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INSIDE
Volume 07 | Issue 3 Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019 Price `10 No netagiri in Assam after Ayodhya verdict: firm orders to saffron brigade
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Not a tough job any more, yet
Bureaucrats unwilling to become the new NRC coordinator G Plus News @guwahatiplus
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fter the Supreme Court ordered the government to transfer National Register of Citizens (NRC) coordinator Prateek Hajela to his home state of Madhya Pradesh, the hunt for a new coordinator has started. Though the new NRC coordinator will not have much work to do, many bureaucrats are still unwilling to take the job. “The bureaucrats are not that enthusiastic to take over the charge of the NRC coordinator,” said a highly placed source in Dispur. A highly placed source in the NRC headquarters, talking to G Plus, expressed that the new NRC coordinator will not have much work to do as the final NRC list has already been prepared. On enquiring if the process is being affected by Hajela’s pipelined transfer, the source said that now there is not much work left. After the final list is published, the only work is the
The big car rental scam Guwahatians duped off over 200 vehicles; criminals at large
issuance of rejection letters to the 19,06,657 applicants whose names did not get published in the final list. Before Hajela leaves for Madhya Pradesh, the work on rejection letter issuance will also be completed, said the source. After receiving the rejection letters the applicants will have to approach the foreigners’ tribunals (FTs) in the state. Thereafter, if any applicant is found genuine, the NRC coordinator will be asked by the FTs to include the name in the NRC list. So, that will be the only work left with the new NRC coordinator unless the Supreme Court issues any new assignment. The NRC coordinator is a commissioner level post and the government has shortlisted a few names. The final NRC, which was published on August 31, found a total of 3,11,21,004 persons eligible for inclusion in the register leaving out 19,06,657 persons.
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Guwahati streets offer sumptuous local cuisine all-day breakfast options
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Assam to lead way in countering air pollution countrywide With forest cover of more than 40 per cent, which is more than the national average, Assam is not yet in the danger line like capital New Delhi when it comes to air pollution but if things go as planned Assam will lead the way in countering the menace countrywide. Atiqul Habib @guwahatiplus
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Cover Story
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
Assam to lead way in countering air pollution countrywide From Page 01
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ny MP who is not a minister is referred to as a private member. The Parliament’s key role is to debate and make laws. Both ministers and private members contribute to the lawmaking process. Bills introduced by ministers are referred to as government bills. They are backed by the government and reflect its legislative agenda. Private member’s bills are piloted by nonminister MPs. Their purpose is to draw the government’s attention to what individual MPs see as issues and gaps in the existing legal framework, which require legislative intervention. Last time a private member’s
highlighted that 14 out of 15 most polluted cities across the world are in India. Although Assam is not in that list, it doesn’t means we are inhaling the best, which stands to be a frightening reminder of the lack of seriousness the country’s political machinery is showing towards solving the issue. In January 2019, the final National Clean Air Programme (NCAP ) was announced which acknowledges the widespread health emergency facing the country specific sectoral initiatives and offers tentative targets of 20 – 30% reduction of air pollution levels by 2024. However, the NCAP lacks legal backing, clear sectoral targets and budgets that will enable the state to implement the plan. In a report, called “Airpocalypse-
passively smoking as you walk through the pollution infused streets of Guwahati? Interestingly, an app, named “S***, I Smoke” developed by Marcelo Coelho and Amaury Martiny last year monitors data from air quality stations strewn across various locations in order to analyse the quality of air in a particular place and then deduces how many cigarettes you’ve been inadvertently smoking, just by breathing toxic, polluted urban air. According to the app, as of 10:30 AM on Friday, anyone who spent a few minutes outdoors in Guwahati will have smoked 2.2 cigarettes passively; on a monthly basis this is a staggering 66.7 cigarettes. The makers of the app based it on a study by professors at California University who used a
A Pollution Control Board of Assam (PCBA) official informed G Plus that these are very worrying numbers as an AQI below 50 signifies that the air is of good quality while a reading above 300 indicates that the air quality is hazardous. When G Plus tried to get the latest figures from the Central Pollution Control Board, the only station available was Railway Colony, Guwahati – APCB and the data shows that in the month of November the Continuous Ambient Air Quality is degrading with each passing day till November 8. The Greenpeace report further added the list of 12 cities from Assam which was accounted for under Smart City programme. A comparison of the list of smart cities with the list of 313
which is the annual standard for PM10 prescribed by CPCB under NAAQS. According to the report published in 2018, the data indicates that 12 cities (except Bongaigaon) had higher concentrations of PM2.5 than the annual average levels prescribed and all of them had at least three times more polluted air as compared to the WHO annual standard for PM2.5. The pollution level seemed to be on the higher side between 2015 and 2016 for Guwahati where data for 2015 and 2016 was available. Based on the report published in January 2019, the Annual PM10 level since 2013 across cities/towns across Assam (NMAP stations) with calculated PM10 levels for 2024 based on 30% reduction as
From Date
To Date
PM2.5
01-11-2019
02-11-2019
40.48
02-11-2019
03-11-2019
47.52
03-11-2019
04-11-2019
50.24
04-11-2019
05-11-2019
49.29
05-11-2019
06-11-2019
50.3
06-11-2019
07-11-2019
41.37
07-11-2019
08-11-2019
53.38
08-11-2019
08-11-2019 13:16
44.32
Guwahati Air Quality Data as per Central Pollution Board Website
Vehicular pollution in Guwahati | G Plus file photo Bill was passed by both Houses was in 1970. This was the Supreme Court (Enlargement of Criminal Appellate Jurisdiction) Bill, 1968. Fourteen private member’s Bills — five of which were introduced in Rajya Sabha — have become law so far. So the road ahead will be tough for Gogoi to get it passed in both houses of Parliament. While detailing his plans, Gogoi said, “Can you imagine that in 2019, the primary law governing the working of our agencies is the Air Act, 1981? The Environment Protection Act, which is the mother parent act, is from the 1980s. An act from the 1980s will not suffice in 2019.” His statement came while addressing a gathering on the sidelines of the release of an analysis of life expectancy and air pollution in the Indo-Gangetic plain by the Energy Policy Institute, University of Chicago. The World Health Organisation (WHO) ambient air quality database released in January 2019
III” by Greenpeace India is an updated annual data for the year 2017 for cities/towns across the Assam (12 city) along with rest of India to find out the spread and intensity of the air pollution crisis. 2017 is also the NCAP base year for the pollution reduction targets of 20-30% across 102 cities by 2024. As of January 20, 2019, India has 731 operating stations covering 312 cities/towns in 29 states and 6 union territories. The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change, on 10th January 2019, released the National Clean Air Programme with a target of reducing pollution levels by 20-30% in 102 nonattainment cities. However, even if we assume that all the cities will aim for a 30% reduction of pollution levels by 2024, we will still be left with 152 cities/towns which will have PM10 levels above the NAAQS (2017 annual data) and thus qualify as non-attainment cities/towns. Have you ever wondered how many cigarettes a day you’ve been
CITY
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2015
2016
2017
2024*
Tezpur
120
71
90
68
108
76
Guwahati 141 88 97 105 106 74 mathematical model in order Nalbari 140 76 120 108 97 68 to calculate how many Sivsagar 121 90 71 75 81 57 cigarettes one Nagaon 132 100 137 111 75 53 is smoking simply by Tinsukia 99 57 119 80 70 48 inhaling particulate Darang 98 70 69 71 69 49 matter present Lakhipmur 121 66 78 84 62 42 in polluted air. As one Margherita 77 55 115 76 60 43 person wrote on Twitter for Bongaigaon 45 51 46 56 59 42 people who Dibrugarh 99 44 109 81 58 41 don’t smoke or quit smoking Golaghat 101 63 124 83 56 39 since they’re heading down Silchar 135 80 72 58 49 34 the same road of lung Air Quality Data as per Central Pollution Board Website of various cities of Assam diseases and respiratory problems as those mentioned under NCAP. cities with 2017 annual PM10 who smoke. It looks like we’re all The survey that took account of data, shows that there are in fact chain smokers now. 13 cities across Assam to gauge the 65 smart cities that should fall in Last month’s data shows that air pollution index found Silchar the non-attainment list. There the Air Quality Index (AQI) in to be the most breathable place are an additional 20 smart cities Guwahati had shot up to 371 on in Assam followed by Golaghat. for which data on Air Quality was October 27 (Sunday) and 336 on Tezpur followed by Guwahati is not available. Only 12 smart cities October 28 (Monday). at the worst. had PM10 levels below 60 µg/m3, n
Lead Story
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
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No netagiri in Assam after Ayodhya verdict: firm orders to saffron brigade City police claims to be prepared for any untoward situation G Plus News @guwahatiplus
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s the Supreme Court of India will deliver the verdict on the Ayodhya title suit today, the saffron brigade has received strict instructions that no one will make any comments over the verdict and will respect the verdict given by the Supreme Court. “No one can do any netagiri (deliver political comments) after the Supreme Court delivers its verdict on Ayodhya title suit tomorrow,” said state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) executive member, Rajkumar Tewari. He said that the central committee has issued orders to all the states including Assam that all should respect the apex court’s order and there should not be any communal discord created by any member of the BJP, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) or Bajrang Dal.
“All the RSS and Bajrang Dal members will follow the instructions given by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat,” said a senior Assam RSS member under condition of anonymity. The RSS has no plans to celebrate the “victory” if the Supreme Court’s decision on the Ayodhya land dispute comes in favour of the Hindus, said the source adding that members however cannot be stopped from lighting lamps. The construction of the Ram Mandir is expected to start in early 2020 in case the verdict is favourable, the RSS source said. While there is no official statement by RSS, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent message to maintain peace is considered the official line by RSS, BJP and all other associated bodied like Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), said the source. In view of the Supreme Court’s verdict, the RSS has cancelled all its programmes lined up for the month of November and has
asked its workers to cancel their tour schedules as well. The RSS source said that the organisation is being very cautious with regard to the Ayodhya case. He said that after the verdict, in case something happens, then the blame should not be pinned on them. Keeping in view the apex court’s pending decision, the Sangh also called off a major meeting, scheduled from October 31 to November 4 in Haridwar, where the top brass of its affiliates were to congregate and which included leaders from Assam. The current matter before the apex court is an appeal against the verdict delivered by the Allahabad High Court in 2010. The court had, in the absence of a title, divided the 2.77 acre land at Ayodhya equally between the three primary parties – Bhagwan Ramlalla Virajman, Nirmohi Akhara and Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board. Now, in a 40-day marathon daily hearing on the matter, all
Bureaucrats unwilling to become the new NRC coordinator From Page 01
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oing according to the process, these 20 lakh odd people whose name did not appear in the list were expected to receive rejection orders from the NRC coordinator. At present there is confusion regarding who will issue such an order - the new coordinator or the deputy commissioners of the districts? The order is expected to explain the reasons of rejection and the process explaining how to move to the foreigners’ tribunals. The orders will not be signed by Hajela, but the officers on field, said the source from NRC headquarters. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has asked the government to ensure that the NRC coordinator submits the accounts of Rs 1,600 crores spent on the NRC process before leaving the state. It won’t be a difficult task as the entire process was monitored by the Supreme Court, therefore the calculation can be easily provided, claimed the source.
File photo of NRC HQ Many organizations have expressed their unhappiness with the final figures for they feel that it has not taken into consideration the fact that Assam has, for long, battled the problem of illegal influx from Bangladesh. Sources in NRC secretariat explained that the process is entirely based on facts and factual documents. But whatever be the calculations and allegations by various organizations and the political parties, the facts remain that as of now 19,06,657 persons have not made it to the final list.
parties have presented their arguments to a Supreme Court Constitutional Bench, headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and comprising Justices SA The Supreme Court of India | Flie photo Bobde (CJI elect), DY and upgraded as needed ahead Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan of the Supreme Court verdict on and S Abdul Nazeer. Ayodhya, even the Guwahati city The arguments were heard by police claim to be prepared for all the bench, which reserved its kinds of situation. order on October 16, after Rajeev Commissioner of Police, Dhavan, a senior counsel for the Deepak Kumar, talking to G Plus, Muslim parties, tore a pictorial map provided by the Hindu claimed that there is no specific Mahasabha purportedly showing threat in the city but the police the exact birth place of Lord Ram are prepared for any kind of in Ayodhya. situation. As Uttar Pradesh DGP, OP Sources in city police revealed Singh, has said that security that there is no extra security arrangements in Ayodhya and the forces deployed ahead of the rest of the state are being assessed verdict.
