sentinelgroup@gmail.com
Free sanitary pads in Assam
Access to menstrual hygiene products remains a significant challenge for women and adolescent girls in Assam, mainly in rural and economically disadvantaged areas. High costs and persistent social taboos often force them to rely on unhygienic alternatives, leading to infections and even causing girls to miss school.
Several states in India have already introduced programmes to provide free sanitary pads in schools and health centres, resulting in improved health and better school attendance. It is essential that Assam takes similar steps to ensure sanitary products are readily available and affordable for all women and girls. Providing free sanitary pads is not only essential for health but also helps girls continue their education without interruption. Such a step would empower women, reduce school dropouts, and promote equality, showing Assam’s commitment to the well-being of its future generations.
Martina Basumatary,
Pragjyotish College, Guwahati
Jal Board turning into a menace
The government introduced yet another new scheme in Guwahati to ease the drinking water scarcity, as GMC is too overstretched in this regard. The Guwahatians heaved a sigh of relief, expecting a regular water supply. But unfortunately, the scheme proved to be a nightmare for the citizens, as frequent disruptions of water supply became the order of the day without any prior notice, causing immense harassment to the helpless citizens. Bursting of pipelines has become routine, which even once caused a human casualty. It is very unfortunate that this novel scheme, run by the Jal Board has so far failed to serve its purposes due to utter mismanagement. One can imagine the plight of any citizen running without water for days together with or without any prior notice in routine intervals. We demand remedy at the earliest.
Dr Ashim Chowdhury,
Guwahati.
Mental health and new generation
Every year World Mental Health Day is observed globally on October 10. This year's theme highlighted 'Prioritise psychological well-being during disasters and emergencies'. During the tragic demise of music icon Zubeenda, who was not just a performer but a symbol of Assam's cultural pride, it was noticed that the young people, particularly his ardent fans across the state, felt like they were losing a part of their selfhood, triggering a shared crisis of identity at a time when they are already facing modern stressors such as unemployment, academic pressure, and uncertainty. When they lacked coping mechanisms for sudden grief, they attempted suicide. Their emotional suffering during collective tragedy escalated as there was no timely support who could handle them with compassion. It was more critical than physical disaster response. We did not have structured psychological support. On the other hand, the media played a dual role. While covering collective grief, they resorted to replaying emotional images continuously, which resulted in retraumatising people, leading to a mental health crisis. Such practices are detrimental to the wellbeing of the society and never help prevent emotional suffering of young people.
Again, when there was the denial regarding Zubeen's absence, the situation created community-wide trauma which demanded proactive health emergency care. But, sadly, there was neither a crisis helpline nor counselling networks across the state. The recent tragedy has well demonstrated that when there is political or cultural disaster, preparedness, mobilising communities, raising awareness and ensuring access to mental health services are a must to prevent a spurt in mental health issues among the new generation, which has become a matter of serious concern for all.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.
Fund resilience key to disaster management
In 1989, the United Nations (UN) began observing the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) on October 13. Natural disasters like floods and earthquakes don't arrive announced. So it is imperative to be ready for any unpleasant occurrence. "Prevention" and "mitigation" are the buzzwords. The world is facing the consequences of unabated climate change and its leaders' miserable failure to address the broad issue on a war footing. Financial implications of natural disasters are huge because the international funding towards reduction of natural calamities is meagre in comparison. Approximately 2.5 trillion dollars are spent annually to prevent disasters and alleviate their consequences. Therefore, the UN is going the whole hog to convince nations to ramp up their contributions for disaster management. "Fund resilience, not disasters," the theme for the 2025 IDDRR, exhorts global countries to invest more in disaster risk warning and prevention mechanisms rather than fund heavily after they shatter the world.
Dr Ganapathi Bhat
Arctic ice melting opens new routes
The rapid melting of Arctic ice is redrawing global geopolitics, opening new trade routes and vast mineral exploration zones. The U.S., under Donald Trump’s renewed “Arctic push”, plans to build 11 new icebreaker ships worth $9 billion to counter China and Russia, which already possess superior Arctic fleets. A key deal with Finland—producer of 60% of the world’s icebreakers—will deliver seven ships by 2028, aiming to revive U.S. shipbuilding and assert power in the polar region. This Arctic competition has strategic implications for India: new northern sea routes could reduce transit time for its Europe-bound trade, while emerging Arctic energy and mineral projects offer opportunities for investment and technology collaboration. However, India must balance its interests carefully amid rising U.S.–China rivalry in the region.
RS Narula
(rsn2065@gmail.com)
International Day of the Girl Child
Parenting teen girls is a different proposition for parents, as their moods change frequently, and the parents will have to adjust and act in a favourable way to satisfy the teenage daughter. Teenage girls face lots of practical problems, and it is time to cajole and console them to make them stronger and more mature in their daily life. After all, life is for enjoyment, and the girl would like to enjoy being a teen just like any other girl. Parents everywhere struggle to respond appropriately to the challenging behaviour, hit-or-miss communication, and fluctuating moods we see in teenage girls. No wonder parents are overwhelmed at the sight of the growing girl, her mood and the aspirations that come in the way of a make-or-break situation. The parent-daughter relationship continues from the teenage days and lasts even after the marriage or even after becoming the mother of two. When a child abuses a parent, the problem often goes unreported.
It is kept a secret to maintain the prestige of the family. The interactions of the teens with their parents have changed a lot, but in reality, we would like to see them making most of the situational changes that suit them in their endeavours.
After all, the parents prove to be a guiding force, and the interactions become very soft with parents once they realise their roles and responsibilities in real life.
Dorai Ramani Suresh
(dorairamanisuresh@gmail.com)