Vol 6 Issue 20

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INSIDE

Volume 06 | Issue 20 Mar 09 - Mar 15, 2019 Price `10

The rise of Conrad Sangma and what it means for NE

Cable TV customers and operators alike face brunt of new TRAI rules

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n the eve of poll notification in Assam, the Bhartiya Janata Party had been accused of completing a massive job scam in the Panchayat & Rural Development and State Information Department, denying jobs to thousands of meritorious candidates.

It has been alleged that the BJP filled up the posts either with party supporters, relatives of party leaders, party sympathizers or had taken money. The appointment had taken place in the Panchayat & Rural Development, where 900 posts were filled up in various categories and 64 posts of the Information & Public Relation Department.

In the exams that were held in May 2018 across the state, nearly 20,000 people appeared. Yet the entire process was completed in less than 15 days and posted in less than 24 hours. Additionally, even the police verifications were completed in less than 24 hours.

This raised suspicion and fingers were raised at the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Rajib Prakash Baruah, who was the former director of the department and is now on an extension after retirement.

The suspicion further grew when it was found that over 60% of the seats in the P&RD department had gone to the BJP

party and it was thus alleged that the posts were sold for cash.

It had been reported that the question papers for the examinations were not sealed.

“Normally, it is the candidates who should open the seal of the question paper. But during

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) then submitted the investigation report of the anomalies in the recruitment examination for vacant posts in the Panchayat & Rural Development (P&RD) Department.

The CID found a large number of

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Print Media to blackout govt PRs, ads, images, news until election announcement NENS cites utter negligence by government despite repeated meetings and assurances to resolve its demands

F Panchayat & Rural Development Minister Naba Doley the examination, the question papers were open, making them vulnerable to leaks,” a source had informed.

While there were reports of shortage of question papers in some centres, the paper was also leaked on WhatsApp at some places. It had been suspected that some students inside the examination hall at some centres managed to take their mobile phones inside the hall and click pictures of the question papers and thereby leaked it on the WhatsApp groups which went viral later.

Bucking under the pressure, Dispur decided to move the CID to conduct an inquiry into the alleged rampant irregularities.

Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Rajib Prakash Baruah

irregularities in the examination.

According to reports, there were massive irregularities in 18 examination centres of 9 districts and it suggested that 28 candidates were expelled for using unfair means during the examination.

Notably, the investigation report was submitted a day after the appointments in the P&RD. There were also widespread allegations from all over the state that the BJP made sure all their leaders and leaders’ families were taken care of in the appointment.

Yet the names of the selected candidates were published on the P&RD website. n

Related story on Page 9

CM orders probe into alleged irregularities in appointments ssam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, taking strong note of the alleged irregularities in the appointment of permanent posts in Panchayat & Rural Development Department (P&RD), has ordered in inquiry into the controversy.

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BJP Assam accused of job scam in P&RD Recruitment, CID submits report Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

Village’s first female graduate on woman empowerment mission

Taking cognizance of the reported controversy, he has directed institution of a one-man inquiry by Additional Chief Secretary Jishnu Baruah to inquire into the whole episode and submit a report to the government at the earliest.

Earlier on March 8, the Krishak

Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) advisor Akhil Gogoi lambasted the Sarbananda Sonowal-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Assam and termed the recruitment process in the Panchayat & Rural Development (P&RD) Department one of the biggest scams in the history of Assam. n

or the coming 10th, 11th and 12th March all newspapers of the state affiliated to the North East Newspapers Society (NENS) have decided to boycott news, images and advertisements related to the government. This decision was taken due to the negligence shown by the government towards the newspaper fraternity.

In a meeting held at Agradoot Bhawan, the members of the NENS condemned the government’s attitude and took this decision.

It is to be mentioned that the government rates for advertisements has remained stagnant since 2014. In these five years the rate of printing, cost of newsprint and the cost of other printing materials have increased manifold.

This has resulted in serious operational emergency due to rising expenses for the print medium.

The society members had, on 22 February 2018, met chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and apprised him of their situation.

The chief minister had assured the members that all the three demands presented would be taken care of and the issues will be resolved.

The first demand of the society to the government was to release the payment for advertisements every two months. The second demand was that the rate of advertisement should be increased every year. The third was the centralized distribution of advertisements along with release orders.

Moreover, even the Gauhati

High Court had given an order which the government has not agreed to. One year has passed since the society met the chief minister but nothing has progressed. Also in between, a meeting was held with the additional chief secretary that, too, resulted in nothing.

This continuous neglect by the government has led the society to take the decision of not printing anything about the government; no images or advertisements will be published for these three days.

If the government does not pay heed to these demands immediately, the society would decide on taking more stringent steps in the future.

Chaired by eminent journalist Kanaksen Deka the meeting was attended by Prafulla Govinda Baruah (The Assam Tribune), Jayanta Baruah (Sadin-Pratidin), Subroto Sarma (Janambhumi), Samir Agarwala, Pranab Talukdar (GL Publications), Khagen Chandra Deka, Sunil Kumar Singh (Axomiya Khabar), Swapnil Bharali, Koushik Hazarika (G Plus), Rameshwar Chauhan (Hill Times), Pranjal Sen Deka and other representatives from the Assamese print media fraternity. n

2 Politicking

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

The rise of Conrad Sangma and what it means for NE As a chief minister and people’s leader from northeast, Conrad Sangma took up the cudgels and led the organizations to Delhi, to return home a hero as the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 lapsed in Rajya Sabha.

Chetan Bhattarai @chetbha1

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hen the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 issue was burning the whole northeast region, it was the Conrad Sangma-led National People’s Party (NPP) from the state of Meghalaya that was the first from National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to seriously raise its voice against the bill. The NPP is in alliance with the BJP in Meghalaya and is an NDA ally at the centre. As a warning, the Meghalaya chief minister threatened to quit the NDA if the citizenship bill got passed in the Rajya Sabha. This was after a resolution in the general body convention in Shillong where party members from the states where it is sharing power (Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Nagaland) were present. The NPP was moving ahead to snap its chord with the NDA if the bill was pushed further.

Soon, we could see another prominent NDA ally - the Janata Dal (United) or JD-U - come in support of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) and the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and other socio-political organizations who were protesting against the bill.

The JD-U top leadership was in Guwahati where they had discussions with the AGP and the AASU representatives.

The snowballing of the bill into a political nightmare for the BJP did not happen overnight. The issue was burning since 2016 when the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the citizenship bill visited northeast to get opinions from various segments of the general public. Mostly, it was the civil

society groups that had garnered public support against the bill in all the states of northeast, especially in Assam and Meghalaya, where thousands came out on to the streets of Shillong. Even Manipur was burning. The state

home a hero when the bill lapsed in the Rajya Sabha. The BJP, wary of the backlash and the pressure built by the delegation led by Sangma, abstained from raising the bill in Rajya Sabha. It was no doubt a win for the people of

Conrad Sangma during the launch of Assam unit of NPP, Guwahati governments could not ignore the sentiments of the people who had taken to the streets for months now. The pressure was getting out of hand for the ruling state units, mostly NDA partners. On the other hand, opinion makers and power brokers were waiting and watching in Delhi as the northeast burnt.

As a chief minister from northeast, Conrad Sangma took up the cudgels and led the organizations to Delhi, to return

northeast and for Conrad Sangma it was a defining moment. His time had come. “The time has come and this is NPP’s time. We want the northeast to move together and NPP will work together with the people of this region,” stated Sangma in Guwahati, a few days back.

In February this year, when Conrad returned triumphant with the AGP leaders from Delhi, he was hailed as a champion for the cause of the northeast.

His welcome at the Guwahati airport indicated his growing trust and popularity among the organizations of northeast.

This support from all quarters encouraged Conrad to take the lead and speak about the issues and problems ailing northeast.

During his speech in Guwahati during the launch of the Assam unit of NPP, Conrad pointed out that for the northeast to be heard in Delhi, there are two things that have to be accomplished - one is numbers and the other is unity.

His meeting right at the heart of Guwahati shows that he is on a mission to raise the numbers – he already has the unity element with him with the organizations behind him.

The North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) looks fractured at the moment for sure. When

The setting up of the Assam unit of the NPP is a good move given the number of Garo voters in Assam and other ethnic and religious communities from Meghalaya residing at the borders of Assam and Meghalaya, and many well within Assam.

reports last came in, the convener of NEDA Himanta Biswa Sarma was warming up for the Lok Sabha (LS) polls. It seems Himanta Biswa is moving to the centre as there is

speculation about him contesting the LS polls. There is going to be a leadership vacuum and this is where Conrad steps in. The young Sangma might not be the NEDA convener but has all the necessary support of civil society groups and organizations from the northeast to make his voice heard. Moreover, NPP is in power sharing in the states of Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram.

The setting up of the Assam unit of the NPP is a good move given the number of Garo voters in Assam and other ethnic and religious communities from Meghalaya residing at the borders of Assam and Meghalaya, and many well within Assam. Also, this move shows that there is some future political thinking from Conrad than meets the eye. We will know about it if NPP succeeds in garnering support and springs up a strong political base in Assam. From where we are now, it looks like a distant dream.

But, like Conrad said in his speech, “everything starts with the first step.”

These days, when the victory margins are thin, a small number of focused voters can do wonders for any party. This strategy of Conrad Sangma would only fructify if the people looking after the party in Assam are going to get it right the first time. He now has former AGP leader Dilip Bora to look after the affairs of the NPP in Assam. Well, only time can tell how much NPP and Conrad can accomplish in Assam where it has just started. But in Conrad Sangma, the northeast can hope that the much-required platform and voice always yearned by late Puron A Sangma is alive and kicking. n

Delhi will hear us only when we are united: Conrad Sangma

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he Conrad Sangma-led National People’s Party (NPP) has completed one year in power in the neighbouring state of Meghalaya. Increasing its foothold, the party from Meghalaya launched its Assam unit on Wednesday in Guwahati.

The party also opened its Assam office. The NPP now has a sizeable presence in the northeastern states of Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.

Speaking at the launching

ceremony Conrad Sangma said that it was time the northeast voice was heard.

“This was the dream of PA Sangma. We the people of northeast have been neglected.

Are the people of northeast not important? In politics, number is very important and nobody cares if you don’t have the numbers.

Until we are not united, no government in Delhi will listen to us. When everyone from northeast stood united leaving party affiliations aside against

the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, Delhi listened,” said the Conrad Sangma.

“Till we are together we will be able to voice our concern. There is the look east and act east policy and for that to happen we will have to do it ourselves. The development of the northeast region is in our hands. We should not be waiting for someone from Delhi to tell us to act and look. It will not happen. It is our region and we have to do it together,” stated the NPP chief.

“The time has come and this is NPP’s time. We want the northeast to move together and NPP will work together with the people of this region. It is an important and historic day as everything starts with the first step. We have completed one year in office and now NPP will work for the people of Assam and the Northeast,” declared Sangma.

Sangma called upon the people of northeast to join NPP in great numbers to bring the change.

“Once people understand

our ideology they will come join us. Our party is working in Arunachal.

In Manipur we have a deputy chief minister and 3 ministers. In Nagaland, we have 2 advisors. We have one in MLA in Arunachal.

PA Sangma believed that NPP should be in all the states.

There should be representative MLAs, MPs from all the states of the region. This will help us in making our voice, issues and concerns relevant,” said Conrad Sangma. n

Governance

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

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Cable TV customers and operators alike face brunt of new TRAI rules Harshita Himatsingka @HHimatsingka

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he Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had issued new guidelines and reforms in December last to regulate and make uniform the process of cable TV operation in the country. This was done to ensure “transparency, non-discrimination, protection of consumer interest and enable orderly growth of the sector.”

However, the transition process for this has left many customers at the receiving end of many frustrations.

As per the new norms, the broadcasters have been asked to fix the price of each of their channels and to declare their maximum retail price (MRP).

Further, under the new tariff system, the customers will have the liberty to choose the channels they would like to watch and will only have to pay for the channels they subscribe to. Apart from this, there will be 100 channels which will be free-to-air and will be provided compulsorily to the viewers. For these 100 channels, a total of Rs 130 plus GST will be charged. For any additional channel, the customers will have to pay extra per channel.

“I am having a lot of problems with a number of TV channels provided by my local cable operator since TRAI has introduced its new rules. It has been more than a month now, and a lot of channels don’t air even when I have subscribed to them. My cable operator has been harassed by his customers and he has given up his job because of the new guidelines.

He now has a paan shop. I think these new regulations are just an attempt by the government to make things easier for the upcoming Jio connection, wherein most of the areas of Dispur and 6 miles are done with laying of cables,” said a frustrated and tired resident of Hatigaon.

Speaking to G Plus, cable

operator Bhaneshwar Deka, who has almost 1,000 customers, said that they are facing trouble with this as a company because the whole process is very new and they were not expecting the change to happen this soon.

“It’s been a problem because it’s very new. We are still not used to it and nor are the customers.

We could not teach our staff the necessary skills required before this process was implemented. So it has been a learning curve for us cable operators too” said Deka.

One of the main problems that customers face according to him is when recharging their accounts. If a customer recharges his account, the channel they want to subscribe to might not show up until the next day or even until a few days.

Deka informed that the filter for the TV channel comes from Noida and customers are complaining of not getting their channels as this process is happening all across India and the filter gets jammed.

“Another important thing is that if the set-top box is switched off when requesting or subscribing to channels/packs, it can cause minor and major delays in their availability,” said Deka.

Another issue that commonly plagues both customers and operators is the fact that customers are not used to recharging their TV packs online by themselves.

This causes frustration on part of both, as customers have to wait for the cable operator to recharge their packs and the operators are stuck as they have to manually recharge their packs for each and every customer.

According to Rajesh Sarma of Guwahati Cable TV Operators’ Association, out of the total revenue collected, 80 percent will go to the broadcasters and out of the rest, the control room will get 10 percent while the other 10 percent will be shared by the operator.

“Now, because of the new system, we are understaffed and low on inventory. Earlier, if we needed three people and three

computers, now we need double of both manpower and technology,” said Deka indicating that the costs

through a change and cable operators have to keep their patience as the entire country

and to not panic as the situation is same all across the country. Some operators are scared that since

Representative image for cable operators has gone up but their revenue share has gone down.

In terms of additional costs, Deka said that before people could avail all channels, free and paid, roughly for 250-300 rupees, but for the same amount now, one cannot get even half of what they used to before. Also, if a single pack now includes even one more extra channel than the prescribed 100 channels, customers have to pay an additional Rs 20 for each pack.

Speaking on the matter, Sanjive Narain, Director of ACC Siticable said that while prices are coming down for people in cities, they are increasing for people in rural areas.

“The entire system is going

is going through this transition period. When all subscribers meet to select their channels and take it all at once, the systems become slow and that’s why there is a lag in receiving certain channels.

Initially, there were problems all across the country, but slowly these problems are coming down and things are falling into place, into normalcy,” he added.

