Volume No.II Issue No.VII December, 2015 Guwahati Total Pages-24

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INSID

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Th e Mileage December, 2015 3

ADVISORS

Talmizur Rahman, Chandan Kr. Goswami

Nurul Islam Laskar

CONSULTING EDITOR

Aniruddha Laskar

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Bijoy Ghimire

bijoy@themileage.org

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Deepa Kumari Basfore

DIRECTOR (Ad Sales & Business

Development)

Shanker Chetri

shanker@themileage.org

+91 8011412178

CREATIVE HEAD

Bishnu Saikia

PRO CUM LEGAL & CULTURAL REPORTER

Swapnav (Mausam) Jyoti Baishya Saud

GRAPHICS & DESIGNING

Himangshu Lahkar

Maqsood Ahmed

FOR ADVERTISEMENTS

Miku Saikia

Prachee Choudhury

Pronami Dutta

email: ad@themileage.org

Delhi : Anand K Newar +91-7042172146

CONTENT CONTRIBUTORS

Rudhir Prakash Sarma

Banani Das Chowdhury

Jainul Ali

CIRCULATION

Sanjeev Chetri +91 9577571388

Pradip Chetri

PHOTOGRAPHY

Akash Harizan, DOF

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Articles and the feature write ups are invited and

can be mailed at bijoy@themileage.org

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part of the world. # The views or opinions expressed in the magazine are that of the authors and other content providers. The editor of this magazine does not necessarily subscribe to all the viewpoints presented by them.

COVER STORYA RIGHT FOOT~BALLING

FORWARD 5-6

ANIRUDDHA LASKAR

EDUCATIONPOWER OF CORPORATE

CULTURE 7

JAINUL ALI

ENVIRONMENTTHE DIMINISHING “PRIDE OF

ASSAM” 9

AARON AJAY MATHEWS

OTHER REGULAR FEATURES

EDITORIAL PAGE 3

EVENT 16-19

ENTERTAINMENT 20

CHAT ZONE 21

PICTORIAL 22

FACES OF THE MONTH 23

CO

NT

EN

TS OPINION

SALE SELLS 10

BANANI DAS CHOWDHURY

PEOPLE AND PLACESJATINGA BIRD MYSTERY 11

DEEGANTA CHETRI

LIFESTYLEMMA - REVOLUTION IN FITNESS 13

SAMAR SARKAR

MUSICCOUNTDOWN OF TOP 10 DJS 15

MADHURI SAIKIA

Published and Printed by D.P. Upadhyaya on behalf of M/S THE MILEAGE from H/N. 39, By lane no.1, Ananda Nagar, Near Hotel Grand Starline, Guwahati -05

Email: info@themileage.org, themileage.tab@gmail.com, Contact no: 03612349928, 8876752400

(Editor-in-Chief)

The article on ‘Importance on Engineering Education’ is very interesting and informative. However, engineering is a very common subject nowadays. I would suggest if your maga-zine carries article that is now very much relevant and in demand.

Sukanya Sharma, Guwahati

It was quite delightful to go through the Entertainment section of the Oc-tober issue of your magazine where birthdays of celebrities as well as their tweets were highlighted for the fi rst time. However the Novem-ber issue did not carry the tweets. I would love to see their interesting updates in the upcoming issues.

Imtiaz Ahmed, Guwahati

I being a die-hard fan of Bhupen Hazarika would thank you wholeheartedly as your magazine has beautifully portrayed the genius’s both humanistic angle and his world as a mass communicator. Very interesting points are highlighted which I was not aware off before.

Neha Baruah, Shillong

AT a time when the global leaders should have been

busy deliberating on the challenges posed towards eliminating poverty, inequity in education, health hazards, crippled economies and so on and so

forth, they are busy formulating ways on how to combat terrorism. Since the Paris att acks, where 129 people lost their lives and downing of the airbuses of Russian airlines, war against terrorism is waged with renewed energy and aggression. ISIS is reported to be behind these att acks and if news reports from the reliable sources are to be believed, they are expanding their suzerainty in Iraq and Syria at alarming rate. Making religion as their tool, this recently organized terrorist group has crushed every parameter of humanity and has killed indiscriminately whosoever came their way to further and establish their dominance.

The entire world condemned these att acks and shared the grief of Paris and the news reports (both electronic and print) are fl ooded with every bit of information about the massacre. The latest victim countries like France and Russia did not think twice retaliating and immediately undertook aerial att acks bombarding the suspected hideouts of ISIS in

Syria. But unfortunately the collateral damage and the killing of the innocents in such att acks which include even the minors who don’t have any connections as such with terrorist groups does not make any news in the leading news channels and news papers. Thanks to the social media which have facilitated to some extent in informing people across the globe about the ongoing state of aff airs in these disturbed countries.

Now the even bigger question here is what led the creation of this dreaded and ruthless group that is called ISIS? Is it the power vacuum in Iraq aft er the American troops were withdrawn? Is it due to the youths going astray aft er the systematic destruction of Iraq by America? Or is there any hidden agenda of the western countries or that of the Middle East which helped creating a well funded and adequately armed organization which is aimed at unleashing its terror across the world. Whatever would be the nefarious designs of the countries involved; this mess defi nitely will take them along with it sooner or later thereby leaving no scope for them to handle.

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Th e Mileage December, 2015 5COVER STORY

Aniruddha Laskar discusses about the potential of the upcoming

Northeastern footballers and also highlights the prospects of

footballing in India

WITH more than 30,000 fans chanting in unison, “Northeast….Northeast”, can

perplex any a traveler who has set foot for the fi rst time in this region of India. But, not so anymore. Indian Super League has opened the doors for not only the fans from its eight states, but also, has become a harbinger for football fanatics and the ones who want to take up football as a career in these parts.

Football since ages has been the number one sport of Northeast while cricket swept mainstream India post eighties. The love for the game kept growing and with it a horde of footballers especially from Manipur, Sikkim, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Assam found their way in the I-League and also made their mark in Santosh Trophies. Star struck those who despite opposition to take up football as a profession when Hero Indian Super League started recruiting these boys last year. It was no diff erent this year too.

Eugeneson Lyngdoh of Meghalaya might not have dreamt that ISL team Pune FC would pay a whopping ‘crore’ to sign him up. The list is endless as every eight teams of the ISL have players from

these eight states of Northeast. Players of Northeast may not be tall but they make it up with their ‘skill’, ‘speed’ and ‘stamina’. They don't stop here, for they don't fear to take the game head on. These players have become heroes in just about a year and a lot is expected from these boys by each teams.

Referred mostly world over as White Pele, FC Goa Coach, Zico, in a recent

interview named fi ve footballers which have caught his att ention. All fi ve are from Northeast. “I can say players like Sunil Chhetri (Mumbai City FC), Haokip (FC Goa), Eugeneson Lyngdoh (FC Pune City), Siam Hangal (NorthEast United FC), Boithang Haokip (NorthEast) have impressed me with their performance in the ISL,” informed Zico in a press conference recently. One can hope that these words from the legend will

Th e Mileage December, 2015 6COVER STORY

provide the encouragement to the players to aspire for higher excellence.

