Debate on real issues
Amidst the preparations for hosting the G20 conference, a distracting Bharat vs. India debate has taken centre stage, revealing a frustrating aspect of our political landscape. Our representatives seem to squander valuable time and resources on daily debates that serve little purpose, while pressing public issues like education, healthcare, employment, and the environment remain neglected. It's high time for both the ruling party and the opposition to unite and address these critical concerns instead of engaging in a never-ending cycle of political flip-flopping. Such partisan politics obstructs our nation's progress and demands a reevaluation.
Nawaz Ashraf,
Guwahati.
All quiet
CM Stalin, his son, and a minister from his Cabinet stirred controversy when the trio compared the age-old Sanatani Dharma with diseases like dengue, malaria, leprosy, and HIV. DMK is part of the I.N.D.I.A alliance that is led by Congress and comprises parties like the Samajwadi Party, RJD, Janata Dal (U), TMC, Shiv Sena (UT), and a few others. When MK Stalin insulted the Sanatani culture, all the coalition parties kept quiet as if they all agreed with his statements. If the same thing was said by others in regards to other religions like Islam, Christianity, etc., these parties would have shouted in unison. They would have flocked onto the streets, saying that democracy and secularism were in danger. But in the case of Stalin’s statement, democracy and secularism are not in danger because they take Sanatani Dharma for granted. Tamil Nadu is famous for many revered temples like Tirupati and Meenakshi, but the state CM has the audacity to insult Hinduism by passing objectionable and lewd comments. I condemned the people of Tamil Nadu for maintaining stoic silence on Stalin’s comment. Lastly, I would say secularism is a tool to appease a particular religion at the cost of Hinduism to fool people and grab power.
Purabi Miri,
Jakhalabandha.
Amrit Briksha Andolan
The state government has planned to plant one crore commercially viable tree saplings in a single day through the ‘Amrit Briksha Andolan’ campaign. The objective of this campaign is to promote a tree-based economy in Assam and nurture trees to reduce the negative effects of global warming and climate change.
No doubt, it is a good initiative taken by the government for our better and more secure future. Even Srimanta Sankardev once said, Eka briksha dasha putra sama (one tree is equal to ten sons). As such, if a tree is considered ‘Amrit Briksha’, then the tree sapling must also be considered Amrit Santan, and proper care and nurture should be provided to it. Otherwise, the saplings would die due to a lack of proper care, insufficient water, or animal torture. Therefore, we must consider the sapling our son and properly care for it to grow fully and properly. The timely initiatives taken by the government on tree plantation and full cooperation from the people in this regard may surely help to increase the green cover of the state in the near future.
Rupak G. Duarah,
Rajahnagar, Guwahati.
Renowned cartoonist Ajit Ninan passes away
Renowned cartoonist Ajit Ninan’s passing away is an irreparable loss to the world of caricature art. He is best known for his ‘Centrestage’ series in India Today magazine and for ‘Ninan's World’ in the Times of India. Of the thousands of characters Ninan inked, ‘Detective Moochhwala’ in the children’s magazine Target was his most famous. Ninan regularly addressed social issues and day-to-day activities in keenly observed and humorous ways. Ninan will live on, not only through his works but also through the works of the many cartoonists that he inspired. The critical voice of a cartoonist provides a vital safety valve for society. Needless to say, Ninan truly lived by this saying. Said Jen Sorensen, the American cartoonist and illustrator who was named a Pulitzer finalist in editorial cartooning in 2017, "Cartoons are a great medium for demonstrating just how absurd something is without ever having to say it directly."
Ranganathan Sivakumar,
(siva19kumar@gmail.com.)