Narain also mentioned that even though business will be affected because the rural population will not be able to subscribe to all the channels, since people in the urban areas are ready to shell out 300-350 rupees and get the big channels, it should be okay.

“I would like to request all the operators to keep their patience

Reliance Jio is coming in, they will take over their local business, but that is not true and it won’t affect these local businesses as the economically backward section of society will stick to the cable network as it will always remain the cheapest option,” informed Narain.

It should be mentioned that the new cable TV tariff system was set to be implemented from December 29, 2018, then the date was moved to February 1, 2019. However, TRAI has now postponed its implementation in order to ensure smooth transition of customers. The rules will now be enforced from March 31, 2019. n

Celebration of “International Women’s Day” by ‘Women in Business Dibrugarh Chapter’

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group of enterprising women from Dibrugarh led by Tea Entrepreneur, Monali Hazarika (founder of Monalee’s Tea House) formed “Women in Business, Dibrugarh Chapter” on February 14, 2019. The first meet happened on that same day where some decisions were taken as to how the group will work together for the betterment of their own business and the society at large.

On March 8, the group went to the only girl’s college in Dibrugarh, “MDKG” where they

gifted the vice principal and other teachers for their outstanding contribution towards bringing up bold and strong girls of the society.

The gifts were made by Priyanka Dev (Owner of Dev Creative World) and Ruma Mandal (Founder of Ruma’s Creativity and Rainbow Dream School of Art n Craft).

They have also discussed that “Women in Business, Dibrugarh Chapter” will contribute 100 sanitary pad packets for the coming 24 months to those girls

of the college who are from economically weak background and travel from far-off places for their

classes.

Later, the group met over lunch at Hotel Rainbow Regis, where Municipality Chairperson of Dibrugarh, Mrs. Soma Chakrabarty joined and discussed about the future activities of the group.

The other participants who attended were Tridisha Baruah (Owner of Sketch Saloon and Wellness) and Juannita Konwar (Founder of At Cake Destination, who baked the women’s day cake as well).

The group also sent a few

gifts to three women who are into professions that are not common for Assamese society.

Virgin Khanikor of Tinsukia, a well-known photographer and baker, Nirmali Nath of Guwahati, a Royal Enfield rider who has done many road adventures with her bullet in India and abroad and Meghna Saikia of Guwahati, the first professional tattoo artist from Assam.

The group now plans to participate at “Inorbit Mall’s Pink Power,” which is an initiative by Inorbit Mall to empower women. n

4 Governance

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

944 vacant posts in Guwahati Police, over 50% cases remain unsolved Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

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total of 944 posts in both armed and unarmed branches in the Guwahati Police Commissionerate currently remain vacant. While 100 of these posts are in armed branch stream, the remaining 844 are in unarmed branch stream.

Due to this lack of manpower, over 50% of cases have remained unsolved from 2018.

In the armed branch, three posts of sub-inspector, one of havildar, three of naik, 78 of constables, two of armourer, seven of bugler, and two of d/

constable remain vacant as on January 1, 2019.

In unarmed branch, four posts of inspector, 50 of sub inspector, three of assistant sub inspector, 28 of head constable, one of naik, 22 of lance naik and 736 of constables remain vacant. Additionally, there are four vacancies in the posts of fourth-grade staff.

Among the total vacancies, however, only nine positions belong to women.

Guwahati, in 2018, witnessed an increase in the number of cases registered pertaining to various crimes. While the city police saw registration of over 16,892 cases in 2018, it was able to dispose off merely 8,138 cases until October 2018, which makes for a mere 48.17% of the cases that

File photo of Assam police personnel

were solved. However, it is to be mentioned that a large number of cases among these 8,138 had been registered in the previous years.

Out of the total cases disposed, 7,858 cases were cognizable and 280 non-cognizable (including three cases under arms act, two under explosives act and one under NDPS act). Among the cognizable crimes, most disposed off cases were those of theft (2,558), followed by burglary (679) and cheating (376). Further, the police disposed off 18 cases of murder and 14 cases of rape.

According to the data provided by the police commissionerate, the police was also able to file charge sheet for 2,923 cases as compared to 3,586 in the year 2017. Yet, over 50% cases remained unsolved. n

11,046 posts in Assam Police vacant

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imilarly, a total of 11,046 posts in the Assam Police remain vacant, this was revealed in a statement issued by the state government. Among them, 4,139 vacant posts are in unarmed branch stream and 6,907 posts in armed branch stream.

In unarmed branch stream, four posts of additional director general of police, nine posts of inspector general of police, 13 posts of superintendent of police, six posts of additional superintendent of police,

147 posts of deputy superintendent of police, 154 posts of inspector, 803 posts of sub-inspector, 261 posts of assistant sub-inspector, 262 posts of head constable, 86 posts of naik and 2,394 posts of constables remain vacant as on February 7, 2019.

In armed branch stream, 26 posts of the inspector, 29 posts of sub-inspector, 25 posts of assistant sub-inspector, 1,103 posts of havildar, 545 posts of naik, 4,217 posts of constables and 962 posts of fourth-grade staff remain va-

cant.

The state recorded 1,274 cases of murder, 1,909 cases of rape, 7,651 cases of kidnapping, 155 cases of dacoity, 1,369 cases of robbery, 1,404 cases of extortion, 4,580 cases of burglary, 15,669 cases of theft, 1,098 cases of rioting, 2,214 criminal breach of trust cases, 5,848 cases of cheating and 92 cases of counterfeit during 2018.

Assam has been witnessing a significant rise in the number of crimes being reported every year, especially in the capital city. The

year 2018 was marked by as many as 1,24,413 cognizable crimes in the state as opposed to 1,11,118 in 2017 and 1,07,022 in 2016.

The crimes registered in 2018 largely include theft, burglary and robbery, followed by crimes against women. The most widely reported crimes over the years have continued to be theft and burglary.

The state capital has also got the dubious distinction of topping the list in cases of murder, kidnapping, robbery, theft and burglary.

In the state, there have been 1,274 murders in 2018 of which Guwahati accounted for 96, despite all the security, law and order in place.

The city also topped in burglary with 1,034 cases, theft with 4,234 case in 2018, kidnapping with 677 cases and robbery with 465 cases.

In one year, Guwahati recorded 677 kidnaps, followed

by Barpeta 574, Sonitpur 365, Golaghat 373, Nagaon 545, Cachar 388, Tinsukia 274, Dima Hasao 36, and Majuli 14. n

GU: No new VC in sight even after 6 months Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

Dr. Mridul Hazarika ven after six months since the term of the vice-chancellor (VC) of Gauhati University (GU) ended, there is no new VC in sight for the post as the matter remains stalled at the Gauhati High Court.

In the meantime, the previous vice chancellor Dr Mridul Hazarika continues to hold the post of the vice-chancellor, in an unprecedented turn of events.

The process of appointment of

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the new vice-chancellor (VC) of Gauhati University (GU) has been stalled for the past six months since the Gauhati High Court had put in place a stay order on the selection process.

As per a source in the university, “The new appointment hasn’t taken place since the case is pending in the court since there were issues regarding the search committee and the judgement is yet to be delivered.”

According to sources, it has been the norm to appoint the new VC before the term of the incumbent VC ends.

“This norm was being followed for the past many years.

The fundamental issue this time was that a new VC was not appointed before the end of the tenure of the incumbent VC,” said a highly placed source in GU on the condition of anonymity.

As part of the process for se-

lection of a VC of a state university, there is a three-member search-cum-selection committee (SCSC) the members of which are nominated by the university, state government and the Governor (who is also the chancellor of the university) respectively.

However, according to University Grants Commission (UGC) norms, the members of the committee cannot be associated with the university in any way. But in the case of GU, a member of the SCSC appointed by the executive council of the university has also

been a member of the university selection committee which oversees appointment of teachers, informed authorities.

The Gauhati University Teachers’ Association has also raised this issue with the chancellor but no action was taken. Therefore, a petition was then filed in the High Court regarding the sanctity of the search committee, resulting in a stay order being issued by the court. The order was issued on the day the interview was scheduled, deferring the selection process.

Talking about the future prospects, the source added that if the High Court finds the search committee to be satisfactory, then the process will be expedited because the search committee has already called for personal interactions of candidates and they might have prepared a panel of shortlisted probable candidates which will be sent

to the Governor for appointment.

“However, on the other hand, if the search committee is not found to be in conformity with the UGC rules and is declared null and void by the High Court, then the whole process will have to begin again and it will take a lot of time,” a faculty member at GU informed G Plus.

He added that if the search committee is declared null and void, a point of contention will be whether the incumbent will be allowed to continue as the vice chancellor or another person will be temporarily appointed till a new vice chancellor is appointed and joins.

Explaining the process of selection of a new vice-chancellor, he said that the search committee prepares a list of three candidates which is then put forward to the chancellor for higher consideration. Further, the chancellor can appoint any person out of the three recommendations. n

Politicking

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

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Gogoi lambasts state and central BJP govts on all fronts of performance Former Assam chief minister and Congress stalwart, Tarun Gogoi, went to the extent of terming the hooch tragedy to be a result of prevailing rampant corruption Chetan Bhattarai @chetbha1

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alking to media in Guwahati on Wednesday last, the three-time Congress chief minister accused the BJP of lying to the people and failing in their promises. “The BJP governments have failed in all their promises.

Starting from bringing back black money to digital India they have failed everywhere. In order to hide their failures they are using the sacrifices of the brave soldiers to win the coming elections. Today they don’t talk about their promises anymore. In order to cover their failures they are trying to torment the people for the second time. We believe this government under the prime minister is about lies and drama,” said Gogoi.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congressman said, “He keeps telling that India is safe only under his rule. Does he mean that India was not safe under other prime ministers? All the prime ministers have contributed to this all around development and the unity that prevails in the country. The country is safe not because of the prime minister but the unity of the people and by the sacrifice and alertness of the armed defence forces. We have defeated the British and the contribution of the Congress was immense. The BJP had no contribution in it and rather helped the Britishers. Today they are talking about nationalism. The Modi government sermonising Congress about nationalism and patriotism is laughable.”

Tarun Gogoi blamed the BJP government for creating confusion on the air strike in Balakot, Pakistan. “In the Balakot strike they have been confusing

everyone. The air chief says something, minister SS Ahluwalia says it was just to scare Pakistan, Amit Shah says 250, foreign secretary says large numbers.

The foreign press has questioned our credibility and we should answer them. Who created this contradictory situation in the first place? There is contradiction in what home minister Rajnath Singh and the defence minister has to say. So, who is confusing us?” asked Gogoi.

The senior Congressman pointed out that on one side India is fencing Assam’s border with Bangladesh and on the other it is pursuing citizenship amendment bill to allow Bangladeshis to become Indian citizens. Gogoi said, “The home minister was here to initiate the sealing of border.

This is a good step but what about the West Bengal and the Meghalaya borders? They are wide open. On one side you are bringing Bangladeshis through the citizenship bill and on the other side you are fencing the borders.

What is the point of fencing?”

According to Tarun Gogoi there was clear lack of interest on the part of the government to complete a fair NRC. “Where is the NRC? This government has no intention of sending back illegal migrants. Amit Shah had said that there are 40 lakhs illegal migrants and the BJP will send them back. So what are they doing about it? The draft NRC should be thrown into the Brahmaputra,” said Gogoi.

Accusing the BJP of trying to divert the public issues in the name of militancy, Tarun Gogoi said, “What was the result of demonetisation that was supposed to contain militancy? During their tenure militancy grew in Jammu & Kashmir. Dreaded terrorist Masood Azhar, who has now become a thorn, was released during Vajpayee’s rule. This government has on stand. They

File photo of Tarun Gogoi cannot succeed in the elections this time. They are trying to divert the attention of the people and they will continue doing this. They are not giving any importance to the issues of common public like unemployment, price rise, education etc.”

Gogoi called the BJP as the richest party and corruption was on rise during BJP rule. “They are the richest party in India. How did they get so much money? Assam has the highest rate of corruption.

The hooch tragedy is an example of how illegal licences were issued for money by the government.

Over 150 died and it is a surprise that no CBI inquiry has been set up,” said Gogoi.

Terming the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) as a party which failed the people of Assam, Tarun

Gogoi said that if AGP joins the BJP it will become a thug party, a party that has cheated the people of Assam. “They are all power hungry and will do anything. For AGP, it is the money and for BJP, it is the power. So, they are now interdependent. If an alliance happens at this stage, only the leaders will go, what about the supporters who are not in favour of an alliance?” questioned Gogoi.

On Himanta Biswa Sarma’s prospect as future chief minister, Tarun Gogoi said that the past record of Himanta Biswa won’t let him become the CM, though he might become a minister at the centre. Gogoi also added that AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal has an understanding with the BJP leader and will put up candidates in the coming Lok Sabha elections as

per Himanta Biswa Sarma’s wish.

“They are also interdependent, one for money and other for more money,” said Gogoi.

Tarun Gogoi minced no words in telling the media that there is a cold war between Himanta Biswa Sarma and chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

He stated that this war between the two BJP leaders to get into the good books of Amit Shah and Modi is making Assamese people suffer.

On being asked how many seats the Congress will manage to win in the coming Lok Sabha elections, Gogoi replied, “Our target is 10 seats but it will depend on whom the BJP fields. It will get clearer once we know their candidates.

For Congress, Kaliabor and Jorhat are good seats.” n

EXCLUSIVE| Topon K Gogoi to replace Kamakhya P Tasa in Jorhat LS seat

I

t seems the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of parliament from Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa is facing anti-incumbency and might now be replaced by Assam cabinet minister Topon Kumar Gogoi as a candidate for the Lok Sabha elections 2019.

Gogoi is an MLA from Sonari and is the minister for Power (Independent) and PWD (assist

Cabinet Minister as MOS) in the BJP-led Assam government.

According to sources Topon Kumar Gogoi who belongs to the Ahom community is close to Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal who has vouched for him for the Jorhat seat that has a

Topon K Gogoi

Kamakhya P Tasa

good number of Ahom voters.

Sources tell that Gogoi is reluctant to contest as he has just settled down in state politics and does not want to go to Delhi.

The Jorhat Lok Sabha constituency

composed of 10 assembly constituencies has always been a Congress bastion. Except in 1984, (Parag Chaliha/AGP) it had never gone out of the Congress’s hand. But it was grabbed by Kamakhya P Tasa from Congress heavyweight Bijoy Krishna Handique in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Handique lost due to the anti-incumbency factor which has come back to haunt Tasa this time. n

6 Special

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

Village’s first female graduate on woman empowerment mission Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

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rom being the first girl from her village who completed her graduation, to now helping other women become self-reliant, the story of Samim Sultana is that of strength, resilience and most importantly, optimism.

Samim belongs to the ManipuriMuslim community and hails from Lakhipur - a village which is 45 minutes beyond Silchar. She has, however, settled in Guwahati for the past 10 years.