Goalkeeper, Lalthuammawia Ralte who became the fi rst pick in the ISL 2015 draft for Northeast United, said, “I am super-excited about playing in the Hero ISL. It is diff erent from the I-League and brings its own set of challenges. There is a lot to learn and I am hoping that I will grow as a player over the course of the league.”

Indeed it should be a ground for these players of Northeast to take a giant step forward. John Arne Riise of Delhi Dynamos who was a force to reckon with in Liverpool jersey, informed, “In the beginning Indian players were very shy. When I landed from Sweden nobody spoke and there wasn’t much smiling. They were almost hiding! And I’m the kind of guy who likes to shout during training to pump up the others and they were scared when I did that. So I had to tell them that this is how we should go about training and now there has been a huge change. Now players are talking, communicating and are smashing in with tackles.”

The communication barriers has been breached and now it is the turn of these players to showcase their talent. Marquee players and coach like Anelka, Postiga, David Platt , Roberto Carlos, Simao Sabrosa, Lucio and many more can pass on the baton to these upcoming footballers not only through harnessing their skills but also paving the way forward for them to fi nd place in other Asian and European clubs.

Former Iranian star footballer Jamshid Nassiri feels instead of focusing more on the established players, Indian Super League (ISL) should spend a few crores in establishing academies to develop untapped youngsters and improve Indian football. “If ISL is spending Rs. 600 crore for development of Indian football, then why not spend a few crores for establishing academies in their respective areas ... eight franchisees ... eight academies is a good idea,” Nassiri told a news agency recently. Nassiri also informed that India, with the kind of vast resources, wealth and talent, has only ‘two’ football academies, but a small country like Nepal has ‘four’.

Creating academies is the only way to develop Indian football. It is indeed a pity that a small Himalayan country like Nepal has four academies and India has only two, in spite of boasting of vast resources, wealth and talent. Around the world, many countries in Europe, South-East Asia, Gulf and Asian countries, players of international quality are produced through academies. ISL should also invest on untapped youngsters to develop them into world class players. However, investing more on untapped youngster will develop Indian football for the long run feel many football experts of the region.

For now, footballing giants like Athletico Madrid and Real Madrid owning a part of the stake in these ISL clubs has opened the fl oodgates for serious footballing ahead. Players from all across

the world are joining or want to be a part of this bandwagon. As compared to eight players of last year, 18 players from the breeding grounds of football, Brazil, have joined ISL this year. Northeast who was at the bott om of the table last year is showing signs of a top four fi nish this time round? Having won the best fan support award last year by Northeast United Football Club (NEUFC) the expectations have risen for the football loving spectators.

Amit Chanda, a bank employee from Bongaigoan of Assam takes a train ride of three hours every single time to watch an ISL match in Guwahati . The same craze is for the other parts of Northeastern States too. Fans throng the stadium well in advance a day in advance so as not to miss even a minute of a high voltage match. Pinky Lyngdoh, is an ardent fan of Nico Valez, the striker of Northeast as she has watched all the matches up until now in Guwahati. She informed, “I cannot miss even a single match and would like to see Northeast United take the coveted cup this time round”.

Football for now has gripped each and everyone of the highlanders. Whether Northeast United FC can lift the cup or not will be answered on 20th December. But, for now, the chants of Northeast…….Northeast, will reverberate in all the eight states, and with it will live the NEUFC tagline- Eight States One United.

Photo Courtesy : Biju Boro

Th e Mileage December, 2015 7EDUCATION

DUE to globalization, today’s market is very diff erent from what it was fi ve years ago and even

what it was a month back. In this wind of globalization, building a brand culture is the most unavoidable internal element. Every culture has a specifi c power to accumulate a space in modernization. Just, we have to understand it and cultivate it as per time. Basic mantra of high culture are the same as it was decades ago, only diff erence is how you give global fl avour so that it refl ects company’s values, personalities, and images.

People deal with people, as both need to deal with a purifi ed culture so that their relationship becomes everlasting. Every investor likes to invest with people or organization where there is healthy culture so that their investment is secured. Similarly, same psychology applies to customers for achieving their conscious and unconscious needs and wants. Even every employee wants to work in a healthy organization. Technology can’t make culture. Organizational culture is concerned with human resources and human resources likewise is responsible for cultivating healthy culture and it is bett er to start from the top.

The meaning of organizational culture is decided on some set of behaviors, beliefs and values for driving the whole business without any thought and repeatedly communicates it to all levels of management to cultivate healthy atmosphere. Honest, open, fair implementations are the main att ributes

to improve the corporate culture. Every organization has culture whether it is small or big. Corporate culture mainly depends on top level management. In brand building process corporate culture is one of the most important element. Cultural business driving style is the fi rst implementing att ribute of high company’s culture.

Every organization can practice it to improve culture. Every organization is a family and every family has a culture. High corporate culture always believes in ethical behavior, participation on management, employee high morality which is the source of high productivity. According to Darius Mirshahzadehis, the President and Co-founder of Bay Area-based Endeavor America Loan Services, “We cultivate a culture of recognition and gratitude amongst employees”. In organization, leaders initially play a very important role in cultivation of corporate culture. Leaders should know how to delegate, communicate and listen, how to maintain employees rational, social and psychological platform of organization to build a harmony within a relationship.

Now question is how do we organize & develop that culture? Every employee’s working behavior aff ects culture and it returns to employees directly or indirectly. Somebody’s contributions are more and somebody’s less and its eff ects also varies from employee to employee. There are many ways to create culture. Here are some of the paths to improve corporate culture. Company must clearly determine what it stands for and clearly articulate mapping for achieving that. Apart from

Jainul Ali that it must determine the values which consistently everybody involved in driving the business should follow.

Communication is another essential att ribute of company culture. There must be clear communication from upper to lower, lower to upper and parallely without any fear and hesitation. Every employee must understand the need to improve the culture, how they are benefi ted through the culture, what the company’s expectation are from them and how culture helps the employees to accomplish the company’s expectation from them. It will be easier to deliver more effi ciently, if they know all those att ributes very clearly. Communication makes it easy and clear. Communication is the main devise to solve any problems. Crisis of management arises due to poor communication. Communication can give a sense of importance to the employees. Ultimately they will work with inspiration which is an accent point to improve corporate culture.

Synonymously free communication may become a good source of fresh ideas which may be eff ective. Employees are the assets for companies. There needs to be appreciation for every employee who provides good contribution to the company. Organizational culture inspires us to engage with our work and these engagements generate miracles and improve the profi ts for a company. All these platform may develop only when organizations constantly encourage learning system through meeting, classes and workshops within a refi ned milieu of cultures.

