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Declaring 2025 as the ‘Year of Books’
In a remarkable move, the Assam cabinet, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has declared 2025 as the "Year of Books". This initiative aims to promote reading habits among people, especially the youth, and foster a culture of literacy in the state. The decision is a testament to CM Sarma's commitment to empowering the people of Assam through education and literacy. In today's fast-paced, technology-driven world, literacy is more important than ever. It is the key to unlocking opportunities, fostering personal growth, and promoting social mobility. Literacy enables individuals to access information, make informed decisions, and participate fully in their communities. By promoting literacy, the Assam government is investing in the future of its citizens and empowering them to succeed in an increasingly complex world. The "Year of Books" initiative is expected to be a multi-faceted approach that will involve various programmes and activities to promote reading habits among people. Book fairs and literary festivals will be organized to promote books and reading. Reading competitions and quizzes will be held to encourage people to read and engage with books. Literacy campaigns will be launched to promote literacy among marginalized communities.
Teacher training programmes will be conducted to enhance the teaching of reading and literacy skills. Libraries and reading rooms will be developed to provide access to books and reading materials.
The declaration of 2025 as the "Year of Books" is a call to action for all stakeholders in Assam, including the government, educators, parents, and civil society organizations. Let us join hands to promote literacy in Assam and empower the people of the state to succeed in today's fast-paced world. Congratulations to Himanta Biswa Sarma and the Assam government on declaring 2025 as the "Year of Books". This initiative has the potential to transform the state's literacy landscape and empower the people of Assam to succeed in today's complex world. We look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on the state and its people.
Heramba Nath,
Hindumaizali,
Kamrup.
Water scarcity and availability
The news item published in your esteemed daily on December 26, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that water scarcity is the biggest challenge in the 21st century while several states have been engaged in disputes over sharing of water, has assumed great significance. Immediately after the country gained independence, it was Babasaheb Ambedkar who initiated the first steps in 'Jal Shakti' to fulfill the vision of India having adequate water resources through the construction of dams. The PM has also said that the last decade will be remembered in the history of India as an unprecedented decade of water scarcity and water conservation. Today, the scarcity of safe drinking water, which is the basic requirement for good health, has affected many countries, including India. Water is a vital component not only for our living but also for agriculture, industry, transportation, forestry, recreation, and the environment. The situation is getting worse day by day due to population growth, urbanization and an increase in domestic and industrial water use. While climate change is enveloping us and making lives difficult, water scarcity and availability have already become critical. As far as water demand is concerned, drawing water from the Brahmaputra is one of the options for Assam. Again, we have to look at the recharging of springs across the Northeast, which contribute a large share to the base flow of the Brahmaputra, but sadly, springs are drying up rapidly. It directly impacts those living in the plains, especially in Assam. Now, we need to rejuvenate our existing surface water bodies and focus on spring shed management to recharge the springs and reduce dependency on groundwater; only then can we have a long-term sustainable water system. It will have the potential to turn this into a win-win situation.
Each household in our villages has a small water pond. There is a need to make the best use of many water bodies where rivers flow by to meet rural water demand. Unless rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment, and recycling are made mandatory and incentivised in urban and semi-urban areas, there is no possibility to address the drinking water scarcity there. Last but not least, we need to reorient our lifestyles. It cannot be business as usual. It is the shared responsibility of each individual to take a strong pledge in the New Year that we demand as little as possible from Mother Nature and allow her to live without much interference to enable her to hug with a smile and return to us a beautiful Earth full of pure water, which is the elixir of our lives.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.
An Indian Maestro
After the passing away of Ratan Tata and Zakir Hussain, social media platforms are being flooded with snippets offering rare peeks into the depths of their psyche and persona. During their lifetime, these slices of their lives hardly made the impact that they are making now. The simplicity and the suaveness of Ustadji are offering rare glimpses of the tabla maestro, prompting us to rediscover him. The more I have been hearing him speak on his skill and the devout regard he held for his instruments, the more profound my respect for him has been growing.
His respectful utterance of the Hindu Gods and Goddesses not only commands our respect but also strikes a responsive chord in our heart, earning love and affection. He attributes the creation of magic by his fingers on the tabla to the blessings showered by Goddess Saraswati. This puts him in stark contrast to his other coreligionist and senile artist, who dared to depict a nude picture of the same goddess, thereby stirring a hornet's nest and setting him in a class apart. People like Allarakha Khan, Amjad Ali Khan, Bismillah Khan, and A P J Abdul Kalam have no haters and are indeed true 'Bharat Ratnas.' Let some celebrities, who long to leave India at the drop of a hat, draw inspiration from this cosmopolitan artist by taking a leaf out of his immense love, dedication, and devotion to the values rooted in ancient Indian ethos. May I ask the government of the day to consider bestowing the 'Bharat Ratna' on this illustrious son of India who personified humility and Indianness, the hallmarks of his being?
Ashok Modi,
A D P Road, Nagaon
RIP Shyam Benegal
The passing away of Indian film director Shyam Benegal on December 23 at a hospital in Mumbai is indeed sad. He epitomised the values of new wave cinema and broke many boundaries. He inspired a generation of filmmakers. His movies were superb and worth watching. His death at the age of 90 is a loss to the Indian film industry and the nation.
Jubel D'Cruz,
jubeldcruz@yahoo.com