sentinelgroup@gmail.com
Hameed’s tutelage rebuffed
The polarising remarks made by former Planning Commission member Syeda Hameed in the patronage of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants at a juncture when the Assamese identity is at the brim of extinction completely mutilated the Assamese sentiment, leaving it in a state of antagonism. In the quest for an intruder-free land, Assam had witnessed a concatenation of excruciating events, starting from the Assam Agitation to finally ending at counterinsurgency, taking the lives of several youths during armed operations under the AFSPA. The dream for an encroacher-free Assam had cost the blood of its own people, emptying the wombs of many mothers.And it is this hardship borne in the past by the Assamese people which has made them proficient enough to cope with their problems without the need of any tutelage from mavens residing outside Assam, for the reason that Assam is comprehended by its people in a better way than by those mainland demagogues. And now when the people of the land are fighting for their prerogative to wane their woes and foes, such controversial comments from Hameed to marginalise the issue of illegal immigrants will be deemed as a plagiarised version of murky polarised politics.
Kabir Ahmed Saikia,
Rajabari, Jorhat
City’s vending clutter
Today, thousands of people are involved in street vending across the city. It has become a critical component of a bustling city like Guwahati. The welfare of this segment of the populace ought to be a concern for the state government. The most striking aspect is that they are mostly unorganised and consequently bring with them inconvenience and hazards. For instance, in Guwahati, there are thousands of street vendors who have been occupying spaces on pavements and roads illegally, mainly due to the absence of any dedicated zones for settling the vendors. The pedestrians have been the worst sufferers due to widespread encroachment on public space, and the traffic congestion in the city keeps worsening. When pedestrians are compelled to join the chaotic mess, with the pavements and roadsides being fully occupied by street vendors, the people have to spend hours in traffic. The commuters are remaining trapped, and the hazards have multiplied with the passage of time, as our public authorities are reluctant to involve themselves in streamlining the sector, and urban planning has failed to take due cognisance of it. The 28 August editorial, 'Vending clutter on Guwahati street', has rightly said that prolonged delay in the creation of dedicated vending zones in Guwahati raises doubt over the capability of the GMC authorities to anticipate the menace. What is needed for the city’s authorities is to prioritise the mandatory creation of adequate street vending zones while reviewing the challenges faced in achieving the key objectives of the scheme on the ground.
An alert and active civic voice is another need to remind GMC to play their part in clearing the mess as per the Street Vendors Act 2014 that mandates redressal of vendors’ grievances. The city cannot be ‘Sikun Guwahati, Mur Guwahati’ unless it reclaims footpaths for pedestrians, as its sustainability largely depends on creating designated dignified space for street vending. Let us join hands to help our city become pedestrian-friendly with footpaths and encroachment-free public space.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.
Coping with grief
Grief is a state of intense sadness due to an irreparable absence, or an irreplaceable loss, of loved ones or things. It’s disturbing to the individual as well as the society because it transcends the emotional aspect to envelope physical, behavioural and cognitive facets. Coping with stress or grief requires tenacity and demands companionship. It also needs a compassionate outlook towards the grief-stricken.“Grief Awareness Day”, observed in the US on August 30, was founded by author Angie Cartwright, whose book ‘My Grief Diary’ looks at ways to shape the society to be in sync with people affected by remorse.
“Helping hands and lending ears”, they say, are crucial to overcome grief. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s words of wisdom, ‘There is no grief like the grief that does not speak’, readily come to mind.Some grievers need professional care and support, especially when grief graduates into substance abuse.As American writer and journalist Anne Roiphe said, “Grief has two parts—the first is loss. The second is "remaking of life".
Dr Ganapathi Bhat,
(gbhat13@gmail.com)