Th e Mileage December, 2015 8CAREER

MOST people join IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS or other civil services in India without knowing the full

facts. Most of you may not be aware of the negative sides of the civil services, which you will realize soon aft er you join. It is only fair that you should have the complete picture before you take a decision about your career.

Let me explain now why you should not join Civil Services in India.

NO RECOGNITION FOR EXCELLENCEAll civil servants get their promotions based on their seniority. Your destiny is fi xed by your UPSC rank and what you do in next 30-38 years is hardly of any consequence as far as your career is concerned. Initially, when brilliant students join civil services, they work very hard to deliver results and change the system. However, soon they realize that there are several colleagues, who don’t work even half and get all the (legal) benefi ts as them. They also realize that the more you work, the more chances of you committ ing a mistake and more chances of punishment. Hence gradually they too become slow and practical.

CORRUPTIONIt is a fact that many people are att racted towards civil services due to the tales of corruption. They know some offi cers or they have heard about some offi cers who have made millions. They join the civil services to make a lot of money illegally thinking that it is easy to do so. When they join these services, they discover that no money is available for the post. They have to do some illegal activity or allow the illegal things to go on to make money. When you do any illegal act, there is always a risk of gett ing caught even aft er you have demitt ed the offi ce. Your reputation is 100% spoiled even if you are not caught. Even when you have somehow made a lot of illegal money, you don’t know how you use that money for you. You can’t build any asset or buy new cars and live

the life of luxury, because you may face vigilance action or face CBI or Income Tax raid at your house, which can spoil your career forever. You may even end up in jail. Corruption is one way traffi c, with no U-turn.

FREQUENT TRANSFERSPeople join civil services to occupy the prominent positions like DM, SP or Commissioners. They get all their recognition, perks and privileges (legal as well as illegal) only on these posts. However, they don’t know how long they can continue in these postings. I was posted on election duty in Paudi (Garhwal) in 2007. Among the other election observers was a lady IAS offi cer, whose husband was also an IAS offi cer of the same batch. Presently both husband and wife were in central deputation in Delhi. She told me that in last 14-15 years, she and her husband were never posted in the same station. They used to meet only when a meeting is called by the Commissioner or CM. Only when they came to Central Deputation, they are staying together. In Paudi I found that the DM and Commissioner were staying alone in their big-bungalows and their families were in Dehradun. Even SP and SDM were

staying alone since their spouses were in IAS/IPS and they were posted in diff erent stations. You must be ready to live alone, if you choose All India Services.

DIMINISHING SOCIAL RELEVANCEIn the pre-liberalized era, government offi cers were looked as the 'Mai-Baap' for a common citizen of India. Their salaries were comparable with private sectors but their perks were far superior. They were playing leading roles in social development. Today, most of the space is fi lled with private sectors. Our Honorable PM Shri Narendra Modi once said, “I believe government has no business to do business. The focus should be on Minimum Government but Maximum Governance.” Today a company like Infosys or TCS provides around 40000-50000 jobs each year while UPSC and PSC put together don’t appoint as many people. The personal wealth of Mukesh Ambani is $20.8 billion (`137280 Crores) which is more than the total tax collection of several states in a year. The value of top 10 companies in India is more than the total revenue of the Government of India and all State Governments put together. The Tata group alone has market capitalization of `7,00,000 crores. It is also a fact that most Indians don’t like civil servants, who are perceived to be ineffi cient and corrupt. They are seen as hindrance to the growth of India rather than an instrument of growth.

PS: The purpose of this article is not to discourage to join Civil Services but to have the full picture of the civil services which are hardly known to most of the entrants.

This article was writt en by Awdhesh Singh, an IRS offi cer with the GOI. Ref: QuoraCourtesy: civilsdaily.com

Th e Mileage December, 2015 9ENVIRONMENT

Aaron Ajay Mathews presents here his romanticism with the

one horned Rhinos and lamments over their gruesome killings

IT was a bright day when I spott ed the Gentle Giants in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary which is just situated 45

kilometres away from the loud and noisy Guwahati city. Every time when I see a Rhino I remember stories told by the localities and forest department people about the way it charges towards them. Till this day I never had a thought about approaching a Rhino for a close photograph other than clicking them from a safe distance.

I got ready with my camera for the fi nal approach. There was a eerie silence around me at this time as I started creeping on the ground towards the Rhinos. I fi rst crossed the slushy stretch in front of me which was pulling my leg into it. For the fi rst time I saw a Rhino up close. It was barely 50meters away from me when the rhino’s sensed my presence. They fi rst stared at me as if I am an intruder and as I again tried moving forward they took three steps forward to warn me. I stopped myself and didn’t move for a while. Aft er sometime the rhinos went back into grazing and enjoying

the sun. I started capturing them not only in my camera but also in my heart as I saw how gentle they are. I was shocked by the calmness of those beautiful animals that are being hunted down for their horns.

Starting from the days of Mughal Dynasty hunting rhinos for their horns

was a sport and leisure in India. It is always disturbing and shocking news to hear that a Rhino is killed for its horn. It is very much clear that the Government is not taking the matt er seriously to stop poaching them for horns in the forests of Assam. According to the last census done by the Forest department there is only 3,555 left in the wild. Even aft er the Central Government and the State Government together deployed the “Rhino Protection Force” which is consisting around twelve hundred personnel’s to stop poaching of rhino horns, still many rhino’s faced unfortunate death.

It looks like a negligent att itude of the government itself have made rhino horn poaching an easy and quickest way to do business in the international market. Even aft er conducting many research and activities on conserving these gentle giants its shame to state that the government have failed to protect them from the greedy needs of humans. Some of the common and merciless way of killing rhinos are hiring sharp shooters and supplying them with arms and ammunitions by the traders. Also the use of deep pit holes to trap the animals and then cut of their horns from above and leaving them to bleed to death. Another cruelty is poisoning the commonly used salt licks by rhinos with zinc phosphate and pesticides and putt ing them to eternal rest. If this continues we will be soon looking only at photographs of the “Great One Horned Indian Rhinoceros”.

It is our responsibility as a citizen of this country to protect these animals from gett ing extinct and give them the space to live themselves in their natural habitat. As I always say” Nature is not a place to visit it is a home”.

Aaron Ajay Mathews is a Wildlife photographer and Conservationist from Kerala.

Th e Mileage December, 2015 10OPINION

Banani Das Chowdhury

HOW many amongst us wait for the festive season to get the best of deals, to add to the list of our

“desired” consumption? Festive times are a peak moment, both for the business world and the consumers; to sell and buy profi tably. In our country, India, which is a land of diverse faiths and cultures; festive fl avour keeps on spreading its fragnance almost round the year. Festive off ers generate the hype to feed the consumerist mindset to put on ‘extra-weight’!

Consumerism in terms of economics, emphasises on consumption is good for economy. More capitals circulate in the market. Post 1990’s Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation policies, our country’s economy is at an upward trajectory, thereby increasing the purchasing power of people. Rise in incomes of the ‘middle class’ Indians too, created more demand for goods and services.