4 Crime
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
The big car rental scam Guwahatians duped off over 200 vehicles; criminals at large Nehal Jain @NehalJain96
Cases registered at Dispur PS - 22 Total vehicles reported - 36 Vehicles recovered so far - 19 Cases registered at Bhangagarh PS - 10 Total vehicles reported - 16 Vehicles recovered so far - 4 Cases registered at Bharalumukh PS - 1 Total vehicles reported -1 Vehicles recovered so far - 0
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miscreant identified as Arun Yadav, who has been charged of stealing over 200 vehicles in the past two months in Guwahati, is currently on the run. Yadav, a resident of Guwahati’s VIP Road area, was running fake
car rental service in the city along with his accomplices and coaccused - Sanjeev Singh and Lenin Phukan. It has come to light that the three accused were running fake travel agencies in the city and duped a large number of people by convincing them to rent out their cars and bikes to them for attractive returns. Many Guwahatians rented out new and old vehicles to them and after receiving the promised rents for a couple of months, they stopped hearing from either of the three. “I rented out a brand new Toyota Fortuner for Rs 70,000 as monthly return. Yadav had convinced me that he would rent out my car to the DGM of OIL, but I was not paid a single rupee thereafter. He also made me part with my Nissan Terrano, which I had kept for my personal use, for a night and disappeared with it,” said Diganta Lashkar who happened to be one of the victims. Multiple cases have been registered against Yadav and his accomplices at Bharalumukh PS, Dispur PS, Bhangagarh PS, Sonapur PS as well as the Crime Branch of Guwahati City Police.
From L-R: Sanjeev Singh, Arun Yadav, Lenin Phukan | G Plus Photo “Several two-wheelers and four-wheelers have been stolen in the past month. We have been successful in recovering some of the vehicles and further investigation is going on,” Deepak Kumar, Commissioner of Police informed G Plus. On November 4, Sanjeev Singh was arrested from Siliguri, Kumar added. While Sanjeev Singh was
running a rental service company named Mahabahu Cars and Rentals, Arun Yadav was running DR Enterprise and Lenin Phukan was running the Guwahati Tour and To-Let Service company. Police investigation has revealed that the accused had sold off most of the cars in other states of the northeast and Yadav’s key aide in running the racket was his son-in-law Homen Doley from
Golaghat, who is also on the run. A senior police official investigating the matter informed G Plus that cases have been registered in connection with the theft of close to 60 vehicles. However, over 200 vehicles were duped by the fraudsters out of which many high-end, GPSenabled cars were tracked and recovered without the registration of case as well.
Victims blame city cops of taking bribes to give clean chit to accused
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he wife of Lenin Phukan, one of the prime accused, has been accused of bribing police officials to sway the case in her husband’s favour. She has also been accused of trying to bribe the victims and influence them to withdraw their cases. “Lenin Phukan is one of the main culprits in the racket. He
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has run away after illegally mortgaging our vehicles. His wife Pallabi Borthakur recently called me up and asked me to withdraw my case against him. She even offered to pay me lakhs of rupees in return,” a victim told G Plus under condition of anonymity. The victim also accused the cops of east police district of accepting bribes from Borthakur
to sway the case in Lenin’s favour and clear his name from the police records. A senior police official speaking to G Plus confirmed the allegations levied on Borthakur. “She had come to my office to offer bribe a couple of days back. She appeared to be pregnant and desperately wanting to clear the allegations on Phukan,” he said.
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While Lenin Phukan, Ajay Yadav and Homen Doley are currently on the run, police officials claim to be trying their best to catch them. Police have successfully recovered most of the vehicles and have sent their teams to different parts of the state and nearby
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states in search of the accused.
Crime
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
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Two months on, police fail to nab culprits of shoot and run case Nehal Jain @NehalJain96
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ven over two months after a man was shot at point blank by two bikeborne men in Athgaon area of the city, the Guwahati city police have failed to arrest the prime accused. The victim, identified as Shyam Sharma, was shot by two unknown miscreants on September 12. The incident occurred at Shri Jagdamba Iron & Steels in Athgaon following which he was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries the same evening. Locals had alleged that the miscreants were looking for the owner of the commercial establishment, Shyan Sundar
Sharma. However, his salesman Shyam Sharma responded to the name and the gang opened fire at him and fled from the spot. “The gang entered the office posing as customers and asked for Shyam as they wanted to settle some pending dues,” police sources said. As soon as the employee identified himself as Shyam, the unidentified gang shot him. Police officials revealed that initial investigation indicated that it might be a case of contract killing. In what could be a possible case of mistaken identity, the first name of the owner of the establishment and Shyam Sharma’s employer is also Shyam and therefore there could have been a misunderstanding whereby the employee was killed, the police suspect.
Soon after the crime took place, police had zeroed in on two suspects based on CCTV footages from the day. They had released the images of the suspects through media as well. However, the suspects are still roaming freely as the police have failed to nab the culprits. “We suspect that the culprits have fled away to nearby states. We are continuing investigation on the matter and are still on the lookout for the suspects,” Jayant Singh, DCP Crime, Guwahati City Police informed G Plus. He added that the administration is on its toes to avoid such incidents in the future and justice will be delivered to the family of the victim.
Cases of murder on the rise in Guwahati
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ssam has been witnessing a significant rise in the number of crimes being reported every year, especially in the capital city of Guwahati. 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. Among other crimes, cases of murder have also increased tremendously. A total of 1,274 cases of murder were reported in the state in 2018 of which Guwahati accounted for 96, despite all the security, law and order in place. In the year 2018, city police witnessed an increase in the cases of murder and attempt to murder being registered with a whopping 96 cases of murder and 50 cases of attempt to murder coming to light. It may be noted that Jalukbari police station registered maximum cases of murder (12 cases), followed by Sonapur police station (9 cases). Further, Azara received complaints of maximum cases of attempt to murder (14 cases). The news of the recent shoot and run case from Athgaon rocked the city as the business class became fearful of the new trends in crime.
Soon after the Athgaon incident, another businessman was shot at by two bikeborne assailants in Guwahati’s Nalapara area on October 13, 2019. The victim was identified as Jeherul Islam. In the past as well, businessmen have been targeted and shot by miscreants who have been on the run ever since. There are also various gangs operating in the city targeting vehicles, cheating people through cyber crime and so on. According to the data provided by the police commissionerate, theft has been topping the list of crimes happening in Guwahati every year. Burglary, robbery and crimes against women follow suit.
CCTV footage as released by the police of the probable culprits
6 City
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
Perspectives galore at GIFF as international filmmakers exchange thoughts and ideas Mohua @guwahatiplus
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he idea of Education through Cinema and Culture through Cinema will be highlighted by Assam government through its effort to stage the International Film Festival for the 3rd time in the city.” In a press meet at Jyoti Chitrabon, Minister of Cultural Affairs Naba Kumar Doley, while briefing the media about the manner in which the programme was going to be organized, categorically presented their motto in these words. This idea was encapsulated in the views expressed in the open forums, interactive sessions, master class and panel discussions in the best manner possible. Film personalities from different corners of the world enlightened the audience through their thought-provoking ideas.
Interaction: Nov 1
The first programme in this regard was an interactive session wherein renowned Polish filmmaker and scholar Krzysztof Zanussi deliberated at length about his experiences in the film world. He started by talking about the growth of his psyche as a filmmaker. He spoke about the time in Europe when it was plagued by war. “It is common to describe childhood as a paradise. But my childhood was hell … we were bombed … parents usually teach us not to lie but my parents had told me that if I saw a German soldier, I should say that I am alone even if my parents were standing behind me.” These incidents in his formative years taught him that there can be a few happenings which go against the popular notions. These incidents made him present the absurdity of life in a comical manner. For him truth is not relative. Having experienced the intricacies of the world of both Newtonian and Einstinian Physics, he learnt the value of metaphysics. Being a physicist and philosopher, he could understand that sometimes we need to keep ourselves away from the unpalatable truth. His unpalatable truths have never coloured his creativity. The world of 1940s to the 1970s
Assembled film personalities posing after one of the open sessions at GIFF 2019 | G Plus Photo was a difficult period in Europe. The system was not imposed by popular will. Theory of Marxism was proven to be wrong. He further said, “Projecting wrong vision of human being could be deterministic.” On being asked about creativity in Europe in the times ranging from the 1940s to the 1980s, when Polish cinema was looking critically at the system, he opined that the government was eager to show not the socialist aspect of things but what was happening in society. As a result of this there was confrontation between ideology and reality. Speaking on Indian cinema, Zanussi, who was honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award at the 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa in 2012, said that he would like to watch more sophisticated films from India. “Indian cinema keeps its own aesthetics based on Sanskrit drama and not Greek drama. It’s very exotic to us. I don’t see any other big cinema country that has this kind of sense of identity like India.” Zanussi is well-known for movies like Camouflage, Illumination, Behind the Wall and Family Life. On the same day Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej offered
a master class on Music¬Film-Environment. The most troublesome aspect of climate change that he drew notice of the audience to, was his reference to a group of twenty one islands on the Pacific, called Kiribas, which will be the first country to vanish from the face of the earth due to global warming. So he urged everyone to propagate the concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” by coexisting in the real sense, which means living in harmony and peace with all species of the world.
Open Forums
Popularizing Film as an Art Form: Nov 2 In this open forum, filmmakers and critics opined that film festivals help in promoting film as an art form. National award winning filmmaker Manju Borah said that film festivals like GIFF should also travel to smaller towns so that a film watching culture can be developed. National award winning film critic and author Apurba Sharma advocated that a healthy atmosphere and audience needs to be created before popularizing the film as an art form. Film critic Christopher Dalton was also a
part of the forum, which was moderated by internationally acclaimed film critic, curator and festival adviser Premendra Mazumder. Impact of Film Festivals in Propagating Film Culture: Nov 3 This forum was moderated by Roma Zachemba, comprising panelists Swarn Kamal awardee Manoj Barpujari, film actor and director Ewa Bukowska, Bangladesh filmmaker Noor Imran Mithu, director and actor Heiki Kujanpa. Ewa spoke of the fact how the film festivals work as a ridge between nationalities when they travel to national and international stage. The two women film personalities underlined the issue that movie industry is still dominated by men, and women are still in the process of making a mark. Noor Imran Mithu raised a very pertinent fact that a creative work should transcend gender as art by itself is primarily genderless. Manoj Barpujari explained the topic of male and female gaze and referred to the problem that people’s capacity to understand films is yet not mature. Kujanpa talked about the “Me Too” movement which was the most revolutionary incident that
happened in this decade. Beyond the popular idea that it has hampered the world as a whole, he said that it led to many good things. He felt that if 50% women directors show their story on the screen, film culture will change. Mithu felt that the most important thing was to make good films. As there is no male or female ideology and writer’s present their points of view films have become a more powerful medium of expression. Marketing Indie Films: From Regional to International Coproduction: Nov 4 This forum saw participation from film personalities like Rima Das, Rajni Basumatary, Xu Jianshang, Anupama Bose, Jani Vishwanath; moderated by Shyam Bora, it talked about how independent filmmakers should come out in handsome numbers and not get bogged down by problems of not being able to market their products well. They spoke about discovering thoughts and ideas on spreading films. Theatre personality and film genius Mohan Agashe talked about developing the cognitive aspect of making films. He feels that gadgets have divided the society. So some initiative is needed to promote the shared culture of watching a film together. “Cinema is the only medium that communicates simultaneously to the conscious, subconscious and unconscious. How I Started making Films: Personal Stories of Film Makers: Nov 5 Film personalities like Bhaskar Hazarika of Kothanodi and Aamis fame, Arjun Dutta, PravinMorchhale, Doiminic Sangma talked about their personal expeience while undertaking the journey into the world of filmmaking. The overall experience of these open forums, interactive session, etc was enriching for the audience.
City
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
Adil Hussain delivers 3rd Arun Sarma Memorial Lecture G Plus News @guwahatiplus
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n his understanding of human relationships, and the intricacies and subtle aspects of inter relationships between two human beings, between human beings and society, and the relationships with the nation and the universe at large, the complexities of different relationships, there is always a quest within him to know more, and he tried to discover the mystery of human life in his plays”, ace actor Adil Hussain said this about noted playwright, poet, novelist Arun Sarma while interacting with the audience during
3 rd Arun Sarma Memorial Lecture on the occasion of the noted litterateur’s birth anniversary at Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture on 3 rd November last. Paying rich tribute to Padma Shri Arun Sarma, Adil Hussain fondly remembered his association with the litterateur and said that he felt positively energized each time he met him. Taking part in the lecture on the topic “My Journey from Assam to America” which was followed by a conversation with Dr Santwana Bardoloi, Hussain talked about his passion for acting since childhood and elaborated on his journey from his hometown Goalpara in Assam to National School of Drama, New Delhi, Bollywood
Guwahati to host opening ceremony of FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup
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n the international football arena, Guwahati is fast racing to occupy a prominent place. The highest governing body of football in the world - FIFA - has selected Guwahati to host the grand opening ceremony of the Under 17 Women’s World Cup slated to take place next year. The local organising body of the world cup has finalised the Sarusajai Indira Gandhi Athletics Stadium for the opening ceremony of the 7th edition of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup which will see participation by 17 national teams. This is for the first time India is hosting the event since its inception in 2008. The tournament will be held from November 2-21, 2020. The concluding function of the tournament will be held at Navi Mumbai. Guwahati will also be one of the venues for matches. The local organizing committee has already shortlisted a few cities as the possible venues of the meet and it included Guwahati also. It may be mentioned here that Guwahati was one of the venues of the U-17 World Cup which was held in India in 2017.
and then to the American soil. Questions from the audience made the session more interesting. The proceedings were compered by Nayan Prasad. Earlier Ochintya Sharma welcomed the audience on behalf of the Arun Sarma Theatre and Remembrance Trust, the organiser of the event.
