Floriculture prospects in NE
It is heartening to learn that Mizoram's capital, Aizawl, is the first Northeast state to export the first consignment of 1,008 anthurium cut flowers to Singapore via Kolkata, which has also opened new vistas of commercial floriculture marketing within the region. Needless to say, the region is having a suitable climate condition for growing flowers, and it also enjoys a natural advantage in the floriculture business. But what worries is infrastructure bottlenecks that pose impediments to tapping the business potential. Flowers are a highly perishable commodity. The adverse impact of the rise in temperature due to climate change clouds the floriculture business in the region. Local farmers' traditional flower-growing knowledge is useful, but it is not sufficient. They need to be imparted modern and scientific knowledge for transforming the cultivation to a commercial scale. Direct air connectivity of the airports in the Northeast region with South and Southeast Asia is a must to unlock more export potential for flower growers and distributors with preservation of fragrance and freshness from farm gate till delivery to end customers. Though there is vast potential and challenges in developing commercial floriculture in the region, it has been observed that often the policy discourses exclude the key stakeholders—the flower growers—from the consultation process, which has prevented the policymakers from having a comprehensive understanding of the ground realities of the growers who need solutions to challenges like market linkage, marketing support, infrastructure support, and access to formal credit without hassles. What flower growers in the region need is boosting their confidence level in the entire process right from planning to execution at every stage so that they do not get frustrated from their endeavour. The time has come for the rest of the region to follow the footsteps of Mizoram to carry forward the commercial floriculture movement for inclusive floriculture growth in the Northeast.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.
Mankachar's woes
Mankachar is a small town. It is located between the Bangladesh and Meghalaya borders. Its location can be seen in the extreme southwestern point in the Assam map in the South Salmara Mankachar district. It has one Community Health Centre (CHC), which takes care of nearly one lakh of its population. The CHC is running mainly with freshly graduated doctors, except for one or two senior doctors. It is learnt that senior doctors appointed in this CHC are working somewhere in Assam and are not willing to work in this remote location.
The District Head Quarter is situated at Hatsingimari, which is only 22 km away from Mankachar. There is the District Civil Hospital and a few private clinics that are providing fairly good medical services. But the condition of the road to Hatsingimari is so bad that it cannot be expressed in words. Around two hours are needed to cross the 22 km of the distance! These poor conditions of Mankachar became a great concern to the general people of the area, as leaders and departments kept mum and were not able to improve the situation. I, therefore, request through your esteemed daily that the proper authorities look into the matter to resolve these issues as a priority.
Ajit Das,
Mankachar.
Let’s have a holy Holi
Holi is representative of India's essence and vibrancy. The beautiful cultural festival celebrated with colours and water in March is a unique festival marked all across the country.
The festival gives us the message of friendship and goodwill. On this occasion, we forget our old quarrels with people and mix with one another freely. At least for a day, we forget social distinctions completely. On the day of Holi, there is no difference between the rich and the poor. Holi gives us great joy. It is a happy occasion when we forget our cares and anxieties. But Holi has got some evils too. Many people get drunk on this occasion. They indulge in rowdy behaviour and apply colours that are dangerous for health. Some people sing indecent songs and abuse women too. We should celebrate Holi in a decent way. We must realize that it is a festival of joy and friendship. We should share our joys with others. We must not behave in an indecent manner. The real spirit of the festival should be maintained.
Holi is an ancient Hindu religious festival that has become popular with a lot of non-Hindus too. Holi celebrations begin with the lighting of a bonfire the previous night. Numerous legends and stories are associated with the festival, which makes it more exuberant and vivid. People put 'gulal' and 'abeer' on each other’s faces and cheer up saying, "Bura na maano, Holi hai."
People who want to celebrate Holi in the real spirit of colours should be confined to certain areas along with the willing partners so that others are not offended or subjected to inconvenience. The way the unsuspecting passersby are discoloured with toxic dyes renders it an unholy affair. So let’s have a holy Holi.
Jubel D'Cruz,
Mumbai
Breach in protocol?
Our men’s cricket team added another feather to its cap by lifting the ICC Champions Trophy, beating the tough Kiwi side by 4 wickets in a nail-biting encounter in Dubai. The whole nation celebrated India's victory till late at night by bursting crackers and dancing on the streets with Tiranga in their hands. But surprisingly for us, while watching the closing ceremony, we found none from PCB on the podium, as they were the host of the tournament. Was this not a breach of protocol? The PCB officials are bad losers and poor hosts.
Lanu Dutt Chowdhury.
Guwahati.