Coming from an orthodox background, things were never easy for 30-year-old Samim.

“In my village, wearing pants and jeans and t-shirts is unthinkable for girls. Child marriage is unfortunately still a norm as girls are usually married off by the time they reach class 10.

People don’t give importance to girls’ education and since the girls’ birth, the parents start to think

and prepare for her marriage, not sparing a thought about her education,” Samim told G Plus.

In fact, Samim had to fight her way through to complete her own education as her family saw no worth in her becoming a graduate.

“If I wouldn’t have been resolute about completing my education, they would have had me married a long time ago,” remarked Samim.

Apart from being the first female graduate, she is also the first girl from her village who chose to work and settle outside her village. With this, she has also paved the way for other girls in her village who want to study further and who now look up to her for guidance.

She is now trying to slowly change the way her community members think and behave and is trying to bring about positive changes. Samim now gives them counselling on the negative effects of child marriage whenever she visits her village.

Samim’s struggle started since 2009, when her father passed away. After this, she decided not

Samim with upcoming female entrepreneurs to take any financial support from her family and to become selfdependent.

“After my father passed away, I started working as a beautician and also simultaneously

continued my studies,” informed Samim. She added that during the same time, she also started volunteering for various social organisations in Guwahati. Since then she sustained herself by

taking up small jobs on the side while simultaneously continuing her studies.

Around this time, she suffered financial constraints and also went into depression. n

Inspiration to uplift others

Long way to go

“W

S

hile working with NGOs in Guwahati, I used to visit various slums. As I came in contact with women living in and around the slums, I then realised that there are countless women who have to deal with bigger problems in their lives; my problems seemed very small when compared to theirs. This gave me perspective,” said Samim.

She added that she drew a lot of positivity and strength from these women seeing how they struggle, manage their family and make their way through life from a place where they do not even have access to clean drinking water and a safe environment.

This is where she got the inspiration to train these women in various livelihood skills with an aim to make them independent.

“I started working with girls and women. I started by giving

them skill training as a beautician and then diversified into other areas of interest,” Samim further added.

Samim says that the first step towards helping others or creating any social change is to know oneself and to be true to oneself.

The women who she has provided training to, especially those who come from a weaker economic class and from the slums, are now self-dependent and Samim says that in these areas, incidents of domestic violence and abuse have also decreased since women have started earning their livelihood.

Further, Samim also started a small initiative of her own in 2017 called Lunchbox which is a tiffin service with a view to provide employment to needy women.

In her village too, she is currently working with divorced women and those who are victims of domestic violence and she provides them with liveli-

hood training including various kinds of embroidery and different craft items.

“We then try and find a market for their products and provide them with the profits,” mentioned Samim.

This apart, she also helps in providing a market to women who make pickles at home and encourages them to build a business to sustain themselves. They have started sending the pickles to the market as well.

“I have recently reached out to women in Meghalaya who are being taught to create crafts from waste products so that it can be recycled and can be turned into a source of livelihood for these women,” said Samim.

She added, “Since we have betel nut trees in abundance in the northeast, we have recently started teaching women to create bowls and containers made with the outer covering of the nut which is often considered waste and is discarded.” n

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amim feels that she has a long way to go and a lot of work needs to be done at the grassroots level to bring about positive social change.

Her vision for the future is to see more women becoming economically independent and earning their livelihoods.

Samim has also taken on the role of a mentor to other young girls in her community.

In a recent example, a minor girl in her village was being pressurised by her family to get married to a man who had attempted to rape her. Samim then counselled the families and the girl and managed to change their mind and stop the mar-

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8486002318/8486002320

riage and the girl is now continuing her studies.

Till now, she has provided livelihood training to around 30 women in Guwahati and different parts of the state and Samim wants to add several more women to the list.

She says that this field has become her passion now.

“I love working with women and children. I chose this field of work because it gives me immense satisfaction.”

She added that girls who are educated must take the lead in uplifting other women who were not fortunate enough to get equal opportunities. n

City

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

Commuters face trouble as 600 city buses go off roads following strike Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

O

ver 600 city buses were taken off the roads in Guwahati from Tuesday, March 5 onwards due to a strike called by several transporters’ associations. The strike was called to protest against the new guidelines for city buses introduced by the District Transport Officer & Secretary, Regional Transport Authority, Kamrup.

With city buses going off the streets in the city, the bus commuters faced severe problems due to scarcity of buses. Buses being the primary means of transport for a large section of the people, this scarcity widely affected the lives of commuters who rely on this mode of transportation on a daily basis.

“The commuters are facing a lot of problems because of this strike by private bus owners as there were no buses plying on the roads. In the Beltola area, a number of buses were parked on the street and were not in use. I also saw two buses pass me by that had only one or two people and the door of the bus was closed as there was no handyman,” said a city commuter who uses city buses to travel frequently.

Continuing their bus strike, private city buses went off the roads on Wednesday, March 6 as well after the transport department seized several buses for not following the recently

introduced guidelines. On the subsequent days too, very few ASTC buses were operating in the city.

On March 4, the officials of the Kamrup Metro transport department seized as many as

There are a total of close to 800 city buses in Guwahati, of which 600 are part of the All Assam Motor Transport Association (AAMTA) that called the strike. While the remaining 200 buses did ply in some parts

T

Maximum 2 minutes waiting time at each stop

Bus drivers will have to paste their photos on the front of

Snippets Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) resumes eviction drive of illegal settlers

sought some time to go through the rules. But the department suddenly carried out the drive on Monday and seized some of our buses.”

“The government is being so adamant about these new

T People waiting at a bus stop during the city bus strike in Guwahati | G Plus photo 11 city buses for not following the recently introduced norms.

Cases were registered against more than 17 city buses while around Rs 10,000 was collected as penalties during the drive conducted at Beltola Chariali.

The move was influenced by the fact that the city buses were found violating the freshly issued directives, informed an official from the Regional Transport Authority.

of the city, the overall the bus services remained paralysed.

Speaking to G Plus about the reason behind the strike, general secretary of AAMTA Pradip Das said, “The district transport department formulated the new rules on February 22, but we didn’t receive any notice.

Later, when we came to know about the new rules, we met with officials from the transport department on February 28 and

guidelines while the bus owners and drivers are protesting against them. But in this struggle, the commuters are the ultimate losers. Even today, I took an Ola to work and I can do that, but what about the people who can’t? For them, it becomes so much more difficult. If this strike continues, it will be really problematic,” a corporate employee told G Plus on Tuesday. n

New guidelines introduced for Guwahati city buses he District Transport Officer and Regional Transport Authority Kamrup issued new guidelines for city buses with the aim to ensure hasslefree movement and de-congest the traffic to a certain extent. The following guidelines had been established: No handymen in city buses

7

least 50 meters.

As per the new rules formulated by the transport department, city buses will have to display the photograph of the driver bearing the countersignature and seal of the office-bearer of City buses parked on a stretch in Guwahati the respective association on the left of the windshield, which must the vehicle, which has to be also be visible from 22 metres visible from a distance of at

away.

Additionally, new routes were introduced and existing ones were extended to cover the entire city and its surrounding areas.

While a majority of citizens welcomed the move and extended support to the new guidelines, some opined that the department should focus on training and education of the bus drivers as trained and law abiding drivers can help ease the traffic movement. They believed that making the rules is one thing and getting these implemented is a tall order to ask for. n

he Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) has resumed the eviction drive at Langkaijan in Karbi Anglong near the border with Hojai to free the area from illegal and doubtful settlers.

The eviction drive was halted on March 2 due to confusion regarding border demarcation.

In the eviction drive, more than 1500 bighas of land were cleared which was under encroachment and 554 households were evicted.

Members from KAAC said that the eviction drive will continue until it is completed.

Rural Assam declared open-defecation free

R

ural Assam has been declared as OpenDefecation free on March 5.

This news comes after many districts in the state have pledged to make India a clean country through the Prime Minister’s ‘Swachh Bharat Mission.’

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) or Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) is a nation-wide campaign in India for the period 2014 to 2019 that aims to clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure of India’s cities, towns, and rural areas.

8 In The News Snippets Transport dept to look for alternative if bus operators do not follow rules

F

ollowing the ongoing protest of bus operators against the new guidelines issued by the District Transport Officer and Secretary, Regional Transport Authority (RTA), Kamrup, the officials said that they will look for an alternative arrangement in coming days if the city buses do not agree to follow the recently introduced transport rules.

Over 500 city buses were taken off the streets in the city and in regard to this, bus commuters are facing severe problems due to scarcity of buses. Buses are the primary means of transport for most people and thus, this scarcity is widely affecting the lives of commuters who rely on this mode of transportation for their day-to-day activities.

However, the strike resorted to by a section of bus operators was withdrawn following a discussion between the protestors and transport department officials.

RTA secretary Bapan Kalita while speaking to media said, “We have discussed the matter with the Deputy Commissioner and the traffic police officials and have decided to implement the new rules at any cost.”

SC appoints three-member mediation panel in Ayodhya case

T

he Supreme Court on Friday referred Ayodhya’s Ram JanmabhoomiBabri Masjid land dispute case to mediation for amicable settlement.

Former apex court judge Justice (retd) F M Kallifulla will head a panel of mediators in the case. Other members of the panel of mediators include spiritual guru Shri Shri Ravi Shankar and senior advocate Sriram Panchu.

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

#DignityinFloods campaign catches government attention Harshita Himatsingka @HHimatsingka

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ayuri Bhattacharjee, an entrepreneur for change, has started a petition on Change. org to build 50 women-friendly flood shelters in Assam to ensure #DignityInFloods for women of rural Assam.

Her petition demands that the government of Assam build 50 women-friendly flood shelters in the 10 most flood-prone districts in the state for the safety and dignity of women in those areas.

“We have floods in Assam and everyone knows that. I have been working in rural Assam and these flood shelters come up but they are not women-friendly. There are no separate toilets for women, no menstrual hygiene facilities are available and most times, it is very unsafe,” said Bhattacharjee.

She further mentioned that there are many reasons why she believes that this mission is entirely achievable. Firstly, floods are quite predictable in Assam and it hits every year and usually in the same areas. Most often, the same schools and community centres are turned into designated flood shelters. This means that the Assam government can use the predictability of the situation to its advantage by being better prepared. They can improve existing structures and build new ones to provide basic safety, hygiene and dignity to women who are already battling these floods.

“Assam Disaster Management Manual 2015 has guidelines for a gender-sensitive approach, but the Annual Joint Needs Assessment reports reveal a lack of concrete action on ground,” explained Bhattacharjee.

In demanding the women-friendly flood shelters, Bhattacharjee said that they should have the following features: Gender-segregated toilets and bathing facilities with

#DignityinFloods is a campaign to help secure women during floods in Assam | Rudrani Ghosh provision of menstrual hygiene products and disposal facilities.

Special provisions for lactating mothers and pregnant women.

Periodic visits and feedback sessions by social welfare department officials to ensure safety of women and girls in the flood shelters. The officials should take necessary action and provide security if and when cases of harassment are reported.

Bhattacharjee and her team had conducted a small survey of 83 women in three districts of Assam viz Sonitpur, Nagaon and Biswanath and they found that no one ever asks women about these basic things and that it is a much neglected topic in Assam.

She said that they have conducted a small survey in their own capacity as they are still a very new organization. However, the government needs to commission a bigger survey as they have better resources.

“Now we will be celebrating women’s day, but we forget about

women who have to battle for basic necessities. This is something that is actually in need and no one is talking about it. You have films that talk about toilets and we have a film that recently won an Oscar for periods. But in our homes, we forget to even talk about these basic facilities,” said Bhattacharjee.

In a positive step forward, Bhabesh Kalita, minister of state for irrigation, revenue and disaster management has responded to the petition online.

“I have read the petition thoroughly. It’s a serious issue and it’s good to find that this issue has been raised on such a good platform. I will look into the matter,” he wrote on the official page of the petition.

Bhattacharjee said that she is happy that one of the ministers at least gave a positive response and thanked her and her team for bringing it up.

“He responded through the petition on March 6, in the morning and I’ve gotten in touch with him over email to discuss the issue further and see what we can do.

I’m hoping to get an appointment

with him so we can move things along,” she said.

Speaking in regard to women’s hygiene, menstruation facilities and flood shelters, Bhattacharjee said that this is not something new, it has always been there.

“It’s something that I found and felt that we need to create more awareness about. It’s always existed in our society, this is nothing new,” she said.

Currently, the petition has 11,313 signatures. The petitioners’ goal is to get 15,000 signatures for the approval of the project.

Mayuri Bhattacharjee is a 32-year-old Tezpur-based social worker. She works at the grassroots level on the issue of climate change, menstrual health, gender and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) in Assam and West Bengal. She is a change-maker from the She Creates Change programme of Change.org. In January 2019, she represented India as a Global Shaper at World Economic Forum.

To contribute, you can sign petition at http://www.change.org/ DignityInFloods

Weather report for the week Guwahati

SUN

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Sunny

Sunny

Sunny

Sunny

Sunny

Partly Cloudy

28°/16° C

28°/16° C

29°/17° C

30°/18° C

31°/19° C

31°/20° C

SATURDAY Sunny

27°/16° C

Cover Story

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

9

The BJP govt is the flag-bearer of corruption and Sonowal its king: Akhil Gogoi

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eader of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) Akhil Gogoi lambasted the Sarbananda Sonowal led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Assam and termed the recruitment process in the Panchayat & Rural Development (P&RD) Department as one of the biggest scams in the history of Assam.

“The BJP government is the flag-bearer of corruption and Sarbananda Sonowal its king,” said Gogoi addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Friday, March 8. He was referring to the recently announced appointments to the Assam Panchayat & Rural Development (P&RD) Department.

Attacking the current government for allegedly appointing BJP leaders and petty leaders’ family members in the P&RD recruitment, Gogoi said that the scam was much bigger than the infamous Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) scam which made major headlines throughout the country.

He further alleged the direct involvement of State Transport Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary and State Cultural Affairs Minister Naba Kumar Doley into the massive irregularities in the appointments and announced

an agitation programme against the present state government for the alleged irregularities into the appointments.

Gogoi, during the press conference, questioned the government’s move to have announced the appointments in spite of the Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) submission of investigation report citing irregularities in the recruitment exam.

“According to the CID report, a number of irregularities were detected in the recruitment process.

Without the verification of documents, practical marks were provided and overnight, the names of the selected candidates were published on the P&RD website.

No police verification was conducted for the selected 945 candidates who were asked to join the department immediately.

The

International Women’s Day celebrations at AAI Guwahati

A

irports Authority of India at Guwahati Airport celebrated the spirit of womanhood with a series of functions on International Women’s Day. The entire operations of all Air Traffic movements were controlled by the women ATCOs (Air Traffic Control officers) of Guwahati Airport on the day.

The women ATC team of Guwahati Airport took

over the full operations of Aircraft at the Airport since morning in different shifts.