Adil Hussain speaking at the 3rd Arun Sarma Memorial Lecture
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8 City
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
Guwahati streets offer sumptuous local cuisine all-day breakfast options Gunjan Sharma @guwahatiplus
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hat is your favourite meal of the day? Majority of people look for a good breakfast to start their day. Breakfast being the most important meal provides the brain and body with some energy after an overnight fast. But due to our busy morning schedule it becomes very difficult
Pitha, which is majorly a sweet dish, is made with rice flour and can be of various types that include Tekeli / Keetli Pitha, Khola Sapori Pitha, Ghila Pitha, Sunga Pitha, Til (sesame) Pitha and Narikol (coconut) Pitha to name a few. to have breakfast sometimes, and we often tend to skip it. With the growing food delivery services one can always order breakfast and get it delivered to their workplace in no time. Not just that, to cater the demands of people some restaurants/cafes in town also open up early in the morning to provide the city with breakfast options, while some keep an allday breakfast option open.
However, the joy of eating breakfast from the streets of Guwahati is definitely unmatched. Having said that here are some of the must try all day breakfast options from the streets of Guwahati which you can gobble down while you rush to work or college. Rice is the staple food of northeastern region and is loved by all. In fact some people love rice to a point that they can eat it for every meal of the day. Rice is also eaten for breakfast in various parts of Assam in the form of Pitha. Pitha, which is majorly a sweet dish, is made with rice flour and can be of various types that include Tekeli / Keetli Pitha, Khola Sapori Pitha, Ghila Pitha, Sunga Pitha, Til (sesame) Pitha and Narikol (coconut) Pitha to name a few. Some types of pitha have turned out to be breakfast options for many. Not just at home one can also find pitha in the streets of Guwahati. Tekeli / Keetli Pitha, is a type of pitha which is made by steaming rice flour in a kettle lid along with some jaggery or sugar according to taste. Some people even add salt and coconut to enhance the flavour. It is mainly enjoyed during the winter season or during Bihu but it is available throughout the year as a breakfast option in various parts of the city. A cup of steaming hot lal / red or milk tea along with freshly steamed Tekeli Pitha is a is a match made in heaven which is also a very popular breakfast option in the city. Khola Sapori Pitha can be termed as the Assamese version of pancakes. Rice flour mixed with sugar and water/milk is cooked on a flat pan like a pancake. Some people also make a savoury
version of this pitha. Khola Sapori Pitha can be found in some parts of the city and it is quite popular among the locals as a breakfast option. Apart from Tekeli / Keetli Pitha and Khola Sapori Pitha, Ghila Pitha is also available on the streets of Guwahati. Ghila Pitha is a sweet rice pakora which is fried in oil. It is generally enjoyed with a cup of tea and works both as a quick morning or evening snack. Apart from various forms of pitha you will find many roadside stalls or food carts that sell Luchi Ghugni or Ruti / Roti (Chappathi) Sabji. Luchi Ghugni or Ruti Sabji is one the major most selling all-day breakfast options available in Guwahati. You can find one stall or cart in every nook and corner of the street that sells either Luchi / Puri with Ghugni or Ruti with some vegetable gravy. Though both Luchi Ghugni or Ruti Sabji is traditionally not from Assam, yet they are quite popular among the locals. The ghugni which is believed to have originated from Bengal has been wholeheartedly accepted by Guwahatians and is enjoyed with hot maida luchi (a deep-fried flatbread), onion and chillies. Many students and office goers start their day with street style Luchi / Puri and Ghugni or Ruti / Paratha with any vegetable gravy along with a cup of tea. It not only fills your stomach but also satisfies your taste buds. To keep it simple but make it a breakfast full of protein one
Khola sapori pitha (top) & Luci Ghugni (above) | G Plus Photo can enjoy simple boiled eggs with salt and spices. Some carts also sell omelettes with parathas while some are limited to boiled eggs. Goja and Chaa (Tea) is another popular quick breakfast / snack / anytime food option. The sweet Goja with a cup of strong tea is a match made in heaven and if
you want to enjoy some savoury flavours you can always add in some allu sighras. The trio is quite famous among the locals and is savoured with joy. Have you tried these local breakfast options from the streets of Guwahati? If not, go and try them now and if you have you can always eat more!
Weather report for the week Guwahati
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Art
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
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The Playhouse: Youth Theatre Fest 2019 held in city G Plus News @guwahatiplus
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rganised by Agora, The Space in association with Electrocity and G Plus , the first edition of The Playhouse opened on the 8 th November last with the staging of two plays. A Theatre@Agora original production Coupling opened the night, and set the stage for the main attraction of the evening - a staging of David Mamet’s famed play Oleanna by Hyderabad-based
Theatre group, Sutradhar. While Coupling – an original script written and directed by Radhika Goswami had the audience in splits throughout its duration, Oleanna dealt with a more serious theme exploring the power dynamics in the academic circuits in the light of the recent #MeToo movement. It is about the power struggle between a university professor and one of his female students, who accuses him of sexual exploitation. This production of the play directed by noted thespian Bhaskar Shewalkar opened to much acclaim by
Stills from the play Coupling (above) and Oleanna (below)
the audience at Agora. The two character play, performed by Vinay Verma and Supriya Asola kept the audience spell bound. This opening event is going to be followed by a 2-day workshop (on 9th and 10th of November) conducted by Vinay Varma who is also the founder and director of the Sutradhar. The selected teams for Playhouse will get an opportunity to polish their plays under his expert guidance and make them stage-ready for the final showcase of the festival which will happen on the 29th and
30th November. A one-of-its-kind youth theatre fest in the northeast, The Playhouse, who is also partnering with the forthcoming Guwahati Theatre Fest scheduled for the first week of December, will see around 10 plays from across Guwahati city. This is for the first time that a festival will curate plays that have been exclusively produced by the youth. With an upper age limit of 25 years for the participants, Agora, the Space through The Playhouse aims to encourage the conception of a young theatre circuit, and
to foster a culture of theatre in the region. Agora, which translates to a ‘meeting space’ for people, is an unconventional and eclectic art and culture space in Guwahati. Their aim is to facilitate a network of designers, artists, communities and individuals from various cultural and social research disciplines. Agora provides these groups the platform to share their interests and passion for art and culture in an inclusive, dynamic manner that enhances positive wellbeing for all.
10 News This Week
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
A quick round up of the news that mattered during the past week
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BSF starts using Israeli drones to combat illegal infiltration
The Border Security Forces have started using Israeli drones and thermal imagers to check smuggling and illegal infiltration in Assam’s Dhubri sector. A major part of the Indo -Bangladesh border passes through a riverine stretch, making it difficult to establish fences. These drones are equipped with day-and-night vision cameras that can capture images within a range of 2 kms from a maximum height of 150 metres. “Cattle smuggling and drug trafficking activities are usually carried out at night. These newly employed drones will be able to send images of smugglers hiding in the vicinity of the border area during day time,” said Inspector General (IG) of BSF’s Guwahati Frontier, Piyush Mordia.
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“Milk of Indian cows contain gold,” says Bengal BJP chief
In a bizarre statement West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party Chief Dilip Ghosh stated that milk of Indian cows contain gold and that’s why its colour is yellowish. “A feature of the Indian cow is that its milk contains gold. That’s the reason the colour of the milk is yellowish,” said Ghosh while addressing a gathering in Burdwan district. He added, “The breeds of cows that we bring from abroad are not cows. They are a kind of ‘janwar’ (beast). These foreign breeds don’t sound like cows. Those are not our gaumata (mother) but our aunties. It is not good for the country if we worship such aunties.”
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India ranks behind Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka in mobile internet speed
India was ranked at 128th spot in mobile broadband speed for September 2019, according to a report by broadband speed analysis firm, Ookla. India lagged behind its neighbours Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal. However, in fixed-line broadband speed it was far ahead at 72nd place, during the reported month. Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index found download speed of 11.18 mbps and upload speed of 4.38 mbps in India. The global average download speed is 29.5 megabit per second and upload speed is 11.34 mbps. South Korea topped the global chart with download speed of 95.11 mbps and upload speed of 17.55 mbps in mobile network.
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All visitors will now have to register with Meghalaya govt
The Meghalaya state government, on November 1, brought an ordinance which seeks visitors to register with the government if they intend to stay more than 24 hours in the state. The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance Cabinet approved to amend the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act, 2016, in a cabinet meeting held on November 1. The provision has been introduced amid increase in demands for an inner line permit system stop illegal immigration to the state. The registration can be done online and any person who fails to comply with the rules and furnish the information will be liable for punishment under section 176/177 of the IPC.
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Gandhi family to get Z+ security
As per reports of ANI, the central government has removed the SPG protection for the Gandhi family which includes Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. They will be given Z+ security. In August, the central government also removed SPG protection of the former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Although the Gandhis have not been informed of the decision yet, CRPF personnel have already been stationed at their 10 Janpath residence.
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Manipur accounted for 50% of northeast violence in 2018: MHA report
As per an annual Union Home Ministry report, Manipur accounted for 50 percent of the total incidence of violence across the northeast in 2018. According to the report, in 2018, insurgency related violence declined by 48% in Meghalaya, 40% in Arunachal Pradesh, 16% in Assam and 24% in Manipur compared to 2017. The state of Manipur remained the most violent state accounting for about 50% of the total incidents in the region in 2018. However, in 2018 the state witnessed a decline in insurgency related incidents by 24% (2017-167, 2018- 127) and civilian deaths have further come down from 23 in 2017 to 8 in 2018.
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Pakistan displayed ‘Indian Bomb’ at Durbar Sahib in Kartarpur
According to some Indians who recently visited the Durbar Sahib Gurudwara in Pakistan as a private group, the Pakistan authorities have exhibited a bomb placed in a glass case placed on top of a small pillar decorated with the ‘khanda’. The board near the exhibit reads, “Indian Air Force dropped this bomb during 1971 at Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Sri Kartarpur Sahib with the aim to destroy it. However, this evil design could not be materialised due to blessing of Waheguru Ji (Almighty Allah).......” It is to be noted that from November 9 Indians will be able to visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib by crossing the international border with Pakistan without a visa after 70 years.
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BJP says no to eggs in midday meals in MP but allows in Maharashtra: Imarti Devi
Imarti Devi, Minister of Women and Child Development in Madhya Pradesh (MP), stated that BJP has opposed the decision of serving eggs in mid-day meals in MP while it has no objections in Maharashtra. In a step to end malnutrition in the state, the Congress government has said that eggs will be provided in the mid day meals offered to children in Anganwadis from November. The BJP has opposed this initiative. Devi stated, “We went to Maharashtra and consulted officers there. They told us they have been giving eggs in mid-day meals since 2016-17. RSS has its main branch in Maharashtra. There they have no objections, while they are doing politics in Madhya Pradesh by opposing it.”
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NATO experiencing brain death: Emmanuel Macron
Emmanuel Macron, French President, in an interview said, European Countries can no longer rely on the US to defend North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies. “What we are currently experiencing is the brain death of NATO,” stated Macron. “NATO only works if the guarantor of past resort functions as such. I’d argue that we should reassess the reality of what NATO is in the light of the commitment of the United States,” he added. He also stated that US has shown its signs of “turning its back on us,” referring to Trump’s sudden decision last month to pull out troops of northeastern Syria without consulting its allies.
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Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis resigns
Devendra Fadnavis, chief Minister of Maharashtra, resigned on November 8, 2019. He submitted his resignation to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, said sources. Addressing a press conference post his resignation he said, “I have resigned. I thank people of Maharashtra for supporting me for 5 years.” The results of the assembly election were declared on 24 October. However, the BJP and Shiv Sena failed to arrive at a consensus to form the next government. It is to be noted that in the election, BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena won 56, NCP 54 and Congress got only 44 seats.
Photo Feature
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
BHUPEN HAZARIKA BIRTH CENTENARY 5TH NOV All photographs are from Prashanti Udyan, Dighalipikhuri unless otherwise captioned.
