Assamese cinema at a crossroads
It has been reported that screenings of Jahnu Baruah’s much-anticipated new Assamese film, Herowa Chanda, had to be called off in several cinema halls due to the lack of audience turnout. Such cancellations do not merely signal empty seats; they ring alarm bells for the future of the Assamese film industry. At a time when regional cinemas elsewhere are going from strength to strength, this disheartening development suggests that Assamese cinema is once again losing its footing. If this state of affairs continues, producers may understandably think twice before putting their money on Assamese films. When investment dries up, creativity is bound to take a back seat, and the industry may slowly but surely fade into oblivion. This outcome would be nothing short of tragic for a cinematic tradition that was painstakingly built from the ground up by Jyoti Prasad Agarwala with the making of Joymoti, the first Assamese film, which laid the foundation stone of Assamese cinema against all odds.
It is worth recalling that not long ago, the Assamese film industry was in a pitiable condition, struggling to stay afloat. During that difficult phase, Zubeen Garg went all out to revive the industry, lending his voice, his influence, and his unwavering commitment to pull it back from the brink. He repeatedly called upon the people of Assam to turn up at cinema halls and stand by their films, firmly believing that audience support was the lifeline of any film industry.
Sadly, with Zubeen no more among us today, the same old grim scenario seems to be rearing its ugly head once again. The cancellation of shows for want of viewers suggests that his appeals are falling on deaf ears. If people continue to give Assamese films a miss and opt for other forms of entertainment, the industry may be pushed to the wall, leaving filmmakers with no choice but to abandon their dreams.
Such a pass is, without doubt, a defining moment and a wake-up call for the people of Assam to take stock of the situation and act before it is too late. At the very least, they owe it to Zubeen Garg, whose heartfelt plea was always to watch Assamese films in cinema halls and keep the industry alive. Otherwise, the industry may suffer irreparable damage, and Zubeen’s cherished dream of taking Assamese cinema to a level on par with the film industries of other states may slip through our fingers, leaving behind nothing but regret and what might have been.
Dipen Gogoi,
Teok, Jorhat
Whom are footpaths meant for – the public or vendors?
The news article published in your esteemed daily with the above headline on January 7 has drawn our sharp attention. While the rapid urbanization, population growth, and business expansion have transformed Guwahati into a bustling urban center, the growing challenge of unregulated street vendors occupying footpaths has emerged as a major concern in multiple areas across the city. From Fancy Bazar to Panbazar and from Chandmari to Ganeshguri, pedestrians are being squeezed off pavements that have become de facto marketplaces. It draws repeated complaints from pedestrians and residents facing daily inconvenience due to encroachment on footpaths turning them into unauthorized vending spaces. Passers-by are unable to walk freely on the footpaths, forcing them onto the roads and putting their lives at risk. It needs to be mentioned here that despite Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) conducting recurring eviction drives across key market areas in Jalukbari, Ganeshguri, Fancy Bazar, and Beltola areas, vendors, including vegetable sellers, return to the same places within days. Apart from vendors, the parking of two-wheelers and the repairing of vehicles have made footpaths out of use for pedestrians. The recurring situation is attributed to insufficient manpower leading to limited monitoring capabilities. The immediate need for GMC is to recruit more people to strengthen its ability to manage the situation. Moreover, the traders do not have permits to run businesses on the footpaths. The GMC's mayor has rejected the vendors' plea for space in areas of Panbazar, Ganeshguri, or along the stretch of Guwahati-Shillong Road. Although it identified legal vending zones across the city, it appears to be inadequate due to the unplanned city. Unless the city leadership acts swiftly to deliver on promises of encroachment-free footpaths, Guwahati may find itself further entangled in a battle between survival and civic order—one footpath at a time. At the same time, it is the responsibility of the state government to brainstorm the footpath encroachment issue on a priority basis, as it poses a major civic problem for many towns and cities across the state.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.