Letters to the EDITOR: Historic cabinet approval

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Historic cabinet approval

Today's (August 22) news headline: 'Cabinet approves bill to protect Barpeta, Batadrava, and Majuli' has fulfilled the long-awaited wishes of the conscious citizens of the state. The CM deserves wide appreciation for this bold step. It is rightly said, 'Better be late than never'. The Assam Cabinet's historic approval of a slew of important bills, including bills concerning the protection of the lands in the nerve centre of the state's Vaishnavite culture, Barpeta, Batadrava, and Majuli, must be appreciated by all. Following this approval, the iconic structures at Batadrava and Barpeta xatras will now be declared protected areas with a radius of five kilometres while prohibiting the purchase of land in these two places, excluding those residents living there for three consecutive generations. Under this bill, the river island will understandably witness a dose of development for the protection of the World Heritage Site immediately after the completion of the bridge project, when devotees from other areas will desecrate sacred places on this river island in large numbers. The proposed bill will now pave the way to check unabated river erosion, which has been a persisting bane for Majuli. It is a critical aspect not to lose sight of concerns for the preservation and protection of its heritage. The authorities should keep in mind that the traditional and spiritual ambience of the island is blended aesthetically with local heritage while taking the island's all-round development project, which is equally important, along with the approval of the bill. Another landmark amendment bill in the Assam Land and Regulation Act 1886 has added a new chapter in the creation of micro-tribal belts and blocks for the greater interest of the displaced tribal families affected by the installation of major irrigational, industrial, and mining complexes in the form of alternative land, residential structures, and other facilities that they used to enjoy in their original places of habitation. The government's primary aim is to protect the land rights of such people while providing access to health care, literacy, and other basic amenities. Let's hope that the state government will follow every legal procedure to establish the right to self-determination of the indigenous people of the state, especially the tribal communities, the weakest section of society, so that they will be in a position to compete with the advanced section of the nation. Let's hope for the best decisions from the government for the general well-being of all communities in society.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati.

When will crimes against women come to an end?

A few will deny that recurrent tragedies underscore a persistent failure to address underlying issues effectively. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that one can count the number of people who remember the horrifying Nirbhaya case of 2012, on the fingers of one hand. As we all know, it was a brutal incident where a young woman was gang-raped and murdered in South Delhi, sparking nationwide outrage and demands for justice. Despite the government's efforts to quell the unrest, the incident sparked intense debates about the safety of women and the effectiveness of law enforcement, leading to widespread outrage that reverberated across the country and internationally. In response to the nationwide protests, a judicial committee was established in December 2012 to look into the issue. The committee's report later highlighted systematic failures by the government and police as the primary contributors to the ongoing crimes against women.

A significant outcome of the protests was the promulgation of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013, along with the enactment of several new laws aimed at combating crimes against women and the establishment of fast-track courts specifically to expedite the hearing of rape cases. Nevertheless, if anyone believed that the outrage following the incident and the introduction of new laws would be sufficient to prevent such heinous acts against women in India, they were gravely mistaken. Crimes against women, including rape and murder, remain rampant in the country, as starkly demonstrated by the recent brutal rape, torture, and murder of a postgraduate trainee in the seminar room of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, followed by the predictable blame game that ensued.

In a clear case of ‘too little, too late', the West Bengal government responded to this tragic incident by launching a safety programme for women working night shifts called Rattirer Shaathi ', aimed at improving working conditions and security in government hospitals, medical colleges, hostels, and other nighttime workplaces. Moreover, the government has mandated that women's working hours, including those of female doctors, be limited to a maximum of twelve hours, with night shifts to be avoided whenever possible. All faculty, staff, and security personnel are now required to display identification cards at all times, while security officers will be stationed by the police at all major medical facilities for supervision. Similarly, medical establishments across the country have implemented safety measures; for instance, the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital has introduced a dedicated vehicle service for female doctors, including trainees and interns, working night shifts from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. in the casualty department. Additionally, a patrolling service has been established after 6 p.m. to escort outsiders entering the GMCH premises after OPD hours.

Apart from all this, the Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and is scheduled to hear the case on August 20, raising hopes that additional significant legal measures may be mandated. While public outrage can be transient, if the death of the unfortunate victim leads to meaningful administrative action, her loss will not have been in vain.

Dipen Gogoi,

Teok, Jorhat

Is Paris burning?

‘Is Paris burning’ (1966) was and is still a classic WW2 motion picture. It depicted the diabolic game plan of the Nazis to blow Paris with bombs and dynamites before their final evacuation from Paris, the cultural centre of then-Europe. Thanks to God, the evil plan failed.

Now today? The very same Paris was once again burning from July 26th to August 11th, 2024, but this time not with bombs and dynamite. Those days, Paris was burning with Olympic flame. Athletes from five continents vied for gold, silver, and bronze medals, forgetting all political rivalries, which once again proves that sports unites and politics divide.