International Women’s Day is celebrated on 8th March each year in honour of the remarkable contribution of women to society. The day also commemorates the inspiring role of women around the world to secure women’s rights and build more equitable societies. n

JANASANYOG NO 2893/18

From Page 1

same cash-for-job of Assam Public Service Commission process was used in P&RD department,” he alleged.

He also made certain demands

to the chief minister to resolve the issue. “Firstly, Bloom Electronic Pvt Ltd, which has conducted the exams, should be blacklisted.

Secondly, the CM should launch

a CBI inquiry into the matter.

Thirdly, Panchayat & Rural Development Minister Naba Doley should be removed from his post,” Gogoi said. n

10 In The News Snippets Indian government announces first ever Rs 20 coin

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

North East Skill Centre launched; 400 to receive skill training in 4 disciplines Saumya Mishra @saumyamishra03

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he Government will come out with the first ever Rs 20 coin which will be shaped like a 12-edged polygon with the design of grains to denote farm dominance in the country, announced a notification issued by the finance ministry.

The new Rs 20 coin will be twotoned with a diameter of 27 mm, and weighing 8.54 gm. The outer ring of Rs 20 coin will be 65 percent copper, 15 percent zinc and 20 per nickel, the inner disc will be 75 percent copper, 20 percent zinc and five percent nickel.

The face of the coin shall bear the Lion Capitol of Ashoka Pillar with the legend “Satyamev Jayate” inscribed below, flanked on the left periphery with the word “Bharat” in Hindi and on the right periphery with the word “India” in English.

Unlike the circular 10-rupee coin, which is also 27 mm in diameter and has 100 serrations on its edge, the 20-rupee coin will not have any marks on its edge. The ministry has not given any other cues on its design or appearance yet.

Besides, new series of one, two, five and ten rupees coins too would be minted, which will be circular in design and have denominations written in Hindi script.

hief minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the North East Skill Centre (NESC) in Garchuk on Friday, March 8. The centre is being established with an aim to train the youth of the state in highly specialised skilled training.

According to officials, the NESC will provide skill development training in the field of retail, beauty and wellness, hospitalityF&B services and hospitalityhousekeeping.

The institute is being established with the collaboration of Institute of Technical Educational Services

The chief minister mentioned that this is the first-of-its-kind institute in the northeast and it will provide specialised industry driven skill training to students in various sectors as per prevailing industry requirements.

(ITEES), Singapore. For this, the Assam Skill Development Mission had signed an MoU (memorandum of understanding) with ITEES, Singapore as the global knowledge partner for establishing the skill

centre.

While inaugurating the NESC, the chief minister mentioned that this is the first-of-its-kind institute in the northeast and that the NESC will provide specialised industry driven skill training to students in various sectors as per prevailing industry requirements.

Speaking during the occasion, Sonowal said, “Blessed with youth power, India stands on the threshold of being one of the most developed nations. I believe the North East Skill Centre will play a pivotal role in skilling our youth, enabling them to channelize their talents to take the country towards greater heights.”

He added “Assam has large youth talent pool. We want to skill the young generation for harnessing the potential of this human resource and make Assam one of the top states in the country. The youths are not only leaders of tomorrow, but also partners of today. India is driven by its youth as the country has an unrivalled youth population and we must capitalise on this human capital by making Skill India a successful endeavour.”

The newly-inaugurated skill centre will offer four courses with a duration of one year each with a total of 400 seats on offer in total

each year in different disciplines.

It will offer a certificate programme in each of the disciplines and they will conduct simultaneous batches for each course. Further, each of the batches will have 20 trainees per class.

The chief minister also urged the

batches of 20 trainees each. On the other hand, the food and beverage service course and the retail service course will offer the course to six batches with a total of 120 trainees.

Reportedly, the process of admission for the first batch of 400 students has started from January

CM Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurates North East Skill Centre parents and teachers to motivate the young generation to strive hard for establishing themselves as able citizens and guide them through their formative years by sharing information about various disciplines of study and their employment opportunities. The state’s youth must aspire to work in the entire South East Asia and other parts of the world by becoming best in their chosen fields, he asserted.

For instance, the beauty and wellness course and the hospitality-housekeeping course will have four batches with a total number of 80 trainees - four

2019.

The eligibility criteria for the courses include that the candidates should have a minimum qualification of 12th pass for all the four courses and the age limit of the candidates should be above 17 years.

Further, 80 percent of the seats will be reserved for domiciles of Assam. However, as per the rules, if the seats reserved for the domiciles of Assam remain vacant, then the vacant seats will be allotted to students of other states. n

SBI account hacked in Guwahati, Rs 3 lakh stolen

Centre to be equipped with state-of-theart facilities

ybercrime is on the rise in the city and this time the criminals have picked a resident of Guwahati.

Cyber miscreants allegedly looted Rs. 3 lakh by hacking the SBI account of one Anjan Kumar Das at the Guwahati University SBI Branch.

According to the victim’s family, over the last three days, the miscreants withdrew money several times from an ATM located in Jharkhand. However, the bank itself blocked the ATM card after the suspicious transactions and this was when Das came to know.

An FIR has been lodged in Jalukbari Police Station and the authorities are said to communicate with bank officials soon to investigate the matter.

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C

he North East Skill Centre in Garchuk is located on National Highway 37 and will consist of stateof-the-art infrastructure facilities. The skill centre will provide practical training to all candidates as it will have a well equipped domain lab for practical training across the four sectors with necessary equipment.

The campus will also have an advanced IT lab for the use of the students.

The NESC will focus on imparting training across four sectors and the campus will have four sector-specific schools with both theory and practical classrooms.

Officials informed that the sectors for training have been selected af-

ter meticulous analysis of the sectoral demand in the country.

Further, the course curriculum has also been designed in collaboration with ITEES, Singapore keeping in mind the international standards for skill development.

The course curriculum has also been aligned with National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF).

This will help in providing the students with opportunities to access the international job markets.

Additionally, professionals with extensive knowledge have been roped in to teach the students. The trainers have undergone specialised “Train the Trainer Programme” at Singapore delivered by resource persons

from ITEES, Singapore.

In order to make the training more extensive and to provide more exposure to the students, NESC has collaborated with leading industrial partners to facilitate the training of the students in numerous ways such as guest lectures, industrial visits and onthe-job training.

This apart, officials claimed that the skill development centre will focus on the on all-inclusive development of the candidates.

For this, the students will be given additional training in the soft skills and communication skills along with the primary domain skills. This, they said, will help the students in making them job-ready with a holistic develop-

ment.

The MoU was signed between ITEES and the government of Assam in October 2016 for establishing NESC. As per the MoU, ITEES, Singapore will support NESC by providing technical assistance on the campus design and building works, design of facilities in the skill centre, procurement of training equipment and commissioning of workshops, curriculum design and development, training of trainers, centre management staff, supervision and inspection.

With regards to the placement, the skill centre has tied up with over 20 leading national and international brands which are also present in Assam for all the four disciplines. n

Poll

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

11

Assam government has failed to contain illegal liquor business: G Plus Poll Chetan Bhattarai @chetbha1

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he hooch tragedy in Golaghat led to the death of over 160 people. It was widely reported in the media across the world and there was uproar in the state that the government had failed.

The incident took the state government by surprise. Soon arrests were made and the ‘lali gur’ (molasses used for preparing the liquor) was banned in the state.

Accusations were made against the Sarbananda Sonowal government of not being able to check the illegal liquor trade that led to so many deaths. Also, the government was held responsible for letting corrupt officials turn a blind eye to this illegal business for the sake of giving licenses and providing protection to dubious entities.

In order to assess the mood of its readers G Plus organized a poll on its social media channels where it asked its readers whether the Sarbananda Sonowal government has failed to curb corruption in the state that led to the tragedy.

The G Plus poll received over

The majority 59% respondents blamed the government for being not strict enough on the illegal liquor mafia. There was also a lack of

900 votes where a majority 59% respondents opined that the state government has failed to contain corruption. Around 41% of the poll

Do you think the Sarbananda Sonowal government has failed to curb corruption in Assam?

Yes

59.0%

Votes

900 No

41.0%

respondents felt that the government has been able to fight and control corruption in the state.

strict control by the excise department and police on these illegal liquor outlets, felt these respond-

ents. The respondents also believed that there was some kind of syndicate going on in the state and the government was not doing enough to control such activities.

There were strong reactions from respondents who wantVictims of the hooch tragedy in Assam ed the excise minister and promote and legalise indigenous top officials to be sacked immediliquor. ately.

The poll findings also showed The 41% respondents who felt that the people were unhappy that the government was able with the role of the excise departto put reins on corruption cited ment and accused the departthat controlling corruption was ment of allowing the preparation an ongoing process and needed of country liquor in the guise more time. Overall, they opined of extracting revenue. The rethat the immediate action by the spondents were against any kind state government should be to of liquor that did not pass strinstop all kinds of illegal producgent quality tests and demanded tion and selling of such dangerous that an immediate ban be put in liquor. Many felt that such inciplace for country liquor till safety dents could be avoided if the govstandards were put in place. ernment speeded up its drive to n

12 News This Week

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

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

1

11 photo identity documents for poll day

Electors who are not able to produce the EPIC can produce 11 photo identity documents for establishing their identity which includes: Passport; Driving Licence; Service Identity Cards with photo issued to employees by Central/ State Government/ PSUs/Public Limited Companies; Passbooks with photo issued by Bank/Post Office; PAN Card; Smart Card issued by Registrar General of India (RGI) under NPR; MGNREGA Job Card; Health Insurance Smart Card issued under the scheme of Ministry of Labour; Pension Document with photograph; Official Identity Cards issued to MPs/ MLAs/ MLCs and Aadhaar Card.

2

Govt. tells SC: Rafale deal documents stolen

The government told the Supreme Court on March 6 that the documents related to the Rafale aircraft deal have been stolen from the defence ministry and the petitioners that are seeking a review of its verdict dismissed all pleas against the purchase of the jets relied upon those documents.

When advocate Bhushan referred to an article written by N Ram, a senior journalist, attorney general K.K. Venugopal opposed it, citing that his write-ups were based on stolen documents and that an investigation is ongoing in the matter.

3

Foundation stone laid for crisscross flyover in Guwahati

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone of the flyover to be newly constructed in Ganeshguri area of Assam’s Guwahati on March 6. The flyover would stretch from Ganesh Mandir in Dispur to Nursery Bus Stop on R.G Barua Road by crisscrossing the existing Ganeshguri flyover. This will be the second flyover in the Ganeshguri area and is expected to ease traffic congestion to a great extent.

4

Rajnath Singh inaugurates BOLD-QIT

Home Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the project BOLD-QIT (Border Electronically Dominated QRT Interception Technique) on IndiaBangladesh border in Dhubri District of Assam. It is aimed to check infiltration on 61 km of Indo-Bangla border in Dhubri district. The BOLD-QIT project enables BSF to monitor Indo-Bangla borders with different kind of sensors in the unfenced riverine area of Brahmaputra along with its tributaries.

5

Assam Bans ‘Lali Gur’

Assam CM Sarbananda Sonowal has banned the use of country liquor (sulai) and ‘lali gur’ (molasses) in the wake of the ‘hooch tragedy’ wherein 185 people lost their lives and more than 60 children were orphaned. Sonowal has directed all the DCs of every district to ban the sale and consumption of the substance. The resolution to ban ‘lali gur’ was taken during a meeting in Janata Bhawan on March 4 to discuss the unfortunate incident. In the meeting, the CM also directed officials to provide shelter to children who were orphaned.

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Paper testing kit to detect spurious liquor

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Rima Das wins ‘Best Director’ at Dublin Intl Film Festival

In the wake of the recent hooch tragedy that claimed the lives of over 150 people in Upper Assam, the Department of Excise has tied up with Pune-based National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), which is a constituent of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to build a stateof-the-art chemical lab in Assam and to develop a low-cost handy testing kit to detect spurious liquor. The NCL will also develop and design a low-cost, simple testing kit (paper-based) which will be used by both government agencies and the general public.

Filmmaker Rima Das has won the award for ‘Best Director’ at the prestigious 2019 Dublin International Film Festival’s Dublin Film Critics Circle (DFCC) category for her third Assamese feature film, ‘Bulbul Can Sing.’ Upon receiving the award, Rima expressed her gratitude on her Facebook page and wrote, “I’m delighted to win Dublin Film Critics Circle Jury Award for Best Director for #BulbulCanSing.”

8

‘One Nation, One Card’ for seamless travel across India

‘One Nation, One Card’ for transport mobility was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a function in Ahmedabad on March 4. The Indigenous Automatic Fare Collection System based on One Nation One Card Model i.e. National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) is the first of its kind in India.

The card will address the challenges associated with the cash payment e.g. cash handling, revenue leakages, cash reconciliation etc.

9

Guwahati ropeway trial run conducted

The first trial run of the Guwahati-North Guwahati Ropeway was conducted on March 5 which will connect the north and south banks of the Brahmaputra. The ropeway system will be operational from Kachari Ghat in Panbazaar to Dol Govinda Temple in North Guwahati. The total length of the ropeway is approximately 2 kms and the total travel time from each terminal is around 8 minutes. This ropeway service will be an alternative mode of transport for the people living in North Guwahati. Once it is completed, it will be India’s longest river passenger ropeway.

10

Rajdhani, Shatabdi, Humsafar Express to have free Wifi

Maligaon-headquartered Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is working on a plan to provide free Wi-Fi broadband services to passengers traveling onboard all the premium trains operated by it

by June this year. NFR is mandated to provide onboard Wi-Fi in all premium trains like the Rajdhanis, Shatabdis, and Humsafar. Already, the Agartala-New Delhi Rajdhani has been provided with this service where passengers with Wi-Fienabled smartphones can access 100 hours of entertainment content. NFR plans to provide this service in all the premium trains operated by it by June 2019,” Pranav Jyoti Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer of NFR, told The Assam Tribune. The zonal railway is also looking to expand the Wi-Fi services to more stations in the region. Wi-Fi service in the zone was first introduced at the Guwahati Railway station in May 2016 and a total of 45 stations currently have been provided with Wi-Fi facilities in the NFR. Provision of Wi-Fi at around 400 A1 and A category stations across the country was a Budget announcement made in the Railway Budget 2014-15. In Northeast Frontier Railway, RailTel will be executing the work for provision of Wi-Fi for the remaining stations.

NFR is coordinating with RailTel for this and the details are being worked out.

Sports

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

13

Looking “Forward” - Bartholomew Ogbeche in conversation with G Plus

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orn in Nigeria, Bartholomew Ogbeche is the No. 10 at NorthEast United FC. Having put 12 goals under his belt this season, Ogbeche has been one of the most interesting players of the Indian Super League for the 2018-19 campaign.

Ogbeche has had the experience of playing in the Spanish, French, English and now the Indian league, and has certainly managed to grab the attention of the fans.

G Plus spoke to the Forward about his amazing season for NorthEast United and the way forward.

more and help NorthEast United FC and create history for the very first time.