CM Sonowal offering his prayers at the Bhupen Hazarika Samadhi Sthal, Jalukbari
CHHATH PUJA celebrations in Guwahati r
Jahaj Ghat, Uzan Baza
Jahaj Ghat, Uzan Bazar r
Jahaj Ghat, Uzan Baza
Kachomari Ghat
Jahaj Ghat, Uzan Bazar
Jahaj Ghat, Uzan Bazar
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12 Guest Column
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
The paradoxical development scenario and its silver linings A t a time when a section of dismal pessimists are refusing to acknowledge the progressive strides made by our country coupled with the disheartening scenario of the Indian currency hurtling downhill, worrying indications of petrol prices reaching the century milestone faster than that of a brisk Rohit Sharma century, continuous downward trends of the GDP, any attempt to project and showcase the country’s progress will be dubbed as “rubbish” by these armchair critics. Before venturing to write further, I assure such compatriots that I too share their concern at the sky-rocketing inflation, decline of GDP, spiralling onion prices, disturbing spurts of moblynching activities fuelled by sudden rise of religious and inexplicable superstitious beliefs. Even a superficial glance familiarises us about the burgeoning growth of vehicular population, especially during the last four decades. The total vehicle population in India in 1951 was 0.3 million as per census data. By 1981, the figure had reached 5.4 million! Records reveal that in the year 2015, vehicle population had shot up to a gigantic 210 million against a figure of 55 million in the year 2001. Notwithstanding the recent decline in automobile sales, no other Asian country except China can boast of such astounding growth. The vehicle population in the state of Assam was around five lakhs in 2001 and this rose overwhelmingly to 15,28,269 in 2011. As per the figures from the central government, the number of motor vehicles registered in Assam stood at 15.82 lakhs in 2011 as against 13.83 lakhs in 2010, showing a growth of almost 14.4 per cent. From 8.30 lakhs of registered two-wheelers in Assam in 2010, the figures plummeted to 9.58 lakhs in 2011. This data has emerged in the Statistical Year Book, India 2013 released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation in New Delhi. A report of the Economics and Statistics Department, Government of Assam, indicates that there has been a staggering increase of 186 percent in vehicle population over the last three decades. Spiralling numbers of vehicles prove poignantly the steady amelioration of
GUEST COLUMN
Gautam Ganguly
economic status of the general run of people, highlight better standards of living and luxurious lifestyles, improvement in purchasing capacity and rise in monthly and yearly income enabling the “hoi-polloi” to save from their earnings after meeting mandatory day-today requirements. It needs no reiteration that buying luxury items like cars etc is done after meeting the bare human requirements of “food, shelter and clothing.” One feels that these emerging trends should silence the habitual critics crying hoarse about the lack of progress and development of the state and country. It is revealed from the Census Data, 2011 that a whopping 63.2% houses in India use the telephone out of which
13,12,40,499 houses in India have mobile phone connectivity. In Assam, out of 63,67,295 houses surveyed, 30,49,934 households have telephones. Interestingly, this authentic national data reflects that the percentage of telephone users in Assam is proportionately higher than states like West Bengal, Orissa and a few of neighbouring seven states of the northeast India. Such rapid growth and popularity of telephones, besides indicating general improvement of financial health of the country, also highlights strengthening the existing communication mode to a higher level. According to the opinion of a large section of economists, seventy percent mobile penetration among the Indian masses has resulted
in the transformation of the economy from informal to formal. Old timers will remember as to how when “trunk calls” were booked, it used to keep callers tantalizingly glued to their telephones. The cell phone has resulted in saying farewell to the post cards, inland letters etc. Short message service (SMS) and WhatsApp applications have brought about a revolutionary change in the world of expeditious dissemination of information. People are virtually living their lives on and through the mobiles. It’s become truly an integral part of life. To quote International Air Transport Association (IATA), “India witnessed the highest growth of 23.3 per cent in domestic air travel
demand worldwide in 2016 twice that of neighbouring China.” Further, Guwahati’s Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (LGBIA) has reported a growth of 31 per cent in passenger movement in the year 2017 in comparison to 2016 according to data from the Airports Authority of India (AAI). Elaborating further, Guwahati airport serving the Northeast has handled 34.5 lakh passengers in 2016 and the figure went up to 45.3 lakhs in 2017. With the laudable step taken by the union government of taking the “great leap” towards adopting “Open Skies Policy” in 1991, the civil aviation scene in India has undergone a total transformation. “Low budget airlines,” as they are called, introduced from 2003 have been responsible for making millions realize the eternal human dream of travelling by air. The general standard of living has indeed improved substantially. All the human indexes that determine the progress of a country look rosy. The habitual critics have a lot to lament. But when I find an ordinary fish seller responding to a phone call and delivering fish at home urgently driving his “scooty,” as an Indian, I feel proud at the overall betterment of economic our health. The nationwide acclaim and accolades at the stunning performance of our Rima Das and Hima Das, promise of performance by Riyan Parag and many such silver linings make every rational thinker proud and happy about our state. It’s my prerogative to look at the brighter side, being fully aware of the challenges ahead. I wind up with the immortal lines: The woods are lovely, dark and deep / But, I have promises to keep. / And miles to go before I sleep.
Guest Column
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
Sonaram Field and the invigorating perspectives W
hen we talk of Guwahati, it has not only remained confined to the construction of shopping malls, coffee shops etc, but the city has also presented itself as a place where one would definitely witness, ‘confluence of culture.’ Be it the festival of Bihu
impression in the mind that the field is sufficiently expansive enough to be a place where a number of things could be constructed, for the greater benefit of Guwahati. The matter
for the people and it should also consist of a vibrant and spacious stage, where even programmes relating to dance or drama could be properly organized without any hassle. Moreover, that auditorium
construction, of course, could be a compact auditorium, since the field hosts a number of events, but the other two constructions could be done to promote Assamese literature and culture. Hence in one
of the fact the field has hosted many programmes over the years and every time a programme is about to occur, some temporary arrangements are made with wood, steel and bamboos in order to create a ‘Pandal’ or a stage, where the events would take place smoothly. So, the point is instead of constructing such temporary arrangements again and again, a serious thought could be given to the concept of constructing a multipurpose auditorium. And when we confabulate about the multipurpose auditorium, it should have the capacity to host any type of event, where proper sitting arrangements are made
would also generate revenues for the government, when it would get booked for the various events. So this concept would not only generate revenues but it would also serve as a permanent solution to the temporary constructions made for every event. The next notion that could be taken into consideration, regarding the improvisation of the Sonaram Field, might appear a bit outlandish, however if the same is properly implemented, could turn out to be a real game changer. For the notion to come into existence, Sonaram Field should witness the construction of three structures in a scientific manner. The first
structure old and rare Assamese novels, magazines, journals could be kept, and the structure could be turned into a research centre, where any individual would be allowed to enter, to read or research. Moreover, the third structure could be like a theatre hall, where daily shows of ‘Bhaona’, Assamese films and documentaries, puppetry dance, drama etc could be exhibited, which would definitely draw a lot of audience to it. In fact, by charging a minimal entry fee in the entrance, higher amount of revenues would definitely get generated. Added to this, the third
The author writes about lending a permanent character to the Sonaram Field as a venue of amusement, culture and sports to add to it already being a premium spot for hosting various events by both the government and private parties. or Dandiya, food festivals or trade fairs, the city has indeed in an extravagant way, hosted a wide number of events and cultural functions. And the conspicuous fact is that the Sonaram Field near Bharalumukh has been one of the primary spots where numerous events have been organized on a regular basis. However, amidst all these events, we have seldom thought about making Sonaram Field a multipurpose institution of amusement, or in short, about changing its dynamics, in order to make it a centre of attraction each and every day. A normal visual analysis of the Sonaram Field gives an
Street vendor promotes water conservation, wins hearts
W
hen the entire city is helplessly impacted with the scarcity of water, a street vendor took a pun-intended way to appeal to the citizens to save water. A ‘pani-puri’ wala in the Bora Service area of Guwahati was seen putting up a placard which reads, “Save Water, otherwise ‘Pani Puri’ will become only Puri.” Onlookers of the area took the photograph on social media and shared this hilarious but important message of the roadside vendor. Be it the traditional ‘pani-puri’ with a potato and pea filling and dipped in tamarind water or the fancy ones served with various types of water, pani-puri is a must for every street food lover. And so is water!
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GUEST COLUMN
Bishaldeep Kakati notion could be to construct a multipurpose auditorium along with a multipurpose indoor stadium for playing table tennis, badminton etc, where people would be allowed to come and play just by enrolling themselves with a minimal fee. And in that process too, good amount of revenue would be generated. Apart from all these, other ideas like constructing a park alongside the auditorium, erecting a museum along with the auditorium etc too have the potential to change the graphical design of that area. In fact with the availability of the parking space adjacent to the field, even parking of vehicles won’t be an issue, and the presence of the mighty Brahmaputra just behind the field could turn out to be like the proper icing on the cake. Therefore, the main idea behind the need to change the dynamics of the Sonaram Field is to generate revenues for the government and also to make the place robust, especially at a time, when some people more often than not tag Guwahati as a robotic and mechanized city. The ideas put forward, though, are definitely raw but by polishing them with proper planning, positive changes could be definitely expected out of those. However, the list of ideas for improvising the Sonaram Field is of course not an exhaustive one, as there might be more invigorating ideas that could change the overall design of the field, which has every potential to turn itself into a centre of attraction in the near future.
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Blocking the flowing contamination
n the name of a religious festival namely, Brahmaputra Pushkar, the Bharalu River – the city’s premier drainage channel for all practical purposes – has been blocked at its mouth. As per media reports, this is to ensure that all the contamination from the Bharalu does not flow into the Brahmaputra because devotees will be taking their religious dips in the mighty river. G Plus has been forever reporting with a great deal of concern about the deteriorating condition of the Bharalu River with regard to its contamination. Its water is simply black, period. And while leaving alone the fact that we have never seen any steps being taken to clean up the channel, there have never been any awareness programmes worth recalling by the administration to make people understand the filthiness of the situation. It has always been a case of sweeping the dirt under the carpet. Today however, when it has come to another river festival – despite the disaster of Namami Brahmaputra – the Bharalu’s blockage before it merges with the Brahmaputra unofficially declares it to be so contaminated that it would defile the “religious purity” of the devotees. Now, we as citizens need to be really concerned about
this blocking. The Bharalu, despite its contamination, at least keeps flowing and the pollutants go out of the city through the Brahmaputra. The deliberate block has made the channel a virtually stagnant water body with all the contaminants ready to wreak havoc in the localities that constitute the channel’s banks. The stagnant water has every chance of its level rising as much as the water percolating the channel’s banks or seeping into the ground and seriously messing up with the ground water of the city – something that virtually the entire city is dependent on for its water consumption purposes. Now, if this isn’t deliberately making a bigger mess of an already messy situation, what is? It often makes me wonder what and how this government is considering its priorities to be. Somehow, in the whole scheme of things, public good and welfare often takes a backseat and religious ideologies based on superstition takes over. The pros and cons of a particular situation are somehow never weighed in the right perspective. What exact good the Brahmaputra Pushkar festival will bring is beyond me. But the bad is very clear with contamination being thrust upon us deliberately. Swapnil Bharali (Editor) @swapnilbharali
A huge responsibility as we turn 6
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here are times that I talk about local issues, national issues and other trending issues. However, this time, I choose to digress and talk about a 6 year long exercise. G Plus recently turned 6 and in the last week, also touched 165,000 odd organic fans on Facebook. Now this number is very significant for us mainly for two reasons. The first is the fact that this number has come to us over a period of 6 years, thereby telling us that this is not just an ‘accumulation’ or ‘purchase’ for us. These are fans that reposed their faith in us as a leading publication in the city; fans who made us tell stories about what the city aspires to be. The second is the expanding digital space that we are currently living in. In my tenure, I have attended several workshops on digital publishing, each teaching us that the scope for a digital publisher is large and particularly sensitive. Consumers often feed off the headlines and never go through most stories. Consumption is largely visual, what attracts the eye. Misleading headlines, sensitive photos and incorrect information is something that digital publications have done in the past in a race to stay ahead in numbers. However, for us to arrive at this point, slowly and steadily, talks of how careful we have been at every point. This piece is not to chestbeat, but to tell our readers that it is very important of what you consume on the internet. Discerning right from wrong is something we as a publication are very careful about and we hope that our fans are equally careful from where they consume. Lastly, a big shout out to each and everyone who helped us reach this number as we feel privileged that we are responsible towards hundred thousand different lives
Sidharth Bedi Varma @sid_bv
Kashmir: From Paradise to battleground
