Letters to the Editor: Crime against women

It seems that crime against women is a never ending phenomenon. The recent report of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) is certainly evident the same. In India over 4.28 lakh cases of crime against women were registered during 2021 reflecting a worrisome increase of 15.3 per cent over 2020. The most horrible thing is that in terms of rate of crime against women, Assam was 168.3 per cent. This is much higher than the national rate of crime against women. Moreover, in Assam total number of cases of crime against women registered in 2021 was 29046 as compared to 26352 in 2020.

It is seen that Ministry of Women and Child Development has taken several remarkable measures to deal with crime against women. Indian Penal Code and other women specific laws have been made more stringent. Initiatives like Sakhi-One stop centre, family counselling centre, women helpline (181), free legal aid for women, awarness programmes and several schemes for women have been taken.

Now the big question is that despite taking several measures, why has crime against women not stopped or even decreased. Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of 75th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that women must feel safe and respected from street to workplace.

It is very unfortunate that when the entire nation is celebrating Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, there is a big question mark on women's rights, freedom, safety and dignity. It is said that prevention is better than cure. So it is the need of the hour to protect the women. The four pillars of Indian democracy i.e legislative, executive, judiciary and media must take necessary steps to diminish this problem. Non-governmental organizations and political parties must take an active role in women-related issues. Coordination among different stakeholders is very necessary. Most importantly, people must change their approach towards women and should treat them with respect.

Gitesh Ch. Aryya

Nagaon

Tap water

By 2024, under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), every rural home should have access to functioning tap water. Under the motto 'No one is left out', JJM seeks to give a Functional Family Tap Connection to every household. Many currently unprotected water sources will be utilized in this large effort to deliver water in order to achieve the aim. Therefore, the water from these unprotected sources (which will be utilized for water supply) must be carefully verified, tested, and cleared for supply for human consumption by the competent government department, and the public must be informed/educated in advance on the quality of the water.

Shatabdi Khatoniar

(shatabdikhatoniar863@gmail.com)

The other side

of secularism

Recently on August 25 on the auspicious day of Mahapurush Sri Sri Sankardev Tithi, Congress leader Abdul Khaleque, who represents Barpeta Lok Sabha constituency, brazenly praised the Mughals, the invaders of India from across the border who invaded India almost 700 years ago. He even did not hesitate to brand the most communal of the Mughal emperors, the infamous Aurangzeb, as secular. He further went on and said that Aurangzeb donated the piece of land where revered Umananda Temple stands today. What a distortion of history in full day light. This is no doubt the other side of so-called secularism, a simple policy coined and practiced by Congress for decades to appease a particular religious community even at the cost of nation's security and integrity.

Joel Gayari

Tangla

Is the government to blame?

Every year during the rainy season, Guwahati suffers from heavy flooding. Every year people blame the government. But is the government the only one to blame? No, if we look carefully, the drains of almost all the areas of Guwahati are blocked with garbage due to which the water cannot pass through the drains. At the time of rain, the water accumulates and the city gets flooded and people go through a lot of trouble. But here the people are to blame. They should throw the waste in dustbins not in the drains. They should keep the drains clean so that water can pass easily. People should take responsibility for their negligence instead of blaming the government and clean the drains.

Parilina Das

Gauhati University.

Good days for ACA officials

Come October 2, Assam Cricket Association (ACA) will host a T20 cricket match between India and South Africa at the Dr Bhupen Hazarika cricket stadium at Barshapara. This piece of news will definitely bring smiles on the faces of cricket lovers and ACA officials but the state players won't get anything from the match. Basically, it is festive time for the officials, their families and some royalists.

The officials of the ACA don't have much to show in terms of performance of the state cricket teams in national circuit. Be it junior or senior, men or women, shortest form or longest form, the performance of Assam Cricket has touched nadir. Not a single new player has emerged in recent times on whom we can feel proud. But the office bearers of ACA, in particular their president and general secretary, behave as if they have revolutionized state cricket in recent times. Merely holding a one-off international cricket match, that too once in a blue moon, will not serve any good to Assam cricket. We want atleast one player to don the senior Team India jersey. The present body of ACA led by Devajit Lon Saikia is a failed body and should be replaced by a competent person who has the vision for the state cricket. But the million dollar question is who is going to ring the bell as the current regime has the backing of the most powerful person of Assam.