Festivals come with a mood of celebration, buying new things, sharing of gift s etc. There exists a symbiotic association between festivals and commerce. The marketing gimmicks leave no stones unturned to induce in ‘consumers’ the ‘want’ to fulfi ll and gratify one’s ‘festive needs’. What a bett er way the commercial world does it by raining consumers with ‘Festive Off ers’ which in a way is increaing consumerism.

Who does not want to buy one get one free, get discounts on MRP, scratch and win, freebies, assured gift s, buy a product and get a trip to

one’s favourite holiday destination etc.; get maximum warranty period to tech products or cars etc. and likewise, these can set one’s abdomen in ache until one buys it. Cashback off ers are high in trend this festive season. From technology to automobiles, apparels to jewellery, airways to educational hubs, and likewise many sectors, never take a backseat to heavily advertise their products and services as festive off ers, to push sales adding to one’s consumption.

It’s hard to not come across festive off ers this festive season in various malls and e-commerce sites. Shops and street shops are also not left out in the race of showering ‘festive off ers’ to lure customers to fuel in consumerism. E-commerce sites like Amazon’s- Eid Mubarak Amazon Festive Fashion sale and The Great Indian Festive Sale, Black Friday Deals; Snapdeal’s Diwali off er, “Yeh Diwali Dil Ki Deal Wali”, Flipkart’s Big Billion Days sale off ers, etc. Shopping malls like Big Bazaar came up with Diwali off er “Shubh Shuruaat, etc. And with Christmas, New Year and a brigade of harvest and spring festivals coming one aft er another it’s a non-stop torrential raining of festive off ers and being in a “consumerist mode” for we the Indians with the hunger of ‘aur deekhao’ (show more).

Souvik, a business journalist based in Pune analyses, “India is

largely a

traditional society, it plays a big factor for retailers to cash in and competition is on a high” moreover he adds, “Malls and e-commerce are based on the model of tempting people to shop extra than their planned budget. Consumer demand is created in a systematic way in festivals with special off ers.”

Lopamudra, a dancer has this to say on gett ing festive off ers, “I feel festive off ers are really good, it gives us variety of choices and it increases buying but sometimes we are not satisfi ed with quality of the products...”

Corporate boom also helped in popularising lesser widely celebrated festivals as “Akashya Trithiya” and “Dhanteras” and likewise thereby increasing consumerism. The core value of these festivals is buying of new things such as gold, silver, utensils etc. and considered as ‘auspicious’; corporates exploit such psychological factor with blend of marketing tactics to increase their product’s sales. New products are also mostly favoured to be launched during festive seasons with cool off ers to add to the fuel of consumerism. Apple’s watch recently launched in India pre-diwali; various smartphones 4G enabled and new cars are being heavily launched with festive blast and likewise.

Mr. Bij on, a businessperson, with an experience of over 25 years in the corporate sector, agrees, “Festive times, considered auspicious to launch new products in the markets to att ract customers for they are in a festive mood to buy more.” For festive off ers, he adds it’s a sales strategy; mostly a win-win situation for both business and customers.” But on a worrying note, he puts in, “Sometimes to sale products which are inferior in qualities, this sales tactics sometimes are misused, where customers would be at a loss and so need to remain vigilant.”

Consumerism is also about protection of consumer rights against unfair business practices. Many fake e-commerce sites with fraud off ers are most of the times reported in news. Many products with compromising qualities and durability sometimes put on sale with eye-catching off ers to fool consumers. The concept of green consumerism hitt ing the waves in recent times with the message of keeping in check to consumerist behaviour, as Nature

has potential to satisfy one’s need but not the greed.

Consumerism is our choice, with festive off ers in a country

like ours round the clock, all we need is to avoid impulse buying and execute plan strategically to make the best buys to feel

contended and can say we made a ‘dil ki deal’.

Th e Mileage December, 2015 11PEOPLE & PLACES

JATINGA, famous for the phenomenon of birds “committ ing suicide”, is located on a spur of the Hafl ong ridge,

the head quarter of the district. It itself is an off shoot of the main ridge of the Borail range. It is centrally located at the junction of the roads leading to Hafl ong, Lumding and Silchar. Here the mist & fog lie like a veil around the beautiful face of the damsel from September to November. During these late monsoon months, mysterious behaviour of birds take place. However, some other conditions are also necessary for the phenomenon to occur. The air must be foggy, cloudy or misty. If there is slight rain, it would be even bett er. The wind must be from south to north. It should be moonless dark nights. And the best time is between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Curiously, most of the doomed birds do not att empt to fl y away aft er they land near the lights. They look dazed and disheveled, perhaps due to the trauma of the whole shocking experience. Such birds fall easy prey to the villagers. Some of the

Ever heard of bird committing suicide? Well there are some

enigmas that exist in the world and Deeganta Chetri tells us

about Jatinga where birds come to die…

birds hovering around the light sources are brought down by a vigorous swing of the bamboo poles. Catapults are also used to bring down the birds in fl ight as well as those perching on the trees and bushes near the light sources. However, contrary to the popular belief, birds do not commit suicide. Under circumstances not yet fully explained, these birds get caught in the fog and wind, get disoriented and seek solace of the light sources put out by the villagers.

They hit against trees or other objects and get injured in their fl ight towards the light source. The villagers hit the hovering birds with bamboo poles or catapults to bring them down. Various studies have been conducted to unravel the causes behind this phenomenon. The record maintained show that 44 species have been att racted to the light sources. It has been established that the birds are not att racted to the entire Jatinga Ridge but only to a well-defi ned strip, 1.5 km long and 200 metres wide. Invariably the birds come in only from the north and att empts at placing the lights on the southern side of the ridge to att ract the birds have failed. Another interesting fact has been brought out is that no long distance migratory bird gets att racted to the light, the victims are resident birds of the adjacent valleys and hill slopes.

The unusual behaviour of the birds seems to occur due to the peculiar weather conditions at Jatinga. There also appears to be a correlation between the breeding period of the birds and the Jatinga phenomenon. Studies also reveal that the fl ight of water birds to Jatinga may be att ributed to heavy rains and fl oods and submergence of their natural habitat in the surrounding areas. It has been observed that there was a high congregation of birds at Jatinga during 1988 which happened to be a year of high fl oods. Renowned ornithologists Dr. Salim Ali, Dr. S.Sengupta, A. Rauf, etc., have carried out researches on this subject. However, no single hypothesis comprehensively explains the Jatinga mystery till date. The problem deserves deeper scientifi c study from various angles.

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Th e Mileage December, 2015 13LIFESTYLE

MMA- REVOLUTION IN FITNESS

Samar Sarkar

Professional MMA Fighter

HOPE you already know MMA has got innumerable health benefi ts. It teaches us to be disciplined,

improves our focus, increases our strength, teaches self defense and most importantly keeps us fi t and active throughout the day.

