7th issue

INDEPENDENT 

INDEPENDENCE 

The day when nation celebrates its 

independence, it is not celebratory 

in Assam. The reasons seem to be 

loud and clear as echoed by the 

persons we talked to. 

VOL 01 | ISSUE 07 | AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 

BOL BAM! 

SCREAMS GUWAHATI 

PG 

07 

PG 

04 

PAtrOnISE 

ASSAmESE 

fILmS: tOm 

ALtEr 

`10 

24 Pages 

Zooey Claire Deschanel 

Catching Up, Pg 24 

WOMEN 

WOOER 

Head 2 Head

2 

Lead story 

Dhiren Barua 

Social activist 

I can still remember the day of 15 th August, 

1947, when the country achieved independence. 

We celebrated the day by blowing 

whistles and taking part in rallies. It was 

a very happy occasion and was celebrated 

across the state with fervour and zest. I am 

sure that kind of show of passion will never 

be repeated in Assam ever again. 

Even after that, for the next couple of 

years, we celebrated 15 th August and 26 th 

January but the people now are scared of the 

threats. Moreover, the government has not 

been able to explain the true significance of 

Independence Day to its people. The vastness 

of the day is limited to the boundary of the 

office buildings. On the day, when Manabendra 

Sarma was assassinated in the middle of 

the city, the enthusiasm to celebrate Independence 

Day died down. 

But we are not afraid of this. We are born 

Assamese and Indian. We will celebrate the 

Independence Day thwarting all threats and 

planning to celebrate it by organising a function 

at the Latasil playground. 

We are appealing to the government to 

understand the woes of the people and try to 

celebrate occasions like Independence Day 

and Republic Day by taking the public along 

with it. Only then will we be able to celebrate 

our national functions freely. 

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 

INDEPENDENT 

INDEPENDENCE 

MrinMoyee Hazarika 

As the entire country gets ready to celebrate Independence Day, Assam as always, seems to be wearing a different look. Apart from the first few years 

post independence, the people of Assam have never been too involved in celebrating the occasion and quite a lot of us remember the days of the 

last couple of decades as one of bandh amid calls for boycott. People simply ‘enjoyed’ it on their television sets at home. 

This year, the situation looks even more confounding with the demand by various communities to divide the state into several pieces. In such a situation, 

how significant is the Independence Day to the people of the state? 

To gauge the minds and feel the emotions, we met a few people in the city, young and old, talked to them and cajoled them to share their feelings. 

Until and unless 

we find an 

amicable and 

honourable solution 

to the 

indo-assam 

conflict, we will 

continue celebrating 

the day 

of independence 

as a ‘black day.” 

Arabinda 

Rajkhowa 

ULFA, Chairman (Pro-talk) 

ULFA has been observing the day of Indian Independence 

as a day when Assam lost its independence. 

Until and unless we find an amicable 

and honourable solution to the Indo-Assam 

conflict, we will continue celebrating the day of 

independence as a ‘black day’ in future too. 

The common people of Assam have a desire for an independent Assam and the people 

of the state are exasperated with the Indian administration for the last sixty-four years. The 

standard of living has gone down since the days of the British, there is no security of life 

and property in Assam. The people cannot enjoy their life and the day of independence 

as well. 

As a leading organisation, ULFA has its own sets of beliefs and as a part of this, it calls 

for bandhs. Some people might not celebrate the Independence Day out of fear and some 

might support the cause of ULFA. 

We have struggled to maintain the unity, integrity and identity of Assam. We have also 

struggled to solve the Indo-Assam conflict. I appeal to the young generation to perform 

their own duties as we have performed ours. 

Hema Kakoty 

Freedom fighter 

I was born in 1925, amidst the struggle going on for independence of the country. 

My father and grandmother were involved in the struggle for independence and 

therefore, nothing was imposed on us. We never wore clothes woven in the mills. We 

wore only khadi clothes and have been wearing it until now. 

We were nine siblings and all of us were involved in the freedom struggle. Both 

my grandmother and father were Congress members and our house, situated at Saring 

in Sibsagar district, were packed with volunteers all the time. 

I met Gandhiji in 1946, when he had come to Assam. He stayed in South Sarania 

in our ashram, which is named after his wife Kasturba Gandhi. A year after Gandhiji’s 

visit to Assam, the country received independence. I can still remember the day of 

celebration. We went to the Judge’s filed on 15 th August and took part in the rally. As soon as we reached the ashram after the 

celebrations, an earthquake shook the whole state. It caused lots of destruction in Lakhimpur. 

Nowadays, people do not care much about Gandhiji or Khadi clothes. He is still a hugely influential and significant figure, 

but nobody really follows him now. People observe Independence Day inside their own homes nowadays and only a few like 

us go out to the streets and field to celebrate.

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 3 

Lead story 

Samujjal Bhattacharyya 

AASU Advisor 

Assamese people have always shown respect to the Independence 

Day and the Republic Day. But the Assamese people are deprived 

from getting a true taste of these celebrations. 

Assam’s spirit towards the Independence Day can be compared 

to none and we have proved this repeatedly. Even after independence, 

we were almost about to be clubbed with Pakistan but because 

of Gopinath Bordoloi’s leadership and Gandhi’s support, we 

were retained as a part of India. 

Nehru bade farewell to Assam in 1962 but once again, because of 

the strong spirit of the people of Assam, we managed to stay united 

with India. These things cannot be forgotten. 

During the Assam Agitation, the people of Assam showed their love for the country by protesting to save 

the sovereignty and integrity of the country, to save their land from the silent intrusion of the aliens. ‘Save Assam 

today to save India’ was the cry and 855 people had to lose their lives. It felt as if the central government 

did not want Assam to feel truly independent in the true sense. 

From then onwards, we decided to celebrate Independence Day on our own but, in the year 1993, the 

government did not allow us to enter the Latasil playground and it was surrounded by police, barring us from 

assembling. This was the attitude of the centre towards the people of Assam. 

Even children respect the Independence Day but the political leadership have not been providing the atmosphere 

to celebrate the occasion with fervour. The government is trying to portray the day as a flag hoisting day 

by the Prime Minister and Chief Minister only. But these days belong to the public as well. 

Balendra M 

Chakravarty 

Advisor, Assam Sports Journalists 

Association 

When we were in school, we used to celebrate the day 

like a festival. We took part in the flag hoisting held in the 

school and in the sports organised to commemorate the 

occasion. 

But now, like any other parent, I do not have the courage 

to send my children to the school or college to celebrate 

Independence Day. The government cannot guarantee the 

security of the lives of the citizens. For the last twenty to twenty five years, apart from expressing 

grief after a terror attack, the government has not been able to do anything. However, I have seen 

that the situation is quite the opposite in the other states. People literally celebrate such occasions. 

I do not see people coming out of their homes here, but I am hoping that one day, people 

would be able to celebrate this moment of pride together. 

Richa Saikia 

Student, KC Das Commerce College 

Since our college does not celebrate I-Day, we too, do not have 

the chance to celebrate it. But, when I was in school, I used to take 

part in the programme organised in the school to commemorate the 

occasion. The Tricolour was hoisted and various other programmes 

were held at the school. 

Now I am even scared to come out on this day. The situation has 

worsened and even my parents do not allow me to go out to celebrate 

I-Day. Now, for me, it is like any other holiday since the college 

remains closed on I-Day, we enjoy the day by watching television. 

This fear should end and people should come out to celebrate the 

day. 

Ajoy Dutta 

Ex-MLA and social activist 

It is somewhat strange that this day marks the history of being free and independent, but are we really 

independent as a free citizen? This question requires a concrete answer. Till when will Guwahatians feel 

insecure on the day when we should be proud of it? When will the government make sure that the people 

can come out to celebrate? When will the youth be able to stand united and say Jai Hind? 

Independence 

Day celebrations in 

Assam have died 

down since 1975 

when the Indira 

Gandhi government 

declared an emergency. 

During that 

period, our independence 

was restricted 

and even, the newspapers 

did not publish 

editorials. 

The celebrations 

resumed in 1977, 

when the Janata 

party formed government 

in Delhi. However, in the year 1978, suddenly a call to 

boycott surfaced and the idea of an ‘Independent Assam’ surfaced. 

Being an MLA of the Janata party, I had organised a procession 

from the Sikh temple and people belonging to various religions 

took part in it. Nobody responded to the call to boycott Independence 

Day. But from the year 1979, people got scared and the situation 

became worse in 1983, when the elections were forcefully 

imposed upon the people. 

The original agitation to drive out the foreigners became the 

agitation to drive out the Indians (non-Assamese) and people even 

voted in the election on the basis of communities and religion. 

The whole Assamese community was divided into various 

communities and the movement to drive the aliens out of Assam 

became more intense. Nobody showed interest to hoist the Indian 

flag. The situation has gone up to the extent that sometimes, just 

the chowkidar hoisted the flag just on the eve of the Independence 

Day. 

The bandh trend, both in Assam or India, started and the new 

generation forgets to celebrate the day. Instead, they celebrate Assam 

bandh and it became the new identity of ID. 

After the Dhemaji blast, a change occurred in the whole scenario. 

All the respect and fear disappeared from the minds of the 

people. 

This day does not belong to the Government only. It is our 

day too. After all the bloodshed and sacrificing thousands of lives 

(even by the Assamese), we got independence. Though, this was 

not what Gandhi or Netaji had envisaged. There were two aspects 

of the day– happiness and sorrowfulness. 

People decided to reject the dictate of extremist groups and 

started celebrating the ID on their own. 

Now, the fear is created by the government. They provide 

transportation to the people to go the venue of the celebrations, 

but withdraw it right after the programme gets over. 

Moreover, the subjects of history and geography have been removed 

from the course curriculum and the conspiracy to keep the 

young generation unaware of their past begins. This is a process of 

globalisation and due to this we are forgetting Lachit Barphukan, 

and his outstanding feats. 

We should celebrate the ID to pay respect to the great leaders 

of the country like Gandhi and other martyrs and bring forth our 

own sense of pride of being an Assamese.

4 

G-View 

Recently, when there was 

a grenade blast at Paltan 

Bazar, I was reporting the 

incident and something amazed 

me! I saw some saffron clad people 

coming from the railway station, 

shouting ‘Bol Bam.’ Guwahati is 

known for the spirit it emanates 

towards all the festivals. Be it Bihu, 

Ambubachi, Holi, Eid, Durga Puja 

or Christmas, the citizens celebrate 

all the festivals with the zeal of joy 

and happiness. Now it’s Bol Bam. 

We all knew that it is a festival 

related to Lord Shiva but did not 

have any real knowledge about it. 

When everyone in Paltan Bazar 

were fear-stricken by the blast, 

with people scattering away and 

cops chasing everyone away from 

the spot, these people in their 

proud saffron attires were least 

bothered about the chaos. When 

I asked one of them if he was not 

scared about the terror in the city, 

he simply replied, “Bol Bam and 

even you will be protected from all 

evils. Lord Shiva has blessed us and 

these small blasts cannot kill us.” 

Bol Bam 

It was a ritual for devotees 

of Shiva in North India, 

known as Kānwarias, who travelled 

to Hindu pilgrimage places 

of Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri 

in Uttarakhand to fetch the 

holy waters of the Ganges River 

and offer it at their local Shiva temples. 

The Yatra takes place during 

the sacred month of Shravan (Saawan) 

in July – August, according to 

the Hindu calendar. The Yatra used 

to be a small affair undertaken by a 

few saints and older devotees until 

the 1990s, when it started gaining 

popularity. These days, lakhs of 

devotees from surrounding states 

of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, 

Rajasthan, Punjab and some from 

as far as Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh 

and Madhya Pradesh reach 

these places to participate in the 

Kanwar Mela. 

In Guwahati too, previously 

only the Hindi speaking people 

living here use to fetch water from 

the Bashishtha Ganga and offer it 

to the Shiv ling at the Shukreshwar 

Shiva Temple. At present, people 

from all races and religions participate 

in the ritual and throng the 

Bashishtha and Shukreshwar temples 

during the Shravan month. 

Priest Sushanta Sharma from 

the Bashishtha Temple says, “Since 

1985, the footfall of devotees has 

been increasing gradually. Since 

the last 10 years, even the Assamese 

and Bengalis have started 

participating in Bol Bam with full 

enthusiasm.” He added that in the 

past it was considered as a festival 

of the north, but now not only 

people from this region, but even 

people from different countries 

throng to the festival. 

The other side 

Sandhya Kalita, a shopkeeper 

at Bashishtha, is scared to keep her 

shop open in the evenings during 

Bol Bam festival. “At night, people 

are mostly drunk and stoned. They 

create a lot of chaos and even fight 

a lot. I am a woman and scared that 

they might harm me. So, I call it a 

day early in the evening.” 

Bhargav Kalita, a local resident 

of Bashishtha said, “At nights there 

are some shops which sell alcohol 

and marijuana illegally. People, 

who drink and dope fight with 

others, tease girls and behave very 

rudely. They come in groups so 

it’s difficult to stop them. They are 

calm when there are cops around, 

but the cops are not everywhere.” 

Priest Sushanta Sharma expressed, 

“Not all come with the 

intention of pleasing the Almighty. 

Many people come here just for enjoyment. 

We see inebriated people 

coming here during the festival 

and when our security personnel 

try to stop them, they say it is Lord 

Shiva’s prasad.” 