How confident you are of NEUFC’s chances this time?

Fantastic! It’s a good feeling to be where we are now.

We are trying to be

You have been one of the leading goal scorers this season with 12 goals.

What’s the end of season number you are trying to achieve? Is there a target?

It has been great so far, but when you set limits, then you work within those limits. I have never been like that. I have not set a limit. I hope I am going to score many

better and we realized

the fact that there have been some errors in the past that has cost us some points. We are trying not to repeat these mistakes. There is pressure, but in a positive way we are all looking forward to being the best team among the group. With this positive and optimistic feeling, you can go all the way. So, now we have come this far, we can go further.

You have played alongside players from Northeast like Regan Singh, Robert Lalthlamueana, Rupert Nongrum, Kivi Zhimoni and several other players from the northeast.

How do you rate your teammates?

How would you access their performance?

Yes, there is lot of room for improvement of course. They have improved im-

mensely since the beginning of this season. They are not what they were at the beginning of the season and that shows that there been a lot of improvement. It has given a big boost in their confidence, and with confidence and trust in oneself you can always bring out the best in yourself. We are lucky to have some of the best talents naturally. Indian players coming from the northeast is a positive thing for the NEUFC also.

I honestly see a good future for the northeast with these players.

Do you think Indian players have scope for improvement?

Absolutely, the good thing is that some of the foreign coaches that are in the country come with European knowledge, the highest level of football and they try to impart their advice on the Indian players, so that is good thing.

Q: What do you think about your future at the club? Do you think you will be retained by NEUFC in the coming season?

I am not thinking about change

of scenario at the moment. I am thinking about reaching the finals now and to see what the future holds for me. It would be fantastic if I will continue here and if I don’t, life would go on. For now, I am not thinking about it and only thinking about reaching the finals.

What are your thoughts on the club’s chemistry under Coach Eelco?

Yes, he has had an amazing impact on the whole club and the change comes from him. He was there for a couple of months last season, and coached in India the past two years which that makes it easier for him, because he knows the culture and the players. For me, I would not differentiate with my teammates as without them I would not have been able to achieve what I have now.

(This interview was taken before the semifinal clash between NorthEast United FC and Bengaluru FC at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium.

Read full match report below)

Late drama in Guwahati as NorthEast edge past Bengaluru in the final seconds G Plus News @guwahatiplus

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t took a penalty deep into stoppage time to separate NorthEast United FC and Bengaluru FC in the first leg of the semi-final 1 of Hero Indian Super League (Hero ISL) 2018-19 on Thursday. The Highlanders eventually came out as 2-1 winners and will take a onegoal advantage into the second leg in Bengaluru on Monday.

It was the Highlanders’ first appearance in a Hero ISL semifinal and their first-ever win over Bengaluru.

signing Alejandro Barrera straight into the starting line-up for the big match, as the Spaniard joined his compatriot Dimas Delgado at the heart of Bengaluru's midfield.

Gurwinder Singh's suspension, on the other hand, forced Eelco

times in the opening 10 minutes.

With the home crowd backing them in full force, the Highlanders dominated proceedings and created some dangerous chances.

The Bengaluru defence, however, held its shape to thwart

Schattorie's hands as NorthEast lined up with two foreign centre backs - Mato Grgic and Janeiler Rivas. The personnel change meant winger Panagiotis Triadis had to be relegated to the bench due to the five-foreigner rule.

The home team made a bright start to the match and worried Gurpreet Singh Sandhu early on, forcing him into action multiple

the Highlanders' charge. The resistance was finally ended on the 20th minute courtesy a moment of brilliance by Redeem Tlang. The 24-year-old stepped inside from the right flank and swung in an inch-perfect shot to beat Gurpreet and drew first blood.

The Blues could have equalized minutes later as NorthEast

Match Highlights: Redeem Tlang gave NorthEast the lead with a stunning 20th minute strike.

Bartholomew Ogbeche and Rowllin Borges were subbed off on either end of the half time whistle after picking up injuries.

Xisco Hernandez came off the bench to equalise for the Blues on the 82nd minute.

Juan Mascia converted a penalty in the dying stages of added time to hand NorthEast a 2-1 victory.

Carles Cuadrat brought new

goalkeeper Pawan Kumar failed to collect Delgado's low shot from outside the box. Miku tried to follow up on the fumble but Pawan did just enough to push the ball away from the Venezuelan's toes.

NorthEast, though more cautious than before, kept chipping away at the Bengaluru defence in search of their second goal of the match. The Highlanders wouldn't concede till the half-time whistle but were still dealt a huge blow as star striker Bartholomew Ogbeche had to be substituted out after pulling up with what seemed like a hamstring injury.

Despite being a goal down, the biggest hindrance for Bengaluru in the first 45 minutes was perhaps the lack of impact from key players like Udanta Singh and Sunil Chhetri. Chhetri, in particular, ended the first half with just 14 touches and a 40 per cent passing accuracy.

There was a surprise when the teams came out in the second half, with another one of NorthEast’s key players - Rowllin Borges being taken off. Nikhil Kadam was brought on in his place.

Compared to the first period, the second half was a scrappy affair with most of the play restricted in the midfield. It was the away team who was dominating the possession but lacked the intensity to cause any serious worries for

the Highlanders' defence.

NorthEast could have extended their lead on the 70th minute after a quick breakaway move found Federico Gallego with the ball in the opposition third. The Uruguayan played in Mascia with a chipped lob. The Argentine, however, couldn’t get enough power behind the effort.

The Blues' dogged perseverance, however, did pay off eventually.

In the 82nd minute, Miku played in Chhetri down the left. The Bengaluru captain, who was quiet for most of the match, sprung to life and took the ball down near the goal line. The 34-year-old then cut the ball back through the tightest of angles to find substitute Xisco Hernandez's run.

The Spaniard gratefully slid in to draw things level.

With time running out, there would be yet another twist to the tale. The Highlanders were awarded a penalty in stoppage time after Harmanjot Singh Khabra held onto Mascia and brought him down during a free kick. Mascia himself took on the responsibility and dispatched it past Gurpreet with authority.

That would virtually prove to be the last kick of the match.

The Blues will have to overturn a one-goal deficit in the second leg to progress to the final, but they do have the advantage of an away goal. n

14 G Talk E

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G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019 T

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Conrad and Assam

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he new regional leader today with some great credence is undoubtedly Conrad Sangma. He championed the lapse of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016 in the Rajya Sabha with a maturity not usually seen among most of our emotion-driven regional leaders – especially the ones from the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP). He rightly feels that it is time his National People’s Party (NPP) expanded its wings further to become the most credible regional party of northeast India. He is amply justified in thinking so because the NPP has tasted power in Meghalaya, and is in powersharing mode in Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh with the current governments.

And so, opening the Assam unit and an office right in the heart of Guwahati is also justified. Weaning away potential representatives of the people from other regional parties is the way forward. To augment this is Sangma’s strong belief that it is only the strength in numbers from the northeast that will make Delhi sit up and take notice as they did with the CAB issue. And this calls for unity in the entire northeast.

This is where Sangma is likely to face his toughest challenge.

For a region so diversified where an Assamese is hardly

aware of say, the Mizo lifestyle or voting thought process, unifying the region has several other pitfalls and many of these relate to governance. The hill states, which essentially mean all the other states of the northeast besides Assam, have their own provisions designed to protect their culture, language and land.

Visiting some of these states require Inner Line Permits even for Indian citizens leave alone foreigners. Moreover, citizens of these states are exempted from paying income tax – all in the name of their protection and development.

Unfortunately, none of these apply to Assam which is treated as a regular large state of the country and despite its extremely poor position in the ease-ofdoing-business index due to its plethora of problems – social, demographic, infrastructural etc - no concessions are given to Assam. This is what makes it different from the rest of the northeast.

Unity needs to be forged on a level playing field.

Unfortunately, the hill states have a lop-sided advantage and their problems and future requirements just might not match those of Assam which has its own unique set of problems.

Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali

The final ‘Shoe-down’ before the Elections!

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acing to beat the model code of conduct that is going to kick in after the Election Commission announces the general election schedule, the central government is making a last ditch effort to “book its goodwill” for the upcoming elections.

In doing so, the Modi government approved a decision of setting up 50 Kendriya Vidyalayas, ensuring insurance benefits to ex-servicemen, thermal and hydro electric power projects, flood relief programs among several other decisions.

What I fail to understand is that people continue to get excited about these last minute announcements which are made right ahead of the elections.

To be honest, at the central and state level both, public officials are too busy going at it against each other. I’m sure you’ve seen the video where two lawmakers recently got into an argument and the best way they found to settle the argument was with sandals.

Arrey public, wake up! They don’t really care about you! They are too busy arguing over whose name goes on the foundation stone.

The same applies with the pre-election announcements or gimmicks as I would call them.

“Yeh BJP ne kiya, ya Congress ne kiya,” that is the question that keeps the MPs and MLAs up at nights. I’m sure you can recall the uproar right before the inauguration of the Bogibeel Bridge – BJP or Congress, Vajpayee or Singh? To them, nothing else matters.

Public health, safety and welfare are secondary. We don’t elect them to make our lives easier, we elect them because apparently, we like entertaining freeloaders.

Tripathi and Singh are two classic examples of the political mockery that is India, at least at the rural level. The “Chachha bidhayak hai humare,” threat is real. This is what the politicians live for; this is what they get a kick out of! And the sooner India and our voters realize it, the better it is for the health of our democracy.

Sidharth Bedi Varma @sid_bv

No more hooch tragedies: How to do it?

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n the previous issue of G Plus (Vol 6 Issue 19 dated Mar 02 – Mar 08, 2019 I had tried to analyse the main causes of the Golaghat hooch tragedy and had also discussed various reactions to the same on social media.

Some of these were: Excise minister should resign. Alcohol should be banned in Assam. Government must own responsibility and pay compensation. Why pay compensation to drunkards? How can people make fun of deceased by calling them drunkards? Government is earning huge revenues and letting people die. The incident is a conspiracy against the government. Tea tribes are different kind of people (sic)! Each such reaction was analysed in detail and I ended the piece hoping to find some solutions to such incidents in this week’s piece.

So now, where does the solution lie? The answer is: It lies with us the society.

Over the past twenty years, illegality has found acceptance like never before in our state. Call them syndicates, call them cartels.

Almost all politicians, organisation leaders are filthy rich without disclosing any valid source of the wealth. They do not shudder to flaunt their wealth at any time.

The worst part is that they are none the worse for that. We seem to accept, idolise these goons and actually look up to them. We do not feel ashamed that we sell our votes, we do not feel indignant that corruption is institutionalised. As a result, this tribe thrives. What has happened in Golaghat and Titabar is an illustration of my statement. These outlets couldn’t have been born, developed and flourished without the patronage of the police, excise department and different xongothons (organisations). Proof of that is the fact that the very next day of the tragedy, excise and police destroyed many such outlets across the state. How on earth could they have received complaints, investigated, identi-

fied and acted within 24 hours if they had no pre-intimation?

Politicians today have no choice but to be corrupt because it costs more than a crore of rupees to fight an assembly election. This boils down to Rs 1.7 lakhs a month for 5 years. On top of this, every month, for donations, an MLA spends about Rs 3 lakhs to Rs 10 lakhs per month. Hence, besides his/her salary, he/she needs anywhere between Rs 5 lakhs to Rs 12 lakhs of bribes and illegal money every month. To earn this, he has to indulge in transfer/postings, syndicates and collection gates etc. For that, the local policeman, the local excise man, xongothons, District Transport Officer, supply inspector etc all have to be his henchmen.

In a state where the police chief is a man of absolute financial integrity, most of his underlings are corrupt sans a select few. Most of them are corrupt by compulsion

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hese outlets couldn’t have been born, developed and flourished without the patronage of the police, excise department and different xongothons.

Proof of that is the fact that the very next day of the tragedy, excise and police destroyed many such outlets across the state. too as they have to supply to higher ups and political bosses for protection and for transfer postings.

Same is the case with excise.

When you have corrupt ministers, MLAs, xongothon leaders, police, excise officials, we are bound to have the Berias, Agarwallas and

rRole of media during crisis situation

O pinion Dr Navanil Barua

Guptas working as hooch lynchpins. Whatever we do, unless we stop electing corrupt leaders, tragedies of this magnitude or lesser will keep on happening in different places and in different forms.

If the society and the government are really keen to see that Golaghat and Titabor doesn’t do an encore, all it needs to do is to find out how many complaints were made to or received by excise and police about these dens. The next step is to pinpoint which officers refused to act on these complaints. Then identify under what compulsion these enforcers failed to act against the illegal hooch dens. Take the case up to the whole chain of offenders however high a position they may be in.

Unfortunately, such actions can never happen. The director general of police is helpless. The excise minister must have his own compulsions. Otherwise, why arrest only employees of these Guptas, Agarwallas and Berias when they owned and traded in that jaggery godowns? Why not find out why and how they ran the business of jaggery in such huge volumes?

Sorry people, nothing is going to change. You and the media shall go into amnesia regarding the whole incident. We are reacting because close to 200 died. We are still not counting the blinded and maimed victims of this hooch tragedy.

(The author is a neuro-surgeon by profession and a socio-political activist by choice)

Letter to the Editor

The conduct of a few electronic media channels over the past couple of weeks following the dastardly act at Pulwama which killed more than 40 CRPF jawans has been outwardly unprofessional and irresponsible.

TV anchors and their invited panellists resorting to jingoism and warmongering for the sake of attracting a few more eyeballs not only expose the sorry state of Indian TV media but also could sabotage national security at times of crisis. For example, during the 26/11 attack, terrorist handlers had access to the media’s minute-to-minute reporting. Lessons should be learnt from such mistakes. In most countries, the media and their war correspondents follow certain protocols while reporting sensitive information. In most western media houses, journalists who have had credible experience on military reportage or are specialized on war reporting are given the sole responsibility to cover insurgency or war-like situations. This clearly is not the case in India. Here, the anchor seems to have acquired all the traits of journalism and becomes an expert on virtually every subject. Following Pulwama, TV studios were converted into virtual war rooms and in one particular instance, the anchor came dressed in military garb holding a toy gun. Such display of hyper-nationalism aimed at the eagerness for TRPs can be embarrassing and misleading at times if statements and facts broadcast are not taken from legitimate sources.

Democracy thrives because of a responsible and credible media. Such grotesque display by our media does not serve the purpose which it should as the fourth pillar of democracy. The anchors, editors, producers and also the investors must make efforts to bring dignity back to the newsroom studios. Most importantly, responsible viewership and sensible consumption of media content should be promoted among the masses.

