Beyond examinations
The learning and mastery of knowledge of different subjects is a must, but the cultivation of empathy, perseverance and creative consciousness is required to make the world a better place. The modern education system with its emphasis on cramming and competition has given a new definition to values and virtues. The pandemic is a wake-up call for us that now we need more value-based grooming of children, for which parents will have to play a vital role along with the teachers and strive to create a generation that is honest and empathetic.
Chandan Kumar Nath,
Sorbhog.
Turkey in Euro Cup
Being an ardent fan of soccer I have been passionately following Euro 2020 from the very first match between Italy and Turkey in Rome. As far as my knowledge goes UEFA European Football Championship is confined among the European countries. I am confused by the presence of Turkey in the championship as according to the prescribed atlas Turkey is shown as a country in the Asian continent. I shall be grateful if somebody can throw light on this matter.
Dr Ashim Chowdhury,
Guwahati.
Is this a farmers' protest?
A section of so-called farmers is protesting against the Farm Bill 2020 for over a year. The protest has been mainly confined to States Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and UP. In the rest of the country, the protests are sporadic. In January, female journalist Preeti Choudhry said female reporters are being sexually harassed in the protest site. Again in April, a young girl from West Bengal went to join the protesting farmers but she was raped in the protest site at the Tikri border and later on, she died due to COVID-19. In June, a woman who was present at the protest site complained of sexual harassment and somehow she managed to escape from the protest site. Recently, a man named Mukesh died due to burn injuries at the Tikri border and his family members are crying because they have come to know that Mukesh was burnt alive by four men at the protest ground. What do we name this agitation? The luxurious equipment which was on display by the protesting farmers make one ponder whether these are real farmers or just the middlemen who are out protesting to restore their position and livelihood in the market. The new Farm Bill has completely deleted the role of middlemen.
Julie Bhuyan,
Gaurisagar.
APDCL shamefaced
The Chief Minister's 'An Appeal' published in the newspapers on June 14 is an eye-opener for the public. The nexus of APDCL (Assam Power Distribution Company Limited), a section of industry owners, businessmen and AERC (Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission) is running a racket for a long and as a result, the liabilities of accumulated unpaid electricity bills and unchecked power theft are passed on to the honest and upright consumers. The AERC instead of going tough with the APDCL for huge revenue losses is brushing up misdeeds of the latter and as the Regulatory Body is just failing to perform its mandated duty. The AERC as the Regulatory Body is surprisingly turning a blind eye to APDCL's inaction to recover outstanding dues which are termed as a commercial loss each time AERC is approached for tariff revision and the higher tariff is fixed. The scandalous activities in the power sector must stop and the Government must rein in on the company for penalizing honest consumers.
Pannalal Dey,
Guwahati