 70 renowned film festivals across the globe and has won over 40 prestigious awards including four National Film Awards in 2018.

Singer Debasish Parashar debuts his music video ‘Shillong’

I festival, was released by president of Gauhati Artists’ Guild, Aminul Haque, while the festival lamp was lit by Brajanath Sharma’s grand-daughter, Neelakshi Mishra Sharma.

The ceremony was followed by the play of the first night – Baagh – presented by Jirsong Theatre from Guwahati. Originally written

by Sisir Kumar Das, the Assamese translation was done by Mamoni Raisom Goswami. Directed by Rabijita Gogoi, the play mainly

play PIL-99, written and directed by renowned playwright Dr Sitanath Lahkar. The drama highlighted rampant corruption, even in the name of drinking water, and poignantly presented how the verdict of the people’s legal battle is stalled by the powers that be.

On Wednesday Gauhati University’s Neinad Gosthee staged Janaknandini, which is based on the epic, Ramayana. The play, written by Rudrani Sharma, was directed by Tapas Saikia.

A solo interactive English play - RIP - will be performed by writer and director Savita Rani of Pondicherry University which traces a woman’s personal and political journey with satire and humour.

The festival will conclude on September 16 at the District Library Auditorium in the city. On the concluding evening, Sitanath Lahkar’s comedy, Chora Ubacha, by the host group, will raise some questions on people’s beliefs in supernatural powers.

nternationally acclaimed singer and songwriter, Debasish Parashar from New Delhi, has released his music video called ‘Shillong’. The song is a lyrical romantic journey to Shillong, which is located in northeast India.

As per Debasish the song ‘Shillong’ is not just a place or a word, it is an ‘emotion’.

As Debasish states in his words, “It’s an emotion that shivers with love from the gospel to the church,” and is a very unconventional song, unlike the rather popular commercial songs in Assam. This song was made in an effort to bring a feeling of “emotion” and the melody back in Assamese music. The high quality in its lyrics is lyrically arranged to signify poetic images.

The song’s romantic mood plays with the shadows and light, as Parashar recollects a journey to Shillong during

Christmas time as he could hear the gospel singing from the church with an aura glow feeling the emotion in his heart in a beautiful dreamy way.

The musical masterpiece by Debasish was created with a talented and young team of emerging artists, including cinematographers Anirban Hazarika and Manash Bora, music production by Pranoy Dutta and Pronoy Saikia and the moody guitars designed beautifully

by Writuraj Gogoi.

20 Fun

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

Horoscope of the week The New Moon, at the beginning of the week, is supportive of your new plans and agenda. This will help you to remain focused on your goal and adopt a systematic way to achieve it. And, with a methodical approach towards work, you are sure to go places! Soon, Venus moves into watery Sign Scorpio, your 6th House and connects with Jupiter.

New Moon slowly rising at the beginning of the week Signifies new hope. This is a hint that forthcoming events are likely to magnify your success. Venus shifts into watery Sign Scorpio. Now Venus joins Jupiter moving through your 5th House. Here, things are likely to move up the financial ladder, placing you in a strong position.

Last week’s monetary gains are likely to continue this week too. New Moon takes place in Virgo - your 2nd House. Thanks to the Sun and Moon in the company of crafty Mercury, you are likely to benefit hugely, which will augment your financial prospects. There is a likelihood of spending quality time with family – plan an outing or bond over indoor games at home.

It’s that time of the month, when you may be hopeful and bubbling with energy, ready to chalk out a new plan! 10th is the New Moon day. This phase, by all means, will keep you focused on your goals, especially as the week progresses. Influence of Venus here ensures that you have a gala time with your loved ones; treat yourself, eat, drink and make merry.

Evolving of New Moon brings optimism and hope for new beginnings. Hence, you may be busy planning and strategizing the week ahead along with implementing new ideas.

Frankly, that’s how it should be… if you want to stay focused and make it big. Meanwhile, your traits of being organised and methodical shall come to the fore.

And it’s that time of the month which assures gains – tangible or intangible.

You will kick-start the week with a new bucket-list with matters related to career and money on the top. Soon, Venus shifts into your Sign. Here, you shall closely monitor your day-today expenses. Cutting some of the expenditure may be a tad difficult, but you will manage.

New Moon is here, and so are new aspirations and hopes! New Moon which passes through Virgo on the 10th House of your Sign indicates the beginning of good times, personally as well as professionally.

You may be occupied with chalking out a new todo list for the week. This, in turn, will guide you towards your goal.