MMA or Mixed Martial Arts is a f ull contact combat sport also known as cage fi ghting or ultimate fi ghting. It is a combination of striking and grappling techniques. There are altogether 34 martial arts included in MMA. Martial arts such as Muaythai, Kickboxing, BJJ or Brazilian ju-jitsu, Judo, Boxing,are considered as most important or also termed as “BASIC ARTS” for one to excel in the fi eld of MMA.

Martial arts training are a mixture of cardio training and strength training. Training MMA off ers lot of health benefi ts. Few of them are:

Cardiovascular health- During MMA training, a person has to move his or her body from one place to another, there are continuous punches and kicks, running hoping and jumping, which is great for a person’s cardiovascular system and heart.

Fat/Weight loss -MMA traininghelps a person cut those extra pounds. It is a great workout module for people who are looking to shape or sculpt his or her body in a very less time.

Improves Refl exes-Martial arts training are programmed to challenge a person’s mind-body coordination thus forces the person to react or move immediately.

Self-Defense - The best part of training MMA is it teaches you how to protect yourself against any att acker. The need of learning any sort of self defense is mandatory now-a-days in today’s world.

There is no doubt that MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world as it off ers the best of the best workout module. It has brought a revolution in fi tness industry. Organizations such as UFC, SFL, One Fighting Championship, Glory, etc., have played a big role in promoting

this art amongst all age groups. A survey has shown that 48% of Indian population who practices MMA are from Northeast. Guwahati is slowly becoming a hub of MMA professionals with the number of clubs and institutes successfully functioning all around, and producing the best athletes to compete in national and international levels. Not only youngsters but also people of all age groups are practicing this modern art for their surprisingly awesome health benefi ts.

Th e Mileage December, 2015 14LIFESTYLE

“DOKHONA - a glimpse of the golden motif” is an honest endeavour to bring recognition and acclaim to the rich and vibrant traditional Bodo motif. The event showcased various outfi ts of Mrs. India North-East Fame and Mega

North-East Best Designer Awardee, 2010, Chandasmita Basumatary. Femina Miss India 2013 Finalist, Jantee Hazarika who is the 2nd Assamese girl from Assam to win Miss Pho-togenic title aft er the great enchantress and supermodel of India, Dipannita Sharma was the showstopper of the fashion show. The choreography was done by Bhaskar Saikia and Bhaskar & Mitali of Pink Villa spa salon were the stylists.

Photo Courtesy : DOF

Th e Mileage October, 2015 15MUSIC

WITH the advent of new trends in music and its trade alike, a whole new genre of rhythm surfaced in Northeast. A decade back very few people were acquainted about

the genres of dance & music. However, the sweeping breeze of modernization has prompted the birth of several clubs and discos and along with it an unprecedented demand in the profession of DJs (Disc Jockeys).

Here is a list of the top 10 best DJ’s of Northeast who enhanced and introduced our tastes in diff erent music:

1. DJ Dee: Dee started his career back in 2004 with an aim to spread the vibe of EDM in Northeast. His brand ELECTROVIBE was formed to celebrate the party scene of Northeast giving platform to diff erent genres of music. Spinning with some of the big DJs like- Nikhil Chinnapa, Liquid Soul, Vibe Tribe, Mad Maxx, etc., Dee, took giant strides in becoming one of the renowned Disc Jockeys of Northeast.

2. DJ Poison: Also known as Poison Mr 909, he is very well known for his groovy sets of House Bollywood and English Commercials. Born and brought up in Amritsar, Poison landed in Guwahati 7 years back when music was breeding out here in Guwahati. Poison started his career in 1998 as a freelance DJ and later followed his journey from big fat weddings to bachelor parties, corporate gigs and clubbing.

3. DJ Arpan: Amidst the lush green valley and abode of clouds in Shillong, there lived a boy who was fascinated by music and wanted to base it as his career. He is now known as DJ Arpan. Inspired by Arjun Vagale, Vinayaka, Dubfi re and Maceo Plex, happily did he stretch to swing with a bunch of notable DJs like Guy J, John OO Fleming and did an impromptu jam session with Paji (DJ/ Violinist).

4. DJ Brahmin: Acquiring 14 years of experience in the music industry, Debashish aka DJ Brahmin started his career as a freelance DJ and later joined club Illusion in 2006. He then spanned at Terra Maaya as a resident DJ until December 2013. In his 14 years of musical journey, he shared console

with Nikhil Chinnapa, Sanjay Dutt a, Ultravoice, Ankytrixx.

5. DJ Varun: As a music enthusiast, his passion ushered him to play his fi rst piece of music in high school. Aft er winning War of DJs, 2004 and

Pioneer War of DJs, 2005, there was no looking back. He signed bond with clubs like Illusion, Blue and Ozone. His Deep and Tech House with a mix of Progressive beats sailed to whirl with prominent DJs like Liquid Soul, Weekend Heroes, Praveen Acharya, Anish Sood, and their like.

6. DJ Jawed: Picking Deep Progressive and Bollywood as his forte, Jawed started his career back in 2006 in Kolkata and then moved to Guwahati where he played as the resident DJ in club Silver-Streak. He played with many big names from the industry like Guy J, Guy Mantzur, Dave Seaman and Liquid soul.

7. DJ Sev:During his computer classes, it’s not the computer programs that would fancy him but the internet. He looked for chance to probe into his favourite sites and access information of DJs, audio editing soft ware and videos of DJs playing in clubs and festivals. Sev Lyndoh from Shillong matched his

beats of House and Techno medleys with renowned names like Weekend Heroes, Ankytrixx and Kohra.

8. DJ Abhinav: Inspired by Dave Seaman and Maceo Plex, Abhinav Sabherwal plucked the petals of House and Techno. At a very young age he was introduced to the club environment of Shillong. He was motivated by friends from this background who helped him release his fi rst single by leading record label in India, Lohit Records.

9. DJ Sagar (Sagar D Cyco): When music is trapped in one’s blood how can he abstain from its track! Sagar embraced Bigroom, Commercial and Trap as his pet and tamed them in his profession. Currently spinning as the resident DJ of Cafe Copa, Guwahati, he started his career in 2012 and is one of the youngest DJs of Assam.

10. DJ Jupiter:He experienced his fi rst taste in electronic music at a very tender age. His deep connection with those hypnotic sounds initiated him to enrol for professional guidance. Jupiter’s Techno and house sounds are branded for being melodic yet groovy with a lot of funky beats.

Compiled by : Madhuri Saikia

Th e Mileage December, 2015 16EVENT

THE award winners of the North East House Journal & Newslett er Competition received their prizes at

the SBI North East PR Conclave, organised by the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI) Guwahati Chapter, held at NEDFi Convention Centre in Guwahati on 9th November. The prizes were given away by Dr Amarjyoti Choudhury, Pro Vice Chancellor, Tezpur Central University & Dulal Choudhury, Regional Manager, SBI. The competition was supported and

sponsored by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).