Pratap Dutta

Tezpur.

Heat waves – a serious concern

We can see how much temperature and humidity have increased in recent times,which is a very serious issue and a matter of concern. As the temperature is rising day by day, people are falling ill and dying due to heat strokes.

Due to excessive heat waves, it is getting hard for people to live by the day time. And the reason for this is global warming, something which we are responsible for. The rate at which the heat waves are increasing, it is possible that it will increase more in the recent years. But people seem to ignore the fact that it will cause us so much harm. Lack of trees, exploiting nature are all sins that we are now suffering for.

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authorities and the public that it is high time that we take more care of nature and in return we can live a healthy life. Plant more trees and also stay hydrated during the days because it might turn out to be something very serious. I would like everyone to take initiatives from themselves.

Uruli Bhatta

(uruli444@gmail.com)

Modern love

In today's time, whether it is a love affair or a marital relationship between the younger generation, we see the breakdown in a jiffy. If we look at the reason for this, it can be seen that the relationships of the present day are very different from the relationships of the previous days. Today's relationships have become very modern. Especially in today's love relationships, the partner of many takes up physical relationships as the key in love. After having a physical relationship, many lose their importance to their partner. As a result that relationship progresses into a breakup.

Tamil film Kya Bolti Too has been made with many such examples. The film's lead heroine Tamanna Bhatia lives in England from an early age but loves Indian culture. Tamanna's mother died when she was a child, so it was her father who raised her up. One day Tamanna gets acquainted with a boy named Sandeep Kishan and later a love affair developed between them. Sandeep wants to have physical relations even when he is not married to Tamanna. But Tamannaa is not ready to have physical relations before marriage. As a result, the love affair between them breaks down. Later, Tamannaa started a love affair with a man named Navdeep, but due to reasons like physical contact, he also broke up. Sandeep meets Tamanna again in the final stages of the film. He wants to stay with her for the rest of his life and wants the opportunity to change himself for the last time from her. Sandeep ultimately understands that a love relationship can be extended even without physical contact if love is loved from the heart. Tamanna is ready to love with Sandeep when he sees a change in his behaviour.

Sanjib Sagar Das

Bajali

Where is humanity?

Tamil Nadu is a state known for many famous Hindu temples. Hindus all over the nation make pilgrimage to offer puja at these famous temples. The temple authorities also have elephants mostly brought from Assam to worship the almighty, which was in practice for thousands of years. But very recently all the animal lovers across the globe must be shell shocked to see the horrible inhumane torture meted to our dearest Jaimala in a temple situated some 80 km away from commercial city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu by few mahouts (better be called demons in the form of human). The most heartening news in this regard is the prompt action taken by the Assam Government in its efforts to rescue Jaimala from the clutches of the temple authority. The Tamil Nadu government's apathy in this regard will be cursed by all and our state government's effort to rescue her will be rewarded by the almighty in no time. Just wait and see.

Lanu Dutt Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

Arrest the duo

Two hatemongers, namely Sikha Sarma and Satyaranjan Bora are spreading venom among the two communities in the social media sites. In this era, when provocative messages are travelling faster than light because every person has access to an Android phone, the duo is spreading communal hatred posts on various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp which can create unrest in the state. Already we are witnessing how jihadi elements are spreading their tentacles across the length and breadth of the state. Satyaranjan Bora is seen repeatedly posting derogatory posts against Islam, while Sikha Sarma is doing the same against Hindu rituals and customs. Her posts are anti-national to the extent of inciting jihadi elements to wage war against the state. The state police or the cyber cell should take up suo motto case against the duo and arrest them at the earliest before it is late.

A year back Sikha Sarma was put behind the bars for insulting our martyrs but after her release she is again back to her usual business of spreading lies, provocation and communal hatred. People like Sikha Sarma can go to any extent to fulfil her political ambition. Her posts, which are full of minority appeasement and hatred towards majority community, is the indicator that she has hidden political agenda in her sleeves. We should be vigilant that our social harmony is not broken at any cost. I hope our state government, which is showing zero tolerance to corruption, will act at the earliest by taking strong action against the two persons.

Purabi Miri,

Jakhalabandha.