After an emotionally hectic and tiring week, now it’s time to start afresh; here New Moon gives you a chance to move ahead with renewed zest and vigour. Venus, measured as the most beneficial planet for your Sign, shift into a fix natured Sign Scorpio. Coming closer to benevolent Jupiter in your 11th House, Venus opens all the doors to fulfil your long-standing wish.

As the week begins the New Moon shall prod you to have an inclination towards new, unexplored territories to broaden your horizon. The New Moon day can be utilised for etching out plan and setting new goals.

Venus shifts into a watery Sign Scorpio and later traverses through the 10th House in the company of benevolent Jupiter.

The two major events, high up in the cosmos will keep you on toes all through the week. Firstly, New Moon will push you to attempt new project and assignments giving new hope for a better future. Secondly, Venus moves to Scorpio. Both now pass through the 9th House of your Sign – this, definitely suggests brighter prospects for making it big in your industry.

What is the Greek word for crab?

2

Which country, in 1921, was the first to allow women to vote?

3

Paul Robeson’s song ‘Ole Man River’ from the musical Showboat inspired which famous Indian song?

4

How did the Jonga jeep used by the Army get its name?

5

Neel Nirjane, a Bengali film

by Subrata Sen, holds which

unique record in the history of Indian films?

6

Identify this legendary Indian athlete, the first to

win an individual Olympics medal?

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

For Better or For Worse By Lynn

curio-city

1

8

9 2 4 8 8 9 1 6 4 3 1 3 8 8 9 2 1 7 4 6 2 6 8 9 6 5 1 4 Daily Sudoku: Thu 13-Sep-2018

6

6 3 1 2 9 5 6 2 6 9 2 5 8 1 2 4 1 4 2 5 7 3 1 9 easy

3

8 2

Daily Sudoku: Thu 6-Sep-2018

medium

8 last 1 9week 5 7 solution 4 6 3 2 5 2 4 8 6 3 9 1 7 8 9 7 4 1 6 3 2 5 3 7 6 1 2 9 8 5 4 5 1 4 3 9 2 8 6 7 1 9 5 7 8 2 3 4 6 6 3 2 5 8 7 1 4 9 6 4 8 3 9 5 2 7 1 2 8 1 9 4 5 6 7 3 7 3 2 4 1 6 5 9 8 4 7 6 1 2 3 5 9 8 4 6 3 2 5 7 1 8 9 6 73 81 24 12 45 93 85 79 6 8 64 48 77 56 13 29 52 13 9 7 4 8 2 5 1 9 3 6easy Daily Sudoku: Thu 13-Sep-2018

1 6 5 7 3 9 4 8 2 Daily Sudoku: Thu 6-Sep-2018

medium

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

1. Cancer 2. New Zealand 3. Ganga Tumi by Bhupen Hazarika 4. Jonga, made in Jabalpur, is an acronym for Jabalpur ordinance and gun carriage assembly 5. It is the first completely digitally made Indian film 6. KD Yadav, who won a bronze in wrestling at Helsinki in 1952

curio-city

Sudoku

(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2018. All rights reserved. (c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

Constant movement in the cosmic alignment may not fare well for marital bliss. Although you are a caring and considerate spouse, you may not agree on the same issue with your partner. This difference of opinion may give rise to mental disturbance and polluted home environment. Soon, Mars after a long stay in Capricorn enters Aquarius in the 10th House.

(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2018. All rights reserved. (c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2018. All rights reserved.

The New Moon, at the beginning of the week, is a great time to make new plans and set new goals. Go ahead and plan an eventful week. Venus, which is in Scorpio, gradually moves through your 8th House, in the company of Jupiter. This cosmic alignment connotes comforts and luxuries. You may decide to work from your comfort zone – from home or your favourite café with a Wi-Fi zone.

Across

Word of the week exoteric adjective [ek-suh-ter-ik] popular; simple; commonplace.

Crossword

1 Country on the Black Sea, where Stalin was born (7) 8 Strip of toast to go with a boiled egg (7) 9 Terse (7) 10 School (7) 11 Fashion — flair (5) 13 Gilbert and Sullivan opera (9) 15 Mountainous coastal region of Galway (9) 18 Dalai Lama’s land (5) 21 Captivate (7) 22 Stimulation (7) 23 Support (7) 24 Express disagreement (7)

Down

1 Seabirds — dupes (5) 2 Scarlet Pimpernel author (5) 3 Common to both male and female (6,7) 4 Rise (6) 5 Lights (13) 6 Strong and aggressive woman (6) 7 Sculptured band between architrave and cornice (6) 12 Printing error (4) 14 Isle of Wight resort (4) 15 Picasso or Braque? (6) 16 Most recent (6) 17 Within reach (2,4) 19 Cover with liquid for cooking (5) 20 Available for renting (2,3)

Last week’s solution

Lifestyle

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

Vishwakarma Puja and Vaastu

L

ord Vishwakarma is worshipped in the Eastern part of India by almost all artisans, technicians, mechanics and those owning machines. It is believed that Lord Vishwakarma is the supreme God of all architects and artisans. Hindus believe that the entire universe has been designed and created by Vishwakarma who happens to be the son of Lord Brahma. He has also designed the palaces and abodes of the Gods.