A wine store salesman at Paltan 

Bazaar said, “The saffron 

dressed people who move around 

the city during Bol Bam give us a 

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 

BOL BAM!SCREAMS GUWAHATI 

An orange wave of people snakes through the G.S. Road at night. An integral part of Guwahati, 

the Bol Bam breaks the monotony of the city every year. 

raHUL CHanDa 

“at nights there are some 

shops which sell alcohol and 

marijuana illegally. People, 

who drink and dope fight with 

others, tease girls and behave 

very rudely. They come in 

groups so it’s difficult to stop 

them. They are calm when 

there are cops around, but the 

cops are not everywhere” 

lot of business. During evenings 

there is a rush in our shop.” 

The spirit 

According to a priest of the 

Sukreshwar temple, Gokul Sharma, 

Bol Bam has turned out to be 

a big festival in Guwahati. He expressed, 

“there is a Shiva temple 

at Bashishtha too, but as the ritual 

requires some effort, the devotees 

make it a point that they walk till 

Sukreshwar bare foot and then 

offer the Bashishtha Ganga water 

to Lord Shiva.” He added that 

thousands of people throng to

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 5 

BOL BAM: Images of various rituals being performed across the city. 

Sukrehswar from Bashishtha on 

Sunday nights. As it is believed 

that Monday is Lord Shiva’s birthday, 

people feel blessed to offer the 

holy water on that day. So, on Sunday 

evening they go to Bhashishtha 

to fetch water, walk till Sukreshwar 

temple bare footed, wait till late 

night and after 12, as it becomes 

Monday, they offer the holy water. 

We met a man clad in saffron, 

Bhupendra Deka from Nalbari, 

who was crawling on his knees 

and moving towards Sukreshwar 

from Bhashishtha. “Since the last 

4 years, I have been coming every 

Shravan to pray to Lord Shiva. I am 

physically fit by God’s grace and 

believe if I keep worshiping Lord 

Shiva, I will never fall ill. The more 

pain you undergo in life, the more 

blessings you get.” 

Similarly, many people crawl 

on their knees to impress lord 

Shiva! It is true that people have 

turned festivals and rituals into 

entertainment sources, but there 

are also people who undertake a 

lot of pain to impress the almighty. 

They crawl on their knees for hours 

fighting the natural forces like rain 

and heat. It is unfashionable to 

“Since the 

last 4 years, 

i have been 

coming every _ 

to pray to Lord 

Shiva. i am 

physically fit 

by God’s grace 

and believe 

if i keep worshiping 

Lord 

Shiva, i will 

never fall ill. 

The more pain 

you undergo in 

life, the more 

blessings you 

get.” 

show your devotion towards the almighty 

in the so called post-modern 

society, but people like Deka 

like to remain out of fashion. 

Helping hand 

While walking bare foot, the 

devotees are on a fast and hence, 

they can drink only water. From 

Bashishtha to Sukleshwar there 

are many places were free water is 

distributed to the Kanwars. Rupam 

Das, a businessman at Lal Ganesh 

distributes free water to the devotees. 

He expressed, “I distribute 

free water every year and indirectly 

earn blessings. I don’t get time 

to visit the temple and offer holy 

water to Lord Shiva, so, I feel helping 

the Kanwars is like worshiping 

God.” 

Rinku Pandey, a devotee said, 

“I cannot have food before offering 

the holy water to Lord Shiva. We 

have to wait in a long queue outside 

Sukreshwar, so I feel thirsty very 

often. I thank all the people who 

provide water to us.” 

There are also various organisations 

that put up food stalls at 

the Sukreshwar temple to feed the 

devotees after they finish offering 

water to Lord Shiva. 

A shopkeeper at Sukreshwar 

said, “Mostly, Marwaris provide 

food to the devotees.” 

Dirty Guwahati 

During the month of Shravan, 

if you move around Guwahati on 

Monday mornings, the entire city 

is filled with scattered plastic glasses. 

It is understood that devotion 

pleases God, but is it not true that 

God loves the environment too? 

Offering water to the devotees is a 

noble endeavour, but throwing 

the plastic glasses into 

dust bins can add up to the 

amount of blessings gained 

from the almighty. 

Dewan Gill, a sweeper, irritated 

by the amount of hard 

work he did cleaning up Paltan 

Bazar, angrily said, “How 

will they earn blessings. Just 

going to God doesn’t gives 

you power. You need to be socially 

literate too, to woo the 

God.” 

No matter there will be 

G-View 

PHOTO COURTESY: Internet 

a civic sense oriented or a clean 

Guwahati in future, but the spirit 

of festivals and culture will never 

be killed by the effect of modernisation. 

Like Ambubachi, even Bol 

Bam is becoming a national ritual 

for the entire country. But, how 

long will people use the excuse of 

festivals to get high and drunk? 

When will people like Dewan Gill 

not have to curse the devotees? 

When will there be a chaos less and 

clean festival organised in the land 

of Maa Kamakhya?

6 

City 

VOX POP 

TAKING A RIDE 

The Radio taxis of Guwahati 

are catching on fast! 

Usually, Taxi services in a city like Guwahati 

should not be something to make a huge 

noise about, but a new wave of cab services 

have made people’s heads turn and take notice. 

With the promise of providing high-end services 

and a comfortable ride at fixed and affordable fares, 

these rides have been able to gain the confidence of 

the citizens who like to know what they are paying 

for. There are many cab services today operating 

in the city with My Taxi, Prime Cabs, Cherry Cabs 

and Hello Taxi being the most popular ones. They 

charge according to the distance covered, which 

is quite reasonable and adequate. Their services 

are fairly prompt as they have a fast communication 

network along with professional drivers who 

are well- trained and diligent in their work. Prime 

Cabs also boasts of being the first ‘radio taxi’ in 

the city fitted with a GPS system which helps them 

track the vehicle as well as help with route guidance. 

But have they been able to deliver what they 

had promised? Are they really as efficient as they 

project themselves to be? 

J.Dowerah, Senior Citizen 

What I find most advantageous about these cabs is that they can be contacted from 

anywhere in India and can be booked. Therefore, there is no problem when you need to be 

picked up after arrival to the city. Their service is very prompt too. 

Hrishikesh Kashyap, Student 

The autorickshaws have a mind of their own when charging quoting fares and so it 

becomes very difficult for those of us who do not keep too much cash in hand. The good 

thing about the cabs is that they have a fixed fare which is feasible for us and we can keep 

track of the fare through its fare meter displayed in front of us. 

Francis Zaman Choudhury, Government Employee 

These cabs take the pain of making us reach the destination on time. It is really very 

commendable that they are a well-trained fleet. The fare is also charged according to the 

distance covered so that we too can keep a check. 

Hridi P Mahanta, Production Editor 

I need to frequently hire these cabs and till now I haven’t had any kind of problem 

regarding anything. They are well trained and reliable but I feel that the constant rise of 

fare will any how affect their business at a certain point in time. 

Madhumita Choudhury, Homemaker 

According to me, the most important plus point of the cab service is the security 

and safety they provide. These are safe for every one and especially for women because a 

client can keep a very detailed record of the booking he or she makes and these cabs can 

be tracked easily because their authorities keep an eye on them through the GPS system 

installed in the cab itself. 

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 

MEN VS RIVER 

The picture above is a regular view in any remote village in Assam 

where development has not spread its wings yet. However, 

It is astonishing when such a location is within the urban range 

of Guwahati. You will see such a scene in Ganeshpara, where people 

commute from one bank to another of Mora Bharalu in such wooden 

shafts supported by big drums irrespective of the season - be it the 

monsoon or the winters. 

According to the locals, such a situation is inevitable as there is 

no bridge over the river from Dhi-renpara Itabhata to the National 

Highway 37 via Katahbari. Local resident Monoj Roy, a Phd Scholar 

of Gauhati University said, “Though it is necessary to clean the water 

body at regular intervals, but such excavation and cleanliness drive 

carried out by the civic authorities have been creating prob-lems for us 

for the last couple of years. All the wooden and bamboo bridges over 

the Mora Bharalu were wrecked in this drive and no new construction 

have been made. This has created problems for us. The ferry system 

with wooden shaft and drums has come as a time bound solution.” 

Certain developments along the banks of the Mora Bharalu along 

this stretch are visible due to the ongoing construction of the Dr. Bhupen 

Hazarika Cricket Stadium at Barshapara. But, that does not imply 

any permanent solution to the condition of the river as this channel 

of the city has been transformed into a garbage disposal zone. The 

condition of the Bharalu, which conjugates with the Mora Bharalu at 

Fatashil snaking through the Major portion of East Guwahati and Bahini 

are also the same and the main reasons for the artificial floods in 

the city. 

In a way, almost 80% of the wetlands and lakes within greater Guwahati 

are being filled up in the name of rapid urbinisation. Simultaneously, 

the growing population along these areas has emerged to be a 

major cause of water pollution in the city. According to a senior citizen 

of Tarun Nagar, one of the major areas facing the wrath of artificial 

floods in the city, for such detrimental condition of all the water bodies 

and water passage channels of Guwahati, citizens are also equally 

responsible. He said, “Once we used to fish in the Bharalu. But nowadays, 

the water has become so poisonous that there is no scope of anything 

to survive. The authorities are to be blamed for their indifferent 

attitude towards the survival of the Bharalu. A far as the drainage system 

is concerned, GMC cleans the drains in the rainy season, which in 

turn washes away the garbage again into the drain after a fresh shower. 

Artificial flood and water logging are results of such poor drainage 

conditions which inundate the lanes and bye-lane, main roads and 

even houses. The Bharalu and Mora Bharalu, which were the major 

outlets of the city’s water into the Brahmaputra, are now jammed with 

plastic bottles, poly bags and other non-biodegradable materials. The 

free flow of water is interrupted by such garbage, which has made the 

condition more pathetic.” 

In the recent years, several agitations and rallies were carried out 

by the citizens including ‘Smashan Yatra’, in the hope of winning attention 

of the authorities. “Although many locations of Guwahati lack 

dustbins, it does not indicate that the citizens should throw waste 

anywhere. People forget their civic sense while throwing garbage in 

the rivers. Cooperation of citizens, guided by their civic senses, is required 

in this matter,” he added. 

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GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 7 

PATRONISE 

ASSAMESE FILMS 

– Tom Alter 

Padma Shri recipient, noted thespian and Bollywood 

actor Tom Alter visited Guwahati to participate in the 8 th 

Nastasurjya Drama Festival held at the Rabindra Bhawan. 

He performed in a play named ‘Teesvin Shatabdi’ and in 

spite of his busy schedule, he managed to spare some time to 

exclusively talk to GPlus. 

raHUL CHanDa 

What do you like about Guwahati? 

We usually come here for work and hardly get time for anything else. My 

friends Biju Phukan, Pranjal Saikia, his wife Poornima and Jahnu Baruah 

are good and straightforward people. They might be big names but yet so 

simple. I love to come here because you can have honest talks with people 

and there is no politics or ‘nakhras’. People connected with art here are very 

nice. I did a film with Dr. Santana Bordoloi in the year 1997 called Adajya 

and it won a National Award. 

The Assamese film industry has gone through a very bad 

phase but due to the advent of digital filmmaking, people are 

beginning to make films again. Your thoughts on this... 

I have watched one or two Jahnu’s films and Adajya in which I had 

acted. I have not seen too many Assamese movies so I can’t comment. I 

had done another film with Biju long time back, Pahari Kanya which was 

a commercial venture. I am not an expert in Assamese films but yes, these 

new cameras and new techniques have made films more viable for young 

people. I, myself have done two films on 5D and you can take all types of 

shots with these cameras. 

Why don’t Hindi filmmakers make films in Assam? 

There was a time when a lot of films were being shot in the Northeast. 

Now though, people may feel that the political situation here is uncertain. 

I have done one Bengali film called Gajamukta and a Hindi one called 

Chameli Memsaab for which Bhupen Da composed the music. Films have 

been made in Northeast but yes, in recent times people are going abroad 

rather than coming here because they get subsidies from the government 

there. The Governments of Switzerland and Great Britain provide subsidies 

if you shoot in their countries. So, if the Government of Assam provide 

such kind of subsidies and approach the film makers, the trend might start 

again. People like Jahnu can become an ambassador to convince people to 

shoot their films here. 

When can the Assamese film industry reach a level where it can 

be compared to Bollywood, Tollywood or other film industries? 

It is impossible, because the base for the Assamese language is very small. 

You cannot compete with the Hindi film industry in Mumbai, but you can 

prepare young people, who can make future films for a budget of 20-25 

lakh. You will require cinema halls in Guwahati and other places where 

these films can be screened. Moreover, you will have to convince the people 

of Assam to patronise these films because in the end, it’s their responsibility. 

Being a thespian, do you think Guwahati has enough audience 

for plays? 

I have just come to Guwahati and seen two plays. The audience response 

was amazing. I see that there is a good audience here. 

Will you be directing films? 

I have just directed a television serial for the DD Urdu channel called Ikfursateh-gunaah, 

which should be on air by the next one or two months. 

in COnVERSATiOn: Tom Alter shares his views on Assamese Cinema. 

Regarding films, let see what happens. 

Do you think that the youngsters of Guwahati 

are interested in theatre? 

The last two plays I saw, were performed by actors who 

were just 22 to 23 years old and they all were fantastic. 

Even in the audience, there were people not only of 

my age, but a lot of youth as well. I see tremendous 

enthusiasm from the people of Guwahati. Media should 

support such festivals which can be held at least three 

times a year and people would still come. In the last 

three months, we have performed the same play twice 

in Guwahati – a play called ‘When God Said Cheers’. 

