Letters to the Editor: Quit smoking

The use of tobacco is one of the leading causes of illness and death in India each year, according to the World Health Organization. The annual death toll from smoking is over 10 million. Smoking harms our body components and is bad for us overall. Smoking also raises the risk of lung disease, heart disease, cancer, and stroke. Additionally, it might worsen depression. Some people only smoke for show. Smoking is not only unhealthy for the smoker, but it is also dangerous to other people's health because of the smoke. People should stop smoking as it will benefit them and their families.

Chandan Kumar Nath

Sorbhog

Save our mother tongue

I rarely watch the Assamese news channels. Few days back I happened to watch an Assamese news channel with my grandmother. After watching some news bulletins and some advertisements, my heart was filled with anguish and disappointment. I found many grammatical errors in the Assamese language in those TV ads and news bulletins. I also mistakes in the breaking news displayed on the TV screen. While watching the Assamese translated version of advertisements, I had to spend more than two minutes to understand the theme of the ads. These types of ads have distorted our language.

Voice over in the TV ads by non-Assamese people has made matter worse. Some radio jockeys of FM stations also speak a distorted version of the Assamese language. These activities act as barriers in the growth of the Assamese language. Media groups concerned must take steps to ensure that their anchors and RJs speak proper Assamese language otherwise our next generation will learn the distorted form of our mother tongue.

Aditya Ankur Nath

Tezpur

An efficient APSC chairman

The government should take utmost precaution while appointing the chairman of the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC). We all know that APSC is a highly inefficient body and it needs a tough person to handle its affairs in conducting examinations. Pallab Bhattacharya was one such gem who tried to bring some changes in the APSC CCE. But the subsequent chairmen failed to maintain that whatsoever. This was evident from the APSC CCE prelims paper of 2020 where they did not follow the syllabus at all and copied all the questions from some GK books found in the market.

While appointing the chairman of APSC, the government should make sure that he/she is capable of holding that position. Otherwise chaos may occur. For example, the new chairman has not been able to release the notifications for the upcoming CCE. We expect the government to be cautious while appointing the chairman so that he/she is worth the position.

Some aspirants

Price rise vis-à-vis religion

The skyrocketing price rise of all commodities has hit the lives of commoners (have-nots, daily wage earners, non-pensioners) very hard. Only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches. Truly speaking, the government of the day does not appear to be doing anythings to mitigate the problem of the people. Had there been some honest efforts on the part of the government to address the problem then actions of the government would have come to the fore for people to see. In contrast, another section of people is busy bashing one another by hurting religious sentiments. We all are aware that Napur Sharma hogged the headline world over by her obnoxious remark on Prophet Mohammed.

Surprisingly, of late, an elite section of the society has also jumped onto the bandwagon for Napur Sharma's rescue. Unfortunately, even judges could not keep themselves out of its ambit. These developments don't behoove a secular democratic republic country like India. Religion is definitely a non-issue for those who struggle hard to earn their livelihood on a day-to-day basis. It is a luxury item for politicians and their cohorts to divide the people on the basis of religion to remain in power.

Every elected government is duty bound to improve the quality of life of its citizen. Real development of the state/country can be achieved through the generation of employment opportunities for all able citizens, which will definitely help increase the purchasing power of people for a decent living. Any government which remains on election mood from day one can't deliver goods to its people. The situation of Sri Lanka is not a result sudden upsurge. It is an outburst of accumulated anger of the people. Events of Sri Lanka unfolded many lessons that every politician must study intently. Factors like economic bankruptcy, bankruptcy of political leadership, devoid of accountability to the people and having no respect for diversity have pushed Sri Lanka to the brink!

Prafulla Dowarah

Guwahati

World Population Day

On July 11, we celebrated World Population Day. World Population Day aims to increase people's awareness on various population issues such as the importance of family planning, gender equality, poverty, maternal health and human rights. It is an annual event observed on July 11 every year which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues. The event was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989. The government of every country should come up with effective policies and schemes to control the growing population. If not controlled immediately, the ever-increasing world population will account for some unbearable adverse situations.

Jubel D'Cruz

Mumbai