It is believed that sacred we apons like the Vajra, the Trishul, Sudershan Chakra etc and the flying chariots of the Gods (e.g. Pushpak Viman) have been made by Lord Vishwakarma. It is mentioned in Mahabharata that the Kauravas cheated the Pandavas while dividing the kingdom and gave the m five villages consisting of barren land.

Krishna introduced Vishwakarma to Pandavas and advised them to employ him as the architect to TIP

wealth, fortune, peace, prosperity, happiness and fame. The “Pran Pratisthit Vishwakarma Yantra” is used for this which starts with Guru Vandana. The Mantra for Lord Vishwakarma is “Om shree shrishtinathaya sarvasidhhaya vishwakarmaya namo namah...”

Goddess Lakshmi

has helped Lord Brahma during the creation of Brahmand or the Universe.

Vishwakarma Puja is celebrated on the day of Bhadra Sankranti which is the last day of the Bengali month of Bhadra. It usually falls on 17th September

To get the benefit and blessings of Lord Vishwakarma, keep all tools and tackles and heavy machinery at Southwest. every year. The mechanics worship their tools and machines on this day. Drivers and owners of vehicles worship their vehicles.

Almost everyone, who uses a machine or any tool, worship Lord Vishwakarma on this day. Those engaged in manufacturing, iron and metal business, real estate and property organize Vishwakarma Puja for success in business.

The Vishwakarma Prayog is a procedure to remove Vaastu defects of the house and bring

build their capital at Indraprastha which is supposed to be close to the present day capital of India, i.e. New Delhi. Vishwakarma used Vaastu principles to build the magnificent city of Indraprastha which became the object of envy for the Kauravas.

Lord Vishwakarma is the first Vaastu shilpi to apply the Vaastu principles in creating the Indralok or Amaravati (the heaven of Lord Indra), the city of Dwarka (For Lord Krishna), Lanka for Ravan etc. He

S

According to the Hindus, Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and people keep and worship her at home for wealth and prosperity.

But if certain Vaastu rules are not followed, it can spell disaster instead of riches.

1. A lot of people keep the statue of Goddess Lakshmi in standing position. This is not right.

She does not stay in this position for a long time and soon leaves. So the statue or photo should be in sitting position.

2. The owl is her vahan (vehicle) and she should not sit on it as it will fly away!

3. Goddess Lakshmi is the wife of Lord Vishnu and it is best to keep her statue with his.

4. But during Diwali, Lord Ganesha and Mata Lakshmi can be kept together for wealth and success.

5. The statue of Lakshmi should not touch the wall. There should be a gap.

6. The North is the be st direction to keep the statue or photo of Goddess Lakshmi.

7. Do not keep more than one statue or photo of Goddess Lakshmi in the puja room.

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

21

I don’t like Tranquil I don’t like Tranquil.

It doesn’t quite Roll off my hungry heart As Chaos does.

Tranquil has no tang No zing, no swag.

It doesn’t rip through me As Messy does.

Empty nests are Tranquil.

So are hastily discarded sweaty tees And leftover smells Of college bound sons.

Chaos and Messy rooms Of cross legged World Cup addicts And chicken stains on starched bedsheets Did banish Tranquil.

I’m wringing out Tranquil From wet towels and mouldy socks Lest it out-sings fresh memories Strewn carelessly around my soul.

Padmini Boruah, Guwahati

Suicide and our young people

eptember 10, 2018 was celebrated as World Suicide Prevention Day. Two days later, Guwahati woke up to the news of the suicide of yet another young person in a premier institute. For young people of any generation, stepping out of the familiar safety of home and school into the real world has always been daunting. But the situation today is more complicated. The mindsets of most parents around career choice and definitions of success haven’t changed since my generation. Whereas the opportunities offered by today’s world are vast. So the divide between parents’ and youngsters’ mindsets is even bigger now. Not to mention the challenges that young people face in adjusting to college life, often in a different city, juggling studies, co-curricu-

lar activities and friendships, and amidst all this trying to figure out who they are and who they can be.

I was a crisis counsellor with Lifeline Australia’s suicide hotline for five years. As a family counsellor and parent coach I work very closely with families. So here’s what I have to say very briefly -

have not met any parent who, once they know what their child is going through, is unwilling to change. No parent wants to cause distress to their child knowingly.