We performed it at the Guwahati Club and at Terra 

Mayaa. So, this is my third play in the city in the last 

four months. I hope we can keep coming here again and 

again. 

Are you doing any Hindi films? 

Yes, I am doing many films. There are three or four very 

interesting films that are in the pipeline and I hope at 

least two of them will be released by next year. One 

is a very interesting film produced by me, Cheekha 

directed by Adiya Rajan. There is another one which is 

set to be released, directed by Raja Bundela called ‘Alex 

Hindustani’ 

City 

What is your take on women exposing 

themselves on screen? 

My only comment is that a section of women are very 

upset about it but the people who are dancing are 

also women. They are doing it according to their own 

freewill. The issue is not the directors but these women 

who are dancing. If other women don’t like what they 

are doing then why not get them to stop? But they 

won’t do that. They will criticise the directors and the 

audience, but they will never criticise the women who 

are dancing. They will say that it is their right. So, if it is 

their right then let them do it and leave the issue alone. 

Personally, I have never liked item numbers and the 

other things that I don’t like on screen is violence for the 

sake of selling a 

film. But 

then, I am not 

against them if 

it’s a part of the 

story. 

Hobbies? 

Sports and 

reading are 

my two main 

hobbies. 

PHOTO: Rahul Chanda

8 

Society 

Eid-Ul-Fitr 

PHOTOS: Neha Agarwalla 

After the holy month of Ramadan, on Friday, 

thousands of people belonging to the Muslim 

community visited the mosques across the city 

to celebrate the festival of Eid-Ul-Fitr. The gaiety 

and fervour of Eid could be felt amongst 

those who had come to offer namaz on the holy 

occasion. The markets of the city were filled 

with a variety of dishes like biryani, sawaiyan, 

date cakes, plum cakes and sweets. 

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 

Getting inked comes at a cost

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 9 

The street 

vendors of Guwahati 

are a part of 

the city’s landscape, 

but they 

may soon become 

extinct unless 

proper policies 

and schemes 

are implemented 

to protect their 

rights. 

MrinMoyee Hazarika 

Every Sunday and Wednesday, 

the footpaths across the B.K. 

Kakoti road, Ulubari, wear 

a different look. On these two particular 

days of the week, the footpath 

becomes livelier and the atmosphere 

is bustling with the voices of 

hundreds of women vendors, who 

converge at the place from areas in 

and around Guwahati. They convert 

the street into a means of livelihood 

with their stocks of fresh vegetables, 

these vendors add a different hue to 

the city ambience. 

The illiterate and underprivileged 

women from various places 

like Khetri, Sonapur, Naziraghat, 

Boko, Chaygaon, Barpeta, Goalpara 

and Darang crowd the Ulubari 

market armed with baskets full of 

fresh vegetables and with a hope of 

earning some ‘city’ money. However, 

despite their hard labour, 

sometimes these easy-going tribal 

women have to face unexpected harassment 

from the administration 

and local hoodlums. 

SAGAS 

Like many of her peers, Sabitri 

Kathar from Diksak under the 

Sonapur post office, started the 

vending vegetables as a means 

of livelihood. Every Sunday and 

Wednesday, she makes her way to 

Guwahati from her native village 

with vegetables collected from the 

local farmers of her village. Sometimes, 

she also collects them from 

wholesale traders and sells those on 

the roadside market situated at the 

A Hard Day’s Plight 

STREET ViEW: A typical day of business at B.K. Kakoty Road, Ulubari (Guwahati) 

B K Kakoti road. 

“In order to reach Guwahati 

early, I start the journey from my 

village at around 2 am clock in the 

morning. Carrying a basket full of 

vegetables on my head, I have to 

walk till I get a vehicle to Guwahati. 

I reach the Ulubari market at 

around 5 am and after that, I ready 

myself for the day. Usually, I earn Rs 

400 and sometimes more,” Sabitri, a 

widow who started this trade ten 

years back, after her husband died. 

“Both of my daughters are married 

now. My elder son is a farmer 

but, even then, I find it quite tough 

to run my family with the meagre 

income. I have to pay the authority 

and sometimes other parties too out 

of this,” Sabitri added. 

The situation is more or less 

similar with Padmini Wary from 

Barpeta who also comes to the 

Ulubari market every Sunday and 

Wednesday. Her husband works as 

a daily wage labour and out of her 

four children, both her sons have 

left for Mumbai in search of work. 

“I started the business to help 

my husband. I come to the Ulubari 

market with varieties of vegetables 

either from Gobardhan market or 

the Barpeta road, on a train,” she 

said. 

Padmini, who had come to the 

market on Sunday, amidst the violence 

going on in BTAD area, fur- 

As per the nSVP 

there should be 

three vending zones 

2 

1 

No vending zones (where no 

form of vending is allowed) 

Restricted vending zones (Controlled 

& regulated Vending) 

3 

Vending zones (where vending 

is allowed). 

ther said, “I do not earn much. But 

while carrying vegetables by train, 

I have to pay money to the Railway 

Police Force too.” 

Another woman, Basanti Wary 

from Barpeta takes a train to Guwahati. 

She arrives at the market on 

Sunday morning and returns back 

by the evening. “My husband and I 

used to farm our own land at Dolgaon 

in Barpeta. But, due to financial 

conditions, we have started this 

business and my family supports 

me in this,” Basanti said. “We could 

not send our daughter to college, 

but now she has been able to resume 

her studies. It’s not a lot, but it helps 

to meet ends meet.” 

LiVinG SnAGS 

Sabitri, Padmini and Basanti 

are just a few examples of people, 

especially women, who go all-out 

to make an honest living. However, 

even after that, they have to face 

constant hardships from various 

sections of the society. 

“For the last seven to eight years, 

we have been trading at this place, 

but we have been deprived of our 

rights and have not got any basic 

facilities from the authorities. There 

is no drinking water, toilet facilities 

or sheds in the market place,” President, 

Mahila Saak Pacholi Byabsyai 

Sanstha, Mamoni Bordoloi said. 

Apart from this, the women 

vendors of the Ulubari market also 

have to face the wrath of the GMC, 

the police personnel and locals. 

“Earlier, the GMC officials used 

to evict us frequently but, as time 

went by, the number of customers 

increased and the eviction drives 

reduced. We are still facing harassment 

from the police. They collect 

money from us and sometimes take 

vegetables without paying. Besides, 

some gundas too are collecting 

money (Rs 20 to Rs 50) from us,” 

Mamoni said. 

She also mentioned that the 

vendors had to pay Rs 10 to the 

GMC, for which they do not receive 

any money receipt. “The government 

should and must implement 

the ‘National street vendor policy 

2009’ (NSVP) in Assam. That is 

Society 

the only way through which the 

vendors can exercise their rights,” 

Tapobrat Bhuyan, official of sSTEP 

(Society for social transformation 

and environment protection) said. 

The Assam-based NGO has 

been fighting for the vendor’s rights, 

especially the street vendors of the 

state. “Due to the non-implementation 

of the policy, the vendors have 

to pay Rs 20 to the GMC as fine. But, 

they are charged Rs 10 instead and 

they do not provide any receipt,” 

Bhuyan added. 

Regarding the advantages of 

NSVP, Bhuyan also stated that the 

policy directs that there should be 

three vending zones – no vending 

zones (where no form of vending 

will be allowed), restricted vending 

zones (authorities can have 

control over it) and vending zones 

(where vending is allowed). Moreover, 

a town vending committee 

will also be formed, where members 

from the municipality corporation, 

NGOs and members from the vendor 

committees will be included. 

“After implementation of the 

NSVP, the GMC would not be able 

to take fines. Instead they will have 

to collect tax and the vendors will 

get a permanent place for their 

business. We have been submitting 

memorandum to the authority to 

implement the policy in the state 

of Assam. Moreover, to create more 

awareness on this, we are planning 

to submit a memorandum to the 

CM with the support of around 

5000 members of the civil society,” 

Bhuyan said. 

HOPE 

Street vendors are a part of the 

Indian culture. The vendors coming 

in to the city contribute significantly 

to the urban economy and to its 

vitality as well. Unfortunately, their 

lives and profession remain unnoticed, 

often tampered by political, 

economic and social interests. The 

right of these underprivileged to 

earn their livelihood with dignity 

and profitability is fundamental as 

well as critical to the city economy. 

There is still hope for the women 

vendors as well as the whole vendor 

community that the plans and policies 

will make their lives better and 

make the growth of the city more 

inclusive.

10 

Business 

While Northeast India has 

missed the bus for Foreign 

Direct Investment 

(FDI) in several sectors, the buzz 

is that the region is going to gain 

from FDI on the multi brand retail 

area. 

Guwahati, the financial capital 

of the region, is going to be the focal 

point where the war of FDI in 

retail is going to be fought. Interestingly, 

retail big wigs like Reliance 

and Walmart are readying 

their war chests to take the Guwahati 

market by storm. 

Local developers feel that with 

FDI in retail, malls here will face 

competition and this will provide 

opportunity for local outfits to improve 

further. Already, local developers 

are becoming innovative and 

developing their establishment appearances. 

The success of Reliance Trendz 

has seen the company planning to 

bring in its veggie, footwear and 

other retail chains in Guwahati. 

Even Walmart is in the process 

of starting its operations here. Reliance 

is even willing to penetrate 

deep into the Upper Assam towns 

of Tinsukia, Jorhat and Dibrugarh. 

The reason the big retail chains 

are planning to spend big on Guwahati 

is explained by the Dean 

of Planning and research, IIM- 

Shillong, Professor S. Shajahan. He 

is of the opinion that profitability 

in Guwahati is much higher than 

most of the cities of Northern India 

and besides, there is a huge base 

of consumers along with a floating 

population in Guwahati. 

$ 

FDI TO STORM 

GUwAHATI 

MARkET 

The advent of FDi in Guwahati promises to change the retail business 

scenario, affecting both the big traders and the small players. 

SHaMbHavi 

He elaborated, “We have done 

a study for Big Bazaar in Guwahati, 

in which we found out that the 

spend per visit in the mall on grocery 

items in Guwahati is Rs 1050 

while in the Northern India malls 

of the same company, it is around 

Rs 650.” 

The study also pointed out that 

the conversion rate of visitors nationally 

stands at 25 to 40 percent 

while in the Guwahati Big Bazaar it 

is 60 to 80 percent. Professor Shajahan 

argued that the profitability is 

reasonably high for the malls here. 

R.S.Joshi, Chairman of Federation 

of Industry and Commerce of 

the North East Region (FINER) 

added that FDI in multi brand retail 

is no longer avoidable due to 

the emerging global scene and prevailing 

environment. 

Countries that have opted for 

FDI have devised their own checks 

and balances. In India, the competition 

commission which is entrusted 

to regulate the functioning 

of several sectors can do the job of 

regulator in case of the retail sector. 

This commission can be empowered 

with more powers to protect 

the consumers’ interest. 

Boom in the retail sector has 

created tremendous amount of jobs 

and has also earned a good amount 

of revenue for the government. 

There is no threat to local retailers 

from the retail giants like Walmart 

at least for some years now. 

Joshi argued that small traders 

need to be helped with tax concessions, 

benchmarking the small retailers. 

President of the Kamrup 

Chambers of Commerce, M.P Jain 

observed that FDI in multi brand 

retail is a welcome move. It will 

definitely benefit small traders and 

will also improve the scale of op- 

our experience 

has shown that 

there is a strong 

demand for 

branded goods 

here. People are 

brand conscious 

in northeast. The 

conversion rate of 

visitors is around 

60 percent in our 

malls.” 

erations and marketing abilities of 

local traders. 

Consumers too will have more 

choice and local products will get 

better platform and bigger markets. 

In the same vein, the price realisation 

will also be remunerative 

while indigenous hand-loom and 

handicrafts will receive a boost. 

“Big malls and stores will 

start displaying and selling local 

handicraft products. This will expose 

those products to the outside 

world. Look, despite being the largest 

producer of tea, in Assam, do 

we know which tea estate produces 

the best tea? Or for that matter, we 

do not have a place where different 

varieties of tea are sold under one 

roof. When the big players enter 

the scene, the system will become 

streamlined and people will get a 

lot of products to pick and choose 

from. This is good for the society,” 

Jain summed up. 

Local mall developers and 

showroom developers in Assam 

are on an expansion spree. Sohum 

Shoppe Limited, which owns a 

chain of malls, is planning to come 

up with malls in different locations. 

The group will add a couple of 

news malls in different locations. 

Sandeep Jalan, CEO of Sohum 

Shoppe Limited said, “FDI in retail 

will not affect us. There will 

be increased competition however 

and we will face it strongly. We will 

reach out to a large number of places 

and in due course of time, our 

cost of operation will come down. 

Presently we are importing goods 

from Indonesia, China and European 

countries.” 

Assam Chief Minister, Tarun 

Gogoi is one of the strong proponents 

of FDI in multi brand retail. 

Gogoi has argued that multi brand 

retail will not hamper the business 

of local traders and retailers. These 

brands will cater to just 10 to 20 

percent of the demand and that too 

in the cities while 80 percent of the 

business will remain with the local 

retailers. 

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 

Several mall projects are in 

pipelines and in this segment, 

properties worth Rs 300 to Rs 500 

Crore are at an advanced stage of 

development in Guwahati. Around 

eight to nine malls are being developed. 

Jalan added, “Our experience 

has shown that there is a strong 

demand for branded goods here. 

People are brand conscious in the 

Northeast. The conversion rate of 

visitors is around 60 percent in our 

malls.” 

