Vandalism by CU students
The vandalism by the Cotton University is not new. Scores of examples are there where the hostel boarders have resorted to vandalism. On the auspicious day of Saraswati Puja, the boarders of SNBC hostel came out of their hostel and vandalized a nearby restaurant. Earlier the students of Cotton College (before it transformed into university) are known as best brains of the state, but today that cannot be said at all. 'What Cotton College thinks today, Assam thinks tomorrow' doesn't apply at in present day. Some months back the hostel boarders ransacked Uber cabs and beat up the drivers. Even during the last anti-CAA movement the students from the hostel burnt tyres, destroyed public properties, misbehaved with the lady police constables. Can one imagine the hostel boarders ransacking a restaurant because the staff couldn't understand Assamese. The students talked about Constitution of India during the anti-CAA movement, but where it is written that it is compulsory for everyone to understand and speak the Assamese language while in Assam. Extreme regionalism will lead us nowhere. In which world these students live? It is for everybody's information that the owner of the restaurant is purely a local guy. Now will those students pay for the damage of the restaurant? I shudder to say that Cotton University has become another JNU.
Pratuljyoti Buragohain,
Guwahati.
'Assam Bachao'
Recently the Congress released a punchline 'Assam Bachao' keeping an eye on the Assembly elections slated to be held in two months time. Initially it was difficult to understand as to from whom the Congress is trying to save Assam. Later on I understood that the Congress in alliance with the AIUDF is trying to save Assam. We know the reason for the birth of the AIUDF which is to protect the interests of the people of suspected nationality post scrapping of the IM(DT) Act by the Supreme Court. This has to be the funniest joke of the century. A party which is responsible for making Assam a grazing land for Bangladeshi infiltrators and changing the demographic structure of the state is now urging the public to save Assam. It is only due to appeasement policy of the Congress that illegal foreigners from Bangladesh dared to encroach upon xatra land, Kaziranga National Park, rampant poaching of Assam's pride i.e. rhinoceros. The Congress is a party which favours dynasty politics rather than democracy.
Assam can only be safe and saved if the Congress is thrown out for good. It is expected that in the coming Assembly poll the mother of all evils the Congress would be taught a hard lesson.
Dhiman Senchowa,
North Lakhimpur.
Economic council of AJP
It is very laudable that the Economic Planning Advisory Council, headed by Jaimini Bhagawati, to develop an economic and financial roadmap with short, medium, and long-term objectives for Assam has already started its job, by holding a virtual meeting. The participants were from across the globe.
This is a refreshing change. The initiative of the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), led by Lurinjyoti Gogoi, needs more patronage. All well-meaning people should come forward voluntarily to provide a vision of Assam for prosperity — economically and politically. The leaders of the AJP should also provide scope for people's participation in various activities, through structured measures.
Today, many traders and businessmen from Gujarat have set their shops in Assam and occupy vast tracts of land in Assam. We wish to see businessmen of Assam setting up their operations in Gujarat and other places in the near future.
D Bhutia,
Guwahati
Power consumers' relief
It is a good news that consumers will get some relief for consumption of electricity in Assam as the Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission (AERC) has recommended an overall decrease of 2 per cent of power tariff for the financial year 2021-22. But the new rates will come into effect from April 1 this year. The energy charges of law tension (LT) of domestic and commercial categories have been reduced by 20 paisa per kilowatt-hour. However, there will be no change in the fixed charges.
I would like to request the authority concerned to reduce the fixed charge also as the consumers suffer very much.
Putul Sarma,
Biswanath Chariali
Clean sweep by Congress
The Congress has staged a remarkable comeback sweeping local body elections in Punjab with a crushing defeat to all other major political parties – Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Aam Admi Party (AAP) and Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) with the BJP listed at number four. Even independents performed well in several constituencies in comparison to the SAD, AAP and the BJP.
Reversing back to a party following dynastic tradition exhibits lack of faith of voters in all other losing political parties. Time has come that the losing political parties may realize bitter reality for their failure rather than sticking firmly to their respective stands without realizing actual mood of the voters. But it is evident that the farmer-agitation was not the only cause for crushing defeat of the BJP because other two parties SAD and AAP were also in support of farmers like the winning Congress. The losing parties should also study if their local grassroots-level workers are trustworthy enough in gaining confidence of voters.
Madhu Arawal,
Dariba, Chandni Chowk
Congress is no different
Rahul Gandhi said that "the Congress party will never implement CAA if it is voted to power in Assam." He claimed that his party would protect every clause of the Assam Accord and not implement the most controversial Act, CAA, if voted to power in the State. The use of the word 'if' reveals the ground realities concerning the political status of this largely out of sync, Congress across the country. Ironically, he said "the remote control can operate a TV but not a CM".
Chandan Kumar Nath,
Sorbhog
Standard of living
Through the columns of your esteemed daily I would like to inform you the deterioration in the quality of living among the slums in India. As we know that the slums are illegally occupied urban areas which are mostly marked by the people living in unhygienic conditions. They are mainly considered havens for diseases. The main problem in slum is the lack of educational opportunities. As the students are not educated they do not have proper opportunities to develop themselves. This problem can be solved by giving them proper educational facilities and creating of awareness among the people so that their lives better.
Manish Kashyap
Tezpur
Clause 6 of Assam Accord
The BJP has again betrayed the people of Assam by denying implementing the recommendations of the high-level committee formed for Clause 6 of the Assam Accord, under guise of reservations. One Cabinet Minister of the State Government has categorically refused to entertain the recommendations. Though not clear, the stand of the State Government and the Central Government seems to be quite evident.
The BJP has again fooled the people of Assam. First, after loads of dilly dallying, a committee was formed, and once, the committee gave its recommendations, the Governments sat on the report. The State Government was conspicuous on its silence, while the Central Government washed off its hands.
Pressure was built on the Government once the recommendations were made public by the AASU. The BJP Government, and more particularly Sarbananda Sonowal, stands exposed about their doublespeak. It is quite clear that the Government and Sonowal are NOT in the side of the Assamese and the indigenous people of Assam.
All the people of Assam should now stand together, and give a befitting reply to the Government and Sonowal.
D Bhutia
RGB Road, Guwahati
Ban production of diesel-driven cars
It refers to the in prices of petrol and diesel on a daily basis. Procurement-prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene are almost the same. However, kerosene is sold at highly at subsidized prices because it is mainly used by the poor. Diesel was priced lower than petrol because diesel is mainly used in transportation. But now prices of diesel are regularly increasing thus resulting in rise price of goods. Motto should be to keep diesel prices in control by allowing its use mainly for commercial transportation and not at all in use of cars.
It is not proper that even super-costly cars used by elite rich are nowadays having diesel engines. This is evidently misuse of policy of keeping price of diesel lower than petrol. Production of diesel-driven cars should be altogether banned. It will also help reducing pollution because diesel causes more pollution than petrol. It is noteworthy that in Delhi, diesel-cars are allowed to be used for ten years while petrol cars are allowed to be used for fifteen years. Ban on production of diesel cars will enable the Central government to restrict price rise of diesel which in turn will keep prices of public-transportation and goods under control.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal,
Dariba, Chandni Chowk