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ar firdaus bar-rue zamin ast, hami asto, hamin asto, hamin ast,” Mughal Emperor Jehangir said when he visited Kashmir in the 17th century stating that if you haven’t visited this Paradise on Earth , you’ve missed out an experience of a life time. Unfortunately Kashmir, what we know and see of it, is not what it used to be merely a century ago. The process of turning the paradise into a battleground started soon after India and Pakistan became sovereign nations. At the time of British withdrawal, 565 princely states were officially recognized in the
Pakistan betrayed the Maharaja and sent its tribal mercenaries and its army to invade Kashmir. The Maharaja sought the help of New Delhi… Indian subcontinent. Kashmir was one of it. Princely states were left with 3 options – 1) Join the Union of India, 2) Join Pakistan or 3) Remain as an independent entity. Sardar Vallabhai Patel, the first home minister of independent India and VP Menon, secretary of the ministry of states, in the months immediately preceding and following the independence, convinced the rulers of hundreds of princely states to accede to the Indian Union. However there were 3 major princely states that initially refused to join the Union of India – Kashmir, Junagarh and Hyderabad. Maharaja Hari Singh, the then ruler of Kashmir, decided to remain independent. However, Kashmir is located in a very important geostrategic region of Earth - a region of glaciers and fresh water channels. So both India and Pakistan were determined to bring Kashmir under its respective sovereign control. To avert the pressure to join either new nation, the Maharaja signed a standstill agreement with Pakistan. However India didn’t sign any. Pakistan soon betrayed the Maharaja and sent its tribal mercenaries and
its army to invade Kashmir. The Maharaja sought the help of New Delhi. But New Delhi responded that in order to gain military assistance, Kashmir would have to accede to India. The Maharaja agreed and signed the Instrument of Accession in October 1947. Thereafter, it was only a matter of days for Indian armed forces to get back control of the whole of Kashmir. However for reasons unclear till date, under the leadership of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, India took the matter to the United Nation Security Council (UNSC) which passed Resolution 39 declaring ceasefire between the two neighbours. An imaginary line which came to be known as Line of Control was drawn Kashmir. UNSC also established the United Nations Commission for India and Pakistan (UNCIP) to investigate the issues and mediate between the two countries. It also established the United Nations Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to monitor the ceasefire line. The ceasefire line divided Paradise into 2 pieces of land – PoK and the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir. The UN declaredcease fire couldn’t stop both countries from engaging in another 2 conventional wars (1965 & 1999) and numerous unconventional conflicts. After it’s accession with the Union of India, Kashmir and Kashmiris were more or less integrating with mainland India. However, Kashmir has always witnessed political drama during elections. But the only election that stormed Kashmiris out of their houses was the epoch of Muslim United Front (MUF) in 1987. And Farooq Abdullah of National Conference (NC) was declared the winner. The MUF accused that the polls were rigged and this was well acknowledged by the national and international media as well resulting into wide outrage and disillusionment among the Kashmiris. Local insurgency in the valley increased in momentum from this point on and Pakistan’s Deep State (Pak Army, ISI & fanatic mullahas) took the advantage of the situation and started funding, training, and radicalizing Kashmiri insurgent groups like Hizb-ul-Mujahedin, Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front and many others. Pakistan
rUnseasonal floods
O pinion Prabal Bharadwaj
also pushed veteran Afghan jihadists into Kashmir to destabilize the state and create a blood bath in the 1990s. ISI also started a propaganda war in Kashmir infiltrating Wahabism into predominantly Sufi Kashmiri society, mainly through the funding from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. Mosques were turned into the centers for radicalization of Kashmiris. Islamic radicalization of Kashmiri society led to the mass exodus and genocide of Kashimiri Pandits, though the Indian government failed to recognize it for years. Winning back Kashmir and Kashmiris It is high time for India to go all out militarily against fanatic Islamic radical groups who are interested only in turning the Jehlum Red. Tactical operations like “Operation All Out” need more teeth. More funds need to be given to goodwill operations like Madadgar (CRPF), Operation Sadbhavanaa (Indian Army) to penetrate deep into Kashmir. At the same time, the Indian government should engage with Kashmiri Awam politically with more zeal and seriousness and let the Kashmiris decide their political future without compromising the sovereignty, unity and integrity of the Indian Union. The Paradox It is paradoxical that at the time when government of India is sitting at the table with dreaded insurgent groups like NSCN(IM) to find a solution to the decadeslong Indo-Naga conflict, It refuses to take Kashmiri people into confidence while bifurcating the erstwhile state of J&K into 2 UTs – Ladakh and J&K and stripping Kashmir of its special status which was not unique to the erstwhile state of J&K contrary to what many of our political leaders want us to believe. (The author is a graduate in Bachelor of Arts, Ramjas Collage, University of Delhi)
Letter to the Editor
Over 80% of the annual run-off of the river occurs in the monsoon month of June to September, often causing flood. Today the situation has become more intricate. Where the country was troubled by water crises a month ago, now half of India is grappling with flood. There is urgent need to bring stability in this war of abundance and scarcity. The government should concentrate on water resources in order to transfer surplus water body in another region. Richa Singh Student, Royal Global University
In Focus
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
15
Customer loses Rs 23K to fraudsters while booking table at Mocha Guwahati Amar Das @guwahatiplus
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n a shocking phone scam incident, Surabhi Sharma, a resident of Guwahati, was cheated after she tried to book a table at Mocha, a popular cafe in the city. Around Rs 23,000 was fraudulently withdrawn from her account when she called the cafe’s number, as listed on Google (8927660407). Talking to G Plus, Sharma said, “I found the number on Google which read that it was of Mocha, Guwahati. After they received the call, they asked me to transfer Rs 10 through Google Pay and asked me to share my UPI ID as a part of an advance towards booking the table. I trusted them as their number was registered on Google. In a short while, I received a message that Rs 23,000 was deducted from my account in three instalments of Rs 10,000, twice and Rs 3,000 the third time.” Authorities at Mocha, Guwahati said that they have registered a complaint along with the victim at the Bhangagarh Police Station.
They added that around three similar cases have been reported so far and thus they had posted a disclaimer across their social
Speaking to G Plus, T Sarkar, a brand manager at a local creative agency said, “Business institution and outlets which have social
on G Plus social media channels. “It’s your own mistake as without your pin they cannot transfer any amount from your
R Brahma, a resident of the city. Prasenjit Choudhury wrote, “Be cautious, pin, CVV, UPI and OTP should be treated as your
media handles earlier, asking the public to be aware of the fraudulent number (8927660407) which was listed on Google as Mocha’s Customer Care number. It is to be mentioned that in 2017, a similar incident had happened where customers were cheated after placing their orders on a fraudulent number of KFC, Lachit Nagar outlet available on Google listings.
presence should keep all the contact numbers on the internet updated, otherwise there is a risk of losing potential customers and business not to mention the damage to the brand’s reputation.” Reacting to the news, Guwahatians criticised the victim for sharing her personal bank details while trying to book the table and shared their views
account. There are a lot of news in Guwahati now which are related to this sort of incidents either ‘Phonepe’ or ‘Google pay’ which are even broadcast on TV and social media posts. Every bank or payment gateway providers gives you regular updates on not to do this and that. So it’s definitely your own mistake and people who do not take it seriously will learn from their mistakes,” wrote
undergarments, don’t share with anyone.” “Google doesn’t have exact helpline number. Never take it from Google,” Hemanta Saikia said. “This is why some people shouldn’t be given to access to internet and online banking facilities. Why would you share your UPI id,” added another citizen. n
In an incident that could have had fatal ramifications, around 14 students were injured after two school buses from Delhi Public School, Guwahati collided with each other near Lokhara area. G Plus followers commented on the accident. Satya Kamal Gogoi
Pankaj Surana
Aditya Kashyap
Rupam B
The speed of school buses should be restricted to max 40 Kmph digitally and mechanically. If auto companies can restrict speeds in bikes at 299 Kmph then why can’t it be done at 40 Kmph for school buses? Slower speeds mean no possibility of rash driving and parents will be at peace.
These school buses are driving now days like they are on a racing track. They are racing with each other and putting normal public’s life at risk. I don’t understand the big hurry; why do they drive like that? Do they get millions for their rash driving or what? Or somebody gives instructions to kill people on the roads?s.
Salma Rahman
Very often we hear that DPS school buses have met with accidents. Is the management sleeping? Why no strict action is taken yet? Today the no. 0361 2270202 printed on the fee book was literally made busy and the transport manager must have received around 10 calls from me but has not responded yet. Don’t we as parents have the right to question them?
It was bound to happen. The authority as well as guardians should be aware of these hooligans running the buses. Many schools buy buses and they don’t have parking spots also as they are only concerned about earning money, nothing else. The school should be held liable but powerful people running schools will easily make the case die down sooner rather than later. We cannot expect anything from our representatives also.
Can’t say about other school buses but since my workplace was opposite to DPS School Lokhra, I have personally seen the DPS school buses being driven rashly. The drivers of DPS don’t let other vehicles pass, not even from the opposite direction. They drive with such speed as if someone will pay them for speed driving when they win. Thought many a time of complaining to the school authorities. Parents and maybe the school authorities do not even know about it, maybe. But seriously this is a major threat to students in the vehicles as well as passersby and other commuters. Such accidents are bound to happen.
16 Buzz
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
Urvashi Butalia to deliver 14th Anita Baruah Sarmah Memorial Lecture at GU
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he Fourteenth Anita Baruah Sarmah Memorial Lecture hosted by the Department of English, Gauhati University and sponsored by the Dr Anita Baruah Sarmah Memorial College of Education, Guwahati will be held on 9 November, 2019. Noted feminist writer and publisher Dr Urvashi Butalia will deliver the lecture on “The Elusive Centre: Writing and Re-writing the Nation” at 12 noon on that day at the Phanidhar Dutta Memorial Seminar Hall, Gauhati University. This annual event is organized in the memory of Dr Anita Baruah Sarmah who was a faculty member in the Department of English, Gauhati University. The Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University, Prof Pratap Jyoti Handique will be the Chief Guest, while the Guest of Honour, Arupa Patangia Kalita will inaugurate the talk. The speaker, Dr Urvashi Butalia, is a prominent Indian feminist writer and publisher. Her The Other Side of Silence: Voices from the Partition of India is a pathbreaking work based on painstaking research and details gathered through personal
interviews and exploration of documents relating to the partition of India. Her Speaking Peace: Women’s Voices from Kashmir provides insight into the Kashmir imbroglio through the agency of women’s testimonies. Dr Butalia has been a co-founder of the first feminist publishing house in India, Kali for Women, and currently heads the feminist publishing house Zubaan Books. Other books written, edited or co-edited by her include Partition the Long Shadow, Women and Right Wing Movements: Indian Experiences, and In Other Words: New Writing by Indian Women. Many awards and honours have come her way, including the Padma Shri, Pandora Award for Women in Publishing, Oral History Book Association Award, Nikkei Asia Prize for Culture, Bene MeritoMedel the highest medal of honour that Poland offers, and the Goethe medal from Germany. Dr Butalia’s talk, “The Elusive Centre: Writing and Re-writing the Nation” will focus on writing by women in India. It will deal with the issue of defining national literature, and also of the process
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he Pine Mount School Alumnae Association organized their Annual Inter School Prize Money Quiz on Saturday, November 02 at the Cotton College’s Sudmerson Hall in Guwahati. The quiz was conducted by renowned Quiz Master, Robin Kalita. Nineteen teams from various schools participated in the quiz. The teams from
and politics of the formation of the canon. Dr Butalia will also talk about the growth of women’s writing in the decades since independence, with particular focus on recent years, and examine why certain literatures, certain forms of writing, come to be seen as ‘mainstream’ and others remain at the margins. She will consider what marginal voices - in particular the voices of women from the margins - bring to our understanding of nation and country. She will discuss how these voices write or re-write the nation.
Assam armwrestlers shine at national championship
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orhat’s Ishan Kashyap and Dibrugarh’s Monoj Leen Debnath clinched gold medals in the 86-kg and 63kg senior men’s categories respectively in the National Armwrestling Championship held in the national capital on 2nd and 3rd November last. The event was held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Both Kashyap and Debnath will now represent India at the International Armwrestling Championship to be held in Rumia, Poland. Kashyap and Debnath
are decorated armwrestlers from Assam and have won multiple medals in state, national and international events. Kashyap owns one of the country’s most prominent arm wrestling clubs, ‘ArmFyt.’, while, Debnath, had won a silver medal in ‘D.1 Armwrestling China Open’ held in Shenzhen, China in September last.
Pine Mount School Alumnae organises inter-school quiz competition Gurukul Grammar Senior Secondary School bagged the first prize of Rs 10,000 as well as the third Prize of Rs 6,000. Don Bosco School won the second prize of Rs 8,000. The Miss Miles trophy for the best team went to Gurukul Grammar Senior Secondary School. Pine Mount School is an all girls’ day cum residential school in Shillong.
Pulin Das Memorial Sports Quiz Competition to be held on November 24
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he third edition of the Pulin Das Memorial Sports Quiz Competition will be held on November 24 at Kumar Bhaskar Natya Mandir, Uzan Bazar, Guwahati. The competition is being
organised by the Guwahati Lawn Tennis Association (GLTA). The top three winning teams will receive a cash reward of Rs 12,000, Rs 8,000 and Rs 6,000 respectively. The fourth, fifth and sixth teams will receive Rs 2,000 each. The quiz will be conducted by renowned quiz masters Dipankar Koushik and Dilip Kumar Sarma. Any team comprising two members are eligible to take part in the competition. Teams who intend to participate may contact the GLTA General Secretary for details at 7896008890 / 8638732182 / 9101264498.