Connection, connection, connection

Last cry for help

Suicide is the last desperate cry for help from a person whose life has become painful and without hope. They don’t necessarily want to die; they simply want the pain to stop. Contrary to popular belief, asking directly about suicide shows that someone cares.

It can start the journey towards healing.

On different pages

Parents are often oblivious of the inner turmoil of their adoles-

cent child; they focus on the rebellion, the talking-back, and the independence-seeking. The adolescent is actually painfully aware of the parents’ struggles, hopes and aspirations. They feel guilty and anxious that they will not meet their parents’ expectations.

When I tell parents this, most express disbelief that their adolescent is capable of this level of understanding.

On the other hand, young people believe that their parents will not understand their turmoil because of generational differences in mindset. But I

The isolation and hopelessness that characterises suicide can be lifted if communication and understanding exist between parents and children. As I repeatedly tell parents, there is nothing like staying connected with your child. And it becomes all the more crucial in this phase of the child’s life.

Bornali Borah Family Counsellor, Parent Coach and Mediator.

22 Buzz

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

Arya Vidyapeeth College to celebrate diamond jubilee

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rya Vidyapeeth College, a prestigious educational institution of Guwahati, is all set to celebrate the conclusion of its diamond jubilee year 2018 with a three-day fiesta from September 21 to 23.

On the opening day, a cultural rally showcasing the indigenous cultures of the northeast will take

place, which will be followed by the inaugural function that will be attended by Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi. A book fair and an art and painting exhibition

will be organised in the college playground. A souvenir and collections of stories and poems will also be released.

On the second day, the Pandit Giridhar Sarma Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Prof Gyaneshwar Chaubey of Banaras Hindu University.

This will be followed by an open session, ‘Antaranga Aalap’, where former faculty members and alumni will meet.

Each day will have cultural programmes that will include bhaona and dance dramas.

The concluding function will be attended by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Education Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharya. This was stated in a press release issued by the institute. n

Inpatient unit for veterinary treatment set up at CVS

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ssam, on September 8, got its first ever inpatient unit for veterinary treatment.

The unit has been set up at the College of Veterinary Science, Khanapara with the capacity to keep 18 large animals, 12 medium-sized animals and around 30 pet animals at a time.

“For the first time in Assam, such an inpatient unit is open for public use. The unit will run under public-privatepartnership mode. The building has been constructed by our authority, while an NGO named Sahay will maintain it further,”

File photo of Raju, the first patient of the inpatient unit at Khanapara Hospital

Vivekananda Saikia, Dean of the College of Veterinary Science said.

Dr Kamal Malla Bujarbaruah, Vice Chancellor of the Assam Agricultural University (AAU), veteran journalist and writer Homen Borgohain, Sahay president and journalist Nandan Pratim Sarma Bordoloi, senior journalists Zarir Hussain and Maini Mahanta were among the dignitaries present at the inauguration ceremony.

The teachers and students of the College of Veterinary Science were also present at the function. n

Science seminar held at Regional Science Centre

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he Regional Science Centre, Guwahati, in collaboration with the Directorate of Secondary Education, Assam, organised the State Level Students’ Science Seminar on its campus on Friday, September 7.

The topic of the seminar was, “Industrial Revolution 4.0 - Are We Prepared?”

The objective of the seminar was to inculcate a spirit of scientific inquiry and analytical thinking in the minds of young students.

Students studying in classes VIII to X from some districts of Assam took part in the seminar.

The seminar started in the morning with an aptitude test, following which all the participants presented their views on the topic with some visuals in the form of computer slides and charts/posters.

2nd Jyoti Prasad Medhi lecture organised at IIT-G

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he second Jyoti Prasad Medhi Memorial Annual Lecture, organised by the mathematics department of IIT Guwahati, was held recently at the institute.

The lecture titled ‘Brownian Motion’ was delivered by Prof BV Rao from Chennai Mathematical Institute. He is a well-known expert in Probability and Statistics and a former professor at the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata.

In his lecture, Prof Rao recalled the pioneering works of Dr Medhi which had inspired many scientists to seek advancement of the subjects of Stochastic Processes and Queuing Theory.

A large number of faculty members and students from Gauhati University, Cotton University and IASST, apart

from those of the host institute, attended the lecture.

IIT Guwahati had last year instituted this series of lectures in honour of Dr Jyoti Prasad Medhi, renowned Assamese mathematician and statistician.

