Letters to the EDITOR: Implementation of the Assam Accord

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Implementation of the Assam Accord

September 25, 2024, marks a momentous day in Assam’s history as the state embarks on a significant new journey under the leadership of our Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma. The government has shown a strong commitment to the people of Assam by moving forward with the implementation of the 67 recommendations of the Justice (Retd) Biplab Sharma Commission concerning Article 6 of the Assam Accord. This bold initiative is a major step toward honouring the spirit and intent of the historic Assam Movement, and it fills us with hope for a brighter future.

For the first time, the Chief Minister has taken decisive action to address the long-pending issue of implementing the Assam Accord, an issue that holds deep emotional and political significance for the people of Assam. His resolve to uphold the Accord demonstrates a genuine effort to protect the rights of Assam’s indigenous communities, particularly their social, cultural, economic, and political interests. This initiative brings new optimism, as we believe where there is a will, there is indeed a way.

We are also encouraged by the constructive role played by the leadership of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), whose cooperation has been instrumental in propelling this process forward. The government’s commitment to working alongside key stakeholders ensures that the process remains inclusive and focused on achieving meaningful outcomes.

It is heartening to see a unified effort by the government and representatives from various organizations to finally bring justice to the people of Assam, ensuring the proper implementation of the Assam Accord. We remain optimistic that, with this initiative, the government will continue its work on the remaining 15 key issues of the agreement that fall under the central government’s purview. I would like to thank our Chief Minister, as well as the ministers and officials involved in this process, for their dedication and leadership. With their combined efforts and the blessings of the people, I am confident that we are on the path to positive and lasting change for the future of Assam.

Mowsam Hazarika

Kumarpara, Guwahati

Sector 36 and Nithari murders

A film titled Sector 36, loosely based on the 2006 Nithari serial murders, is now the talk of the town. This film is a poignant reminder that no animal is more dangerous than humans. The film is also a slap on the policing of the country, which failed to provide ample evidence for almost two decades, which led to the acquittal of the accused duo of Subhash Koli and Moninder Singh Pandher in 2023. After reading more about the case, it came to light that Moninder Singh Pandher, who let insanity happen on his premises, has friends in high places. Looking at how the case has been handled for over two decades, it is clear that Pandher's friends in the high places have a big role in keeping Pandher safe over these years. If people can get away after committing such an inhuman crime, then humanity and justice are just old-world concepts, and we are being ruled by Satan.

Noopur Baruah,

Tezpur

Tourism’s significance

A tourist travels for pleasure, entertainment, business, and education. The words "tourist" and "tourism" are an amalgamation of old English and French words. Tourism has a direct bearing on the cultural, economic, and social status of a country. Travellers' responsibility is key to sustaining tourism because travellers aware of their obligations towards maintaining the purity of a tourist destination are godsends for tourism. Sustainable tourism, movie tourism, medical tourism, religious tourism, and ecotourism—all self-explanatory—form the crux of tourism. In India, nearly six percent of the GDP is accrued from the sector. Tourism is a large avenue for employment, with as many as 25 million workers earning their livelihood from it.

In a country as diverse as India, it is indeed a laborious task for the government to keep tourist places spic-and-span, which is why the role of citizens in overseeing the orderliness of key tourism places is so vital. Good connectivity, adequate cleanliness, and the so-called certainty factor make a tourist place much sought-after. Preventing the centres from deteriorating to mere structures, maintaining the liveliness of the places, and ensuring no tourist is harassed are critical to preserving the name and fame of a place. There are a few unexplored tourism gems in India that should be tapped and allowed to blossom. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has been observing September 27 as World Tourism Day since 1980 to create awareness.

Dr Ganapathi Bhat

(gbhat13@gmail.com)

Hockey’s

phoenix-like rise

Hockey is the national sport of India. Once India produced some legends, namely Dhyan Chand, Laslie Claudius, Prithipal Singh, etc., to name a few who made India invincible. But with the advent of Astro Turf, the standard of Indian hockey started nose diving gradually. Nations like Germany, Spain, Belgium, England, Argentina, and Australia, apart from our archrival Pakistan, started dominating world hockey. Hockey slowly started losing its popularity and glamour and was replaced by cricket.