Guwahati’s emergence as an 

educational hub coupled with the 

city’s unique geographical positioning 

as the gateway to the seven 

sisters of Northeast is drawing people 

to this city. 

The lifestyles of people here are 

fast changing and there is a distinct 

shift towards luxury items. According 

to Sleepweel, the flagship 

brand of the Sheela group, the size 

of the mattress market in Northeast 

India is around Rs 100 Crore. 

Vice President, Sales of Sheela 

Foam Pvt. Ltd. Bhushan G.Phatak 

said, “We are doing reasonably well 

here. With a huge surge in the real 

estate activity and the number of 

hotels coming up, mattress makers 

are eyeing the region as the emerging 

market”. 

Opposition party, Asom Gana 

Parishad (AGP) opposed FDI in 

multi brand retail. The party felt 

that presently there is no level 

playing field and income’s earned 

by foreign retail biggies will be 

drained out of the country.

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 11 

To book a wedding hall in the city, one 

has to be lucky. It is a lucrative business 

and no wonder they are mushrooming 

everywhere. 

PraTik DHar 

“ 

Marriages are made 

in heaven and celebrated 

in wedding 

halls.” This is true in today’s world 

when having a wedding at one’s 

home has become passé. Just after 

a wedding is confirmed, the hall is 

the very next thing to be booked 

so as to avoid the rush during a 

wedding season. The choice has 

changed from one’s home to these 

halls because of the convenience - 

the space, parking, catering, guest 

rooms and other hassle-free solutions. 

In Guwahati, there are numerous 

wedding halls that have 

sprung up with an aim to become 

profitable and today the city has a 

total of more than 60 big and small 

wedding halls. 

PERMISSIONS 

ETC 

Starting up a wedding hall is 

not easy and goes through a process 

of strict inspection before 

the permission is granted and it is 

based on the measurement of the 

plot area. Today, the parking area 

has become biggest issue for the 

wedding halls and GMC has become 

very strict regarding this. According 

to the Building Bye Laws, 

for a marriage hall, one parking 

space has to be provided for every 

50 square metre plot area. 

For waste disposal, the wedding 

hall must have a proper system 

and should have a contract 

with ‘Ramky’(a group with which 

GMC has tied up for garbage disposal.). 

A road with a minimum width 

of 6.6 metres is mandatory in front 

of a hall and NOC’s from the Lift 

Inspector, Chief Electrical Advisor 

(Government of Assam) and State 

Fire Service shall be required. 

Recently an agreement was 

made between the owners of the 

wedding halls and the GMC which 

instructed the owners to appoint 

their own security personals with 

proper uniforms to assist and 

maintain parking facilities. 

BUSINESS 

SCENARIO 

Setting up a wedding hall and 

renting it out for wedding ceremonies 

is a flourishing business. In 

fact not only weddings but these 

halls are also rented out for various 

WEDDING BELLS AND 

other functions as well, yielding a 

respectable profit for the owner. 

On asking Mr. Prasenjit Narayan 

Dev, owner of the marriage hall 

‘Chaturang,’ now longer functional 

now, said that starting a wedding 

hall is a one-time investment and 

a very profitable business. Though 

the owner has to invest heavily for 

the sake of maintenance of the hall, 

it is negligible when compared to 

the profit it rakes in. Wedding halls 

remain booked durin 

Mr. Tulen Das, Superviser of 

the ‘Decora,’ one of the oldest marriage 

halls in the city is of the view 

that the demand for these halls are 

increasing because of the increase 

in population of people. He says, 

nowadays most of the people cannot 

afford to organise wedding 

ceremonies at their homes because 

of lack of space and organizational 

problems. 

Mr. Gautam Hazarika, owner 

of the Arati Commercial Hall says 

that there is a huge demand for 

wedding halls. People today opt 

for wedding halls because they are 

available at reasonable rates and 

everything including electricity, 

water supply and generator backup 

are available under one shed making 

the entire affair hassle free. 

There is another reason for their 

demand because most of the people 

nowadays live in apartments 

and so they have very little or no 

space to spare. In such a case the 

only solution is a marriage hall. 

“We pay an annual amount 

for the renewal of the trade license 

along with a commercial floor tax 

to the GMC. Employee salaries, 

electricity and water supply bills 

are the other expenses. Every wedding, 

we make a profit of around 

40-50% even after paying off all our 

expenses. This might be a reason 

for people to look at it as a lucrative 

business opportunity.” 

MAJOR 

PROBLEMS 

Wedding halls are supposed 

to have adequate parking facilities 

but that is not the case with some 

of the wedding halls where the 

parking space is just a namesake 

and most of the vehicles are parked 

on the main road. Places like Zoo 

Road, Ganeshguri and the G.S. 

Road are the most affected areas in 

such cases where, because of a few 

ill placed wedding spaces, the normal 

traffic is disrupted. 

WEDDING HALLS 

Another important requirement 

is the garbage disposal system, 

a rule which is flouted by many 

of these halls. They are supposed to 

have their personal disposal area 

or soak pit and cannot dispose off 

their garbage in the public areas. 

Another strict rule of the GMC 

says that firecrackers cannot be lit 

in the vicinity of the hall causing 

both noise and air pollution.. 

THE SITUATION 

Some of the wedding halls have 

come under the scanner of the 

GMC and have been asked to be 

shut down for violation of the rules 

regarding parking facilities, garbage 

disposal, noise pollution and 

others. There are certain norms 

and regulations that are to be followed 

by these halls for them to be 

in business in a certain area. 

The GMC authorities were also 

concerned about the unauthorised 

construction and use of residential 

buildings for marriage ceremonies 

and last year, the officials inspected 

around 51 marriage halls in the 

city after which their owners were 

asked to produce the details of 

approved plans of the buildings 

before the civic body. The authorities 

have been strict regarding the 

wedding halls and their operation 

and clearance is done only if they 

provide the necessary documents 

to the body. Presently, the GMC is 

waiting for the new revised Building 

Bye laws to arrive according to 

NOW OPEN 

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The new store is located at Basudev 

Complex, above Titan 

Showroom, Christian Basti, 

G.S.Road, Dispur and promises 

a delightful shopping experi- 

Space 

which certain criteria for the permission 

and the operation of the 

wedding halls will change. 

ence with Maternity & Kids 

apparel, mother & baby wellness, 

baby furniture & furnishings, 

toys and lots more 

all available under one roof. 

Where international brands 

have found to be lacking, 

Mom & Me has developed 

private labels in order to bring 

products like ethnic fashion 

for women, infant apparel 

and traditional Indian toys to 

their stores for the benefit of 

the Indian consumer.

12 

Food & Health 

Just a three-hour drive away from Guwahati, 

Every year in Shillong, Forever 

Young Sports Club (FYSC) organises a 

Wine fest where Guwahatians throng to the 

event to taste different wines produced from 

fruits like black berries, passion fruit, strawberry, 

peach, pineapple, valencia, ginger, 

plum, watermelon and other fruits. Seeing 

the rise in stipulate of wines in Guwahati we 

sorted out some amazing Indian wine brands, 

whose demands are steadily increasing. 

Wine production in India dates as back 

as far as 500 BC. Although most of the wine 

was consumed for ceremonial and healing 

purposes, the oldest wine in India was an 

Ayurvedic invention called Draksharishtha, 

the name literally meaning grape wine in Sanskrit. 

Indian vineyards started their careers by 

sticking to predominantly four French varieties: 

Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Sauvignon 

Blanc and Chenin Blanc. Other interesting 

varietals such as Viognier, Merlot, Chardonnay 

and Reisling are slowly gaining prominence 

too. 

India’s main wine industry is located in 

Nasik around the Sahayadri hills and Narayangaon. 

A small amount of wine is also 

produced in South India on the outskirts 

of Bangalore. There are some Indian wine 

manufacturers whose demand is close to 

Wines are slowly gaining a respectable status in 

the Guwahatian’s fine dining wish list and it is not 

just the foreign ones but indian wines are jostling 

their way into the menu too. 

the international list. More Guwahatians are 

drinking Indian wines, more restaurants are 

serving them, and more wineries are entering 

the market and gaining an entry into the list 

of the good wine brands in the foreign markets. 

The Wine Culture has finally hit the city. 

Here are some uncorking guides to Indian 

wines starting with a brief guide to the Top 

Vineyards and Indian Wineries:- 

Champagne Indage Ltd (CIL) also known 

as Chateau Indage, based in Narayangaon on 

the Pune-Nashik Road is India’s leading wine 

producing company. It produces white, red, 

sparkling and rosy wines of many varieties. 

Some of the top wines by Indage are: 

• Marquise de Pompadour, A creamy, crispy 

and refreshing bubbly made from a blend 

of chardonnay, pinot noir & ugni blanc. 

• Chantilli Cabernet Sauvignon: A full bodied 

oaky wine with a hint of black currant 

black cherries and rich complex finish. 

• Riviera Blanc de Blanc: Light fresh fruity 

wine with excellent floral bouquet. 

• Ivy Shiraz: Full bodied, deep purple with 

a minty nose of mulberry fruits and new 

oak. 

Sula Vineyards is situated 180 km northeast 

of Mumbai in Nashik. Sula then expand- 

GUWAHATI 

GOES 

TIPSY! 

neHa aGarWaLLa 

ed from the original 30 acre family estate to 

about 1500 acres (owned and contracted) 

under plantation, both in Nashik as well as 

in nearby Dindori. Varietals planted include 

Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Zinfandel and 

Merlot along with Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon 

Blanc, Viognier and Riesling. Sula’s top wines 

are : 

• Dindori Reserve Shiraz: It is fragrant, elegant 

and smooth, with lush berry flavours 

and silky tannins. 

• Sula Sauvignon Blanc: A highly aromatic, 

floral, dry wine. It is crisp and refreshing, 

with a touch of spice at the finish. It is the 

perfect accompaniment to the varied flavourful 

cuisines of Asia. 

• Sula Blush Zinfandel: This popular favourite 

is fun and fruity, abounding with aromas 

of honeysuckle and fresh strawberries. 

A versatile, “anytime” wine great for picnics, 

parties, and hot summer days. 

• Sula Brut: This celebratory sparkling wine, 

is a creamy, complex nectar that goes down 

like a dream. 

Nine Hills (Pernod Ricard India): Pernod 

Ricard is the first multinational to pro- 

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 

duce wine in India. It was formerly known as 

Seagrams India. The vineyards are located in 

the Sahyadri range in Nashik. The winery is 

headed by French master wine maker, Jean- 

Manuel-Jacquinot. 

Four Seasons Vineyards: is in the Baramati 

district, the winery is modeled on the 

French chateau style. Four seasons have both 

red and white wines which is easily available 

in the cities of India. Its famous wine is Four 

Season Shiraz. 

Some more Indian wines which are 

served by the restaurants in Guwahati are 

Chantali’s Chardonney, Vinvallet. Marlot is 

considered to be the all time favourite and 

famous fruity flavour red wine which is available 

in all brands and Chardonney in white 

wine. Indian wines are mostly consumed by 

Indian people same as French people demand 

for French wine, thus the wines are based on 

the guest choice. 

Hopefully, we have been able to provide 

you with an idea about Indian wines. As you 

keep trying out varieties, you will develop 

your taste and should be able to select your 

favourite ones henceforth.

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 13 

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A.C. Market, 1st Floor, F -1, Fully Furnished 180 sq.ft shop 

space for rent Contact - 9707178846 

03612735477 

INTRODUCTION TO LOGIC PHILOSOPHY 

By Dr. Saraju Das, Part I & II Rs 110/- Bani Prakash Pvt. Ltd. 

Panbazar, Ghy-1 ContaCt: 98640-15057 

BOOK YOUR 

CLASSIFIEDS 

SALE 

Tata DI 207 for sale. Excellent condition. 

2010 March model. Expected amount 4 

lakhs. ContaCt SURaj on 8876539006 

For immediate sale. 3BHK Flat at Subham 

Heights, Kahilipara Road, Guwahati. 

ContaCt Rajeev on 8486000555 

For Immediate SALE 

Excellent condition Hyundai i20 

Sportz, 2010 Model. Less than 

14000 KMs done. Contact Chetan 

8486135866/9864024284 

RAKSHA BANDHAN 

SPECIAL OFFER 

HAIR SPA @ 500/- , STRAIGHTNING + HAIR CUT 

@ 2499/- 

HAIR CUT FREE WITH HIGHLIGHTS. 

GIFT COUPON & PRIVILEGE CARD AVIALABLE 

ALSO. 

Cont: 7896618507 / 9864802203 

(7dayS open) 

Calm ‘n’ Cozy, Loreal Ladies Salon Gani 

Building (1st floor),MS Road, Near 

Railway Crossing No:4 

VACANCY 

Vacancy for a Female Assistant at a showroom 

in Six Mile. Applicants need to have 

computer knowledge and prior experience 

at a showroom dealing in ladies garments/ 

items. CONTACT: 099540 11444 

Vacancy for an Accountant in a commercial 

house. Applicants need to have computer 

knowledge along with experience in ST/ IT 

returns filing. CONTACT: 098640 71704 

Vacancy for Sales Executive. Having experience 

in Advertising/ Media Sales in local 

market preferred. Must own a vehicle. 

Contact Namita 8486002313 

Warehouse available 

at Brahmaputra Industrial Park 

(Amingaon) Guwahati 30000 

sq ft with guard room and 

quarter. 

Contact- 9707026095. 

OFFICE SPACE 

Available 3bhk non-commercial 

space for office purpose, 

5 minutes distance from GS 

Road, Adress :- House no 10, 

Kanchan Path (Apolo Clinic 

Road), opposite Ulubari HS 

School, Bora Service, Ghy – 7. 