Himangka Kaushik Hatigarh Chariali, Guwahati

In Focus

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

15

Dr Priyanka Jain Agarwal - Brightening smiles one patient at a time Nehal Jain @NehalJain96

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ental surgeon, entrepreneur and a mother of two, Dr Priyanka Jain Agarwal is a multi-faceted personality who strives across many different worlds. A graduate in BDS (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) from the prestigious MS Ramaiah College Bangalore, Dr Priyanka is a renowned dental surgeon based in Guwahati who’s been practicing medicine since over a decade.

Apart from practicing dentistry, Dr Priyanka is also an entrepreneur. She is the promoter and founding member of DPS Khanapara and DPS Jorhat. Additionally, she is a member of the Indian Dental Association (IDA), Entrepreneurs Organization (EO), Business Network International (BNI) and International Congress of Oral Implantologists (ICOI).

Dr Priyanka tied the knot with city based entrepreneur Amit Agarwal in the year 2008. Mr Agarwal is a board member of DPS Lokhra, DPS Khanapara, DPS Jorhat and DPS Dibrugarh. He is also the director of TOPCEM cement. Together, they have two sons Yugveer Agarwal and Ved Agarwal.

Here are excerpts from a têteà-tête with Dr Priyanka Jain Agarwal.

Early life

Born in Guwahati, Dr Priyanka studied in Holy Cross School Silchar till standard four and went on to study at Mussoorie International School till standard 10. She pursued higher secondary education in science stream from Fergusson College in Pune.

She was always an achiever in school and college - be it in the field of academics, sports, dance or drama. She has participated in and won various inter and intra school competitions and surprisingly also received 108 out of 100 in English in the 7th standard.

“I was taken by surprise when the English teacher announced that I had received 108 while distributing our papers. Upon asking, she said that my answers were so impressive and well written that she gave me additional marks in some of them. I was really elated with the appreciation,” expressed an ecstatic Dr Priyanka.

Career

After completing BDS and internship from MS Ramaiah, Dr Priyanka went on to do a course

on C. C. Endo from the National Institute of Clinical Endodontics (NICE) after which she worked at NICE for over eight months.

Additionally, she did a fellowship in Implantology from the United

Sarkar and various artists from the Assamese film fraternity.

Over the past decade, she has also conducted camps at various schools of the city including DPS Khanapara, DPS Lokhra,

treatment provided teamed with the patient counseling and latest at-home oral hygiene maintenance techniques that she provides.

“Along with treating the

she is about to get married but she is worried that her to-be husband and family might reject her because of her yellow, crooked teeth and unappealing smile. She was covering her mouth with a stole and trying to hide her smile during the whole conversation.

Upon counseling and devising a proper treatment plan, we were able to give her the perfect smile she deserves and she wore that same beautiful smile on her face when she got married.”

She further added that basic knowledge about dental hygiene is very important to keep the body healthy but most people lack knowledge around the subject.

“Our smile enhances our profile and confidence more than anything. But unfortunately in our country oral health is the most neglected health issue. We tend to consult dentist only when we experience pain or discomfort - this mentality is really wrong.

We should regularly get our oral check up done from a dentist to always maintain that beautiful smile. Remember, prevention is better than cure,” she says.

Pro tips for dental care

Dr Priyanka provides four must follow tips for dental care – Always rinse your mouth after eating anything Brush twice a day States of America.

Speaking to G Plus about the health care facilities provided abroad, Dr Priyanka said, “The learnings I brought back from my training in the US include the usage of high-end dental techniques, following ethical practice and giving constructive time to patients.”

After coming back to Guwahati, she had a short stint as an honorary at the Guwahati Dental College before finally opening her own clinic – Premier Dental Care – in September 2009. Dr Priyanka, through her clinic, aims to provide the highest standard of oral care and quality treatment to her patients.

The clinic is equipped with state-of-the-art, advanced apparatus and deals in smile designing, root canal treatment, crown and bridge, dental implants, surgeries, orthodontic treatment and pediatric dentistry.

Dr Priyanka has successfully treated hundreds of patients over the years including some of the big names from all walks of lives – be it medical, army, policemen, industrialists, homemakers or students. Among her patients are Dr Bhartia, diabetologist, Dr Mithun Bhartia, sexologist, Dr KR Sarmah, pulmonologist at Apollo Hospital, Mr India finalist Samar

Do not forget to floss Go for regular dental checkups

Hobbies

Euro Kids, and Shemrock. She has also conducted camps in different locations of Guwahati in association with the Lions Club International.

Dr Priyanka believes that “a healthy body begins with a healthy mind”. She considers the appraisal from her patients to be her biggest reward.

Patient counseling

What sets Dr Priyanka’s clinic apart from others is the painless

patients, I also provide them with counseling. I believe that when a patient leaves my office, he/she should be more educated about oral hygiene and dental care than they were half an hour ago,” Dr Priyanka explained G Plus.

Recalling a past instance with a 24 year old female, she said, “A young lady with excellent personality and aura visited my clinic one day but somehow she was hesitant to smile. When asked, the patient revealed that

The charismatic person that she is, Dr Priyanka loves to spend time playing board games and racquet games. She has also been a table tennis champion during her school days. She likes to read books especially those that revolve around the human mind and behavior and wishes to author a book of her own someday.

A true travel enthusiast, she has traveled to over 35 countries including New Zealand, England, Spain, South Africa and Romania.

After ticking activities like snorkeling, bungee jumping and paragliding off her bucket list, she now wishes to accomplish scuba diving.

Dr Priyanka is also a fashion enthusiast with an admiration for details and aesthetics. She has done face modeling and been a brand ambassador for Bornali magazine. She’s also an influencer from northeast for “Nahi means No” – an online campaign for women empowerment.

In the future, Dr Priyanka wishes to go become a life coach and help people live their life by design and not by destiny. She ardently believes that studying and learning should never stop. n

16 Feature

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

Chettinad - The Royal Detour

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re you sure, we can squeeze this one in?” my buddy quizzed, as we slurped away hot liquid sambhar off green banana leaves just outside the gates of the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai. My buddy and I were on an impromptu back-packing trip; our own little Temple Runhopping in and out of the temple cities of Tamil Nadu, awestruck by the marvelous Dravidian temple architecture comprising of towering gopurams and elaborate mandapas!

However, the place we were debating to visit or not to, was no temple town but an aristocratic estate of the 19th century called Chettinad – Land of the Chettiars, formed by a group of 96 small villages spread across 1000 sq. miles, set up by the trading community of Nattukottai Chettiars famous for the grandiose of the architecture of their villas built in the early 1900s (yes, they have their special chicken curry, too!).

Chettinad was out of the way, out of the agenda and out of the budget; hence out of the question!

But like I said, it was an impromptu trip!

The next morning, a rickety state-run bus dropped us at a dusty village crossroad and a yellow signboard led us into a village, not to find a soul in sight. The splendid imagination of an artsy district that is Chettinad was slowly meeting with a thud, but the last thing expected was a deserted village…

A young boy on a bicycle informed us that we are in the Ramachandrapuram village and pointed to a narrow lane ahead of us.

On both sides of the forsaken lane, ran plastered brick walls fencing the villas. We stopped and rattled the iron gates of one of the houses.

A frail old man popped his head out and scoffed at us in coarse Tamil. After our many earnest requests and passing him a hundred rupee note, Rajan, the caretaker threw opened the gates informing us that nobody actually lived in these villas anymore; the masters had settled on foreign shores decades ago.

The Chettiars had traveled all over the world on account of their many businesses which inspired them to replicate the foreign building styles and luxuries in their family homes which were often located on massive plots of land; some expanding as vast as 10 acres! They brought in building materials from distant lands and fused them with vernacular techniques and symbols creating their own blend of architecture the pitch and gable roof covered in terracotta tiles supported by Burma teak columns, the distinctive courtyard style of building, the high arched opening adorned by intricate stucco motifs, Italian tiles, Belgian glasses, crystals from Europe, and crockery from

Indonesia. The ornated rosewood carvings that embellished the superlative aesthetics of these artful mansions found their match with imagery of Gajalaxmi or Murugan or Vinayaka on the doors or a stucco façade of Shiv-Parvati; quintessentially a Hindu home done in borrowed foreign taste.

It is said that the mansions were built using a local limestone (karai in Tamil) and are often referred to as karaiveedu by the locals and their walls were said to be polished using a special concoction made out of egg whites and minerals that gave out a shiny texture.

Local legends also speak of how these mansions have more than 1000 windows built out of 1500 tons of teak!

---------Presently 56 villages in Sivagangi district and 20 in Pudukottai District of Tamil Nadu mark the Chettinad region of which the villages of Kaanadukathan, Aathangudi, Kandanur, Kadiyapatti are known for some of the well-preserved Chettiar mansions. Though only a few of these mansions are open to tourist, some have been made into heritage hotels while some converted to museums while most remain under lock and key with

The town of Karaikudi has a street lined with antique shop selling items ranging from metal knick-knacks - brass locks, door knobs to hairpins, silver jewelry, copper vessels, wooden sculptures - most of which were from once part of the Chettinad women’s dowry.

only a caretaker mending smaller repairs of a leaking roof or a broken tile as their grandeur and glory fades in time. The Chettinadu Mansion (Kanadukathan), Chellappa Chettiar’s House (also called the museum, Kottaiyur), PeriyaVeedu (Athangudi) are some of the places open to visitors.

Apart from the majestic mansions, the region has a number of Dravidian style temples, many constructed by the Chettiars themselves - the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Devakottai, the Kovilur Temple in Karaikudi, and the fifth-century Pillayarpatti Temple also in Karaikudi are a few notable ones.

Athangudi, a small village in the Chettinad region is famed as the hub of the colourful ‘Athangudi tiles’, which feature widely in these mansions. These tiles are

still in production and one can make a pit stop to catch up with the manufacturing process that has not undergone much change but has become symbolic of the rich craft and heritage of Chettinad.

The town of Karaikudi has a street lined with antique shop selling items ranging from metal knick-knacks - brass locks, door knobs to hairpins, silver jewelry, copper vessels, wooden sculptures - most of which were from once part of the Chettinad women’s dowry. The region is also known for its cotton sarees which can be purchased from the handloom centres and the weaver’s colony at Kanadukathan.

------------Ours was a day-long trip, and as we visited one mansion after the other, completely taken in by the marvelousness of their architectural design and craftsmanship; we lost track of time. It was only when a humble caretaker of one of the mansions informed us that the last bus to the nearest town of Karaikudi should leave in half an hour’s time that we picked our backpacks and hurried our way towards the village main road. As such, alas, no Chettinad Chicken curry for us!

-------------Chettinad is only one and a Kastaurika half to two hours’ drive from any of the major tourist cities taurants and is served well by the of Thanjavur, Tiruchirappalli or state transport buses.

Madurai. The town of Karaikudi n serves as the main node to visit(Kastaurika is a travel and lifeing the rest of the sites of interest style enthusiast and a big time foodin the Chettinad region and has a ie. She can be reached at places_as_ number of budget hotels and reswe_know on Instagram)

Trotter

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

‘Ridiculously Tiny’ bag from Paris Fashion Week goes viral

I

t’s so small, wags joke, that it can only hold a single Tic Tac, but French brand Jacquemus’ teeny weeny bag, “Le Mini Chiquito,” is arguably the biggest thing at Paris Fashion Week.

Never has something so tiny excited so much fashion passion and hilarity on social media.

The handbag - or should we say fingerbag - made its debut last week on the opening night of the Paris shows. A shrunken version of the miniature and already cult $500 (440-euro) “Le Chiquito” bag which the likes of Rihanna and Kim Kardashian have been spotted clutching between their thumb and forefingers, it is a mere 5.2 centimetres (two inches) long.

Jacquemus has sold “tens of thousands” of Le Chiquito bags in the last year, according to Cosmopolitan magazine, with fashionistas so desperate to get their fingers on them that there are lengthy waiting lists for some colours. Although the brand told

that they have yet to set a price for Le Mini Chiquito, if the reaction on Instagram and Twitter is anything to go by, demand could be equally brisk.

The hip style magazine Dazed declared “Jacquemus, your tiny bags are getting kind of ridiculous but we love them!” while Elle magazine headlined it as the “New It Bag” before quickly admitting that it can only hold an AirPod earphone. One fashion editor tweeted five uses for the bag

P

advertisement, said it took about 20 hours of shooting and several months of editing to create the full commercial. The company published an abbreviated 3-minute version of the ad, which features an appearance from actor Terry Crews, on YouTube.

Guinness said the commercial surpassed the previous record, an Arby’s commercial from 2014 that ran for

Simon Porte, has quickly made a name for himself on the Paris catwalk with clothes summoning up the sensuality of his Provencal home in the south of France, putting women in huge straw hats and tiny dresses that show lots of thigh.

(Source: ndtv)

A

from the crash site, Chin broke into the home of a man who was making dinner. Chin, who was covered in mud and blood, darted into the man’s bedroom and jumped in his bed with

P

olice have been left shell-shocked after finding more than 1,500 live turtles wrapped in duct tape in unclaimed luggage in the Philippines.

The 1,529 reptiles, with a street value of £66,000, were discovered in four checkedin suitcases at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino airport.

The Bureau of Customs seized the cases and found they were filled with rare and protected varieties including star tortoises, red-footed tortoises, sulcata tortoises and red-eared sliders.

Many of the reptiles were wrapped in tape or hidden inside plastic containers buried among clothes inside the suitcases.

Officers said the cases had been brought on a flight from Hong Kong by a passenger from the Philippines and left unclaimed in the arrivals area. The turtles have been transferred to a monitoring unit for safekeeping.

The Bureau of Customs said the would-be smuggler may have got cold feet when seeing notices of the potential punishments for those caught smuggling.

(Source: news.sky)

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY GUWAHATI

SABRINA TERENCE

a total 13 hours, 5 minutes and 11 seconds.

(Source: upi)

Naked man crashes car, lead police on bizarre nude foot chase naked man crashed his car into a fence before fleeing on foot in the buff.

Xavier Chin, 20, abandoned his vehicle after the crash in Seminole County, Florida and began to run from responding deputies without any clothes on.

Cell phone video showed the strange sight as Chin jogged through a field in an attempt to escape.

Officers followed Chin as he ran in between homes trying to lose the police. About a mile away

1,500 smuggled turtles found alive in abandoned luggage at Manila airport

including carrying “loose floss, a spare acrylic nail or a singular lock of curled hair retrieved from the head of Jude Law” circa 1999.

Jacquemus’ 29-year-old founder,

14-hour-long Old Spice commercial breaks Guinness World Records roctor & Gamble was awarded a Guinness World Record after airing an Old Spice deodorant commercial with a 14hour run-time. Guinness said the ad, which aired on Brazilian channel Woohoo in December, features more than 1,600 clips being connected through quick cuts where the previous portion finishes on a TV in frame of the next clip.

Proctor & Gamble, which teamed with the Wieden+Kennedy agency to create the lengthy

17

hopes that police would never find him under the stranger’s sheets.