Feature
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
Magnificent Maasai Mara
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Swapnil Bharali
What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit. – Chief Seattle
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frica! Supposedly the Dark Continent! Uninitiated is the one who continues to think so. It brims with life – precious life – lived by a variety of beings in a manner that is redolent of languor, nonchalance and so in tune with nature that creation of mankind and its rampaging existence seems to have been the sorriest mistake of God! An exotic wildlife tour had remained an elusive yearning thus far for me. Its fulfillment happened at the Maasai Mara National Park in Kenya. Yes, it was an African Safari! My pressing debts to Nilakshi Kalita who, on relocating to Nairobi, had a single-point agenda: to have her best friends visit her African home – a magnificent bungalow that she shared with the vivacious and effervescent Rupali Grover in
though, it was a long-awaited realization of a dream. As we drove past the Rift Valley, we seemed to have left civilization behind and time lost its essence. The huge “parliament” of highway side baboons suggestively characterized the sluggish pace of life; this territory and time belonged to them – the animals. We were mere onlookers – an entity that they simply did not care about; carrying the deepest respect for their natural privileges was our prerogative. The African savannah! Given our 360 degree perspective, it seemed to be a chunk of heaven laid out on earth. In the vast expanse of the green grassland very sparsely dotted with trees – most of them lonesome, others forming groves – giraffes, wildebeests and zebras lazily devoured the luscious grass
picture. The massive male was tired, that’s for sure and his female was in heat. Else that awesome couple wouldn’t have been together the way they were, just slightly away from the rest of the pride: two other females and their one, two, …. seven precious cubs – a healthy pride! He was badly hurt, bleeding profusely with a fresh, deep gash on his nose and when he walked over to satisfy his companion’s procreative urges he limped badly, his resplendent royalty greatly cowed. We drove further; a kilometer away laid another grand specimen that couldn’t be bothered by anything, least of all us in our roof-raised vans – such was his exhaustion. We came back to watch the couple: from a distance of just 8 feet! Slowly we realized that he had a story to tell. A limping, bleeding male just couldn’t own such a
grievous. His imminent death would prove fatal for his cubs. When lions take over prides, it is done with the gruesome business of killing the dethroned king’s lineage! And here was a king whose crown was slipping! In those three days that we kept returning to the Mara, there were three more instances of bigcat intrusions. Each story was scripted for gluttonous feeding: to satisfy hunger only, not greed! There was no guarantee of the next meal. In the wee hours of one morning, news reached us that a leopard had hunted successfully. We caught up with her and her two grown cubs behind the bushy thicket gorging on the carcass of a full grown deer. Again one late afternoon, we spotted a mother cheetah. Hidden in the tall grass were her three cubs and in the fair distance over half a kilometer
or maybe grandmothers and aunts. Two of them seemed to stay back and I thought I spotted a couple of cubs that needed a crèche. Five of them, in voiceless communication mode, were definitely strategizing a hunt. The prey was invisible to us; it seemed to be somewhere beyond the green elevated contours of the savannah. The lionesses fanned out in a semi-circle, inching forward with constant reassuring glances to each other. They were strategizing for big game hunting surely – buffalo perhaps. We wished fervently for them to move on, to go for it! They couldn’t care less. They were on their own time, not ours. We could only wonder what they had seen. We had missed our chances, we realized. We were either too late or too early! As I recall Maasai Mara today,
Nairobi. To us, there could be no second thoughts. The Kenyan Airways 767 flying out of Mumbai carried Ben Ahmed, his wife Fariza, yours truly, sonny boy Neil and my best half, Mayuri. While Nilakshi has been a buddy for life to us, Rupali extended a variety of friendship that made her our soul mate. It was an expedition of hope. Mayuri, Fariza and I were hopeful – of being witness to a hunt. Any hunt however grotesque that scene might be would be treated as prayers answered! Ben and Nilakshi were hopeful – of getting some good shots: both were outstanding photographers. Neil was hopeful too – his hands with the camera were steadier than mine, he claimed rightfully. For all of us
alongside buffaloes, warthogs, deer and gazelles; the ostriches added the touch of diversity and richness to the fauna. The vehicle trails were distinct, eroded from overuse by constant streaming of tourist vehicles. On the undulating contours of the landscape, the grass-eaters stuck close together in large clusters to species of their own kind. With good reason! They were prey animals and instinct told them that there was safety in numbers. Their expressions belied their wariness but the fact was that they lived in constant fear. Fear of flesh-eating hunters: the lions, leopards and cheetahs! We moved ahead, deep into the Mara – hopeful! Our first and sudden spotting of the lions presented a grisly
magnificent pride. Lion society never permitted such weakness. Something violent and bestial had clearly happened moments before we arrived. It was perhaps a brutal fight with tooth and claw between the two males – a take-over bid of his pride by that nomadic pretender. That he had held on to his familial wealth, at least until those crucial moments, meant that he had won a battle that day. He was badly scarred in the process but the vanquished lay in the proximity unable to move a muscle, nearly dead! Uneasiness overcame us. What would happen hereafter? No way was our limping winner in any position to defend his pride and continue to live long enough to see his cubs raised; the injury he had sustained was too
away was prey – impalas! Her furtive glances to her cubs were perhaps communications, “Sit tight! I am going to get some food.” As she stalked forward, our hopeful question was – would she sprint? The distance between her and her prey negated that possibility for the moment. Her gambit required her to stalk that distance down to at least 30 metres before she could launch into her trademark sprint. We waited, hopeful, our shutters snapping hard and Ben hissed for the umpteenth time, “Don’t shake the van, dammit!” Two hours later, we had to leave wondering if she had managed dinner for her family that day. And finally one late morning, a pride of lionesses were on the move – sisters, probably cousins,
apart for ruing the missed chances, the divine realization is that this was Nature’s dictation to continuously reestablish the defined food chain. Our photos and videos only managed to showcase its splendor; they couldn’t capture our emotions, and left no definite answers to our questions. Each life on the Mara has a gripping biography – some are short and simple, others long and eventful. It is an incessant story of death in the midst of life; it is a story of survival with no assurances of who lived and who died. To me, while the four instances above will remain pieces of speculation forever, Maasai Mara taught me the futility of life as much as the beauty of it!
18 Review
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
Starring: Ayushman Khurana, Bhumi Pednekar, Yami Gautam, Javed Jaffrey, Saurabh Shukla Director: Amar Kaushik
Bala
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hat patriarchy is severely under question at least in Hindi films (storywise) is quite evident from the spate of films that have showcased gender-based constructs and double standards. Bala, a story about the travails of a young man, Balmukund Shukla, who walks around hiding a bald pate when selling fairness creams and other beauty products to women, is an addition to that list. The film starts with the tragedy of Bala (Ayushmann Khurrana), once the proud bearer of a thick crop of hair and now a young man desperately trying to hold on to his few remaining locks. Watching Bala being obnoxious to his school friend Latika (Bhumi
Pednekar) who is dark-skinned or a teacher who is bald, it would be fair to almost settle for the idea of karmic justice. Bala, the film is obviously sympathetic to the plight of balding men but it also makes a larger point about how the lack of physical features that define good looks impacts individuals and their place in the social pecking order. I watched Ujda Chaman based on a very similar premise last week, which did give me a sense of déjà vu when watching Bala, but Amar Kaushik’s, version has star power and a far higher entertainment quotient than its predecessor. First off, there is Ayushmann Khurrana giving us one more
sincere performance and of course, the high wattage stardom essential to fuel such sociallyrelevant, idea-based films. His ease in embracing such characters, making them his own, works wonders in lending credibility to Bala on screen. And there is Yami Gautam, as Pari Mishra, a small town model and a huge Tik-Tok star, playing Bala’s love interest, She’s an absolute delight here and one hopes that her performance will get her meatier roles in the future. Abhishek Banerjee, Javed Jaaferi, Seema Pahwa, and Saurabh Shukla despite the limited scope of their supporting roles, get you smiling each time they appear on the screen. The plot really is almost as scant as Bala’s mop, but packaged well enough with glib dialogues and smart tropes such as retro tunes playing on TikTok videos to keep the auds entertained. Given that Bala loves mimicking Bollywood stars (incidentally Khurrana is very good at it in real life too) you can be sure that there are enough laughter inducing moments in store. A particularly fun scene is the trio of Abhishek Banerjee, Khurrana and Javed Jafferi channelling their inner Bachchan; superbly timed as Big completes 50 years in cinema. But then, there’s only so far that you can go with gimmicks and gags. Niren Bhatt’s sharp dialogues work well but the story and screenplay falter. Bala could have been a crackerjack of a film but allows the novelty of its premise to wear out too easily. Bala, Kanpur’s “edible young man” (sic), certainly gets your attention, but does not manage to sweep you off your feet. (Review from News18)
Oppo has quietly launched updates to its value-focused A9 and A5 smartphones, called the A9 2020 and A5 2020 respectively. The names might indicate that they are slight refreshes over their predecessors, but there are significant changes under the hood that warrant a close look. We’re reviewing the new Oppo A9 2020 today to see if it lives up to its futuristic name, and whether it’s going to inject new energy into the mid-range smartphone market.
The Oppo A9 2020 feels a little taller than usual, and that’s because of its relatively uncommon 20:9 display. We did notice that this phone stuck out of our jeans pocket a bit more than we would have liked. It’s no narrower than most other phones,
and is also fairly thick at 9.1mm as well as heavier than average at 195g. All in all, we found that it wasn’t the easiest to hold and use. As for design, there isn’t anything really new or different about this phone. It has a waterdrop notch and prominent chin on the front, and our review unit had a pre-applied plastic
Doctor Sleep (English) 09:00 AM, 08:30 PM Bala 09:10 AM, 09:50 AM, 12:00 PM, 02:50 PM, 05:40 PM, 06:15 PM, 08:30 PM Housefull 4 09:30 AM, 03:10 PM, 09:05 PM Midway (English) 12:10 PM, 05:35 PM Terminator: Dark Fate (English) 12:20 PM Bypass Road 12:25 PM Ratnakar (Assamese) 03:05 PM Astittwa (Assamese) 03:20 PM Saand Ki Aankh (U) 06:25 PM Last Christmas 09:30 PM
Anuradha Cineplex, Noonmati 0361 2656968 Bala 10:00 AM, 05:45 PM, 08:15 PM Astittwa (Assamese) 12:30 PM Ratnakar (Assamese) 03:15 PM
Grande Cines, Paltan Bazar 09854017771 Bala 10:15 AM, 12:45 PM, 03:20 PM, 06:10 PM, 09:00 PM Bypass Road 10:30 AM
Specifications
Oppo A9 2020 Design
Cinepolis, Christian Basti 09435025808
screen protector. Oppo says it has used Gorilla Glass 3+ on the front and back of this phone.
Like many recently launched mid-range phones, the Oppo A9 2020 uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 processor. This octa-core model succeeds the popular Snapdragon 600 and claims to offer better power efficiency as well as graphics performance. You get a 5000mAh battery but there’s no mention of support for fast charging. On the other hand, Oppo is promoting reverse charging, which will let you use this phone as a power bank to charge other devices as long as you have the required cable or adapter to use with the Type-C port. The display measures 6.5 inches diagonally but only has an HD+ resolution (720x1600) which is not great considering that subRs. 10,000 phones with full-HD resolutions are not all that rare anymore. This will hurt Oppo’s prospects, especially when considering that the higher end version of this phone competes with some real powerhouses.