CONTACT -9864336858 

Available 2,300 sq. ft. commercial 

space for office purpose on 

2nd floor, Six Mile (main road). 

Contact - 98640 94414 

Available 1,700 sq. ft. well 

furnished office space for rent 

on GS Road, opp. Hotel Grand 

Starline. Contact - 94351 11246 

For immediate sale 2 nos. office 

space,180 sqft each,1st floor, 

G.S. Towers, A.T. Road. 

Contact: 8011055100 

For immediate sale 1162 sqft 

furnished office,4th floor G.S. 

Towers, A.T. Road. 

CONTACT: 8011055100 

Wanted space on GS Road for 

a clinic. Around 2000 sqft. 

with Parking space. Preferably 

between Ulubari and 

Ganeshguri. CONTACT 

ROUNAK 8812969559 

TO LET 

Available for rent. Brand new 3BHK 

apartment at Kahilipara Road near 

Ganesh Mandir, Guwahati. 

Contact 9435115098 

ContaCt - +919864015168 

Available 1,700 sq. ft. well 

furnished office space for rent 

on GS Road, opp. Hotel Grand 

Starline. 

CONTACT - 94351 11246 

For rent/ Buy/ Sell properties. 

ContaCt - +919864015168 

Classifieds 

P R O A C T I V E 

TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT CELL 

Presenting THE ARMOUR, a 

stimulating 6 months training and 

grooming programme for students, 

with a focus on enhancing their: 

¥ Aptitude & Mental Ability 

¥ English Speaking & Writing Skills 

¥ Communication Skills 

¥ Personality & Image Grooming 

¥ Self Awareness & Self control 

THE ARMOUR is designed to 

help students, of any background, 

to be better equipped with the 

necessary knowledge, skills, 

attitude and confidence to battle 

the challenges of higher education, 

of professional and personal life. 

For more details regarding content, 

fees, schedule, timings etc, please 

feel free to visit us, call us or text us 

at the following: 

Proactive Training & Dev. Cell, 

Protection Engineers 

Jasowanta Road, Panbazar, 

Guwahati – 781001 

Ph 9864048061 / 9706016966 

Be proactive today. 

Be prepared for tomorrow. 

COACHING 

Coaching for VIII 

to XII standard. 

Subjects: Physics, Chemistry, 

Mathematics, Biology, Economics, 

English, Alt English. 

KIRON TUTORIAL, Rukminigoan 

(Near Bus Stop) 

Contact: 9864045261, 

9706380357 

ADMISSIONS 

Opportunity to take admission 

in MBBS India/ China/ Nepal 12 

Lak Package, BDS 10 Lak pak, 

BAMS 6 lak pak, ContaCt – 

09435009552, 8011620289. 

For bookings, contact 

+91 84860 02303, +91 84860 02304, +91361 2737737 

or email info@insightbrandcom.com 

* Booking will be accepted subject to availability of space 

** Open for jobs, rental and buy/sale of property

14 

Entertainment 

PHOTO COURTESY: Muse & Memories 

PHOTO COURTESY: Black Bird India 

Into 

Glory 

Ride II 

ABSOLACE: Performing at CLUB DMD 

FRIENDZ-O-MANIA 

Venue Brindavan Gardens 

Date 04-08-2013 

Venue CLUB DMD 

Date 02-08-2013 

HOCUS-POCUS: Mon the Illusionist performing at the show 

Teesvin Shatabdi 

SUbHrajiT roy 

in THE ACT: A scene from the play Teesvin Shatabdi 

The twin bomb attacks on the Japanese 

cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 

during the Second World War 

in 1945 are slaps on the face of mankind. 

Both instantaneous and aftermath effects 

of the attacks were beyond human comprehension 

and made the country standstill. 

Almost seven decades after the unforgettable 

incidents, today’s World is much 

better equipped with nuclear and biological 

weapons, results of which have been 

regularly visible in the form of frequent 

terror attacks. The insecurity on human life 

forces Sarat Chowdhury who is in mental 

trauma to defend his generation from being 

charged as attackers on humanity and explain 

it to the next millennium that people 

of his era were not as cruel as the history 

depicts them. With his companion Sadhan, 

he invites the ghosts of the people through 

plan chat both from the attackers’ side as 

well as victims. 

The list of the invitees includes Lt. Col. 

Thomas Freebee, who dropped the bomb 

on Hiroshima, British pilot Group Captain 

Leonard Cheshire, who turned priest after 

witnessing the bombings. Mrs. Claude 

Etherly, whose husband felt guilty and 

turned insane after successfully framing the 

attacks, Dr. Arata Osada who compiled the 

tearful experiences of the victim children in 

his book Children of Hiroshima, Edaman 

Kannamuchi, a victim of Touch of Poison, 

another name of radioactivity, Dr. Michihiko 

Hachiya, who experimented treatment 

on radioactivity for the first time, Japanese 

sailor Sanjero Masuda, a victim of Hydro- 

Venue Ravindra Bhawan 

Date 08-08-2013 

NEXT 7 DAYS 

DATE VENUE EVENT 

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 

PHOTO COURTESY: Subhrajit Roy 

gen bomb attack in 1954 by the US and finally 

Albert Einstein, the man behind the 

Theory of Relativity and invention of atomic 

bomb by experimenting Uranium. After 

prosecuting all the invited ghosts finally 

when Einstein admits about the danger of 

Hydrogen Bomb, Sarat repeatedly forces 

him to lay down before the mankind of the 

30th century and seek mercy. 

These is all about Teesvin Shatabdi , the 

Hindi adaptation of renowned dramatist 

Badal Sircar’s famous play, which was 

staged on August 7, 2013 at Rabindra Bhawan, 

Guwahati as the concluding play of 

the seven day long 18th Annual Natasurya 

Drama Festival. Though penned in the 

1960’s the play has immense importance in 

the present era as well. 

The play has both political and philosophical 

outlook when it raises the topic that 

people of science should think philosophically. 

Director Avneesh Mishra is successful 

in projecting all such issues smoothly 

in a two and half hour long presentation 

produced by Rangshila Theatre Group of 

Mumbai. Most of the actors played dual 

characters and have done dignified job. 

Some minor loopholes are also witnessed 

in the play, as at one point the Q & A sessions 

between Sarat and the invited ghosts 

emerge out as monotonous. Though necessity 

of some more lights is felt throughout 

the play, but the presence of attackers with 

blue light and victims with red light aware 

the spectators with the political dimension 

of the situation on stage. Altogether it’s a researched 

and rehearsed presentation. 

10th August Terra Mayaa DJ Sanjay Dutta 

10th August Gravity Activy Centre Startup Launchpad 2 

11th August B. Barooah College Career Counselling Program 

12th August Rabindra Bhawan Auditorium Teamwork (Drama) 

15th August Shraddhanjali Kanan Independence Day celebration 

17th August Terra Mayaa DJ Ash Roy 

18th August Terra Mayaa An evening of Ghazal aficionados 

‘Saaz’

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 15 

CHENNAI EXPRESS 

Deepika outshines SRK 

Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, DeepikaPadukone, Sathyaraj, Nikitin Dheer 

director: Rohit Shetty 

Comedy along with the action is rarely served with equal entertainment 

in today’s cinema. We discern Rohit Shetty for his mass leisure 

which includes cars fluttering from the unknown corners and comedy 

which isn’t slapstick but works. Logic isn’t something that we’d associate 

with this breed of comedies, but, despite these some slip-ups, Rohit Shetty’s 

‘Chennai Express’ manages to chug along. K Subash’s story starts when 

forty-something Rahul, who finally sets out to live his life, abruptly bumps 

into pretty Meenamma. She’s from the South, born into a highly influential 

criminal family, while he’s from the North, born into a rich family that feeds 

off a sweets business.Their unplanned train journey forcefully ends at her 

notorious hometown. What begins then is a madcap adventure as he tries 

to escape from the clutches of the gangsters, and she from a marriage she 

doesn’t approve. 

Rohit plays to the gallery and lifts many iconic Bollywood situations 

and invests immensely in buffoonery. He’s even got writers Farhad and Sajid 

pen numerous inane one-liners that mock his and Shah Rukh Khan’s earlier 

movies.The method isn’t novel, but is definitely chuckle-worthy. At least, 

some of it is.But Rohit’s uneasiness is evident when he’s forced to restrict his 

trademark action thrills to a few scenes, and focus on the funnier escapades 

instead.He even changes tracks mid-way, hoping to ride on SRK’s famed 

romantic image, and prompts him to crinkle his nose, flaunt his dimples 

and directs much attention to his legendary gaze, but with so much madness 

going around it’s tough to take anything serious. That said, it’s DeepikaPadukone, 

who manages to overshadow SRK with her incredible beauty, 

cute dimples and a consistently over-the-top accent.Despite being given a 

character that could easily turn into a caricature, she manages glamour and 

comedy well. That’s an incredible feat considering she’s just a few films old. 

That said, Rohit obviously gives Shah Rukh immense attention, allowing 

him to display his vintage antics, and spread his arms in his trademark 

style at many occasions. Evidently these are crowd-pullers, so SRK loyalists 

won’t be disappointed.It’s notable how Rohit even allots space for Tamil 

dialogues that are spoken with just as much earnestness as Hindi. That’s 

surely a first in a Bollywood frame.In fact, Rahul would be Rohit’s first hero 

who doesn’t possess superhero powers, and instead cowers when instigated 

to fight.It’s endearing at times, but the jokes are repeated so often that they 

lose shine. 

Rohit’s carnival-like comedy coaxes some laughs, but can leave you exhausted. 

Make no mistake, ‘Chennai Express’ is fun, but the kind that Rohit 

endorses. 

The CONJURING 

Predictable but powerful 

Cast: Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston 

director: James Wan 

Riding a wave of critical success in the States, The Conjuring has outsold almost every big budget blockbuster 

of the summer with a meager budget of only $20m in comparison. Directed by James Wan, the 

man who kick-started the torture-porn sub-genre a decade previously, The Conjuring is a surprisingly 

blood-free horror that bears more in common with his last work Insidious than the one that made his name. 

This is even more surprising considering horror films tend to perform better between Halloween and the end 

of winter in February. But the big question on everyone’s lips has to be, is it scary? 

Carolyn (Lily Taylor) and Roger Perron (Ron Livingston) with their five daughters move into a secluded 

Rhode Island farmhouse. Strange things start happening in and around the house at night. Turns out, it’s not 

just fear that’s playing hide-and-seek with their minds.With haunted houses, creepy cellars, possessed dolls, 

cold and lonely nights, paranormal occurrences and exorcism, concept-wise, ‘The Conjuring’ is not earthshatteringly 

‘different’. While the setting and story are familiar, it’s the no-nonsense execution that makes the 

difference. Much to our satisfaction, filmmaker James Wan’s (Saw, Insidious) direction defies the done-to-death 

horror movie clichés that have so far caused most people to disregard the genre. There are no cheap thrills, no 

over-the-top sound effects, no annoying camera angles (found footage style), overindulgence in gore or visual 

grossness and no aping horror’s cult classic ‘The Exorcist’. 

Wan does not succumb to sensationalising the story either. It’s the subtle and steady build-up of suspense 

and psychological tension, coupled with sudden spine-chilling scares and dramatic silences that make you go 

numb with fear. Above all, other than demons, evil spirits, ghosts and darkness, the film has a soul, where you 

feel for the characters. Not many horror films manage to achieve this. 

Performances are understated, yet effective. Vera Farminga plays psychic Lorraine Warren with utmost 

conviction. Lily Taylor’s performance as the vulnerable mother is noteworthy. James Wan pulls all the right 

strings to create an atmosphere so tense and unnerving that if evil spirits feed on your fear, so does the film. 

PLAYING AT 

CINEMAX 

FUN CINEMAS 

ANURADHA CINEPLEX 

APSARA CINEMA 

chennai express Daily at 11 

AM, 2 PM, 5 PM & 8 PM 

chennai express Daily at 11 

AM, 2 PM, 5 PM & 8 PM 

chennai express Daily at 9.30 

AM, 12.10 AM, 2.50 PM, 5.30 PM & 

8.30 PM 

SCREEN 1 


AM,11.15 AM & 2.15 PM, 5.15 PM, 8.15 

PM 

SCREEN 2 


AM. 12 PM, 3 PM, 6 PM, 9 PM 

Reviews

16 

Fashion 

Skin deep in art! 

neHa jain 

If you want to look cool and chic, get inked 

because this is what everyone is doing 

these days. Everyone has been bitten by 

the oh-so-cool tattoo bug. 

Getting your first tattoo is a rite of passage. 

Walking on the wild side can be intoxicating, 

because you know your parents won’t 

approve. But you see this beautiful art on others 

and want to join them. Maybe you want to 

up your cool quotient, or simply celebrate an 

event or have a divine connect with your tattoos 

which give you strength. 

GPlus visited a few local tattoo studios 

and found out the latest tattoo trends. 

At Ripz Tattoo & Piercing, located on Rajgarh 

Link Road, the tattooist Ripon Basak 

aka Ripz said “The trend of tattoos in Guwahati 

is slowly increasing. I draw on 3 to 4 

clients daily. People from the age of 20 upto 

35 get themselves inked. Parents also often accompany 

their kids to the studio to get their 

child inked.” He even has a client who got 

himself a tattoo at the age of 67. 