Thanks to the newly formed body of the IHF, the present central, and more importantly, the Odisha government under Naveen Patnaik, Indian Hockey started regaining its past glory, as evidenced by the results of the Tokyo and Paris Olympics along with their dominance in Asian Games. The recent triumph in the Champions Trophy Asia Cup is yet another feather in its cap.

It appears as if Indian Hockey is rising from its ashes like a phoenix .Keep it up.

Dr Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

Human Rights

Human rights is a term that we often find in print and electronic media when some convicts are convicted and wait for the ultimate verdict. We understand that there are human rights organisations that plead for clemency for some dreaded criminals who had committed some heinous crimes. Recently, our opposition parties, mainly Congress, begged for leniency against the ongoing eviction drive at Kachutoli against the illegal land grabbers on humanitarian grounds. We usually understand that only humans deserve human rights leniency in justice that awaited them.

Before parting, I beg to ask the LOP in assembly a very simple question. Will he beg for human rights leniency in justice against one who has committed robbery and rape leading to death by trespassing into his or her premise? For the LOP’s information, instances of such heinous crimes are almost regularly committed by this community of land grabbers across the length and breadth of the state.

Lanu Dutt Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

 Significance of Gandhi Jayanti

October 2 is a national holiday in India. This is the day when the great Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi was born. Gandhiji, as he was popularly known, is still remembered for the wonderful things he taught, not just to Indians but to the entire world. He was a preacher of non-violence and an architect of our freedom struggle and

his teachings have more significance in today’s world. He was such a kind of person who loved non-violence and harmony. He wanted everyone to live happily in the nation in unity, without any form of non-violence. He always wanted our nation to be democratic, free, and a secular nation. But it is sad to see that nowadays many cases of violence and crimes are happening every day. We see people fighting in the name of religion.

But while we may have got freedom from the British Raj, we are today not free of corruption, crimes, killings, man-made drought situations, malnutrition, etc., which are far bigger evils than the English rule. Humanity itself was a religion for Mahatma Gandhi, who used to worship honesty. But today we are divided on the basis of religion, caste, and inequality, apart from dishonesty all around. Even the currency notes of higher value that have Gandhiji’s picture embossed on them have shrunk in value terms, as you can hardly get anything from them.

Work is worship was his motto in life. Hence, let us therefore cancel the holiday of October 2 and work more vigorously, which would please his soul. Also, let us not talk anything bad about him but try to become one like him. That would be a real tribute to our dear Father of the Nation. One more thing to mention is that Gandhiji always maintained his originality. As a barrister, he travelled to places like the United Kingdom and to South Africa. There, he would always wear his traditional Indian dress and would respect the culture of his country and its customs. He would do that even though foreign nationals did not understand, like, or respect it.

For many decades, a large number of Indian youngsters have been following Western culture. Indians have lost respect for their culture, customs, and mother tongue. Co-incidentally, October 2 also happens to be the birth anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Jubel D'Cruz,

(jubeldcruz@yahoo.com)

Substandard drugs

As per media reports, the Central Drug Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) has flagged 53 drugs for common conditions like high blood pressure and acid reflux as substandard. This includes batches from major pharmaceutical companies, some of which are alleged to be spurious. These included drugs sold by leading companies. For example, a specific batch of Pulmosil (Sildenafil injection) manufactured by Sun Pharmaceuticals was found to be of less-than standard quality. The company, however, claimed in its response to CDSCO that the tainted batch of the product had not been manufactured by it and that it was a spurious drug. A specific batch of Pantocid, commonly used for acid reflux and indigestion, manufactured by the same company, was also found to be spurious.

On one side, a government body itself says a batch of drugs taken as a sample was found substandard, though to save their skin, the manufacturer says the products are spurious, not theirs. If so, then who is responsible? So it is the Central Government and the Drug Control Department that need to take action against the small-time manufacturers who produce substandard drugs and the other criminals who are producing spurious drugs with famous names, which is a criminal act. Then why is no thorough investigation done and action taken against the companies responsible? What preventive measures were initiated by the drug controller and government for safeguarding the interests of people and humanity? Actually, is ease of doing business in India more important than public health?

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee

(bkchatterjee9@gmail.com)