Fitting Tribute
Upendra Nath Brahma, widely revered as the Father of the Bodos, was very rightly remembered by the present NDA government. A nine-foot-tall, life-size statue of Lt Upendra Nath Brahma was unveiled by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Along with the statue, a road in the capital, New Delhi, was also named after the Bodofa (fondly called by Bodo people), signifying the Bodo leader’s legacy.
The present state BJP government under Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma deserves all kudos for honouring a worthy son of Assam, which was not done under the Congress period. During their 54 years of rule, they only decorated three members of the same family with the Bharat Ratna award, ignoring the greats like Bhim Rao Ambedkar, Gopinath Bordoloi, and Dr Bhupen Hazarika, who were offered the Bharat Ratna award posthumously by the BJP-led government.
Lanu Dutt Chowdhury,
Guwahati.
Assam’s yellow revolution
It is indeed a matter of great surprise that although Assam is endowed with favourable agro-climatic conditions, the immense potential of growing mustard on a commercial scale remains untapped, and the main reason for this is the lack of hand-holding support by the state's Department of Agriculture to the farmers who do not know about the permissible level of moisture content, which is essential for quality control right from the farm gate. It needs to be mentioned here that the moisture content in mustard seeds grown in the state is in the high range of 15 percent and 18 percent against the permissible level of 8 percent on account of humid climatic conditions, which poses a stumbling block in mustard seed procurement by various agencies, which results in reluctance among farmers to scale up mustard production in the state. Our farmers need to know that drying mustard seeds under the sun can reduce the moisture content to the permissible level. Secondly, using the right packing materials, such as jute bags, corrugated fibreboard boxes or plastic film bags, is essential to protect the seeds from dirt and moisture. Another reason why the local brands lose out in the competition with different brands of edible oils, including mustard oil coming from other states, is their failure to take advantage of consumer sentiment over indigenous production. It actually happens so due to poor labelling information on the product, which makes consumers' first choice when opting for an alternative or a new food brand. Post-harvest management intensive training is another area of special attention. The Farmer Producer Companies (FPC) under the District Mustard Mission need to play a pivotal role in catering to the need in every aspect of mustard brand development, from farm gate to consumer consumption, to end the persisting demand-supply gap of edible oil in the state. Encouraging each district to develop its own brand of mustard oil will go a long way in augmenting farmers' income. We need to organise district-level, wide-ranging, marketable surplus-based discussions about new opportunities among the young mustard producers and entrepreneurs, which will prove to be more beneficial to unlocking the boosting of the mustard seed production in the state while making the District-wise Mustard Mission revolution successful.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.
Punish criminals, not community
We are all deeply aggrieved and mournful over the attack in Pahalgam. Every Indian citizen will feel a sense of justice and relief when our government stands firmly against the culprits and delinquents. However, this does not mean we should spread hatred between Hindus and Muslims. Himanshi Narwal gave a beautiful message: "Do not go against Muslims, because this is not the crime of an entire community. The government must take a strong stand against the actual criminals and attackers."
Sabir ahmed
Karimganj, Assam
Trouble on the LoC
Amidst the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attack, the Indian Army has responded to the unprovoked small arms firing across the Line of Control (LoC) during the intervening night of May 3 and 4. This is the tenth consecutive day of India's effective retaliation since the Pakistan Army's unprovoked small arms firing began on the night of April 25-26. On Wednesday, India closed its airspace to all aircraft registered in Pakistan and those operated by Pakistani airlines, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). Another major step following the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, in which 26 people were killed, India issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), confirming the closure of its airspace to all Pakistani-registered, operated, or leased aircraft, including military flights, from April 30 to May 23 (estimated duration). On Tuesday, the Director General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan talked over the hotline to discuss the unprovoked ceasefire violations by Pakistan.
Bhagwan Thadani
(bhagwan_thadani@yahoo.co.in)
AI a friend or an enemy?
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is connected to the future of every human being. There is no doubt that AI has surprised the world. Today, robots are doing human-like work, machines are translating languages, driverless cars are running on roads, and computers are learning on their own. All these things have made life easier for people. But the question is this: Will AI become an enemy of humans in the future? If machines start thinking, making decisions, and replacing humans at work, then millions of people may lose their jobs. If AI grows without any control, it may become a danger to humanity. I request that the government, teachers, and technology experts work together to make rules so that AI becomes a friend of humans, not an enemy. We should welcome progress, but with care, ethics, and responsibility. Please raise awareness about this important issue.
Masihullah Qasmi Pakahi
(masihullahqasmi7@gmail.com)