Another famous tattooist in Guwahati, 

Gunajit who owns Tatynpobka (tattoo in Russian) 

Tattoo studio in Rajgarh said, “While 

earlier, people got their tattoos done from 

places like Bangalore, Delhi, Bangkok et al 

but now, it is only next door. There are about 

20 tattoo studios in Guwahati.” 

When asked if people are willing to pay to 

get inked, both had different views. Ripz said, 

“Although tattoos are exorbitantly priced, 

people don’t mind shelling out money to ink 

their body.” While Gunajit expressed that 

many a times he has to compromise on price 

since he understands that the pockets of college 

students are not so deep. 

TATTOOS in TREnd 

There are as many styles of tattoos as 

there are artists. Tattoos which are in vogue 

here are tribal tattoos and portraits. Girls opt 

for more conventional ones like butterflies, 

cupids and angels on their back and calf, 

while guys like signs of OM or gods. Some get 

scripts like Gayatri Matra inked, others go for 

names of their partners, parents, kids. One 

of the inspirations to be getting tattoos is our 

celebs. People come with a wish to get a tattoo 

which Hrithik, Deepika or the Rock sport. 

With more and more stars getting inked, the 

craze is at an all time high. Although ambigram 

and 3D tattoos are in fashion in the metros, 

here they do not seem to be catching up. 

Permanent tattoos are more admired 

than a temporary one which stays on your 

skin for about a week. They are just popular 

in birthday parties, school fetes, and similar 

occasions. 

But before you get your guitar gently 

inked on your bicep or a butterfly on your 

back, it’s important to do your research and 

know what you’re getting into. 

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 

Here are 10 tips for the 

tattoo virgin. 

Be Picky About the Parlour While a 

spontaneous trip to the tattoo parlour always 

sounds like a fun idea, you should take 

a bit of time and pick out a good one prior 

to hopping in the car. 

Follow Aftercare instructions Make 

sure to take care of the tattoo, the first couple 

of days are crucial. 

Avoid Alcohol Avoid alcohol right before 

you get a tattoo, it will cause you to bleed 

more. 

Check Your Spelling Check your spelling 

with any tribal or foreign letters, it might 

mean something other than what you think. 

Get a Bid Make sure you get a bid on your 

tattoo before the inking starts, this helps 

you avoid being over charged. 

Location, Location Location of the tattoo 

is almost as important as the tattoo itself. 

design Challenge Designing the tattoo is 

very important, size and angle can make or 

break a tattoo. 

Size isn’t Everything A big tattoo is not 

always the best tattoo. 

Go With a Friend Getting your first tattoo 

can be painful, make sure to go with a 

friend to help ease the pain. 

You Will Suffer for Your Art The pain 

can be a major discomfort depending on 

your pain tolerance, and where you get your 

tattoo. 

Black n gray tattoos – `600 per sq. in. 

Colored tattoos – `700 - 800 per sq. in. 

3d tattoos – `1000 per sq. in. 

Temporary tattoos – `300 to `1000

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 17 

G-Check 

REFRESH 

YOURSELF 

As the temperature climbs and the humidity rises, summer 

coolers are a tasty way to defeat the heat. There’s nothing 

quite like a tall glass of cool fresh fruit juice to hit the spot 

on a super-warm day. Poured by the pitcher over heaps of 

ice, these summertime concoctions are made of fresh fruit, 

sparkling water, toned milk and fruit crushes. 

If you live in Guwahati and haven’t been to Juicy Hut, 

then it’s time to take a trip to this awesome juice shop now. 

Freshly blended fruit juices, prompt service and a bright 

smile on the faces of the father-son duo is what makes Juicy 

Hut a must visit place to chill your spines this summer. The 

juice shop has been around for 17 years and has customers 

flocking in at all times of the day. Seasonal fruits like mangoes, 

grapes, oranges, etc. are special favourites among 

people and some mango lovers walk in only to have mango 

shakes. Relishing the thick and creamy milkshakes and the 

refreshing fruit juices, one can also bite in fresh sandwiches 

at the shop. 

With average sales of 90-100 glasses of juices/shakes per 

day, Juicy Hut has college students visiting them in the afternoons 

during lunch breaks and professionals visiting in the 

evenings. The peak rush hour however is from 6 to 8 in the 

evening. Mr. Harish Batra, proud owner, is assisted by his son 

Mr. Surendra in running the shop. They make local purchases 

of fruits and usually buy in lots which last for a few days. 

Takeaway facility of juices and shakes in disposable glasses 

is also available. 

They provide awesome quality at not very high prices. 

Strawberry Shake 

blackcurrant Shake 

Blackcurrants are 

amongst some of the 

richest naturally occurring 

sources of Vitamin 

C, making them great for 

fighting colds and winter 

ailments, and they also 

have high antioxidant 

content. 

`40 

Beat the sweltering 

summer heat with freshly 

blended fruit juices at 

Juicy Hut, our pick of the 

week. 

Prerna THarD 

Strawberries are powerhouses of healthy 

nutrients. In addition to being low in calories 

and high in vitamin C and potassium, 

berries are high in fibre, making them an 

excellent way to keep you full. 

Mango Shake 

Like other oranges and 

deep yellow fruits, mangoes 

are exceptionally 

high in beta-carotene. 

The high fibre content in 

mangoes also helps induce 

feelings of fullness. 

`40 

`50 

Apart from shakes, JUICY HUT also sells 

a variety of fruit juices. Mausambi, Watermelon, 

Pineapple & apple are some of the 

popular ones. 

`50 - `100 

OUR TiP 

Consume the juice immediately 

after it’s made. 

None of the vital nutrients 

are lost that way. Also, 

try having juices without 

any additives, sugars or 

sweeteners. 

TRiViA 

A FUN and EASY way 

to get more vitamins & 

minerals into your diet 

is by drinking freshly 

made fruit juices and by 

blending thick and frothy 

smoothies and shakes 

from frozen fruits. 

THE PLACE 

Juicy Hut, Zoo Road, Zoo Tiniali, Guwahati 

QUICK SIPS 

Fresh fruit juices and Shakes 

QUICK BITES 

Sandwich, Fruit Cream 

WE TRIED 

Black Current Shake, Mango Shake, 

Cold Coffee and Fruit Cream. 

TIMINGS 

10 am to 9 pm all days 

SEATING 

Few stools available to sit just outside the shop 

and most customers generally stand and sip 

juices or have a quick bite of the munchies. 

OUR REVIEW 

Prompt service, good quality, hygienic and value 

for money.

18 

Web watch 

Now, watch Mahabharata on 

Mahabharata has arrived on YouTube. Officially. An India 

based entertainment firm announced an animated web-series 

based on the tales of Mahabharata. The web series, created with 

the help of Grant Morrison, who earlier worked on projects 

like Fantastic Four and All Star Superman, is an original work 

created specifically for YouTube. 

The series, created by Graphic India, is part of efforts 

that Google is making to pitch YouTubeas a viable alternative 

to traditional television. 

The animated series is titled 18 Days. The first episode is 

available now and the rest of the episodes will be launched on 

YouTube in weekly installments throughout the year. The series 

will be released in English, Hindi and Tamil. 

Google Adds Touch Features To Chrome 

Google is finally testing out some touch-friendly features for its Chrome 

browser, which seem to be more and more needed with all the mobile devices 

running the browser. 

The update adds new features including the ability to swipe left to right, or 

right to left, to shift forward or back through visited web pages. 

And if you go poking around the Flags section of the browser you 

can also find the “enable pinch scale” option which lets you zoom in 

and out. Windows 8 also gets a tiny bit of love with Chrome fully 

supporting the on-screen keyboard on the desktop. 

Google warns users that Canary is prone to complete failures 

and is designed for developers and early adopters. The stable 

Chrome browser has 750 million active users browsing across 

multiple operating systems. 

Earlier this year Microsoft announced that with the help of Windows 8.1 and industry partners, end users will expect touchscreens 

on PCs the same way they do on smartphones, leading to 80% of all Windows 8 devices having touchscreens by 2014. 

AnimAted music 

video from 

northeAst crosses 

1 million views 

Official Music Video of Indian Indie Rock 

artist Axl Hazarika’s Hum Badal Gaye crossed 

1 Million views. 

Video by Axl & Ryan Hazarika 

Produced by John Henry 

Motorola Gives Friends and 

Family a Free Moto X to Test 

Online Configuration Engine 

Motorola is offering workers a chance to reward friends and 

family with a discount on theMoto X if they agree to test the 

online Moto Maker configuration system. The Google-owned 

hardware company is offering $200 or more to those who test 

the online customization program and provide feedback on the 

ordering process and the device itself, according to program 

details seen by AllThingsD. Some participants can get a further 

$250 in incentives by providing additional information in an 

interview with Motorola. 

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 

Apply for 

pAssports viA 

smArtphones 

soon 

Citizens may 

soon be able 

to fill passport 

applications via 

smart phones 

with the ministry 

of external 

Affairs (MEA) 

making efforts to 

roll out the service across the country in a few months. 

Briefing the media about new passport services, joint secretary, 

Passport Seva Project and chief passport officer Muktesh 

Kumar Pardeshi said mobile users with android phones could 

soon apply for passport from their smart phones through the 

mPassport Seva app. They could download the application at 

. As of now, the MEA is providing various services, including 

passport application status, tracking, locating the Passport 

Seva Kendra (PSK) and general information on various steps 

involved in obtaining a passport to smart phone and tablet 

users. 

Zynga to close 

down oMgPoP 

next Month; 

draw soMething 

franchise survives 

Zynga has announced shutting down OMGPOP, the 

game development studio behind the popular game 

Draw Something. The company had recently announced 

closing down four of OMGPOP games - Cupcake Corner, 

Gem Rush, Pool World Champ and Snoopson- on its 

player support forum. 

OMGPOP.com will be officially closed down September 

30, 2013. However, users can continue to play Draw 

Something, Draw Something 2 or Draw My Thing after 

OMGPOP.com has been shuttered. 

“Our goal at Zynga is to give players the opportunity 

to play the most fun and social games. With this goal in 

mind, we have decided to close OMGPOP.com to make 

way for new and exciting gaming opportunities,” says the 

company on the support forum.

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 19 

HEAD HEAD 

TO 

1 

In the world of budget tablets, there is hardly anything to differentiate 

between two brands. The reason being the price - it is a budget tablet 

and so you will not have much of a choice because after all, you cannot 

have the best of both worlds. However, here we attempt to take a look at 

two of them and while both have their pros and cons. The IdeaTab A1000 

is Lenovo’s latest entry into the budget tablet market. It feels very solid 

and well built with dual front facing Dolby speakers and equalizer. It has 

a good overall system performance. But its low internal memory allocation 

causes errors resulting in the inability to install apps sometimes. It 

also lacks automatic display brightness and has a low screen resolution. 

Micromax, on the other hand, has already come up with a good number 

of tablets in the Indian market and has launched a new 7 inch tablet, the 

Micromax Funbook Talk P362. It comes loaded with the Android 4.1 JellyBean 

OS and voice-calling support. However it has only a 0.3 MP front 

camera and the battery backup is pretty low too. Other features include a 

2-megapixel rear camera and 1 GB RAM. At the price which is less than 

8k, both the tablets are decent buys but the Lenovo edges out the Micromax 

marginally due to its brand reliability and finish. 

2 

Screen 

Processor 

OS 

RAM 

1. LEnOVO 

Lets face it, Most of us would 

still prefer our tabs to be 

branded as Lenovo rather than 

some new brand. The fact that 

lenovo has been around for 

quite some time making computing 

devices surely helps the 

brand in the tablet market. 

2. dOLBY 

The Lenovo definately sounds 

better with support for 

DOULBY DIGITAL. One of the 

few tablets in the market that 

will promise good sounding 

entertainment. 

3. BLindEd 

Sadly, the Lenovo doesnt have 

a primary camera as compared 

to the Micromax, which 

has a 2 MP primary camera on 

its back. 

Battery 

3G support 

Camera 

Storage 

Weight 

Lenovo idea Tab A1000 Micromax Funbook Talk P362 

7 inch capacitive touch 

supporting 1024 x 600 pixels 

1 GB 

7 inch capacitive touch 

supporting 800 x 480 pixels 

1.2 GHz MTK8317 Dual Core 1.2GHz Cortex-A9 single Core 

0.3 MP front Yescamera, 0.3 MP No front camera 

no primary camera & 2 MP primary camera 

4 GB internal and 

expandable upto 32 GB 

Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) 

3500 mAh 3000 mAh 

3 

1.65 GB internal and 

expandable upto 32 GB 

340 g N.A. 

Product

20 

Fun 

YOUR WEEKLY DOSE OF TIMEPASS 

HOROSCOPE 

ARIES 

Cool your jets as the week begins 

— competitively speaking, that is. You 

need to put the proverbial ‘other guy’ 

first on Monday if you want to keep 

things copacetic. On Tuesday and 

Wednesday, expect to become lost in 

your own thoughts. You’ve got a lot on 

your mind right now, but a little opportune 

introversion could be just what you 

need. On Thursday, Friday and early 

Saturday, you’ll be at your adventurous, 

assertive best, ready for anything 

and first at the starting line. Later on 

Saturday and on into Sunday, others 

will help you get ahead in unexpected 

ways. 

TAURUS 

Look for some unexpected fun 

in your routine as the week begins. 

Monday might seem dull and dreary, 

but count on friends and coworkers to 

come to the rescue. On Tuesday and 

Wednesday, moodiness might get 

the better of you if you’re not careful. 