A short time later, deputies found Chin, who had thoroughly dirtied up the resident’s bed. He was arrested and taken to a local emergency room where he was treated for injuries he sustained in the crash. Chin was charged with burglary, hit-andrun, criminal mischief and resisting arrest. He was booked at Seminole County Jail and his bail was set at $18,000.

(Source: metro.co)

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18 Review

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

Starring: Brie Larson, Samuel L Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn, etc.

Director: Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck

Cinepolis Christian Basti 09435025808 Luka Chuppi 09:35 AM, 03:25 PM, 06:05 PM, 08:45 PM Total Dhamaal 12:45 PM, 03:35 PM Gully Boy

Movie Review

09854066166 Total Dhamaal 11:00 AM, 08:00 PM Luka Chuppi 02:00 PM, 05:00 PM Badla 11:15 AM, 02:15 PM, 05:15 PM, 08:15 PM

12:15 PM

Grande Cines

Badla

Paltan Bazar

09:40 AM, 12:20 PM, 03:00

09854017771

PM, 05:40 PM, 08:25 PM

Luka Chuppi

Captain Marvel

11:00 AM, 03:45 PM

06:25 PM

Badla

Captain Marvel (English, 3D)

06:15 PM, 08:30 PM

09:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, 02:45

Captain Marvel (English, 3D)

PM, 05:30 PM, 08:15 PM, 09:10 PM

10:30 AM, 01:00 PM, 03:30 PM, 06:00 PM, 08:45 PM

Anuradha Cineplex

Captain Marvel

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he much-awaited first woman-superhero film, Captain Marvel is a film about an extraterrestrial Kree warrior who finds herself caught in the middle of an intergalactic battle between her people and the Skrulls. Living on Earth in 1995, she keeps having recurring memories of another life as a U.S. Air Force pilot Carol Danvers. With help from Nick Fury, Captain Marvel tries to uncover the secrets of her past while harnessing her special superpowers to end the war with the evil Skrulls.

After such a long wait, the film turned out to be disappointing to say the least. It starts out with too

T

he Realme 3 is the successor to the Realme 2 and is priced similarly too. The new model has a much-needed boost in CPU power, a new design language and an updated software. The phone is available for Rs. 10,000.

Design:

The Realme 3 has a new waterdrop notch, which gives you a higher screen-to-body ratio. It has a new ‘unibody' design for the back, which curves all the way to the sides without any visible seams. The back is made of injection moulded plastic rather than glass. It weighs 175g and its width is 8.3mm, but weight distribution is good and there's ample surface on the sides for a good grip.

The phone is available in Black and Dynamic Black. The upper three-fourths of the phone is black, while the blue gradient is only towards the bottom fourth.

The SIM tray can accommodate two Nano-SIM cards and a

much information being thrown at you all at once and you are bombarded with it, trying to keep up with everything. Marvel does pack in some punches but it turns out to be very underwhelming. It is sad that the first women-centric film from the mega superhero franchise does not live up to its mark. It is a saga that follows the conventional route of the studio with no depth or charm to its characters unlike Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, The Avengers, the first movie and Guardians of the Galaxy, all of which had personalities of their filmmakers and their characters.

Brie Larson maybe the only

Realme 3

mciroSD card, all at once. It also supports 4G with Dual VoLTE. At the bottom, there's a 3.5mm headphone socket, Micro-USB port, and speaker.

The Realme 3 has a single 13-megapixel front-facing camera sitting in the notch, while the earpiece is placed just above it, with the sensors to the right.

You get a 6.2-inch HD+ (720x1520 pixels) display, which also has Gorilla Glass protection,

Specifications and Software:

This new phone is powered by the MediaTek Helio P70 octa-core SoC. The phone is available in two versions— one with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, and the

Noonmati saving grace with Samuel L. Jackson reprising his role as Nick Fury, who supports her through the film. However, Ben Mendelsohn, who plays the villain, a skrull does well.

All in all, the film does not do justice to the characters and the actors. The screenplay is a mess and it seems like there are too many people putting in their ideas. Closing thought: This movie could’ve been so much better and the characters deserved so much more, especially Captain Marvel.

Watch it, to know the storyline of the next Marvel movie, but you can probably skip it if you don’t have the time. n other with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. It has single-band WiFi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, USB-OTG, GPS, and the usual suite of sensors. FM radio is absent.

The software finally gets a much-needed overhaul with ColorOS 6.0. This new Android skin is based on Android 9 Pie Performance, Battery life and Cameras The MediaTek Helio P70 delivers good CPU and GPU performance for its class, which is is reflected in benchmarks. The phone has a 13-megapixel and 2-megapixel rear camera setup of the previous phone, however the primary sensor has been improved and the lens now has a f/1.8 aperture.

The second sensor is only used for depth calculation when shooting in Portrait mode.

The camera app has also undergone a slight overhaul in the

0361 2656968 Badla 10:30 AM, 08:30 PM Total Dhamaal 03:30 PM Captain Marvel (3D) 06:00 PM Captain Marvel (English, 3D) 01:00 PM

Gold Cinema Paltan Bazaar

new version of ColourOS. Realme is introducing two new shooting

PVR Cinemas Dona Planet 08800900009 Captain Marvel (English, 3D) 10:00 AM, 12:45 PM, 03:30 PM, 06:15 PM, 09:00 PM Total Dhamaal 01:20 PM Luka Chuppi 06:50 PM Gully Boy 10:00 AM Badla 04:10 PM, 09:35 PM

has an f/2.0 aperture. You can shoot video at up to 1080p at 30fps. Video quality was good when shot under good light, but there's no stabilisation, so footage is shaky if you move about too much. You can capture slow-motion video in the mode that captures 720p video at 90fps.

The Realme 3 has a 4230mAh battery, which lasted for an entire day on average. There's no fast charging but the 10W charger can top up the battery to about 49 percent in an hour.

Verdict:

modes for the rear camera, called Nightscape and Chroma Boost.

The front 13-megapixel sensor

The Realme 3 is a fairly good all-round upgrade to its predecessor. It has a modern design, the rear camera gets some interesting new tricks, and the display is bright and vivid. Real-world battery usage was good, however, the phone could have other conveniences such as a Type-C charging port, a metal or glass enclosure, and a higher resolution display. n

Fiction

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

In the Shadows of Time

A

s she was thrashing soaped wet clothes on the stone slab with her back to the wooden gate, suddenly she had a feeling someone was standing behind her, watching her. She often had this uncanny feeling whenever she walked up the hilly paths, as if someone was walking behind her, as if there was someone behind her, urging her to feel his presence.

When she sat on a rock looking out at the setting sun streaking colours on the sky she felt as if someone was hiding behind the trees watching her. A peculiar sensation ran down her spine. Sitting on the green slope when she stared at the birds perched on a distant branch she suddenly heard whispers "Remember? Remember? Remember?" But when she turned there were just the swaying trees. Perhaps it was the wind that rushed past her over the hills, she soothed her jittery self. Once again she felt someone was there behind her. She willed herself not to turn back, telling herself fiercely there would be no one. But this time her mind formed the blurred image of a man. That froze her; she sat still, the cloth in her raised hand motionless. Her mind would not form any image that did not come true.

Instinctively she turned. A man stood staring at her. His eyes were dark on an angular face.

"Who are you?" she asked.

He did not respond.

"Are you looking for someone?" she asked again.

He just stood there. Silent, statue-like. He must be a visitor to these hills. She had never seen him in their small town nestled in these hills. Every day she wandered in the hills; unfamiliar paths had become familiar; no paths had become her, only her, known paths.

Her feet would take her in search of something; her eyes would look for someone, though she knew not what her eyes sought, who she was looking for. Her eyes just restlessly sought and sought and sought. She looked long at faces, familiar and unfamiliar faces, as if her heart wanted to see someone she had lost.

The man turned and walked away. What a strange person! He could have at least responded, she mumbled, thrashing the cloth hard on the stone, and soap water sprayed into her eyes.

The sky was dark grey when she got up from her bed and opened the window. Sleep evaded her after that dream appeared again. Holding onto the bars of the window she peered into the darkness, her mind seeking someone out there.

Yes, someone was there, her eyes took in a shadowy shape, a little distance away from the window.

"Who's there?" The words left her lips quietly, in panic.

Even in the grey darkness she could feel his stare. Or was it her mind that saw his eyes?

"Why don't you answer me?" she called out a little loudly.

Perhaps he was just a conjured image. She closed her eyes to shut him off. And she found herself in an ancient-looking building walking down a bricked corridor. The walls of the building were thick, layered by stone bricks. The corridor was unfamiliar, a narrow passage with stones stacked as walls on either side. It seemed a never-ending passageway, sloping stone floor leading to stone steps, with just a faint light, through which she tried to focus, guiding her blindly. Air too stopped here and there, suffocated, as it tried to find the way out. "I just can't let that nasty malicious king destroy you, my wizard. I have to free you

The man turned and walked away. What a strange person! He could have at least responded, she mumbled, thrashing the cloth hard on the stone, and soap water sprayed into her eyes.

from the bars that hold you captive." She heard herself say.

"Go away, go away," she heard his whisper.

"No, I'll not." she said adamantly.

"I will free you."

"You cannot," he whispered sternly.

"I can. You said I have the power. Don't you have trust in my power?"

"Try to understand.

This is to happen. You can't change this."

She heard him whisper back with an urgency. "Go back. Go back please."

She breathed hard, sucking in air. Stale locked up air.

She needed air, fresh air.

Her eyes fluttered open in panic.

She held the bars of the window

tight, fingers curling into fists, her nose inhaling deep the air from the grey darkness outside. She had to get more air, more air. She mumbled like one possessed as she opened the door.

Was that man her conjured image or was he a reality? Was he waiting for her? Her hand flew to her mouth in alarm. What made her think he was there waiting for her?

"Because you know I am waiting for you." She heard a whisper.

A cold shudder ran down her spine. She looked around, peering in the dark. She could see no one.

Must be a figment of her imagination, but then her imaginations always came to her from another sphere altogether. She would be flung into a different realm, often scaring her as her vision would invariably turn into reality. Her mind's eye had seen the dead body of the young boy who lived just round the bend. She had tried to brush away the image but it stayed with her all night. The next morning she heard the boy had passed away during the night. The day she came back from the wedding of that young girl up the hill her mind saw the young bride leaving her husband and running away with a youth from the valley below the hills and strangely it happened a week later. Such strange things kept on happening. Yes, she still felt such incidents strange, though by now she ought to know there was nothing strange in her visions, they always came true.

The wind

19

Srutimala Duara

Part 1 whizzed past her and her companion as they sat in comfortable silence on the sloping green. He was leaning against the trunk of the gigantic banyan tree and she was resting her head on his shoulder.

A flight of birds suddenly rustled out from the branches of the tree.

Their heads turned upward.

"What powerful wings! Wish I had such wings!" She spoke out her thoughts.

"You have more powerful wings than those birds," he said softly, a pair of intense eyes looking into her puzzled ones.

She asked, "Me? Wings?"

"Yes dear," he smiled into her eyes, "you have wings that grow strong in your mind, can take you anywhere you wish to. They can make things happen, they can travel back in time, past the present into the coming time too."

A soft cry was heard from the tree and simultaneously they turned their heads up again. One bird still sat on a branch, head slightly tilted, looking at the flight of birds in the blue expanse.

"Left by his friends," she said, her eyes narrowing on the lone bird.

"No, she has wounds on her lower wing." He responded staring at the branch.

"How do you know?" she asked, her eyes on the branch, quite a distance from where they were sitting. Then quickly she looked at him with a ohwhy-didI-ask-

such-a-silly-question look and saw that endearing lopsided smile that reached his eyes.

"Sorry! I forget." She said, her hand going up to stroke his cheek.

"You also forget you too have the same powers." He smiled, holding her hand against his cheek. "Use it now and heal her."

"As you command, my dear."

With a smile she closed her eyes.

She could see the wound in the bird's wing. Opening her palms she drew in energy from the cosmos, felt that white radiance entering her through the crown of her head, going down her neck to her heart filling her up. She channelised it towards the bird. Her closed eyes could see the white ray filling up the bird's tiny body, and then she shifted her focus to the wings and its wound. She saw the gap slowly covering up, healing.

The bird chirped, hopped gingerly down to a lower branch, and then spread out its wings and flew out into the blue.

"There you are, my powerful companion!" She heard him say and opened her eyes. The tenderness in his eyes made her weak. n

(To be continued)

20 Fun Jayashree Bose Certified Feng Shui, Chinese astrology, date selection consultant & author, jbose@jayashreebose.com

Sudoku

12th March will be a great day for you to schedule your important meetings &share your ideas with seniors. On 12th March, you will be emotionally hurt by your colleagues or superiors. On 13th March, you could have a fall out with a superior or someone at work.

Lay low on 11th March as you are bound to have a disagreement with people at work or there could be changes in your work place. Avoid making any promises on 11th &14th March, as you will have to live up to them.

It will be a good week for you especially 14th & 15th March. For good results, host your meetings on these dates, share your ideas with your superiors & network with your business associates.

You could have a Sunday brunch with your parents on 10th March & a coffee with your boss. Avoid hosting any meetings on 9th and 12th March.

It will be a great week for you. 11th, 12th, 14th & 15th March will be great days for you to connect with your seniors & share your ideas with them. You could host your important meetings on these dates. You could have issues with your seniors or your extended family on 13th March, don’t get into a confrontation

This will be an average week for you.

12th March will be a great day for you to share your ideas with your seniors & build a relationship with them. Host your important meetings on these dates. On 14th March, you could have issues at your work place with your seniors or clients.

This week will be good for you. 11th & 12th March will be excellent days for you to schedule your important meetings. Your seniors will be receptive to your ideas. On 9th March, try to keep a low profile. Avoid hosting any meetings especially with your seniors on 15th March as you are bound to have disagreements.

You have a great week ahead of you. 11th, 14th &15th March will be great days for you to share your ideas with your seniors or simply connect with them. You could schedule your important meetings on these dates.

Watch your words & actions on 10th March, you could create your own problems.

15th March will be a great day for you to build rapport with your seniors &people at work, host your important meetings on this day. On 14th March, avoid making any promises. 11th March will be a slow day for you. Go out for a Sunday brunch or coffee on 10th March, just connect with your parents or your superiors.

A slow week for you with not many achievements. Avoid hosting any meetings on 9th March as things will not go according to plan. 12th March will be a slow day for you. You will have issues at work or with your superiors or clients on 15th March, try not to get into a confrontation.

Avoid hosting any meetings on 9th March as things will not go according to plan. Watch your words & actions on 13th March. On 14th March, you will be emotionally hurt either by your parents or seniors.

You could have a disagreement with your senior or work associate, not a day to schedule important meetings.

Watch yourself on 11th March, avoid making any promises or getting into a confrontation. On 13th March, you will be emotionally hurt either by your parents or seniors. Share your ideas with your seniors or generally build a relationship with people at work on 10th March.