Verdict
Housefull 4 01:00 PM, 06:00 PM Ratnakar (Assamese) 03:45 PM, 08:45 PM
PVR Cinemas, Dona Planet 08800900009 Ratnakar (Assamese) 03:30 PM Bala 03:40 PM, 06:30 PM, 09:20 PM Bypass Road 06:05 PM Housefull 4 09:00 PM
PVR Cinemas, CITY CENTRE 0124 470 8100 Housefull 4 09:00 AM, 03:00 PM, 08:45 PM Midway (English) 09:05 AM, 06:45 PM, 08:45 PM Bala 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:10 PM, 03:05 PM, 03:55 PM, 06:00 PM, 08:55 PM, 09:45 PM Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (English) 10:00 AM Doctor Sleep (English) 12:05 PM, 05:35 PM Terminator: Dark Fate (English) 12:10 PM Bypass Road 12:40 PM Last Christmas (English) 03:15 PM Saand Ki Aankh 03:35 PM Ratnakar (Assamese) 06:10 PM Advertising the Oppo A9 2020 with four cameras is sure to grab attention, but in reality two of them are pretty much there for novelty value only, and you get only the one primary camera plus a semi-useful wide-angle one. Thankfully, the primary camera is good enough and versatile enough for us to still consider this phone good in terms of photo quality. Even after a price cut, this phone costs more than the Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro (Review) and Realme XT₹ 16,433, both of which are much more powerful and have more attractive features. 128GB of storage is a slight advantage for the variant priced at Rs. 15,990, but it isn’t enough to outweigh everything else. The higher priced variant with 8GB of RAM makes even less sense in terms of value. This is the version we have reviewed, and so our ratings apply with this context. Sadly, it is thoroughly outclassed by the Realme X Rs 17,208, and if you can stretch your budget just a little there’s the Redmi K20 Rs 21,695 to consider as well. (Review from NDTV Gadgets)
Trotter
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
Varanasi Temple idols made to wear anti-pollution masks
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ir quality in India, especially in northern parts of the country like Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Punjab, has been down in the dumps lately. Even as state governments scramble to find ways to fix it, the dust hasn’t settled, prompting people to adopt anti-pollution masks into their daily routine. But it turns out that regular citizens aren’t the only ones relying on this form of protection. A temple in Varanasi is even making its idols wear these anti-pollution masks. After high particulate matter in the air following Diwali celebrations, Harish Mishra, a priest at the Shiv-Parvati temple in the Sigra area of Varanasi decided he had to protect the deities from the effects of air pollution by making them wear masks. “Varanasi is a place of belief,” he told IANS. “We treat our idols as living deities and take pains to make them happy and comfortable,” he continued, pointing out that idols are often even wrapped in blankets during
the hue and cry, everyone is just contributing to the emergency. Until people come together to change their habits, the situation will never change.” He also said that so far, making the idols wear masks has had a positive effect and even encouraged some devotees to follow suit and wear these masks themselves. Here’s hoping this unofficial message from the gods pushes people to care more about the planet. (Source: vice)
Superstition drives UP man to stay dressed as bride for 30 years
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hintaharan Chauhan, a daily-wage labourer from Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur, has been dressing up like a bride for the past 30 years. While his story may seem bizarre and weird, it is nonetheless real and very tragic. The fear of deaths and superstition has driven Chauhan to dress up in a sari, a huge nose ring, bangles and ‘jhumkas’ since 1989. The 66-year-old from Hauzkhas village in Jalalpur said he lost 14 members of his family in the past few years and the chain of deaths stopped when he switched his regular clothes for full bridal attire. “I have lost 14 members of my family in the past years and the chain of deaths stopped only after I started dressing up as a bride,” he told IANS. Chauhan got married at the age of 14 but his wife died within a few months. At the age of 21, Chauhan went to work at a brick kiln in Dinajpur, West Bengal and was entrusted the job of buying grain for labourers. He became friends with the owner of a shop and later married her daughter. However, when Chauhan’s family raised objections to the marriage, he
4-year-old girl sacrificed by tantrik to trace lost cellphone
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the winter. While most idols in this temple have been given their very own anti-pollution masks, the idol of Goddess Kali is the only one exempted from this due to the belief that her tongue should not be covered. “Bad air did not deter the people from bursting crackers during Diwali,” he added. “Now there is smog everywhere. But instead of doing something about it, municipal workers are only adding to the crisis by burning waste in the open. So despite
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n incident from Assam has come to light where a 4-year-old girl was allegedly beheaded and offered as a sacrifice by a tantrik (witch doctor) in Assam to trace a lost mobile phone. The girl, Sunu Godba, who was missing since October 24 last was allegedly tortured and beheaded by the witch doctor. The body of the girl was recovered from a forest near her home in Ratanpur Tea Estate in Charaideo district of upper Assam. The gruesome act involved four people who, under the influence of a person who practiced black magic, committed the crime. The human sacrifice was done to please the god to find a lost
mobile phone which belonged to the daughter of one of the accused, Hanuman Bhumij. The police arrested Bhumij and Ariful Ali who worked as an assistant to the tantrik, when locals caught both of them after the girl went missing. The victim belonged to an Adivasi community. She was beheaded and her hands were mutilated as an act of human sacrifice. Police say that there was no sign of sexual assault. Abdul Jalil, the main accused, is absconding. Superstition has proved fatal one more time. (Source: the logical Indian)
Man dies after eating 41 eggs in bizarre Rs 2,000 challenge
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man from Uttar Pradesh’s Jaunpur district died due to overeating after participating in a bizarre ‘challenge’ with his friend on Monday. The deceased has been identified as Subhash Yadav, a 42-year-old man. The police stated that the deceased and his friend went to Jaunpur’s Bibiganj market to eat eggs. However, an argument broke out between them and they tried to settle it with a dare. In the dare, Rs 2000 had to be paid to the person who finished eating 50 eggs. While trying to complete
the challenge, Yadav fell unconscious when he was going to eat his 42nd egg. According to reports, the locals rushed him to the hospital where he was referred to Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences. He died two hours later and the doctors cited overeating as the reason for his death. (Source: dna)
8-feet tall Afghan cricket fan struggles to find accommodation in Lucknow
left his wife and returned home. The wife couldn’t tolerate the separation and committed suicide. Chauhan returned to Dinajpur when he came to know about her death. A few months later, when the family persuaded him to marry him again, the chain of deaths started again. “A few months after my third marriage, I fell ill and one by one my family members started dying. My father Ram Jiyavan, elder brother Chotau, his wife Indravati, their two sons, younger brother Badau died
in quick succession. Then my brothers’ three daughters and four sons also died,” Chauhan said he would often see his second wife in his dreams. “She asked me to keep her with me by dressing up as a bride and I agreed. Since that day, I have been dressing up as a bride and the deaths in the family have stopped,” he said. Since then, Chauhan has always been dressed up as a bride. He said his health is improved and his sons are also keeping well. (Source: timesnownews)
F
or an Afghani man who flew down to watch the one-day international cricket series between Afghanistan and West Indies in Lucknow, his 8-feet height became a problem in finding accommodation. Sher Khan, who is 8 feet and two-inches tall, visited several hotels in search of a place to stay but no hotel allegedly agreed to rent him a room because of his height. Disappointed and alone in a new city, Sher Khan approached the police for help which took him to Hotel
Rajdhani in Naka area where he spent Tuesday night. Hundreds of people gathered outside the hotel to see the tall man who is a resident of Kabul. “As many as 200 people have come to see him. He is very disturbed,” hotel owner Ranu told ANI. Due to the people gathered outside the hotel, the police had to escort Sher Khan to Ekana Stadium where the international match is being played. Ranu said the man will be staying in the city for the next four to five days. (Source: ndtv)
20 Fun Jayashree Bose
An average week ahead. 12th and 15th November will be great days for you to share your ideas with your seniors or simply just connect with them. You could schedule your important meetings on these dates. 11th November will be a slow day for you. On 14th November you need to be wary of dealing with the opposite gender.
Avoid making any promises on 9th November, you will have to live up to them. 11th and 13th November will be great days for you to share your ideas with your seniors or simply just connect with them. You could schedule your important meetings on these dates. 12th November will be a slow day for you. You could have a fall out with someone from work or extended family on 15th November.
9th and 10th November will be ideal days for you to connect with your senior and share your ideas with him/her. Sunday 10th November will be a great day to hang out with your workmates or extended family. 11th November be careful while dealing with the opposite gender. 15th November avoid trusting anyone with your secrets.
11th November will be a great day for you to share your ideas with your seniors and host your important meetings. 9th and 12th November you could have issues with your seniors and your parents, there could be major disagreements on 9th November. 14th November you could be betrayed by someone at work or extended family. 15th November be careful of your words and action as you will create your own problems.
Certified Feng Shui, Chinese astrology, date selection consultant & author, www.facebook.com/geoprinciples
Sudoku
It will be an amazing week for you. Use 9th, 10th, 12th and 13th November to connect with your boss and share your ideas, for good results host your meetings on these dates. 10th November, you could host a Sunday get together with your extended family or seniors. These are good days for you to grow your business network. 13th November will be a slow day.
5 1
Avoid your extended family and your work mates on 10th November. You are bound to have disagreements. 12th November will be an excellent day for you to schedule your important meetings. Your seniors will be receptive to your ideas. On 13th November you could feel your seniors and/or your parents are ungrateful, they don’t appreciate you.
9th and 12th November avoid making any promises, you will have to live up to them. 11th November you could be emotionally hurt by your seniors or parents. 12th November avoid hosting any meetings, you will have disagreements. 14th November will be a great day for you to build a rapport with your seniors and people at work, host your important meetings on this day.
A great week ahead of you. 11th, 14th and 15th November are ideal days for you to share your ideas with your boss or connect with people at work and family. Host your important meetings on these dates. Avoid socializing or making any promises on 10th or 13th November. Avoid hosting any meetings on 13th November; you are bound to have disagreements.
12th and 15th November will be great days for you to build your relationship with your seniors and people at work. 9th November you will be emotionally hurt either by your parents or your seniors. If you are in a habit of grabbing a drink with your seniors then avoid doing so on 11th November. 14th November you could have disagreement with your senior or work associate, not a day to schedule important meetings.
Watch yourself on 12th and 15th November, avoid making any promises or getting into a confrontation. 15th November you could have a disagreement with your senior or work associate. Share your ideas with your seniors or generally build a relationship with people at work on 13th and 14th November, host your important meetings on these dates.
13th and 14th November will be ideal days for you to mingle with your seniors, people at work and build your work network. Host your important meetings on these dates. Be careful with your words and actions on 10th November you will create your own problems.
Absolut Vodka
curio-city
Dilbert By Scott Adams
1.
Dr. Soubhadra Chakrabarty This quiz has been brought to you by Brain Jam, a property of Priya Communications
Bhaona, the religious theatre style performed in Majuli
Identify this traditional dance from Nepal.
2.
6.
Shawarma
Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomqvist are leading protagonists of which bestselling Scandinavian millennial thriller series?
3.
5.
Rolling Stones
Which famous rock band named itself after a Muddy Waters song?
4.
4.
The Millenial trilogy by Stieg Larsen
Which popular snack derived its name from the Arabic rendition of a Turkish word meaning ‘turning’?
5.
3.
Lakhey
Bareshariya, Muka and Boka are types of which Assamese form of entertainment?
6.
2.
6
Daily Sudoku: Fri 8-Nov-2019
5
2
5 2 8 very hard 7 9 very hard
last week solution
7 3 4 6 9 85 91 56 18 44 62 24 17 73 35 98 19 33 57 61 23 48 65 99 82 51 77 84 26 13 16 52 79 45 27 39 66 22 81 78 47 83 91 34 59 Daily Sudoku: Fri 8-Nov-2019 4 5 8 2 6
5 1 8 2 37 26 9 8 89 14 6 7 68 42 2 3 15 71 4 4 8 6 1 9 7
2 73 95 54
67 53 29 89 38 35 41
96 43 54
1 22 67 86 5 very hard 3 7 9 1
Daily Sudoku: Thu 31-Oct-2019
very hard
http://www.dailysudoku.com/
curio-city Which famous brand of Alcohol is made in the town of Ahus, Sweden?
4 9 2 8 6 7 8 2 5 1 6 9 6 43 8 7 35
73 7 1 82 2 4 7 78 9 34
Daily Sudoku: Thu 31-Oct-2019
A mixed week for you. 9th and 10th November will be great days for you to share your ideas with your seniors or simply just connect with them. You could schedule your important meetings on these dates. Avoid hosting any meetings on 11th November, you are bound to have disagreements. On 12th and 14th November you could be betrayed by someone at work and emotionally hurt by your family.
1.
91 6 17 2 9 9 48 65 7 8
http://www.dailysudoku.com/
Word of of the the week week Word salutary knackered
adjective [sal-yuh-ter-ee] adjective [nak-erd] British Slang.to some promoting or conducive exhausted; very tired beneficial purpose; wholesome.
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. (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. (c) Daily Sudoku Ltd 2019. All rights reserved.
Horoscope of the week
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 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
Fiction
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
YK Chaudhury
Fiction This is a true story of a runaway kid from Bihar with no education but only dreams and capability of hard work who finds himself redeemed in his life in Assam; a life which starts off as a contractual mechanic and goes on to attain the position of factory incharge with a blissful family thrown in between.
21
When you dare to dream… I was sitting in my office sipping a cup of tea. A man in soiled clothes with grease on his hands came to my office and informed that there had been a leakage in a valve of the phenol tank. Since the others were afraid of changing the valve due to the risks involved, he took the responsibility upon himself. In the process, phenol spilled over his arms creating burns despite him wearing the protective hand gloves. This was Shambhu Singh. Shambhu Singh was born in 1959 to a Rajput family in a village in Chapra District of Bihar. His father was a marginal farmer with seven children. The family was very poor and it was very difficult for them to make both ends meet. He took his free primary education up to class V in a government school in the village but could not get admission in middle school as his father did not have Rs 6 to
purchase a lamb. The TTE on the Howrah train caught him travelling without ticket but let him travel after extracting all his money. He went to his uncle’s home who, to his dismay, sent him back to the village after just three days. In 1975, his sister got married and he came to Duliajan, Assam with his brother-in-law and became a street hawker for selling betel leaves and betel nuts. After 6 months, he went to another relative in Phagwara, Punjab who arranged a job for him as a worker in an atta chakki. After two years, he came to Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh and worked in a kirana shop for two months. One of his uncles who was a Foreman in Sharda Plywood, Naharkatia, Assam got him job of a worker but he was removed from the job after 15 days as he was a minor. He rejoined as a helper in a kirana shop at Duliajan, Assam for two years
unit after a brief stint at Balaji Plywood Industries Kolkata, where he serves till date. Amid all this hustle in his work life, the only thing that kept Shambhu going was his dreams for his children. Following his marriage in 1985, Shambhu was blessed with a daughter Chanda and a son Chandan. He was determined that while education escaped him, he would not let the same fate befall his children. He got them admitted to an English medium school in Kolkata but had to drop out his daughter from the school after class IX as he could not afford to pay fees for both of them. His daughter studied as a private student and passed class XII before getting married. His son continued in the school, passed class XII and enrolled himself in BBA. All this while, Shambhu dreamt of supporting him through his MBA but the money an MBA course required kept him up all night.
