Guwahati  diary

Singer Shaan loses his cool
Singer Shaan lost his cool while performing at a concert in Guwahati recently after one of the audience members hurled a paper ball onto the stage while Shaan was crooning. The man threw a scrap of paper reportedly because he was upset that Shaan was singing Bengali songs, according to reports in the media. In a video of the incident, the singer was seen picking up the paper ball, reading it and then speaking to the person who had lobbed it. He retorted, “Don't make a political issue out of this. Never throw things at an artist. I can fling my mike and it will hurt you more. How dare you? Learn to respect a performer. If you don't like it, go away. Never throw things on stage like that.” The singer however, later tweeted that several media reports were blowing the incident out of proportion.

Meat sellers piqued
Meat sellers in Guwahati are piqued over an order from municipal authorities that has banned the slaughter of goats outside a designated area. Following a court order, the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) made it mandatory for butchers to get their goats slaughtered only at the slaughter house of Assam Livestock and Poultry Corporation at Panjabari in the city. The order was issued to ensure the slaughter was carried out in a scientific way. Protesting the order, meat sellers under the Greater Guwahati Qureshi Meat Association shut their shops for about a fortnight. They were annoyed for being made to pay a hefty amount to the authorities for the slaughter of each goat at the designated site and the delay in delivery of meat.

Did Sonowal act like Nero and stay away?
The phrase goes “when Rome burnt, Nero fiddled”. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has come under attack from the Opposition Congress for not visiting Dhola where five people, all belonging to the Bengali community, were gunned down by unidentified gunmen on Thursday. On Firday, Sonowal was attending an official programme in Guwahati. Former Congress Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was critical of Sonowal. He asked why the CM did not visit the site of the tragedy when he could go to Chennai to inaugurate Assam House. He alleged that Assam’s BJP-led coalition government had failed to protect the lives of citizens.

Record footfall at film fest
Guwahati’s movie buffs thronged to the week-long Guwahati International Film Festival (GIFF) which concluded on October 31 where they enjoyed a wide variety of Asian, Arab, Mediterranean and European cinema.  Organised by the Jyoti Chitraban (Film Studio) Society, the GIFF registered a record footfall of over 10,000 viewers. Several film personalities were also in attendance. At the closing ceremony, Assam’s Minister for Cultural Affairs Naba Kumar Doley said the festival was aimed at creating a platform for international filmmakers to build a network and promote their work. Jyoti Chitraban chairman Pabitra Margherita said the festival was a confluence of movie lovers and movie personalities.

Prasanta Mazumdar
Our correspondent in Guwahati
prasantamazumdar@newindianexpress.com