In the house journal category, the top three positions were bagged respectively by Rodali (Numaligarh Refi nery Ltd), Oil News (Oil India Ltd), and NEEPCO News (NEEPCO). The top three positions in the newslett er category went to Ajmal Today (Ajmal Foundation), Taranga (IOC Guwahati Refi nery), and Inter face (Don Bosco Institute). In consideration of their excellence on various fronts,

BYST Newsline (BYST), Child Protection Bulletin (ASCPS), Guwahati@icai (Institute of Charter Accountants), and USTM Newslett er (USTM) received special jury awards.

Editor of Rodali that bagged the fi rst prize in house journal category said, “The award from PRSI is of immense value for us. It will inspire our editorial team to do bett er in the days to come.” Similarly, Khasrul Islam, Manager of Ajmal Foundation, whose publication was adjudged the best in the newslett er category said, “The initiative of PRSI in organising such a competition is indeed laudable. It will contribute immensely in improving the quality of house journals and newslett ers published in this part of the country.”

In course of the Conclave, two panel discussions were also conducted, one on ‘Role of Service Providers in Public Relations’ and another on ‘Recalling Glorious Moments of PR days.’ T h e panel discussions were sponsored by Numaligarh Refi nery Limited (NRL).

NEIDA Khurshid, a young architecture graduate from Guwahati, who opted for the two-year fellowship under the ‘Teach For India’ (TFI) programme was felicitated

by Friends of ANREM in Guwahati on 22nd November hosted by Ajmal Foundation Guwahati Offi ce. Neida shared her experience of teaching BPL and lower middleclass school children in Jamalpur area of Ahmedabad and how she and her companions are working hard to make these children as good as those coming out from public schools of the country.

In her presentation which consisted of a few videos of her class room scenes, Neida informed the audience that “Teach For India” is an Indian non-profi t organisation, which is a part of the Teach For All global movement. Through its Fellowship programme, TFI recruits qualifi ed Indian college graduates and working professionals to serve as full-time teachers in low-income schools for two years. Fellows work to bridge the educational gaps that their students face, in the hopes of putt ing their students on a fundamentally diff erent life path.

Aft er two years of the Fellowship, the Fellows become a part of an alumni movement. The aim of this movement is for the alumni to work from inside and outside the educational system to aff ect the long-term changes necessary to realise educational opportunity for all. Teach For India is currently in seven cities impacting 38,000 children through 1,100 Fellows, 200 staff members and 1,050 alumni.

A FOUR–day long Regional Conclave on capacity strengthening of academia, professionals and government in the area of social and behavior change communication for empowering adoles-

cents in Assam and Northeast was organized by the Department of Communication & Journalism, Gauhati University in association with UNICEF at Hotel Bhargav Grand from November 21-24,2015.

The Valedictory session was addressed by Dr. Mridul Hazarika Vice Chancellor, Gauhati University. Addressing to audience he said, “We should try to make use of traditional values” adding, youth adolescent can absolutely build or even destroy the world.

The four-day session was fi lled with wisdom from many renowned resource persons. The conclave emphasized on incorporation of de-velopment communication in academic curriculum so that social and behavior change communication can be achieved with the fullest as-sociation of adolescents and the society as a whole. Patricia Mukhim, Editor of Shillong Times urged the media fraternity to promote de-velopmental issues. Swaswati Goswami, Associate professor IIMC, Delhi appealed that market driven psychology of media and society should not hinder the infi ltration of development communication In-dia Veena kumari, Communication for development Offi cer, UNICEF, Assam focused on more participatory communication in North East India for social and behavior change of adolescents. Eminent acade-micians like Professor KV Nagraj from Mizoram University, Prof. RM Pathak from Banaras, Kinshuk Pathak from Bihar, Sunil Koij am from Arunachal Pradesh, Alankar Kaushik from Meghalaya, Shiv Jyoti Das Baruah from Nagaland, Surjya Chetia from Assam University opine for a common forum of media persons, academia and professionals for evaluation and assessment of development initiatives in the region. Prasanta Rajguru, Editor, Amar Asom, highlighted on identifi cation of key factors aff ecting the behavior of Adolescents in confl ict situations like North East India.

Prof. N A Barua, Gauhati University highlighted on the basic need of investment on education for empowerment of adolescents Dr. Abhij it Borah, and Dr. Jaya Chakraborty of Tezpur University shared their experiences of introduction of Communication for development courses as a full-fl edged master degree course for their next academ-ic session. More than hundred participants from North East India in-cluding NGO people att ended the Conclave.

Photo Courtesy : Debajit Dey

Th e Mileage December, 2015 17EVENT

TECHXETRA 2015, is the National Level Annual Technical Festival of Tezpur University, India. It is a

blend of diff erent technical and management events, as well as cultural events. The fest att ract enthusiasts from various parts of India. It is one of those technical festivals of North-East India, which reaches out to both engineering and non-engineering students. Scheduled from 30th of October to 1st November, 2015 TechXetra was inaugurated by the honourable Governor of Assam and Nagaland P. B. Acharya.

With the theme “Empowering peace and security” over 100 schools and colleges across the region participated in various event such as Robophronesis 2.0, Aero Modelling, Ramp Rage, etc. Some other att ractions of TechXetra 2015 are exhibition by Indian Army, KTM Bike show, Invited Talks, Metonia (Underside), etc.

TechXetra saw the light of the day on 17 October 2008. Its main vision was to provide a platform for the budding technical and non-technical students of North-East India to showcase their talents in their respective fi elds of interest. In 2009, it made an eff ort to bring in the necessary resources and innovative events. TechXetra 2010 emerged out to be one of the most technically sound festivals of the region. It had a good blend of science and technology coalesced with cultural events. It had more than 30 events and witnessed large participation.

TechXetra 2011 was organised with more than 45 competitive events, besides workshops conducted by fi rms, debate competitions, quizzes with quiz-master Mr. Ochintya Sharma, President, Karnataka Quiz Association etc. TechXetra 2012 had more than 60 competitive events, along with technical workshops, debate competitions

and quiz with Mr. Vij ay Anand Menon, Economic Times Young Achiever, etc.

TechXetra 2013 was organized from October 25 to October 27, 2013 with more than 70 diff erent events which included various technical, creative and cultural events. TechXetra 2013 was held on the theme of Water:Wherewithal with Wisdom to promote water conservation in accordance with United Nation’s International Year of Water Cooperation.

TechXetra 2014 was scheduled from the 17th of Oct’2014 to 19th of Oct’2014. There were various technical, cultural and creative events which were made a big success through active participation from over 100+ schools and colleges across the region. With the theme ‘Bridging the digital divide’, TechXetra 2014 left a lasting impression on all who became a part of the fi esta. Social initiatives taken includes : Donations were made aft er collection of funds from various sources to Nabaprabhat orphanage at Tezpur, voter awareness rally conducted in collaboration with the Election Commission of India, a social up-gradation program with nearby school children based on the theme was conducted to introduce them to the benefi ts of internet and computers and more.