Make sure you keep a lid on any overly 

intense emotions (especially jealousy 

and possessiveness). On Thursday, Friday 

and early Saturday, use charm to 

get your ideas across — especially if 

it means persuading those who don’t 

share your point of view. Later on Saturday 

and Sunday, find enlightenment 

by seeing things from somebody else’s 

perspective. 

GEMINI 

Follow-through is overrated as 

this week begins. You’ve got so much 

energy and creativity on Monday that 

you need to devote yourself to starting 

projects and initiating action. Let somebody 

else sort out the details later. On 

Tuesday and Wednesday, count on 

the action to slow down just a bit, but 

that’s only because you’re more interested 

in observing — and analyzing 

— than acting right now. On Thursday, 

Friday and early Saturday, don’t be 

too dogmatic. You can get your point 

across much more charmingly (and 

persuasively, too). Later on Saturday 

and on into Sunday, beware of hidden 

agendas. 

JUST FOR LAUGHS 

CANCER 

The start of your week might not 

go quite as smoothly as you’d like. 

Watch for conflict on Monday (especially 

at home) and use your natural 

empathy to help keep the peace. On 

Tuesday and Wednesday, expect an 

emotional storm front to roll in. While 

flaring passions can be a good thing, 

you’ll have a tough time making decisions 

(and, of course, sticking with them). 

On Thursday, Friday and early Saturday, 

put yourself first for a change — 

a little selfishness could do you good. 

From Saturday afternoon through 

Sunday, lay low. You could use some 

solitude right now to work out your 

feelings. 

LEO 

People will be falling all over 

themselves to agree with you as the 

week begins. You’ve got the charm 

(and the energy) on Monday to start 

a mass movement — or even just get 

a small but important project started. 

On Tuesday and Wednesday, look 

beneath the surface. You can trust your 

intuition to uncover others’ true motivations. 

On Thursday, Friday and early on 

Saturday, you’re at your adventurous, 

assertive best. Count on others to be 

dazzled by your natural warmth and 

charisma. Later on Saturday and on 

into Sunday, help out someone in need. 

VIRGO 

Expect an unusual surge of impulsiveness 

as the week begins. You’ll want 

to splash out extravagantly on Monday 

— but don’t be surprised if you can’t 

decide exactly how or when. On Tuesday 

and Wednesday, give your curiosity 

free rein. That intellectual inquisitiveness 

can help you learn a lot from 

others right now. On Thursday, Friday 

and early on Saturday, try to go with 

the flow. Resist the urge to rush ahead, 

even if slowing down seems risky. Later 

on Saturday and Sunday, your hard 

work will pay off in a surprising (and 

fun!) way. 

LIBRA 

Every week should begin like this! 

You’re full of confidence and charm 

on Monday and people just can’t get 

enough of you. Flirt with abandon. On 

Tuesday and Wednesday, expect to 

feel some unusual stinginess. But you 

can put that financial focus to good use 

— take time out to reassess your longterm 

plans and budgets. On Thursday, 

Friday and early Saturday, you’ll have 

exceptionally fine-tuned communication 

skills. You can juggle a hundred 

ideas at once and get almost any point 

across. Later on Saturday and Sunday, 

take time to enjoy a nostalgic look back 

— but just don’t get too sentimental. 

SCORPIO 

Don’t hesitate to kick around 

ideas as the week begins. You’ll find 

that you’re exceptionally philosophical 

and insightful on Monday, which is 

the perfect match for your introverted, 

introspective mood. On Tuesday and 

Wednesday, your magnetic personality 

will win you admiration and affection. 

Use that burst of popularity to 

your advantage. On Thursday, Friday 

and the early part of Saturday, be 

cautious about taking risks. No matter 

who’s cheering you on, if something 

seems too good to be true, it probably 

is. Later on Saturday and into Sunday, 

put your plans into action. 

SAGITTARIUS 

You must be doing something right, 

because everybody loves you as the 

week begins. Make your desires known 

on Monday and don’t be surprised if 

others help you see those wishes fulfilled. 

On Tuesday and Wednesday, 

your usual easygoing nature might give 

way to moodiness if you’re not careful. 

Slow down and be patient with yourself, 

even if that means taking time out 

for quiet introspection. On Thursday, 

Friday and early Saturday, you’re full 

of generous energy and gregarious 

goodwill again, so live it up with friends. 

Later on Saturday and on into Sunday, 

have faith in your own originality and 

inventiveness. 

As the crowded elevator descended, Mrs. Kumar became increasingly furious with her 

husband, who was delighted to be pressed against a drop dead gorgeous young lady. 

As the elevator stopped at the main floor, the lady suddenly whirled, slapped Mr. Kumar, 

and said, “That will teach you to pinch!” 

Bewildered, Mr. Kumar was halfway to the parking lot with his wife when he choked, “I... 

I didn’t pinch that girl.” 

“Of course you didn’t,” replied his wife, consolingly, “I did.” 

Solutions (Last Issue) 

CAPRICORN 

Get something started as the 

week begins! You’re full of initiative 

and energy on Monday, so it’s a perfect 

time to kick off a new project. On 

Tuesday and Wednesday, you’ll have 

an unusual mastery of the details. Use 

this super-powered perspective to 

organize your priorities and lay out 

ambitious plans. That focus on planning 

should carry you through Thursday, Friday 

and the first part of Saturday, as 

long as you can maintain faith in your 

ability to accomplish the (seemingly!) 

impossible. Later on Saturday and Sunday, 

expect to get a lot done — and to 

get a lot of applause for doing it. 

AQUARIUS 

Try something new as your week 

begins. Your intellectual curiosity and 

natural friendliness should lead you 

to new people — and new experiences 

— on Monday. On Tuesday and 

Wednesday, expect to shift into lower 

gear, both emotionally and mentally. 

You might need some time to yourself 

right now to sort out your long-term 

goals and ambitions. On Thursday, 

Friday and the early part of Saturday, 

you’ll be back to your good ol’ gregarious 

self — and just in time, because 

friends and friends-to-be can’t get 

enough of your positive presence. Later 

on Saturday and into Sunday, keep 

your head down and resist the urge to 

overanalyze. 

PISCES 

Watch out for problems in a 

partnership as the week begins. 

You need to keep an eye out for 

conflicting details and demands on 

Monday — you’re the one who has to 

strike the balance. On Tuesday and 

Wednesday, don’t hesitate to stand 

up for yourself, especially in legal and 

financial matters. On Thursday, Friday 

and the first part of Saturday, count on 

having the odds in your favor. Stand 

up for the little guy, even if you’re the 

only one who realizes it’s the right 

thing to do. From Saturday afternoon 

through Sunday, look for support from 

friends in high places. 

SUDOKU 

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 

What is Kaal Sarp dosh? 

The 12 types of Kaal Sarp Dosh are 1. Anant, 2. 

Kulik, 3. Vasuki, 4. Shankhpal, 5. Padma, 6. Mahapadma, 

7. Takshak, 8. Karkotak, 9. Shankhchud, 10. 

Ghaatak, 11. Vishdhar and 12. Sheshnag. 

The Kaal Sarp Yog is of two types- Ascending and 

Descending. If all the 7 planets are eaten away by Rahu’s 

mouth then it is Ascending Kaal Sarp Yog. If all 

planets are situated in back of Rahu then Descending 

Kaal Sarp Yog is formed.

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 21 

Travel 

Ladakh, the land of jagged peaks and 

barren landscape is alluring and aweinspiring. 

Bounded by two of the 

world’s largest mountain ranges, Karakoram 

and the Himalayas, Ladakh redefines the 

concept of natural beauty. The roads leading 

to the Himalayan region of Ladakh are open 

for only four months in a year and remain 

snowbound for the remaining eight. 

If you can take thin oxygen levels and 

some hardships on a holiday, brace yourself 

for a roller coaster ride to Leh -Ladakh. 

MUST SEE PLACES in LEH – LAdAKH 

nubra valley Known for its orchards, 

scenic vistas, Bactrian camels and monasteries; 

Nubra Valley is the northernmost part 

of Jammu and Kashmir. Situated about 150 

km from Leh, Nubra Valley is known as the 

Orchard of Ladakh and was originally called 

Ldumra which meant the valley of flowers. 

Surrounded by snowcapped Himalayan 

ranges, Nubra valley lies sandwiched between 

Tibet and Kashmir. The view of the 

valley is picturesque and breathtaking. During 

winter, the whole valley looks like landscape 

of the moon (reason for calling Moonland) 

and in summer full of greenery. 

Pangong lake Situated in the upper 

reaches of Himalayan Mountain range 

in Leh district of Jammu and Kashmir, the 

most notable feature of the lake is the ever 

changing hues of the lake. The Pangong lake 

is about five hours drive from Leh. The route 

passes through beautiful Ladakh country 

side, over Chang La, the third highest 

motorable mountain pass (5289 m) in the 

world. The first glimpse of the serene, bright 

blue waters and rocky lakeshore are stimulating. 

The scenic beauty of the lake was also 

PAnGOnG LAKE: A day view of the majestic pangong lake 

LAMAYURU MOnASTERY: Seen here is one of the major tourist attractions in the regions 

a backdrop for some excellent movies. The 

climax portions of the 2009 blockbuster ‘3 

Idiots’ was filmed in that location. Also, the 

song sequence ‘Tu Hi Tu’ from Dil Se was 

also shot there. 

zanskar valley Snuggled between 

the Great Himalayas to the south and the 

Zanskar mountains to the north, the Zans 

On Top of the World 

a Gplus feature 

kar valley is one of the most remote places 

of India. The valley is a mecca for adventure 

travel enthusiasts. In summer, adventure 

lovers come here to raft on the ferocious 

Zanskar river. Deep gorges, snow glaciers 

and a number of small religious spots dot 

the Zanskar valley. Its unique high passes 

and the valleys, crystal clear streams and 

green meadows are very attractive, especially 

to nature lovers. There are many trekking 

routes within Zanskar itself. 

Lamayuru Monastery It’s difficult 

to choose the best amongst so many beautiful 

monasteries in Leh-Ladakh. If you want 

your touristy dose of seeing monks on orange 

robes performing quaint rituals, a visit 

to the Lamayuru monastery is a must. It is 

one of the oldest and largest monasteries of 

Ladakh. One would love seeing the beautiful 

caves carved out of the mountains at the 

monastery. 

TRAVEL TIPS 

By air: There are direct flights from Delhi, 

Srinagar and Jammu. 

• By road: Approximate distance from Chandigarh 

to Leh via Manali is 800 km. 

Approximate distance from Srinagar to Leh 

is 440 km. State transport buses also ply 

on the Srinagar-Leh route. 

• Best time to go: June to early-October when 

roads are open, but dates vary every year. 

No vehicular movement is possible the rest 

of the year. One can fly in all other times 

depending on the capacity to withstand the 

cold. 

• Altitude Sickness: Altitude sickness can 

affect even the fittest. Make sure you allow 

yourself plenty of time to acclimatize after 

arriving in Leh. Consult a doctor beforehand 

about any medication to be carried. Take 

proper rest, food and sufficient amounts of 

water. 

• Connectivity: Most mobile networks work 

in Leh and Kargil, with high speed Internet 

available. Most other places either have no 

connectivity or only state run BSNL works 

• Security: There are no security issues in 

Ladakh, it is very safe. 

• Carry hard cash: Credit cards are mostly 

not accepted. .

22 

G-Talk 

POINT 

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 

Will the Assamese film industry 

ever regain its past glory? 

Ravi Sharma 

Actor 

There are many factors right now for such a crisis. The quality of a film 

is judged only when people go and watch it. Although we have lost that 

faith of the people but I believe there is still a large chunk of population 

who loves to watch Assamese films and in fact come to the theatres to 

watch them. When more of this audience will start watching films then 

obviously the producers will make money and in this way, the budget for 

the coming movies can be increased and the quality of the films can be 

improved. The Assamese film industry will definitely flourish only when 

the following factors are dealt with immediate force. The first is the time 

allotment for screening of the Assamese films. Mostly, we are allotted the 

11.00 A.M. slot, which is very odd because most of the audience do not 

come to the theatres at this time of the day. Moreover, the distributors who 

are operating here are mostly non-assamese and so they don’t feel or have 

any sentiments for the assamese people. Though they have to buy the copyrights 

for Hindi films, they don’t have to do the same for Assamese films. 

Since they do not make investments for the Assamese films, they don’t 

have any liability. In that case, we will have to be strict and demand for the 

best show timings to screen Assamese movies in the theatres. Moreover, 

when we have to screen a film we have to acquire the certificate from the 

state censor board and for that, we have to pay an amount and make a 

registration under IMPA, a Kolkata based NGO. This way the registration 

amount does not only go out of the state but it is also illogical. 

The creativity of the artiste cannot be blamed because they are very 

hard working but the marketing skills needs to be upgraded in the region 

because if you are familiar with the concept of selling then the product 

will definitely reach the audience. This is 

seriously lacking here. Our government 

too must take a strong stand now. Ear- 

lier, the entertainment tax was returned 

to the producers by the government but 

it is no longer so. They had also committed 

to finance a certain number of films 

in a year but the promise was never kept. 

Moreover, if the government sponsors 

such projects then, only the award-winning 

directors are given priority. This 

trend must change. 

Finally, yet importantly, the media 

houses and the news channels have a 

huge responsibility to properly portray 

the positive image of the industry. They 

often write stories for the sake of sensationalising 

even a petty matter which 

tends to harm the image of the film industry 

or the people related to it. These 

artistes’ live in a society where they share 

the space with other people as well, so 

the negative publicity will surely reduce 

the love for them and for the industry. 