Dr Medhi had passed away in February 2017 at the age of 93. n

Kalyan Kumar Das(2nd L), President of Guwahati Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA) along with other officials seen felicitating Asian Games Gold medalist Hima Das in a befitting function organized in Guwahati on September 10.

4th Convocation of USTM held successfully

T Amolika Das, a Class VIII student of Army Public School, Narangi, was selected as the best presenter at the competition. She will represent Assam at the National Science Seminar to be held at Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bangalore on October 5.

Tapasnigdha Sen and Dip-

tarup Das, both Class IX students of Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Silchar, bagged the second and third positions respectively.

At the valedictory-cum-prize distribution ceremony, Dr Bibekananda Saikia, Dean of College of Veterinary Science (Assam Agricultural University), Guwahati, was present as the chief guest. n

he 4th Convocation of the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM) was held successfully on 8th September, in the presence of a host of dignitaries. Altogether 1,094 graduates were awarded degrees in this fourth convocation of the university, out of which eight scholars were honoured with PhD degrees, 823 students were offered post graduate degrees and 263 were offered undergraduate degrees.

The university also rewarded the best post graduate student with Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Best Post Graduate Award and the best undergraduate student received PA Sangma Best Undergraduate Award.

Conrad Sangma, chief minister of Meghalaya graced this

grand academic event as the chief guest while the distinguished guest dignitaries included Prof SK Srivastava, Vice Chancellor, NEHU, Dr RC Deka, Former Director, AIIMS, Prof Asfar Ali Khan from Aligarh Muslim University, apart from others. n

Events

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

23

Event: Temple to Temple Run: Run Like a Goddess Date: September 9, Sunday Venue: Nabagraha Temple to Kamakhya Temple

September 8-15 Second Anniversary Celebration NYX Lounge and Deck September 15, Saturday Club Nights ft. Major C NYX Lounge & Deck 7PM onwards

45 women ran from Nabagraha Temple Hill Top to Kamakhya Temple covering a distance of 10KM wearing Mekhela Chador in the 2nd edition of Temple to Temple Run: Run Like a Goddess. 10 men also ran the same distance wearing a dhoti.

The objective of the event was to highlight that nothing should stop you from running or start your fitness journey, not even your attire.

The 2018 edition of Pinkathon Guwahati, scheduled to take place on September 30, will flag off from Khanapara Veterinary Ground.

September 15, Saturday Dualist Inquiry Live Terra Mayaa 8PM onwards September 15, Saturday Social Shanivaar ft. DJ Evan The Socialite 8PM onwards September 15, Saturday Shamiyana Shanivaar Dicey’s Garden 7PM onwards

B

ollywood singing sensation Mika Singh performing Live in Guwahati on Se ptme be r 10, Monday.

The singer enthralled the audience with his electrifying performance, singing some of his most hit songs like ‘Damadam Mast Kalandar’, ‘Jumme ki Raat’ and his latest song from Stree ‘Milegi Milegi’.

September 15, Saturday DJ Merili Live The Underdoggs 8PM onwards

Photography by: Shaunak Shayan

September 15, Saturday Funky Saturday ft. DJ James Retro Town 7PM onwards September 15, Saturday Superstar Saturday ft. DJ Akanksha Dunkin Oza 7PM onwards

Event: Club Night ft. DJ Zuby & DJ Rik Date: September 9, Sunday Venue: Dunkin Oza

September 15, Saturday Out of the Box ft. Rocky Glock XS the Place to be 8PM onwards

Event: Bollywood Night ft. DJ Veronica

Event: EDM Night ft. Distort

Date: September 8, Saturday

Date: September 8, Saturday

Venue: Retro Town

Venue: The Socialite

September 16, Sunday Unplugged Night ft.

Parwaz The Socialite 8PM onwards

24 Catching Up

G PLUS | Sep 15 - Sep 21, 2018

Ayushmani Kashyap

Most shared story of the week

New

About Me Supporters of the Congress Party observed a nationwide Bandh on September 10 to protest against the rising fuel prices. Amidst several news, there circulated photos along with reports that Congress supporters destroyed vegetables procured by farmers at Tinsukia, Assam, to observe Bharat Bandh. People of the state soon took to social media to condemn the act and slam the Congress government.

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Greetings to the readers of G Plus.

I am Ayushmani Kashyap, a 19-year-old aspiring model from Guwahati.

I am currently a student of B. Barooah College. I love to spend time with children of the slum areas. I also enjoy making Madhubani paintings.

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Mojo Modelling has given me the opportunity to immerse myself into an exciting environment. I have met several passionate and creative people and this gives me a push to give my best in this field.

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I want to grow better in this industry and earn recognition with my hard work. While giving my best in the fashion world, I also would love to continue my mission for humanity.

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