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Bygone era of radio
It's high time to lay a few lines on the once highly popular entertaining media which is now going to be obsolete, and that's nothing but radio, which is now nostalgic for many. Once we spent our days listening to the radio, which was the only medium of our entertainment. The programmes like Kalpataru, Gitimalika, Sunday drama, Akanirmel, Aaideur Bulani, broadcasting of news, cricket matches and football matches and many more have been entertaining us for a long time. We can't forget those days when the whole family assembled in the yard around the radio and listened to these programs. We maintained our time and made ourselves up-to-date listening to the radio only. At present also a few people like us have a heartfelt bond with the radio and feel hurt seeing it being neglected by the present generation. The radio still may be popular if awareness takes place.
Benudhar Das
Galiahati-No.2, Barpeta
No Tobacco in Meghalaya
The September 13 editorial, 'The Meghalaya model of tobacco control', has made us really proud that the 'Abode of Clouds', Meghalaya, has achieved the first national recognition as a community-led tobacco control state at a time when there is a higher prevalence of any type of tobacco use among women in Northeastern states, especially Mizoram (59 pc) and Manipur (49 pc). It has been observed that smoking at an early age has been found to be associated with the presence of tobacco use among the elderly family members, influenced by peer groups, family conflicts, poverty, etc. This results in poor school performance, dropouts and truancy among this age group. This harsh reality explains why the incidence of cancer is the highest due to rampant tobacco use across the region. Now, nipping the chronic problem in the bud and preventing youths from using tobacco products is the need of the hour, and it can be possible if the 'Meghalaya model' is adopted by each northeast state, as it appears to be a glimmer of hope for a change through empowerment of communities under the Tobacco-Free Village programme (TfV). The effectiveness of community-led intervention in bringing about the behavioural change among the tobacco addicts needs no reiteration. Here, we can remember that states like Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland have exhibited some decline in tobacco use owing to declining tobacco use among women. As public health is a state subject, it is the moral duty of state governments across the NE region to support the NGOs and strengthen and enforce the COTPA and PECA provisions effectively, as it is vital to ensure the entire NE region is tobacco-free and an inclusive growth engine of India. So, it is the right time for us to pledge to protect the young population of northeast states from the risk of tobacco-related diseases.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.