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Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to express my concern over the declining interest in reading daily newspapers and magazines in the greater Bezera area of the Kamrup district.
It is difficult to believe that people lack the time to read newspapers daily or magazines occasionally. Spending a modest amount on reading materials should also be affordable for many. The real concern may be a lack of willingness to read. Some people question the value of reading, but is it appropriate for educated people to think this way?
People are increasingly preoccupied with calculating profits and losses, often neglecting the intellectual satisfaction that reading provides. Newspapers keep us informed about current affairs, while magazines broaden our knowledge, outlook and cultural awareness. Regular reading also develops critical thinking and social awareness.
Formal education alone does not necessarily make a person knowledgeable. A genuine reading habit is essential for intellectual growth and a well-informed society. People in the greater Bezera area should cultivate reading habits and encourage younger generations to follow suit. Parents, teachers and responsible members of society must work together to revive this valuable culture.
Heramba Nath,
Hindumaizali, Kamrup
From Majuli to Melbourne
A tennis court may be thousands of kilometres away from a village, but ambition knows no postcode. Samuel Doley’s remarkable journey from Majuli to Melbourne, as one of only four youngsters from India selected as ball kids for the 2027 Australian Open, is a stirring testament to how opportunity can transform obscurity into distinction.
Doley’s selection deserves applause not merely as a sporting anecdote but as a parable of perseverance. To be among international ball kids at Grand Slam demands agility, discipline, concentration and impeccable conduct under intense scrutiny. His journey therefore punctures the hoary assumption that world-class sporting opportunities are the preserve of metropolitan India.
More importantly, this achievement should prompt policymakers to look beyond the conventional sporting ecosystem. Rural and riverine Assam possesses an enormous reservoir of latent talent, yet inadequate infrastructure, coaching facilities, equipment and exposure often stifle aspirations before they can take root. Majuli, with its distinctive geographical challenges, symbolises how remoteness can become an invisible handicap.
Doley’s achievement can help break that glass ceiling. Governments, sporting federations and private organisations must scale up grassroots programmes, identify promising children early and provide sustained mentorship, nutrition, equipment and competitive exposure. Merely discovering talent is not enough; it must be nurtured and carried forward.
His passage from a village in Majuli to the iconic courts of Melbourne is more than a personal triumph—it is a clarion call to democratise sporting opportunity. If Assam can help one village boy step onto the global tennis stage, many more may follow suit. Let us not allow geography to call the shots when talent is waiting in the wings.
Dipen Gogoi,
Teok, Jorhat
Unquiet border
Recently, the Director-General of the ITBP made a serious remark at an annual felicitation ceremony for personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border. No doubt, there have been significant developments at several points in Arunachal Pradesh in the past and the present that show no sign of abatement. On the other hand, China has maintained territorial claims on Arunachal Pradesh. Even they released Chinese names for locations within that state while keeping the border unquiet. Despite corps commander-level dialogue held between India and China, territorial pricks continue at Beijing's behest. One feels there should not be any compromise with national security. The government and India's security apparatus must prioritise it as it deserves. No doubt, India's ties with Beijing are beginning to recover from a tense phase. Therefore, India must continue to exercise utmost caution and oversight to ensure that the situation does not aggravate. One will also agree with the fact that communication of crucial national security matters is a delicate art. It is therefore necessary that the nation remain informed about the situation on the ground while dealing with messages of broader imperatives of the time. At present, India is also engaged in carving out a crucial trade deal with the United States of America. So, there is a need to take a greater degree of care to ensure that the observation, even a valid one, does not cast a shadow on such endeavours.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.
Impact of technology in our life
There is no gainsaying that technology has changed everything today. From sending messages to withdrawing money from bank accounts, everything is technologically driven. People no longer have to wait in long queues to pay their bills or book tickets; everything happens with the click of a button. Technology has not only changed the way we do things but has also altered our habits and lifestyles to a large extent. It has made us prioritise immediacy and ease over everything else. Now, we no longer prefer to walk to grocery shops or vegetable markets to buy things because technology has enabled us to make purchases while sitting at home. All we need to do is download an app and make an online payment, and the items reach our doorsteps within an hour. Students no longer have to cycle long distances to attend tuition classes, as teachers are available on online platforms for every subject. Just pay a few hundred rupees, and apps will provide you with a new teacher every day. It is due to the technological boom that e-commerce businesses like Blinkit and Amazon are minting money on an unprecedented scale. By offering tempting discounts, they have compelled us to squander our hard-earned money on excessive and unnecessary purchases. But have we thought about how these technology-aided business models are systematically and gradually destroying small and roadside shops? If not, then, at least for the sake of humanity, we should think about them because these small business owners and their families are completely dependent on our purchases.
Among the many modern technological inventions, AI stands out as a wonder today. From writing assignments to transcribing live discussions and analysing medical reports, AI has become an integral part of almost everything. What once took hours of brainwork, AI can now do in seconds. But the broader question is whether overdependence on technology could permanently reduce our physical strength and cognitive abilities one day. The use of technology in our day-to-day lives has led to a decline in our body's physical movements and substantially reduced the need for creative thinking. A decade ago, we used to walk to buy groceries, but now e-commerce has reduced our physical activity in the name of providing doorstep services, contributing to rising blood sugar and blood pressure levels. The loss of even the smallest bodily movements due to the conveniences provided by technology is gradually damaging our health every day. There was a time when students liked to brainstorm and do their homework on their own. Now, they quickly turn to AI without exploring their own abilities. If things continue this way, they may no longer feel the need to think critically to solve their problems.
It is true that technology is necessary to make our lives easier, but we should have the ability to recognise when its excessive influence or our dependence on it can become detrimental to us and to human civilisation as a whole. The task ahead is not to discard technology but to maintain control over it without becoming its captives.
Kabir Ahmed Saikia,
Jorhat