Letters to the EDITOR: Ethical approaches to animal welfare

Ethical approaches to animal welfare

The ethical treatment of animals in Indian agriculture is a pressing issue. The use of antibiotics and hormones in livestock farming enhances productivity, but it raises serious concerns. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) warns that antibiotic resistance could cause 10 million deaths annually worldwide by 2050.

On our dairy farms, growth hormones are widely used. A 2019 study revealed the presence of antibiotic residues in 10% of milk samples, highlighting the health risks. Environmental impacts are equally troubling, with farm runoff contaminating water sources and harming ecosystems. Inconsistent regulations further complicate the issue, affecting trade and standards.

Are these practices necessary for food security, or do they represent a modern-day sin against ethical and sustainable farming? It is crucial to advocate for humane, environmentally-friendly practices that ensure animal welfare and protect public health.

Dr. Nayandeep Kalita

College of Veterinary Science,

Khanapara,Guwahati

APSC AE (PHE) exam anomalies

The written examination for the post of Assistant Engineer (AE) in the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), conducted on June 9, 2024, by the Assam Public Service Commission (APSC), has been plagued by numerous irregularities. Firstly, the General Studies (GS) paper, which is ostensibly meant to test candidates' general awareness and analytical skills, contained highly specialized questions that are beyond the scope of an engineering graduate's curriculum. This unreasonable level of difficulty has unfairly disadvantaged the engineering candidates. Adding to the controversy, the answer keys released by the APSC have been found to contain a significant number of errors and inconsistencies. This calls into question the accuracy and fairness of the evaluation process and raises concerns about the credibility of the entire examination.

In light of these anomalies, which cast a shadow over the integrity of the examination, it is imperative that the most prudent course of action be to cancel the written examination, initiate a thorough review of the question paper and answer keys, and conduct a re-examination with balanced question papers immediately. This would ensure fairness to all candidates and uphold the principles of transparency and accountability in the recruitment process.

A group of candidates,

Assam Engineering College

and Jorhat Engineering College

The summer

flower trees

“Flowers whisper ' beauty ' to the world, even as they fade, wilt, and fall,” Dr. Sun Wolf

Some flower trees have displayed their nice shows for this summer season, giving never-ending joy to the people. For their magnificent performance, nature has just smiled a big, sweet smile.

The following flower trees of the summer season are to be appreciated and worshipped for their unconditional blessings of beauty to humanity:

Ejar (Lagerstroemia Speciosa): Ejar trees are big flower trees that are seen all around Assam. They have many English names: Giant Crape- Myrtle, Queen's Crape- Myrtle, Banaba Plant, Queen's Flower, and Pride of India. The trees bear beautiful, attractive flowers in profusion in purple, lilac, or pinkish-violet colours. The flowers of the particular trees make the rural areas lovely all around. The beauty of the never-ending lines of these flower trees on river banks is too aesthetically pleasing to describe. The flowers are believed to be melancholic. Poems and songs are composed on ejar flowers, which evoke pain and sadness. A song by singer Khagen Mahanta that has been popular ever since echoes that sadness -

“Ejar phoola dekhi

Bejar kiyo koro

Kio mone mari thako

Mur dehi oi

Aase ne muloi

Tuloi jito mor chit ”

Xonaru (Cassia fistula): Another major flowering tree in the summer season is the Xonaru (Golden Shower) tree. The tree makes our surroundings golden in its blooming period. The other names of the tree are - purging cassia, Indian laburnum, pudding pipe, and kano konna. It is an ornamental tree and is being planted now for beautification purposes. Singer Zubin Garg has sung a romantic song:

“Phule phul xonaru daalote bhori, Morombur mur barhise tumale aaji.”

Radhachura (Caesalpinia pulcherrima): There is a beautiful Assamese love song written and sung by Dr. Bhupen Hazarika that goes:

“Radhachurar phool guji

Radhapuror Radhika

Chah bagichat jhumur nachi

Jugnuk jache photika. ”

Radhachura (peacock flower) is an ornamental flower tree, best for beautifying roadsides and public places. It's lovely pinkish colour pleases everyone.

Krishnachura (Delonix regia): With its fern-like leaves and flamboyant display of orange-red Krishnachura flowers (Royal poinciana), it decorates the summer landscape. It is an ornamental tree in many tropical parts of the world and is planted for beautification purposes. The flower is also mentioned in many Assamese poems and songs to describe beauty and love. The song, titled Krishnachura, goes like this:

“Krishnachura krishnachura

Krishnachura tumar pranor

Rongere mur jivan

Ebar rongai tula”

This song, sung by the late Jayanta Hazarika, has been an evergreen number.

Kulendra Nath Deka

Dighirpar, Mangaldai

Elderly care

Though there is a surge in the young population in India, more and more elderly people are expected to join the population by the turn of the decade. Globally, there is an upward trend in the population of men and women in the 60- to 80-year-old age bracket. One in six elders in the world is mistreated. Elderly abuse can take various forms—physical, psychological, financial, and sexual. Ill-treatment need not be physical alone; it can assume different dimensions, like neglect and exploitation. Financially dependent elderly and health-deprived adults are prone to being mishandled by their children and kin. Unfortunately, lax laws have emboldened abusers. "Elderly abuse" is an underrated and underreported form of crime.

Worldwide, only one in twenty-four cases of violence against the elderly is reported. Father's Day and Mother's Day are occasions to rededicate ourselves to the uplift of the elderly. "World Elder Abuse Awareness Day" on June 15 hopes to tackle the abuse faced by elderly ladies and gentlemen. The International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (INPEA) started in 2006 and was endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2011. Identification of injured and anxious elders is paramount to tackling the abuse scourge. Unburdening the adults of their worries is equally important. Loneliness is one of the biggest tormentors of the elderly. Engaging them in constructive work is not a bad idea.

Dr Ganapathi Bhat

(gbhat13@gmail.com)

Step up action against alcohol

Alcohol destroys families and often leads to violence. The recent tragedy in Gujarat's Botad district involving spurious liquor, which has claimed more than 40 lives, adds to the long list of deaths from unregulated, unsafe alcohol.

Liquor consumption tragedies cannot be attributed to hooch alone. Clamping down on liquor production and sale, or prohibition, is not the solution. Ensuring that all alcohol sales happen under safety regulation, coupled with measures that would limit excess and underage consumption, must be the way forward. The way to minimize liquor-related tragedies is not by prohibiting its consumption, as in Gujarat and Bihar, but by bringing alcohol consumption under the regulatory radar with clear parameters on its sale and consumption. This must be supported by strict enforcement of related laws, such as stepping up action against drunk driving.

Jubel D'Cruz,

(jubeldcruz@yahoo.com)