“ 

The artiste cannot 

be blamed 

because they 

are very hard 

working but the 

marketing skills 

needs to be upgraded 

in the 

region because if 

you are familiar 

with the concept 

of selling then the 

product will definitely 

reach the 

audience. 

Chandan Sarmah 

Film Critic 

COUNTERPOINT 

The question of revival of the Assamese film industry is indeed a 

much difficult one to address and to find a solution acceptable to, at 

least, the conscious section of Assamese film lovers is complicated. 

There was a time when the quality of a film was the only factor for it 

to click at the box office. But, now that the boom of the multiplexes 

has literally dominated the entire film business, the size of a movie has 

become the main factor. Moreover, besides the overall magnitude of the 

film — right from the star cast, acting quality to the locations, songs 

and splendidly designed choreography to the visual effects — the audience, 

by and large, are always crave some sort of uniqueness in the film. 

Probably, the success of ‘Bhag Milkha Bhag’ is the best example in this 

regard. 

Well, agreed that Assamese cinema cannot be expected to attain 

that height overnight. There are limitations as far as the production 

budget is concerned because the business outlet for Assamese cinema 

is just within the state of Assam. An Assamese film is commercially 

released in not more that 50 theatres of the state. Therefore, to hit the 

bulls eye with limited budget, one has to make optimum use of the basic 

ingredients of film-making. Such as, unique storyline, outstanding 

script, convincing acting, refreshing music and distinctive directorial 

treatment. Of course, the minimum technical fineness is very much required 

to make the film at least acceptable to some extent. In Assam, 

there is a batch of new generation actors who have proved their credibility. 

Same is the case with Assam’s film technicians also. The disappointing 

aspects in the present-day Assamese cinema are uniqueness 

in storyline, a proper script and proper 

directorial skill. It is indeed a fact 

that one needs huge amounts of 

money to make a real good film but 

‘baandhon’ by 

jahnu barua 

and ‘Dwaar’ 

by bidyut 

Chakravortty 

do not play 

such a big role 

in the process 

of revival of 

assamese film 

industry. 

“ 

there is no question of money in 

case of conceiving a unique storyline 

and preparing a perfect script. 

A ‘Baandhon’ by Jahnu Barua 

and ‘Dwaar’ by Bidyut Chakravortty 

do not play such a big role in 

the process of revival of Assamese 

film industry. There has to be a 

complete professional approach of 

both the producer and the director 

first to make a real good film and 

then to sell it. National sentiment 

does not ensure success of an Assamese 

film. The latest Assamese 

releases are profound examples but 

it is also true that the Assamese 

film-lovers, even now, are fond of 

Assamese cinema. However, there 

has to be at least some quality in a 

film in order to capitalise on that 

sentiment.

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 23 

Railway Ticketing Agents 

Citypedia 

GPlus will keep on publishing such relevant and useful information in this page in the coming issues. Compiled by Rangman Das 

CHAKRABORTY TRAVELS 

AK Azad Road, Rehabari 


Phone No – 0361-2735482, 98640- 

10603 

FREEdOM TOURS & TRAVELS 

Narengi Tiniali 


Phone No – 0361-2640112, 98640- 

30400 

GREAT EASTERn TRAVELS 

B.Baruah Road, Ulubari 


Phone No – 0361-2520561, 0361- 

2527840 

USHA TRAVELS 

HB Road, Fancybazar 


Phone No – 0361-2570567 

SS AGARWAL TRAVELS 

GS Road, Paltanbazar 


Phone No – 0361-2548189 

SiddHi VinAYAK TRAVELS 



Phone No – 99548-94628 

A TO z TOURS & TRAVELS 



Phone No – 0361-2607077, 98643- 

02486 

GRAPHix 

Near Bihutoli, Rajgarh Road 


Phone No – 0361-2451125, 98640- 

66092 

GARG TOURS & TRAVELS 

76, M.S. Road 


Phone No – 0361-2547159 

nEERAj TREndLinE SERViCES 

Lohia Market, Fancy Bazar 


Phone No – 0361-2131244, 98641- 

15100 

MSU TRAVEL & TRAdE AGEnCY 

GMC Market, Fancy Bazar 


Phone No – 0361-2542877, 98640- 

33734 

HUEnTSAnG TRAVELS 

Dighalipukhuri, Guwahati – 781001 

Phone No – 99547-04997 

dAYAL COMMUniCATiOn 

Maligaon, Guwahati – 781012 

Phone No – 0361-2679602 

AG TRAVELS 

Solapara Road, Paltanbazar 


Phone No – 99547-07650 

SUMAnGALAM TRAVELS 

Bhuyan Market, MS Road 


Phone No – 94355-545 

LUxURiAS indiA 

Satgaon, Guwahati – 781017 

Phone No – 0361-2643691, 99543- 

82066 

PC TOURS & TRAVEL 

Danish Road, Lakhtokia 


Phone No – 0361-2731217 

indiRA HOLidAYS 

Jagabandhu Apptt, Bhangagarh 


Phone No – 0361-2463601 

4 SEASOnS TOUR n TRAVELS 

New Guwahati, Guwahati – 781021 

Phone No – 0361-2659294 

indRAni AiR TRAVELS (P) LTd 

T C Lekharu Market 

AT Road, Guwahatoi – 781001 

Phone No – 0361-2542396, 99540- 

98158 

S KUMAR & BROS 

Athgaon, Guwahati – 781001 

Phone No – 0361-2542396, 99540- 

98158 

ALOK COMMUniCATiOn 

Opp Gurucharan Hospital, Paltan 

Bazar 


Phone No – 0361-2730893, 94356- 

09377 

dEKA TRAVELS 

GNB Road, Silpukhuri 


Phone No – 98643-04750 

FRiEndS TRAVELS 

FA Road, Kumarpara 


Phone No – 98640-64416 

BLUE HiLL TRAVELS indiA LTd 

HPB Road, Paltanbazar 


Phone No – 0361-2607145 

SHiLA WORLd TRAVELS 

Ulubari, Guwahati – 781007 

Phone No – 0361-2730503, 

2730504 

SAMSARA COMMUniCATiOn 

Rajgarh Road 


jATinGA TRAVELS 

Solapara Road, Manipuribasti 


Phone No – 0361-2734333 

GLOBAL TOURS & TRAVELS 

Opp Namghar, Hatigaon 


Phone No – 0361-2229320, 98640- 

73065 

nEELAM 

Moni Bazar, Fancybazar 


Phone No – 0361-2517523, 94351- 

04146 

ASiAn HOLidAYS 

RGB Road, Guwahati – 781003 

Phone No – 0361-2455300, 98640- 

32951 

SHREE TOURS & TRAVELS 

GNB Road, Panbazar 


Phone No – 0361- 

2735883/2602771/92070-42780 

PRiYAnKA EnTERPRiSE 

B Boro Market, Ganeshguri 


Phone No – 0361-2229412, 94351- 

48454 

BAjRAnG TOURS & TRAVELS 

SJ Road, Athgaon 


Phone No – 94357-03963 

jUPiTER TRAVELS 

Dewan Mansion, Ganeshguri 


Phone No – 0361-2343048, 98540- 

91062 

SUMiTRA TRAVELS 

Jyoti Complex, Ulubari 


Phone No – 98642-62042 

OVERSEAS TRAVEL HUB 

Opp ASTC, Paltanbazar, 


Phone No – 0361-2734744, 98642- 

22397 

Ad COMMUniCATiOnS 

Tiptop Gali, Lakhtokia 


Phone No – 97072-44444 

dR STORE 

Debadaru Path, Dispur 


Phone No – 99549-57379 

BEniSOn TOURS & TRAVELS 

Opp. SBI, Silpukhuri 


Phone No – 98640-31289, 99547- 

27446 

E-GEnERATiOn TRAVELS 

Rajbari Path, Ganeshguri 


Phone No – 0361-2341578, 99575- 

64360 

GLAnCEd TOUR & TRAVELS 

Beltola Tiniali 


Phone No – 98640-27814, 96138- 

45929 

TRAVEL PORT 

Divine Plaza, Dispur 


Phone No – 0361-2229201/2 

HiMAnSHU TRAVELS 

TRP Road, Fancy Bazar 


Phone No – 0361-2737800, 94351- 

46998 

THE EARTH TOURS & TRAVELS 

Manipuribasti, Guwahati – 781007 

Phone No – 98640-71276 

PAnKAj AViATES 

263, Basistha Road 


Phone No – 0361-2306170, 94355- 

46712 

GOOdFRiEnd TRAVELS 

AM Road, Opp Apsara Cinema Hall 


Phone No – 94351-11722 

SiROY LiLY TRAVELS 

Solapara Road, Paltanbazar 


Phone No – 99548-74005 

ARVind TOURS & TRAVELS 

S.J. Road, Aathgaon, 

Guwahati - 781008 

Phone No - 9864067950

24 

Catching up 

Headlining acts! 

Zooey Claire 

Deschanel 

WHO’S SHE? 

Zooey Claire Deschanel 

This babe was born on January 17, 

1980. She is an American actor, musician 

and singer-songwriter. 

SO WHAT? 

In 1999, Deschanel made her film 

debut with Mumford followed by her 

breakout role as a young protagonist 

William Miller’s rebellious older sister 

Anita in Cameron Crowe’s 2000 semi-autobiographical 

film Almost Famous. She 

has also starred in films like The Good 

Girl, Elf, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the 

Galaxy, Failure to Launch and Bridge to 

Terabithia 

nOW WHAT? 

She has attempted to woo 

all women by launching a 

female-oriented website, 

“Hello Giggles”. The website 

will serve as an entertainment 

for females who are 

smart and independent and its 

content is mostly lady-friendly. The main 

aim of the website is to teach young girls to 

be strong & positive 

Micromax owners arrested 

for alleged graft 

Police arrested two owners of mobile phone maker 

Micromax Informatics for allegedly paying a bribe 

to civic officials. Rajesh Agrawal and Manish Tuli 

were caught paying 30 lakhs to civic workers, police 

said. Two officials of the Delhi municipal corporation 

were also arrested. Although Mr Agrawal and Mr 

Tuli have not yet commented, Micromax said it had 

“nothing to do with alleged personal misconduct of 

arrested individuals”. 

GPLUS 

OPINION 

POLL 

PREVIOUS POLL 

RESULT 

Should we have more 

states in Assam? 

24% YES / 76% NO 

Will you celebrate 

Independance Day? 

SMS GPLUS YES/NO to 56677 

What did i just hear? 

Senior Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav asked the 

Centre to withdraw all IAS officers from the state. He said 

“state would ask the Centre to withdraw all IAS officers; 

the government would run with the help of its (provincial 

services) officers”. 

Raghuram Govind Rajan 

WHO’S HE? 

Born on 3 February 1963, this man is an American 

economist. He serves as Eric J. Gleacher, Distinguished 

Service Professor of Finance, at the Booth School of 

Business at the University of Chicago. 

SO WHAT? 

Rajan is also a visiting professor for the World Bank, Federal 

Reserve Board, and Swedish Parliamentary Commission. 

He formerly served as the president of the American 

Finance Association and was the chief economist 

of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). 

nOW WHAT? 

Raghuram Govind Rajan was recently 

appointed as the Governor of the Reserve 

Bank of India (RBI) for three years. 

He will take over from D. Subbarao who 

will demit office on 

September 4. 

To subscribe 

type GPLUS 

and send 

it to 56677 

pick of the Week 

Kamur of the week 

GPLUS AUG 10 - AUG 16, 2013 

Alex Rodriguez 

WHO’S HE? 

Nicknamed “A-Rod”, he is an American baseball 

third baseman for the New York Yankees 

of Major League Baseball (MLB). 

SO WHAT? 

He previously played shortstop for the Seattle 

Mariners and the Texas Rangers. Rodriguez 

was one of the most prodigious young players 

scouts had ever seen and is now considered 

one of the greatest baseball players of all time. 

nOW WHAT? 

Major League Baseball handed Rodriguez, the 

Yankees’ third baseman, a 211-game suspension 

for using banned performance-enhancing 

drugs, as well as for tampering with an 

investigation into his use of those drugs. 

Rodriguez will be allowed to play until his 

appeal is sorted out. 

Pentagon mulls revision to same-sex benefits to mandate marriage 

The Pentagon’s much-ballyhooed extension of benefits to same-sex couples may be scaled 

back a bit, as military heads said they’re now mulling a plan to allow only legally married 

gays to take advantage. A memo from the Defense Department obtained by The Associated 

Press said the change means that gay partners may not be allowed to sign a declaration 

form — basically saying they’re partners — as a condition of receiving the benefits, but 

instead would have to show documents proving they’re legally married. 

Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos is all set to buy the famed American daily ‘The Washington Post’, one of America’s leading newspapers. 

Bezos who is one of the world’s richest men, will pay $250 million in cash for The Post and his Seattle-based Amazon will have no role in the 

purchase. Bezos himself will buy the news organization and become its sole owner when the sale is completed, probably within 60 days. 

FRIENDSHIP DAY MESSAGES As if the friendship day 

itself was not enough, now you have to reply to friendship day 

messages from people on mobiles, social networking 

sites and emails. Else it just might be that they cease 

being your friends anymore. Not that we 

would really care about that though!!! 

Printed & published by Sunit Jain on behalf of Insight Media (A division of Insight Brandcom Pvt. Ltd.) 34, KC Choudhury Road, Chatribari, Guwahati 781008, Assam. 0361 2737737, email - info@g-plus.in, Editor – Koushik Hazarika.

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