Letters to the EDITOR: Dynasty Politics

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Dynasty politics

India happens to be one of the largest democracies in the world. But sadly, unlike other democracies, our democracy is shamelessly plagued by dynasty rule, which is absolutely not healthy for any democracy. One shouldn't, of course question a worthy son/daughter taking over his/her mother/father position on the basis of merit. But what amuses us are the instances of the likes of Rahul Gadhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Stalin, Omar Abdullah, and one in particular, Tejashwi Yadav, who even is not even a 10th standard pass out. Dynasty politics is a curse of the Indian political system. Is Indian democracy in safe hands as the above-mentioned souls are aspirants for the PM’s post? One would have shuddered to think what would have happened to the above-mentioned guys if they were not born with a silver spoon in their mouth.

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury 

Guwahati.

Cybercrimes

People worldwide utilize the internet to promote progress in every facet of life and every corner of the globe. The internet facilitates communication and coordination of action. But, at present, many aspects of information technology (IT) make it an attractive medium for fraud, terrorism, and increasingly cybercrimes, which are also a big threat to individual and national security. The September 5 editorial 'People as force multipliers against cybercrimes' published in your esteemed daily has rightly said that until the law-enforcing agencies are fully equipped with trained professionals, upgraded technology for effective utilization of artificial intelligence, the banks should take a special measure of cautioning their customers about the possibility of cybercrimes while opening a new account for any customer without verifying the authenticity of requests. It is extremely dangerous for the original customers once the bank kits are known to the cybercriminals who start the modus operandi using the Aadhaar number and PAN number of the account owner. The threat of personal account theft grows rapidly for the common people. In a network, such crimes can be carried out globally from practically anywhere. The recent busting of the cybercrime racket is just the tip of the iceberg. The City Police Commissioner's effort to caution bank customers against rising cybercrime underscores the need for sustained awareness campaigns by both police and bank authorities on the dos and don'ts concerning cyber fraud. The role of various media channels to raise the public awareness level against the digital criminals cannot be ruled out. Your editorial rightly pointed out that only the digital banking system can check the fraudulent activities of the digital fraud; it will also ensure faster economic progress of the country. The Central government must emulate other countries best practices and collaborate with them to develop legislative protection against these new virtual offences. There is a need to extend the rule of law into cyberspace, which must be safe. Only then will it help create a trustworthy environment to safeguard individuals and businesses from cyber fraud and attack.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati.

Charity is a blessing

The talk of "social responsibility" always brings to the forefront the issue of lakhs of homeless and hungry people across the globe. According to Saint Teresa, kindness towards deprived people is charity. She always believed that giving is not a duty but a privilege. Giving away what one has, with happiness and satisfaction, and with little expectation of fame and popularity, provides a much healthier meaning to charity. Positive energy of giving can be contagious, and, as they say, "acts of kindness can be more powerful than the power of prayer."  There is bound to be some return: the return of happiness and blessings. "A bone to the dog is not charity; charity is the bone shared with the dog," said American poet Maya Angelou.  The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared September 5 as the International Day of Charity to respect the great soul, Saint Teresa, who passed away that day in 1997. A common platform for individuals is created to undertake charity on a wider basis. International charity has a broad customer base to supply essential commodities to nations on one platform. Private sectors and philanthropists contribute their mite. Many international agencies pride themselves on getting into charity. A nation can create wonders, but a group of nations can weave magic around the stated intent of charity. Only when people realize that it is better to be a "blessing" than to be "blessed" can they pour their heartfelt love into giving.

Dr Ganapathi  Bhat

(gbhat13@gmail.com)