Photo Courtesy : DOF

THE recently concluded Zubeen Garg Festival at AEI playground, Chandmari witnessed a plethora of programmes and turned out to be a great success. Held on

16, 17 and 18th of November this three day event also included Cultural Rally and a Save Rhino- Save Assam campaign.

On 16th of November, the cultural rally started from Dighalipukhuri Park at 10 AM and reached AEI playground at 11.30AM with almost 5000 participants. Aft er reaching, four white pigeons and white balloons were released in the air for peace and prosperity. Aft er a small refreshment, the fl ag hoisting ceremony was held with Martyrs Tributal Ceremony. At around 2pm the inaugural lamp was lit by Mr. Bankin Rai Medhi, Mr. Anup

Baruah, Mr. Ajay Phukan and Producer of Rajshri Theatre. Various att ractions like dance and singing competitions on

Zubeen Garg’s songs, art competition amongst children were the eye catchers of the festival. Aft er the stage was released for cultural performances the Festival took its momentum with a Borgeet and Diha Naam by Women folks of SBI Colony (Hatigarh), followed by Goalporia Lokgeet, Traditional Bihu, Hajong Dance. Performances from Surabhi Sangeet Kala Kendra, Nalbari, First step dance studio, Nagaon and Indradhonu-Dance & Drama by Ikramul were also worth watching. A talk show namely Face to Face with Zubeen Garg, hosted by Chaya Moni Bhuyan was the show stealer of the fi rst day where many hidden aspects and unknown facts of Zubeen Garg were disclosed.

On 17th of November, performances by Sristi Folk Band and The Open Strings Band were the main highlights of the day. A Bihu Dance was also performed by Zubeen Garg Fans Club. The third day i.e., the 18th of November was fl agged off by a Save Rhino-Save Assam Rally which mobilised the entire city with the awareness. At the evening the magazine titled ITYAADI was released and there was a felicitation ceremony, where veteran artistes were paid respect for their contributions into Assamese Film Industry by Zubeen Garg himself. As it was his birthday a 50kg Cake was brought to the stage where amidst all and in presence of well-wishers and colleagues Zubeen Garg was escorted with his adopted girl child at SOS Village and some diff erently abled children from Snehbandhan and Blind School. Zublee Baruah and her band performed with diff erent musical scores while Prastuti Parashor staged a dance drama. Deepak Dey performed with his team and Pabitra Rabha also concluded a silent drama as Zubeen Garg is himself a fan of Charlie Chaplin with the dwarfs. And as expected Zubeen Garg performed some of his magical tracks along with Babu, Priyanka Bharali and Ananya Dutt a. TMN

Th e Mileage November, 2015 18EVENT

VODAFONE India, one of India’s leading telecommunications service providers announced the

launch of Superfast 3G services on its own network in Guwahati, Assam. With this move, around 1 million citizens of the city (as per Census 2011 data) will be able to experience Vodafone 3G services, now even faster, smarter and bett er than the existing 3G experience. To provide high speed mobile internet services to the customers in Guwahati, Vodafone has deployed 285 new 3G towers and continues to add more sites.

The new Superfast Vodafone 3G will enhance the service experience such as multimedia, high speed mobile broadband, internet access with the ability to view video footage on one’s mobile handset. Also, with a 3G phone and access to the Superfast Vodafone 3G network, one can make video calls, watch live TV, access the high speed internet, download large email att achments faster and download music tracks, as well as the usual voice call and messaging services found in a mobile phone.

Commenting on the launch of own 3G network in Guwahati, Alok Verma, Business Head- Assam & North East, Vodafone India said, “With this launch our valued customers across Guwahati will now

avail of faster, smarter, bett er speeds and superior data browsing experience at the existing 3G tariff s. Our aim is to accelerate mobile internet adoption through penetration, consumption and value addition, and we are confi dent that this move will facilitate in quicker adoption, bett er usage and a superfast internet experience on the go.”

Vodafone has been rolling out its own 3G network in a phased manner across Assam & North East Circle. Recently, it has

announced the launch of its own 3G services in Jorhat in Assam, Itanagar, Bomdila, Tawang, Along, Basar, Bhalukpong, Dirang, Changlang in Arunachal Pradesh and Kohima & Dimapur in Nagaland.

It has also launched ‘3G Experience Card’ free of cost for customers to experience faster, smarter and bett er speeds and superior connectivity of Vodafone 3G services. This is a onetime experience card which off ers free 30 MB 3G data. TMN

Th e Mileage December, 2015 19EVENT

FASHION Diva, Guwahati 2015 is an initiative ideated by Elan Services in association with Raj Associate. It is a

one of a kind show which encompasses all those who are associated with the fi eld of fashion. It endeavors to expose the fashion conscious with the latest and diverse fashion trends. It entails a Day of Exquisite Fashion, 30 Exciting Models, 3 Rocking Fashion Rounds and showcase of designs by the students of GIFT.

The objective of FD 2015 is to provide an ambience which promises to be a forerunner which would evolve a new revolution in the fashion industry. Conceived to be unique from all other shows, it provides an opportunity for all those associated with the professional fashion fraternity.

FD off ers unique benefi ts for the exhibitors both for the Fashion Institutes and designers. The best talents from the institutes get to exhibit their work to the professional fashion fraternity. The students can make use of the platform to launch their brand that they propose to create for themselves in the future. With the wide spectrum of media coverage and on ground promotions at the venue, the platform provided by the show would be apt to display their latest collections.

This beauty pageant has the main title which is- Miss FASHION DIVA GUWAHATI 2015, First runner up and second runner up. SUB-TITLES are also given to the deserving contestants where the judges awarded them as Miss Photogenic, Miss Fit & Fab, Miss Popular, Miss Personality and lastly Miss Catwalk.

The auditions took place at Hotel D

Courtyard on November 4, where more than 80 participants thronged the auditions. The Judges for the Auditions were fashion designer & grooming mentor Chow Poran J Gogoi, model cum actor Priyanka Baishya and members from Fashion Diva Guwahati 2015.

Out of the 80 participants the judge’s panel named the fi nal 30 who contested for the coveted title to be named as the very fi rst winner of Fashion Diva Guwahati 2015. The journey of these fi nalists started with a fi tness training session with SFL fi tness gym & MMA located at GS road on November 9 which concluded till November 10. The sessions were conducted under fi tness coach Bibhu Moni Singha where the divas were provided basic exercises, fi tness diet lessons etc.

The grooming sessions started on November 12 and continued till November 14. The Divas were welcomed to their grooming sessions where the mentors

would be Chow Poran J Gogoi and catwalk coach Priyanka Baishya where personality development classes, personal hygiene, fashion tips were also provided. Jayanta Ray, talent scout & Northeast coordinator for Femina Miss India Organisation made his presence in the grooming sessions to give his share of expertise to the show.