EMPI, Chattarpur, Delhi for pursuing MBA where the total expenditure for the course was about Rs 10 lakhs. Shambhu took loan from a bank, raised some funds from his daughter and made up for the shortfall from the company as advance which he repaid in due course of time. His dream for his son finally took shape. The ambitions that once looked vague and unachievable were unfolding in front of his very eyes. At 60, Shambhu Singh is a contended man today. Ever since joining Century Ply at a meagre pay, his life has taken some drastic turns. His salary has grown more than 5 fold during the last 10 years catapulting him to the post of Maintenance Incharge at the factory. He had never in his wildest dreams imagined that he will attain the position at which he is now. His daughter is happily married in a well-to-do family
waiting to turn 18. It was then that Shambhu’s actual tryst with the plywood industry began. He rejoined Sharda Plywood as a contractual worker at Rs 9.15/ day. In 1986, he joined National Plywood Margherita, Assam as a fitter and was transferred to Kolkata in 1988 as a supervisor. The company closed down in 2002. After being idle for a year, he joined Century Ply, Kolkata in 2003. His frequent change of jobs and cities finally came to an end in 2008 when he joined Century Ply’s Palasbari
Unable to tide over the problem himself, he finally approached me. I assured him that our company would help him financially to fulfill his dream. During the 3 year period of his son’s BBA, every 3 months he would come to me to reaffirm the assurance given by me. He was afraid that if I leave the organization what would happen to my assurances? I reassured him that even if I leave the organization, I would ensure that his son completed his MBA. Finally, his son secured admission in
in Kolkata. His son is working in a private company in Delhi. He takes pride in saying that his coming generations have changed because of education. A person who had no clothes to wear and walked barefoot is leading a comfortable life now. One thing which he has not forgotten is hard work and honesty. He has no wish unfulfilled. His only wish now is to continue working as long as he can. (The author is in the top management of Century Ply, Palasbari)
Representative Image pay for his admission fee. The devil in his empty mind began conjuring up wild ideas. Shambhu fled to Patna with 13 rupees in his pocket stolen from his mother who had accumulated them after selling a goat. He started working as a dish washer in a hotel for a monthly salary of Rs. 15 until one day when a person from his village saw him. Thereafter, his father immediately took him back to the village. Shambhu fled for a second time when a relative entrusted him with Rs 30 to
22 Lifestyle
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
Pyramids and Vaastu Hemanta Kumar Sarmah Engineer, Businessman, Advanced Pranic Healer and Su Jok Acupressure specialist.
P
yramid literally means fire in the centre. Its typical geometrical shape has the capacity to produce positive electromagnetic energy. Ancient Egyptians discovered this and built pyramids to keep dead bodies of their ‘pharaohs’ or kings which were preserved inside for thousands of years. In India, pyramidal and domed structures are still used for meditation and worship. Ancient Pyramids are found in Peru, Thailand and Indonesia also. There were lot of scientists who had done research on pyramids. They are called pyramidologists. Monsieur Bovis of France made an interesting experiment with a home-made pyramid made to the scale of the great pyramid of Giza. He found that milk, fruits, meat, fish etc, if kept inside a pyramid, remained fresh for a longer time. Razor blades retained their sharpness for a longer time. Pyramid structures are found
to be very beneficial for doing meditation. It also reduces stress and tension. Pyramids can bring in cosmic energy which is beneficial to us. Pyramids are now used in healing several ailments also. Headaches disappear when one stays inside a pyramid. Pyramids can be placed in different areas of the house or a plot to increase the flow of positive energy. Generally, Vaastu defects result in the deficiency of positive energy causing a negative energy flow. Pyramids can nullify this. Sleeping under a pyramid can lengthen life span and retard ageing. This is possible by making the roof in the shape of a pyramid. Pyramids kept under the head of the bed can induce sound sleep. Those having skin diseases can drink water kept under pyramids for faster relief. You can improve your place of work by placing a pyramid on the desktop. It can be kept in the cash counter to increase cash flow. If you are feeling tired all the time, keep pyramids made of copper in the corners of the house. There are ‘wish’ pyramids
also. It has a copper plate inside the pyramid. A reasonable wish should be written with red ink on a yellow paper and kept inside the pyramid for several days. An affirmation can be made along with the written note on a regular basis to increase the chances of the wish coming true. Defective Vaastu brings an imbalance of cosmic energy fields and bio-energy forces. Pyramids are of a great help
in correcting this. Whenever a change or demolition is not possible or viable, one can go for pyramidal remedies. For example, if there is a defect in the brahmasthal or centre, nine pyramids should be placed in the centre of the house by making a pit and covering it. It will energise the entire house. Wrong placement of water bodies like wells, deep tubewells, ponds or septic tanks
can bring about financial losses and negative effect on health. Pyramids can protect against this. For a wrongly placed kitchen, toilet or room, pyramids should be fixed on walls. The use of pyramids is endless. The best part of the pyramid is that there is no known negative side effect. So even if one installs pyramids in a wrong manner, there will be no adverse effect.
Take care of Diabetes Mellitus Sohini Chakraborty
D
iabetes is a disease of modern age which creates much anxiety, fear and worry with its name. Moreover, Diabetes is fast gaining the status of a potential epidemic in India with more than 62 million diabetic individuals currently diagnosed with the disease. In 2000, India (31.7 million) topped the world with the highest number of people with diabetes mellitus followed by China. According to researches, the prevalence of diabetes is predicted to double globally from 171 million in 2000 to 366 million in 2030 with a maximum increase in India. Thus, to prevent the disease or at least to reduce the further progress of the disease among diabetics, we need to know some facts about the disease.
Causes:
The main reasons of Diabetes Mellitus are as follows1. Genetics: Genetically some persons have lower amount of Insulin hormone secretion from the beta cells of pancreas. This hormone is responsible for maintaining normal blood sugar level, thus the persons who have
faulty Insulin secretion have uncontrolled blood sugar level. 2. People who are overweight, especially with protruding belly, have a greater chance of having diabetes. In these persons Insulin resistance or Insulin insensitivity is common. 3. Persons who lead a stressful life are more prone to diabetes due to interplay of various hormones. 4. People who lead a sedentary lifestyle or are less physically active, are at a higher risk of developing diabetes. They usually overeat and faulty digestion or metabolism of nutrients is common among them. They become prone to type 2 diabetes. 5. The most important reason of developing diabetes in modern world is faulty dietary habit. Increased intake of refined carbohydrate, free sugar, high fat and high calorie instead of fibre rich fruits and vegetables is the contributing factor of diabetes. Other reasons are pregnancy, prolonged malnutrition, infection, surgery etc.
Symptoms:
The main symptoms Diabetes include:
of
Initial stage:
Hyperglycemia, increased blood sugar level; Increased thirst (polydipsia); Sugar in the urine
(glycosuria); Presence of ketone bodies in urine(Ketonuria); Increased urination (polyuria); Increased hunger (polyphagia); Weight loss; Skin irritation; Delayed healing of wounds
Management:
Diabetes is a metabolic disorder which can be avoided or kept under control using the following approaches:
condensed animal fat source inclusion of vegetables oil like sunflower oil, rice bran oil, groundnut oil, soyabean oil are beneficial. All types of vitamins and minerals especially vitamin C is necessary, Fruits rich in vitamins and minerals like cucumber, guava, lime, apple, papaya, pine apple should be taken. All vegetables like leafy vegetables, spinach, parawar, lady’s finger, cauliflower, cabbage, capsicum etc can be taken in ample amount. Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidant that prevent cellular damage.
1. Dietary modifications: Calorie consumption should be as much as to prevent overweight and providing necessary nutrients. About 15% -20% of the total calorie should come from protein. High quality protiens like milk and milk products, egg, fish, chicken, soyabean etc can be consumed. Instead of butter or any
At least 2 litres of water intake daily for an adult is necessary. Common salt or table salt intake should be minimised as it may lead to hypertension or cardiac problems. 2. Regular physical exercise or aerobics at least for 45 minutes is essential for maintaining proper body weight and general fitness. Simple jogging, walking, swimming or cycling is beneficial. 3. Artificial sweeteners like
saccharin, sucrolose, aspertame should be consumed in moderate amount. Necessary facts of diabetes: Meals should be taken in small portions and at intervals, large meals are harmful for diabetics. Fasting and feasting both are forbidden for diabetics. Whole fruits containing fibre are better than fruit juices. Junk food or fast food or oily food all like chips, fried foods should be taken in moderate amounts. Alcohol intake avoided.
should
be
Sweet and caloriegenic fruits like mango, banana etc should be taken in lesser amounts. Standard body weight according to height should be maintained. Moreover, stress-free mind is the key to get rid of the disease and healthy life is a happy life.
Entertainment
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
Hima Das along with Dutee Chand, Virender Sehwag win Rs 12.5 lakhs in KBC
I
ndia’s ace track athletes, Hima Das and Dutee Chand, along with former cricketer Virender Sehwag, appeared on a special episode of the popular television show, Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) on
November 1. The first two guests to play with Bachchan were sprinters Hima Das and Dutee Chand. In another segment of the show, legendary cricket player Virender Sehwag joined Big B.
In the episode the trio won a sum of Rs 12,50,000 which they have donated to Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS Foundation) which is a fully free residential home for poorest of the poor indigenous children.
Marty Friedman learns Assamese slang at NH7 Weekender 2019
V
eteran guitar god and metal legend, Marty Friedman recently performed at the 5th edition of Bacardi NH7 Weekender at Meghalaya and while Marty created some amazing memories for his fans,
the audience also made sure that he took a piece of northeast before he left. While performing, Friedman asked the crowd to teach him the local word for “f*** yeah” and after several shouts and echoes, the crowd in unison taught him
“K***” a popular Assamese slang. Although Marty said “Yela” instead of the actual word, the crowd was stoked. Friedman took to his social media account to write, “I’ll never forget this first show in India! Thank you all so much for making me and my band feel so welcome in your beautiful country! K***! However, Marty had briefly removed the word from his post due to unknown reasons. Later, he also returned the favour to the crowd by teaching them a popular Japanese slang, “Majipane.” Marty Friedman is a legendary guitarist primarily known for playing in bands like Megadeth and Cacophony and has collaborated with numerous artists like John Petrucci, Steve Vai, Jason Becker, Joe Satriani and Paul Gilbert among others.
23
Assamese film ‘Astittwa’ hits theatres
A
stittwa, an Assamese feature film produced under the banner of ‘Skyplex Motion Pictures International’ by Nazim Ahmed and written and directed by Mirza Arif Hazarika, was released on 8th of November 2019 across Assam.
Inspired by the song of Dr Bhupen
The film portrays the life of a common Assamese man who fights for his existence. The film stars Dinesh Das, Brojen Bora, Siddhartha Mukherjee, Lonishri Das, Durgashri Bora, Manuj Gogoi and Rohit Choudhury. The background score of the film has been handled by Dony Hazarika and the editing has been
Hazarika, ‘Ami Axomiya Nohou Dukhiya’, the film revolves the Lachit Hazarika, a character played by Bibhuti Bhushan Hazarika.
done by Jhulan Krishna Mahanta. The cinematorgraphy has been done by award cinematographer Nahid Ahmed.
Zubeen Garg, Papon to perform at Delhi NE fest
Z
ubeen Garg and Papon are among the vibrant lineup of musicians who are performing at the ongoing Northeast Festival in Delhi’s Janpath area. Around 20 fashion designers will showcase their collections at the event. There will be a rock music battle between Delhi’s colleges, as well as performances by rock bands from the northeast and the national capital. As many as 40 food stalls will present diverse food items from the northeast. The event aims to focus on raising awareness about the diversity and the ethnic languages of the region. The fest is running at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) from 11 am to 10 pm and the entry is free for everyone. Northeast Festival (NEF) has returned to the national capital with its seventh edition here at Janpath. The three-day festival organised by Shyamkanu Mahanta and his team The festival has a vibrant lineup of musicians such as Bipul Chettry, Zubeen Garg and Papon, colourful dance forms, mask presentations and dance dramas to enthrall the audience. As many as 40 food stalls will present diverse food items from the Northeast. Besides, 20 fashion designers will also showcase their collections at the event. There will be a rock music battle between Delhi’’s colleges, as well as
performances by rock bands from the Northeast and the national capital. “NEF aims at creating awareness about Northeast and promoting tourism,” Shyamkanu, the organiser-in-chief, told IANSlife. On being asked about the achievements of the fest, Shyamkanu said: “Generally, Northeast India has a perception issue with the national media mostly highlighting floods, insurgency, and NRC (National Register of Citizens) related matters. “However, prominent media houses last year extensively promoted Northeast’’s rich cultural heritage, which has helped in creating a positive perception about the region.” The fest runs from Friday till November 10 at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA), Janpath, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Entry is free.
24 Catching Up
G PLUS | Nov 09 - Nov 15, 2019
PIC OF THE
Most shared story of the week
WEEK
#PHOTO | India’s ace track athlete Hima Das presents her spikes with her name engraved to Amitabh Bachchan. Photo: Hima Das Twitter handle.
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A chilling but ‘hot’ demand | Photo: Surajit Sharma
Pandu - The River Port
P
andu derives its name from the Pandunath Temple that stands on the banks of the mighty Brahmaputra River. As Pandu was surrounded by extensive fortification (Gar), it is also known as ‘Gar Pandu’. Pandu remains one of the most important ghats (river harbours) of the Brahmaputra River. Raibahadur Gunabhiram Barua in ‘Assam Bandhu’ refers to Pandu as Paru or Padu which was the main harbour of Guwahati at that time. This extensive area, comprising people belonging to different castes and communities, was the populous Pandu Village that has now almost disappeared. Only a few families around the temple of Pandunath now bear testimony to the glory that was the old Pandu.
The 41st session of Indian National Congress (AICC) was held at Pandu on December 26, 1926. Mahatma Gandhi had also attended the event. Pandu has this moment of glory and celebration to its credit.
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