11th March is an ideal day for you to mingle with your seniors & people at work, build your work network. On 12th March, you will be emotionally hurt by your colleagues or superiors. Be careful with your words and actions on 15th March you will create your own problems.

5 8

8 2 4 6 5 7 9 3

8 4 1 7

9 8 6 3

9 7 4 6

9 8 4 2 1

6

Daily Sudoku: Fri 11-Jan-2019

The US Open Tennis Championships in 1973 is known for what in the world of gender parity?

4.

What unique record is held by British billionaire Denise Coates, as of 2018?

5.

Who was the world’s first non-hereditary female head of state?

6.

Identify the painter and the painting - the most expensive by a female painter.

5 3 6 7 1 9 2 4 8

3 6 9 2 7 8 1 5 4

8 5 1 6 3 4 7 9 2

2 4 7 5 9 1 6 8 3

6 7 5 9 8 2 4 3 1

1 9 8 4 6 3 5 2 7

Daily Sudoku: Fri 11-Jan-2019

4 2 3 1 5 7 8 6 9 medium

Word of the week regina noun [ri-jahy-nuh, -jee-] queen.

curio-city

3.

9 1 2 8 4 6 3 7 5

1.

2.

What was achieved on 16th June, 1963 by the pilot of the then Soviet space craft, Vostok 6?

7 8 4 3 2 5 9 1 6

3.

2.

last week solution

4.

What name was given to singer and actress Uma Devi Khatri

by Dilip Kumar?

Tuntun, Hindi cinema’s first female comedienne It was piloted by Valentina Tereshkova, who became the first female in space First sports tournament to offer equal prize money to both the sexes Denise Coates, co-founder and joint CEO of Bet365.com is the highest paid woman CEO with a salary of 220 million GBP per annum.

Sirimavo Bandernaike of Sri Lanka in 1960.

Georgia O’Keefe’s White Flower No. 1 (1932), valued at 44 million USD.

1.

medium

http://www.dailysudoku.com/

5.

6.

curio-city

Crossword Across

Down

1 Loosely woven cloth from Scotland (6,5) 9 Impromptu (9) 10 Animal (with nine nine tails?) (3) 11 Himalayan country (5) 13 Excellent — shining bright? (7) 14 On ship (6) 15 Purist (6) 18 Arctic deer — a Rio cub (anag) (7) 20 Best possible (5) 21 See 23 22 Fling (9) 24 Fifth book of the Bible

(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2019. All rights reserved.

These predictions are based on the month of birth and are about an individual’s work environment, parents and extended family.

(c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2019. All rights reserved.

Horoscope of the week

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

2 Fit (3) 3 Person whose speech is not well organised (7) 4 Married partner (6) 5 In which position? (5) 6 Acquit — clear (9) 7 Entertainment area with coin-operated machines (5,6) 8 Narrator (11) 12 TV show (9) 16 Issue (7) 17 Male domestic servant (6) 19 Bathroom basin (5) 23, 21 UK resident who the tax man accepts as having their "true" home elsewhere (abbr) (3-3)

Last week’s solution

Lifestyle

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

Vaastu for tenants

T

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

he Vaastu of a place affects only those who are residing in it. It is a misconception that a defective plot or house will create problems for the owner wherever he is. For example, probable dangers will be faced by the passengers in a car, not the owner who is not in it. So, those who are living in a defective house that does not belong to them, should not think that they are safe as they will face problems because of bad Vaastu. Hence, owners should correct the Vaastu of a house before letting it out to others because problems faced by the tenants will indirectly affect them too.

While taking a house on lease,the following points should be considered: 1. Vaastu in the rented house should work for the space that has been occupied by the tenant.

2. The direction of the house or the “facing” of the house should be the direction you face while coming out of the house.

3. The direction of the main entrance is a most

important aspect while taking a rented home. The best entry is northeast, followed by northwest, east, north and west.

4. Avoid homes with south, southeast and southwest entries.

5. The kitchen should be in the southeast or northwest.

6.

The master

10. If it is a duplex home, then avoid staircases in the northeast direction.

11. The property should not face the southwest direction.

12. There should not be any cut in the construction, especially in the northeast and the southwest direction. Ideally, the plot on which the property

A Will of your Own Keep an aquarium with goldfish. Use blue lights/lamp. A picture or statue of sea fish in the north will also do.

To activate the earth element, keep crystal or pearl items in the southwest.

Keeping ceramic decorative items is also good.

The red colour can activate the fire element. Wearing red clothes, ruby rings, using red lamps in the southeast etc. are some of the ways.

According to Feng Shui, the metal element rules the northwest. Keep metallic items, golden wind chimes, round clocks etc in the northwest to activate the air element in the northwest.

Silver colour is lucky.

bedroom should be in the southwest.

7. There should be no kitchen, toilets or shoe racks in the northeast.

8. The shape of the house should be square or rectangular and there should not be any cut or extension in any direction.

9. Avoid homes that have a balcony in the southwest direction.

stands, should have a square shape.

If one must occupy a house with any of the above defects, then corrective measures must be undertaken.

Activating the five elements If there is an imbalance in the water element in your home, use more blue colour in the north and northeast.

Aakash or space is infinite and limitless. It is related to our sense of hearing. In a structure, the space element is related to the centre portion or the Brahmasthan.

It is the source of cosmic radiation and cosmic energy.

The sky element means cosmic energy. It is important to keep the Brahmasthan open, clean and light. It should not have a depression.

Ever felt unbridled joy at having come to terms with life?

I have, in moments snatched from a bumbling existence That borders on the imitation of a life once beautiful, Without any real sorrow, a deference paid to kind time That had allowed moments where life and its living Seemed to answer to the beat of a tune that kept playing In a mind, a mind still bereft of the sorrow that time writes, It was a time when loss was still unknown, still hidden...

A moment now of the same euphoria would be gratitude Felt by a heart still keen to answer to the memory Of those joy filled moments which were full of life Now, the wait is only to see if some seconds can be caught Still fishing with a net of connections made in a machine That answers to feelings and thoughts that seem to be alone Having disappeared at the first break of dawn down under Every net doesn’t catch fish, unless it was love you were after!

Arunav Barua

Recipes from the Kitchen: Sweet Potato Kheer Shimu Dutta

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veryone knows there is no right time for desserts. Day or night, summer or winter, every season and time of the day is perfect to satisfy your sweet tooth. The sweet potato kheer or Shakhar Ganjki Kheer is a healthier substitute to carbohydrate-filled rice kheer.

Check out the recipe below.

Ingredients: Sweet Potato: 1/2 kg Cardamom powder: 1/2 tsp Milk: 1 litre Raisins: 1 tbsp Almonds: 10/13, chopped Pistachios:1 tbsp, chopped Sugar: 1 tbsp or as required Condensed milk: 4 tbsp (optional)

RECIPES Method: 1. Peel and mash the potatoes and keep aside.

2. Boil the milk. When the milk thickens, add sugar and mashed potatoes.

3. Add rice flour and keep stirring continuously.

4. After a while, add the dry fruits and a little condensed milk.

5. Switch off the flame, now mix everything.

6. Pour the kheer in a serving bowl and refrigerate for some time before you serve.

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22 Buzz

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

CM lays foundation stone of College for Hearing Impaired

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hief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal laid the foundation stone of North East College for Hearing Impaired, dedicated for the students with

hearing inability on March 7 at Birubari.

Speaking on the occasion,

Sonowal said that once completed, the institution would play a great role in fulfilling the aspirations of the people with hearing inability with regard to them pursuing higher education.

Students not only from Assam but also from entire northeast would receive quali-

ty higher education in this college, Sonowal added. He also mentioned that the state government would do everything possible to provide assistance to the college.

plant saplings were also distributed among the walkathon participants during the event. n

Shishu Sarothi organises panel-talk in Kolkata

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hishu Sarothi, in collaboration with the US Consulate General Kolkata, organised an event, “Let’s make a difference!” on March 1 at the American Center in Kolkata.

The event saw three prominent speakers who inspired and encouraged people about disability rights.

The first speaker, Vibhas Sen, a digital

media marketer by profession,

currently works as a director for client servicing and media at iProspect. He is also a paralympian by passion and he represents India in Wheelchair Fencing and

is ranked 32nd in the world.

The second speaker for the event was Swapnil Tewari, popularly known as “The

Madman,” a social entrepreneur, writer, and founder of Livemad, a movement that spreads hope in troubled communities

City school holds prize distribution ceremony for Olympiad winners

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PS International School distributed medals and certificates to the winners of class V to class VIII in the SOF International Science and English Olympiad 2018-19 on February 26.

The students won

23 medals of distinction in the English Olympiad and 17 medals of distinction came for the Science

Tezpur College wins GU InterCollege Cricket Tournament

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ezpur College has won Gauhati University’s Inter-College Cricket Tournament (Men’s) on March 5.

The tournament was organised by GU Sports Board and Post Graduate Students’ Union, GU in association with the Assam Cricket Association.

The match was held in GU’s premises. In the final match, Tezpur College defeated Post

through social inventions, entrepreneurship and love.

The last speaker was Diego Mariscal, founder, CEO, and Chief Disabled Officer of 2Gether-International. org, a non-profit start-up that supports and promotes specially-abled entrepreneurs. n

Olympiad. In total, the school won 15 gold medals, 15 silver medals and 14 bronze medals in the Science Olympiad and 16 gold medals, 15 silver medals and 15 bronze medals in the English Olympiad. n

Graduate Classes by 64 runs.

They batted first and managed to score 206 runs with a loss of 6 wickets in 25 overs.

The PG Classes team was all out for 142 runs in 17 overs. Suraj Talukdar of Tezpur College was given the Man-of-the-Match as well as the ‘Best Batsman’ of the tournament.

Saddam Ansari was given the ‘Best Bowler’ of the tournament. n

Entertainment

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

Assam girl shines in singing reality show

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Swarnali Acharya, a 12-year-old from Silchar, Assam has been making waves in the singing reality show, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs. The show airs on Zee TV every Saturday and Sunday.

Swarnali has cleared two rounds until now before the show was telecast.

Speaking to G Plus, Swarnali’s father Sandip Acharya said that the process has been on for about two months now.

“Swarnali cleared the first round which had 75 contestants from all over India and 9 from Assam. Then she went on to the next round with 51 other contestants. This round was judged by the mentors in the

show and contestants had to sing songs of different genres that they were not used to,” he said.

After that, the show premiered on February 9 with a celebration round where Swarnali was further selected in the Top 30 round. It

should be mentioned that 6 other contestants in this round were from Assam, and all girls, noted Swarnali’s father proudly.

Since then she made her way to the top 16 and has currently

maintained a strong presence on the show. Besides being a good singer, Swarnali’s USP also sets her apart from a lot of other kids of her age. She can sing in 30 languages, including 22 that are mentioned in the Indian Constitution and in other languages such as English, Italian, Japanese, Korean etc.

She is the daughter of Sandip Acharya, a single parent from Silchar, Assam.

“The most important thing for me is that my daughter should be a good person first. Everything else comes second. But I do hope that people pray for her and support her in this journey to achieve her dreams,” said Acharya.

Assamese film Chor: The Bicycle wins 6 awards at Ahmednagar IFF

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ssamese film Chor: The Bicycle won 6 awards at International Film Festival of

Ahmednagar 2019.

The film, directed

by Khanjan Kishore Nath and produced

by Sanjive Narain won awards for ‘Best Feature Film,’ ‘Best Cinematography,’ ‘Best Story,’ ‘Best Child Actor,’ ‘Best Production Design,’ ‘Best Director.’

The film had earlier been selected for Goa Film Bazaar organized by the International Film Festival of India 2011 and was also invited

to the Producer Lab, Cinemart, organised by the International Film Festival of Rotterdam 2012.

This was the first Assame se language film to be invited to the

Producer Lab, Rotterdam.

Among the 23 projects in Goa Film Bazaar, only 4 projects were invited to the lab and this movie was one of the first to be invited. Besides that, the film was also invited to Video Library Selection organized by the Guadalajara 32nd International Film Festival 2017 in Mexico, the most prestigious film festival in Latin America and it also got the official selection in the Competitive Panorama section at the 10th International Children’s Film Festival, Bangladesh 2017.

Assamese film ‘Aamis’ to premiere at Tribeca Film Festival

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ssamese filmmaker, Bhaskar Hazarika’s film, ‘Aamis’ will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival this year.

It has been selected to be one of 103 films that will be screened at the festival. The film will be screened in the International Narrative Competition section at

the 18th edition of the film festival which will be held from April 24 to May 5 in New York.

The film revolves around the relationship between a married pediatrician, Nirmali, in her late 30s and a young PhD student, Suman. Nirmali’s

husband is a workaholic and leaves her on her own most of the time. But when she is introduced to Suman, he introduces her to a world of fresh, wild, meat-based delicacies. It also depicts how their simple relationship takes a dark and bizarre turn.

The film is written and directed

by Bhaskar Hazarika. It stars Arghadeep Baruah, Lima Das, Neetali Das, Manash Das and Sagar Saurav. The film is produced by Poonam Deol and Shyam Bora.

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Rima Das to be conferred with ‘Someone to Watch’ award at CIFF

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ilmmaker Rima Das has yet again made Assam proud.

The Village Rockstars and Bulbul Can Sing director will receive the “Someone to Watch” award at the Cleveland

International Film Festival (CIFF).

This award is given to “mid-

career filmmakers who are rising stars in international filmmaking,” according to CIFF. Two of her films, Bulbul Can Sing (2018) and Village Rockstars (2017) will be screened at the festival and Das will be attending the event for the same.

Currently, the director manages Mumbai-based production house, Flying River Films which supports local and independent filmmakers in the region.

The 43rd edition of CIFF will start from March 27 until April 7 in Cleveland.

Feature film on transgenders completes shooting Hrishikesh Sarma

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utcast is an upcoming Assamese feature film. The film has been directed by Prakash Deka and produced by Milin Dutta in association with Vortex Films.

“What does it mean to be born as a transgender person in a remote village of Assam?” is the primary storyline of Outcast. It is one thing to fight for one’s identity and another story altogether to begin that struggle from a point where one’s identity is not only invisible, but also deemed non-existent.

Outcast, in that sense, is a story of hope and resilience of an Assamese transgender person that cuts across these layers of struggles. The film has been edited and coloured by Ratan Sil Sarma from Box Music studio. Sound designing of the movie has been done by Debojit Gayan. Tarali Sharma is the music director for the film with Dilip Dutta as the chief assistant director, Partha Borgohain and ParthaDeori in cinematography and Poly Gogoi as the make-up artist.

The film has finishe d its shooting schedule. The key roles in the film have been played by Benjamin Daimary, Bitopi Dutta, Nibedita Kalita, Atanu Mahanta, Meena Engti, Uday Sankar, Palash Mech, Liku Mani and many more. The shooting for the film took place at different locations, including Guwahati, Nalbari and Tezpur.

Catching Up

G PLUS | MAR 09 - MAR 15, 2019

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