Letters to the EDITOR: Upper Assam and lower Assam

Upper Assam and lower Assam

The concept of upper Assam and lower Assam is an old one. Sea changes have taken place around the world. At a time when people have started to consider the world as a global village, our thinking should not be like that of a frog in a well. Such mindsets are totally reprehensible, and that too when such thinking crops up in the minds of lawmakers. No right-thinking man would endorse such biassed views. Our public representatives should behave like role models for our young generation. Unfortunately, things seem to be quite the opposite.

Assam is a small state. The land mass of Assam is shrinking every day due to unabated erosion by the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries. The total population of Assam is around 3.8 crore. The indigenous Assamese population is hardly 1.5 crore. The Assamese community is a tiny one in a sea of 142 crore Indians. If we start harbouring divisive views about our own people and region, how can we protect our land, language, and culture from the onslaught of our detractors? I hope good sense will prevail in the minds of Assamese people to work together to build a developed Assam.

Prafulla Dowarah

Guwahati

Grim employment scenario in Assam

For record, Assam has fared the worst in job creation under the Prime Minister's employment generation programme. It should be seen in the context of the present poverty rate in Assam at 31.98%, which is higher than the national rate at 21.92%, which has a direct bearing on the employment scenario. The scarcity of employment opportunities leads to poverty. The lack of growth in the manufacturing sector may be one of the most potent causes when it comes to job creation. In fact, private sector jobs in the state are mostly limited to office work and salesmanship in business and commercial establishments.

To boost economic growth, the state government will have to make a turn in its policy to set up big industries, invite private investment, and utilize bank loans to expand the manufacturing sector. There is an urgent need to introduce technical and vocational courses to train skilled workers. The full potential of the tourism sector should be opened up, with the people in the community engaged and encouraged in activities like homestays and hospitality services. The declining job opportunities here compel many workers from Assam to migrate to other Indian states in search of a livelihood. Some of them face violent incidents like murder, assault, and torture by the contractors and employers, as well as crimes committed against them by the assailants. Some heartbreaking incidents of murder and deaths occurred last year when one Babul Bora was killed at Kishanganj Railway Station while returning to Assam, and the Huri incident (in Arunachal Pradesh), in which ten captive workers escaping from the custody of a contractor died on the way due to the long walk without food and overstrain, may be cited as examples. Such heinous crimes committed against the migrant workers of Assam must be vigorously pursued by the state authorities. An effective mechanism must be followed by the administration to protect their lives.

Pannalal Dey

Guwahati

Boomerang

The word 'Boomerang' denotes a V-shaped hardwood missile used by the aboriginal Australians that returns to its thrower or something that recoils to the original point. The exact implications of the said word seemed to be applicable to the ruling BJP in UP, a state that is usually considered the main bastion of the BJP, as it gives the party the party the maximum number of seats in parliamentary elections, which in turn helps the party form a government on its own strength. The BJP's plan to install the Ram Temple in Ayodhya before the last general election totally boomeranged due to reasons best known to the electorate of UP. Over-publicity at the expense of the public's comfort and security never pays.

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

Beat the heat,

stay cool

All of us are aware of the fact that every year during the summer, the temperatures keep rising to unexpected levels, which increases the risk of illnesses and deaths caused by heatwaves. We all need to take various precautions in order to stay safe and cool, like staying hydrated and eating and drinking things that help our body stay cool from the inside, staying inside our house during the day, wearing loose cotton clothing that fully covers our body, etc.

Jubel D'Cruz,

(jubeldcruz@yahoo.com)