The grand fi nale was held on November 15, 6pm onwards at Hotel D Courtyard where people belonging to the elite class of the society graced the occasion. The event was hosted by Reeky Sharma and the honorable judges were Bibhu Moni Singha (fi tness coach at SFL), Kamal Dey (fashion photographer), Medha Saikia (FNDC President), Jayanta Ray (talent scout) and Chow Poran J Gogoi.

Megha Sharma won the Miss FASHION DIVA GUWAHATI 2015, followed by the fi rst runner up Jeanett e Bay and Anindita Sharma being the second runner up. Doly Joshi was adjudges as Miss Photogenic, Dibya Roshmi Devi as Miss Fit & Fab, Jyoti Pegu as Miss Popular, Morica Marak as Miss Catwalk and Dhristi Naina Das as Miss Personality. Parineeta Bora was the offi cial designer for Fashion Diva Guwahati 2015. TMN

Photo Courtesy : Abhinandan Das

Th e Mileage December, 2015 20

BIRTHDAYS IN NOVEMBER

17th December- John Abraham

27th December- Salman Khan

12th December- Rajnikanth

14th December- Utpal Das

15th December- Prastuti Parashar

Compiled by : Saibal Krishna Sharma

ANGARAG Papon Mahanta is all set to make his fi rst Bollywood venture as

an actor with director Nagesh Kukunoor. The 33 year old singer who made his debut in the Assamese fi lm, Rodor Sithi, last year, he does admit that he is “super excited” for his Bollywood debut. “I couldn’t say no to Nagesh, as he makes meaningful fi lms. I am super excited to work with him,” Papon says. This fi lm is all about fi ve losers who come together to form a band with the aim to prove that music nev-er dies. It’s a fi ctional story, but it is very real in terms of its characters.

TELEVISION and fi lm actor Anupam Shyam Saikia plans to open a Films and Television Institute in Greater

Noida. Saikia of Bandit Queen, Parzania, Slumdog Millionaire etc. fame who has also acted in numerous international fi lms set in India, was on location hunt in Greater Noida on Friday for his upcoming fi lm Gandhigiri.

“I have seen actors from remote locations struggle in Mumbai due to absence of proper training and a platform of learning. In these times of immense competition, it’s important that they get an opportunity to learn the skills of acting closer home. That’s why I am planning to open a Film and Television Institute in Noida,” said Saikia who made a name in television as Thakur Sajjan Singh with Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya (2009).

A native of Dispur, Guwahati 58 year-old Anupam said that the institute will be funded from his pocket and located on Yamuna Expressway. “I will begin work on it next year and fund it from my pocket as I want to give small actors an opportunity to learn the craft ,” said Saikia an alumni of Bhartendu Academy of Dramatic Arts, Lucknow.

FILMMAKER Sudhir Mishra has hopped into the debate of extreme censorship of fi lms in the country, saying the Indian audience does

not require to be dictated about what they should watch and what not.

Censor board chief Pahlaj Nihalani has faced criticism aft er it was revealed that board had short-ened the length of kissing scenes in James Bond movie Spectre.

When asked if the people of India are ready to all kinds of movies, Sudhir said, “We are totally ready, the censor board may think that we are not ready but we are ready. The audiences are ready. They are totally adult. They can handle a fi lm. If they don’t like it they will not see it so I think we have to give up this patriarchal view which de-cides what people like”.

ENTERTAINMENT

Th e Mileage December, 2015 21CHAT ZONE

THE youngest player in the entire ISL team, formally trained at IMG Academy in United States, Alen

Deory exhibits good speed, has powerful shots and good heading ability. Deory got his fi rst name from Alan Shearer, the former England striker who was his father’s favourite footballer. He was brought up in Guwahati and encouraged to play football by his father from the age of six. He represented India at the under-13 and under-14 levels. Swapnav Jyoti (Mausam) Baishya Saud talks to this promising player who shares his footballing journey and experiences ...

Mausam: Hello Alen, it’s a pleasure to have you amidst us in this festive season, aft er two massive victories.Alen - It’s my honour to greet you all through The Mileage.

Mausam: What inspired you to play football and how do you feel about what

you have achieved through football?Alen - My father used to be an auto rickshaw driver. We did not have fortunes to go for expensive games and sports. I used to bring roback tenga for which I used to climb trees, run and hence it helped me to develop the skills gradually.

Mausam: Your love? Alen - My boots!

Mausam: Except football, any other interest in life?Alen - I love watching movies and listening to music.

Mausam: Do you have any treasured dream?Alen - I wanted to keep it a secret but would dare to share with you. I have a responsibility to deliver the best and fortune also favours the brave. I would love to be someone’s inspiration and my story could help someone else to develop. I would love if you could pen down my biography whenever I feel to get it scripted.

Mausam: Are you happy with the ground conditions and team management?Alen - There is no other big thing then playing for your own region, hopefully someday I would play for my nation. Team management has always been by my side, doesn’t matt er I am playing or not. The infrastructure is best available aft er the national games.

Mausam: As Durga Boro has been sidelined, do you fear the same?Alen - I miss Durga da, but, that is the way it is, we all are here to play football, does not matt er on which side but obviously it improves our game when we represent our own people.

Mausam: Where do you see yourself in next 10 years?

Alen -With my boots on at any playground, sett ing the winning streak.

Mausam: If someday you are off ered to act in a movie, what would be your response?Alen - Already we all are actors, acting in the direction of the Almighty.

Mausam: Your inspiration and Idols in life.Alen - My parents and all my well wishers with special reference to masters - Pele Maradona and Messi.

Mausam: Any message for the youths and our readers.Alen - I am still young to advice but would defi nitely convey my highest regards to all for showering so much of love and care. I will always need your support and especially my heart cries when I see one die in road accidents, so I appeal all to wear safety equipments and to avoid intoxicating materials.

Mausam: Now let’s move on to a rapid fi re section, I hope you don’t mind to speak the truth.Alen - Life has been true to me so would be towards life. Favourite Movie - Bhag Milkha Bhhag Favourite Destination - Assam Favourite Colour - Indian Flag with its three segmentsFavourite Song - Manuhe maanuhor babeFavourite Food - Pork and Maachor tengaFavourite Actor - Amitabh Bachchan and Ranvir Kapoor

Mausam: Your fi nal words.Alen - Always dare to be the best in life and love others for being loved.

Mausam: Thanks for sparing so much time with TM and hopefully you would be the same Alen for always.Alen - It was a nice experience to interact with you.

Th e Mileage December, 2015 22PICTORIAL

PHOTOGRAPHIC MARVELSDebajit Dey

Geeko Geeko!!

Gentle Giants

Nature’s own Painting

Messenger of Forest

Oriol

Th e Mileage July, 2015 23

FACES OF THE MONTH

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