A tradition of togetherness: Letters to The Editor

Bhaona, a tradition which is alive for more than 500 years has served as an important part of the cultural sea of India. Come August the air of Assam wears a festive look with Namghars agog with people singing Borgeets and Horinaams. This also marks the beginning of the Bhaona season which stays till Vijaya Dashami which Assam also celebrates as the birth anniversary of its greatest child Sri Sankardev. Bhaona is so ingrained in the rural milieu of Assam that it is no less than a festival. I remember when as a kid I went to my ancestral home in Dhakuakhana in the Bhaona season and looking at all the festive like preparations I inquisitively asked my father if Bihu is again here. People would prepare pithas, clean their homes and all such rituals which we see only in the Bihu season. I found out later that all these preparations were done expecting relatives and friends from other villages who would swarm in for the Bhaona performance. The naamghors were decorated like a bride with flowers available in that season for the big night. People would book their seats on the floor with bamboo mats way before the performance starts. The naamghor premises would be packed with hordes of vendors selling different wares. Many long lost friends would meet each other after years. All these sights made me think that life should be lived like a festival because just like festivals, life too is short-lived.

Noopur Baruah,

Tezpur.

Baya Weavers' nests

Whenever I go to my maternal grandparents' home, I always look at the nests of 'Baya Weavers' on coconut and betel nut trees. They are best known for their hanging resorts woven from leaves. People also use the Baya Weaver nests as decorative items. But of late, these birds have vanished from urban and rural areas. The gradual disappearance of Baya Weaver nests shows the lack of love towards birds and trees nowadays.

Aditya Ankur Nath,

Tezpur.

Imprudent behaviour of political leaders

At a time when there had been a clear upward trend in the daily Coronavirus cases in Jorhat district that has ultimately pushed the administration into enforcing complete lockdown in the district, a few public representatives didn't seem to have even an iota of concern for the common people. Not many days ago, we witnessed COVID protocols being flouted by a few political leaders during a public meeting at Mariani. Last Friday also, a massive gathering with minimal social distancing was seen in front of the Jorhat Circuit House. It must have created a fertile ground for the rapid transmission of the virus. When common people, especially petty grocers, vegetable vendor, and barbers among others are fined and taken to police stations for not following the COVID-safety protocols, how could so many people assemble in those places where rallies are organised? Besides how did the organisers get the permission for holding such rallies from the authorities concerned?

If there is a sudden spike in infections and our political leaders are held responsible for the same, they will readily reject the idea of a link to the same. Unless our representatives follow the stringent COVID-safety protocols, the growth rate of the average daily cases is bound to accelerate in the days ahead.

Dipen Gogoi,

Teok,Jorhat.

Financial struggles of different sectors

Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to express my concerns about the financial crisis during the pandemic that has hit the masses in various ways including financial. Many sectors are staring at their huge losses ever since the pandemic started. Day by day the situation is getting worse. Another sector is the cinema and theatre industry. The artistes involved in this sector have been struggling from the moment the curtains came down on their acting arena. All are struggling to make good the loss of income. Due to this, some have already changed their professions.

The pandemic has also hit the wedding industry turning big fat weddings into small ceremonies. People from the 'Band party' service are having a hard time staying in this business. Other services such as lighting, decorating, catering is also on the same boat.

The curfew in Assam came down harshly on the street vendors. The closure of public amusement places like Nehru Park has brutally hit the vendors surrounding such places.

I request the government authorities to help them in every way possible.

Niyanta Narayani,

Guwahati.

Tragedy King Dilip Kumar

Tragedy King Dilip Kumar who gave a new direction to Indian cinema has passed away. Dilip Kumar was iconic. Nobody was able to match his acting even in the twilight of his film acting career. The gap due to his demise will be hard to fill up.

Chandan Kumar Nath,

Sorbhog.

Deplorable condition of roads

Through the esteemed columns of your newspaper, I wish to highlight the poor condition of roads in our locality, Ratanpur near Tangla town.

The roads here are in terrible condition and the potholes on the roads are a major cause of concern. These potholes have not been repaired for a long time; as a result, several road accidents have occurred in our locality. Two days ago we witnessed a car accident because of these potholes. As the Mangaldai-Bhutiachang road is a busy street, concerned authorities should take immediate steps to repair these potholes in our locality.

Biki Sarmah,

Udalguri.