Letters to the Editor: End of the long wait

End of the long wait

So, at last, the long wait is over. After 77 years of long wait, Riyan Parag, the worthy son of Assam, makes the entire NE India proud by being a part of Team India for the upcoming T20 series against Zimbabwe tour. Riyan’s parents deserve all the kudos, as with their relentless efforts, Riyan was able to achieve his goal and make all cricket fans in Northeast India proud. Can ACA claim any credit? It is up to the ACA to clarify. ACA, in the meantime, has earned the rare credit of being host to international cricket events. Is it yet another feather in the ACA’s cap? It is up to cricket fans in Assam to decide. May the young cricket prodigy scale new heights?

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

24x7-election mood!

The general election is over, and the next state election is far away from now. Thus, this is the time for the state government to engage itself to work for the greater good of the state of Assam as a whole. Every moment is important for them to deliver when the state is under the garb of financial bankruptcy. Generating additional resources and utilising them effectively should be their priority. It is totally uncalled for and unfortunate if the government is still in an election mood. Please make sure that the people have voted for you to work for the welfare of the state and the people as well. The fact is that the state is run with the help of taxpayers’ money. Every citizen pays tax, whether direct or indirect. However, it pinches the lower-income group the most when they have to pay any kind of tax. No party or individual runs the state/country from their own coffer. As such, everyone has their own choice to vote for any party he or she likes in a democratic polity. It is a sheer waste of time to review who voted for them and who did not. Do a good job for the people and the state without harbouring any bias towards any section or region, and rest assured that the people will always vote you to power.

The Assamese people have been facing multipronged problems from time immemorial, and to be precise, no government seemed to have given serious thought and efforts in the last 75 years to resolve the problems once and for all. As things stand today, it is not out of place to suggest that many generations like us will come and go, but nobody would have the fortune to see the light of day. With every passing day, new problems like drug menace, human trafficking, crime against women, syndicate raj, and law and order problems are hovering over the state at a faster pace. Other perennial problems, as we are all familiar with, are as follows: unabated erosion by Brahmaputra and its tributaries, floods, unemployment, poor quality and inadequate healthcare facilities, a lack of quality education, deep-rooted corruption in government departments, poor infrastructure such as roads, bridges, potable water supply, inadequate power supply, etc. have crippled the state badly. Last but not least, the high price of all commodities has made the lives of common people extremely critical. In such situations, the government of the day has no time to spend a single moment on any issues. The time is to brainstorm within and find suitable solutions to all problems that are hanging like swords of Damocles over every one of us, with the help of experts and expertise, if evolving solutions are beyond their domain.

Prafulla Dowarah,

Guwahati

Drug abuse

Drug abuse and the illegal drug trade have grown into intractable menaces. Substance use disorder spares no age group, though it is basically a problem faced by everyone. The United Nations (UN) observes the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking (IDADAIT) on June 26 to focus on the grave dangers posed by drugs. The drug awareness campaign is the pivot around which other subsidiary issues revolve. The socioeconomic status of a society cannot be enhanced by unhealthy and unproductive members; that is why the dangers of drug abuse are manifold. Diseases are hazardous companions of drug crimes, and criminals have a sweet tooth for them.

U The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is like a UN watchdog that keeps a tab on international drug addiction. Making healthy choices and valuing oneself go a long way in keeping mind at bay, and these were indeed the themes of the UN in the past on IDADAIT. Cannabis, cocaine, and heroin sell like “hot cakes” in many countries because of their easy access and slack laws. Unfortunately, the  medicinal and recreational ‘benefits’ of cannabis have outweighed harmful and disastrous consequences of its intake.   A strong bond between parents and children can alleviate the latter’s  tendency to go astray.

Dr. Ganapathi Bhat,

(gbhat13@gmail.com)

Exit poll

The exit poll of late has become the most talked-about issue before the poll result announcement to let the viewers know about the outcome of the poll in advance. The leading national English TV channels, namely TIMES NOW and REPUBLIC, etc., in particular, usually show exit polls where representatives from leading political parties along with a few political analysts take part under the supervision of the anchors of the respective TV channels. Interestingly, most of the poll predictions for the last general election were proven wrong. For example, exit poll prediction in UP, a state that plays a major role in government formation at the centre even after the Ram temple issue, It seems as if the anchors of the above-named TV channels are unaware of the ground realities or are biased. The exitexit poll is simply meaningless.

Lanu Dutt Chowdhury,

Guwahati.