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati

Bridge to connect Guwahati with North Guwahati

Bihar earned notoriety as a state for its bridge collapse. Total bridges collapsed since 2020 would be around 15 numbers. These incidents are very rare in the country. Such mishaps are unfathomable when technology is at its peak. In the last two months, 12 bridges have collapsed. And the most recent one is the Bhagalpur Bridge over Ganga, which is 3.1 km in length. M/s. S. P. Singla Construction Private Limited is the contractor. The job was awarded in the year 2019, and there are still many miles to go to complete it. The collapse of its structures took place three times, including the most recent one. This is a clear case of bad workmanship in the first place. There could be serious flaws in the design, too.

Roads and bridges are the lifeline for communication and to maintain an uninterrupted supply chain for products and services. Heavy collateral damage would occur if such accidents occurred when the bridges were opened for traffic and commuters. The Bihar government should have offloaded the job to the contractor long ago.

The reason for highlighting the above is of paramount importance for us. The same firm is executing the 6-lane, 8.4-km bridge over the mighty Brahmaputra to connect Guwahati and North Guwahati. It is important to understand that the government of Assam, realising the gravity of the situation, has now been entrusted to review the design of the bridge at IIT-G. It is better late than never. However, some salient questions do arise: (a) if IIT-G finds serious flaws in the design, then whole built-up structures are to be dismantled. (b) If the design is found to be perfect, then the workmanship of the built structures is also to be reviewed. One thing is for sure: design alone can’t provide a safe and sound structure. It depends on the quality of various components, such as cement, sand, stone chips, and steel, which are the main components of the basic structures. Finally, good workmanship ensures the strength and durability of any structure. However, to achieve quality workmanship, a third-party inspection, monitoring, and review of jobs are required at every stage of construction. The checks and balances are very important. The outcome is obvious if the contractor becomes the designer, reviewer, and quality controller. As such, a very competent and credible consultant is required to be engaged in such big projects to oversee jobs on behalf of the Government of Assam to ensure sound structures and expedite the completion of the job as well. Now is the time to keep our fingers crossed.

Prafulla Dowarah,

Guwahati

Insecticide management training is a welcome step

Apropos a news item 'Training on insecticide management begins' published in your esteemed daily  is a highly welcome step for Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dibrugarh, and its District Agriculture Office at a time when the issue of chemical pesticide contamination of food articles is posing a serious threat to humanity. Reportedly, some cultivators of different crops, including tea growers, overuse some inferior-quality chemical pesticides to boost their products overnight due to a lack of proper knowledge about the detrimental effects of such harmful chemicals that may lead to DNA mutation and ultimately carcinoma.

As such, it is timely to impart such training to the growers along with the input dealers of pesticides. They should also be educated about the relevant FSSAI Act and Rules governing the Maximum Residue Limit (MRL), i.e., the highest amount of pesticide residue that is legally permitted in foods. At the same time, it is also inevitable for consumers to identify some noxious foods by different physical methods such as colour, smell, texture, etc., and may attempt to reduce their toxic effects by applying different home techniques such as properly washing fruits and vegetables with a 10% common salt solution, a dilute baking soda solution, or a very dilute (0.1%) potassium permanganate solution.

Likewise, the concentration of pesticide residue in tea can also be reduced largely by steeping the dry tea leaves in boiling water for at least 1 to 2 minutes, and its filtrate is completely discarded. The desired drink of tea may then be prepared with its residual tea leaves. Conclusively, I appeal to the Agricultural Department, Assam, to keep on such a benign programme unabated across the state to promote awareness among the cultivators. Simultaneously, I also appeal to the Health Department, Assam to renovate its State Health Laboratory, if required, with modern technologies to detect micropesticide residue in foods quantitatively for taking necessary penal action under the provisions of the FSSAI Act and Rules in the greater interest of public health as food safety overrides all the parameters of foods.

H. Gogoi, Guwahati

Slavery

"I freed a thousand slaves. I could have been freed more if only they knew they were slaves." One need not look beyond these thought-provoking words of American abolitionist Harriet Tubman to decipher the evils of slavery. Though Tubman spoke at the end of the 19th century, her words hold true for modern slavery as well. Human trafficking, bonded labour, and forced marriages are direct examples of today's slavery, whereas domestic work, construction activities, and sexual exploitation fall into the "domain" of forced labour. Nothing can exemplify modern slavery better than child labour. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has identified about 25 million men and women as victims of modern slavery.

Nobody can turn somebody into a slave unless the latter allows them, which is now something like a misnomer. ILO has specially targeted migrant workers, who are easily lured because of their poor understanding of local language and tradition. American thinker Frederick Douglass' famous quote, "Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave," rings in one's memory. To take stock of the progress made by ancillary agencies and the respective governments, "International Day for the Abolition of Slave Trade" is observed on August 23. It is hoped that the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states, "No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms," gains fresh momentum.

Dr. Ganapathi Bhat,

(gbhat13@gmail.com)