India-UK partnership: A promising future
India and Britain are becoming closer friends again after several years. They signed a big trade deal that helps both countries grow economically. This is very good news for business, jobs, and the people of both nations. Both countries want to work together on many important things like defence, education, health, and fighting climate change. When the British Prime Minister visited India, many British business leaders came with him. This shows that both countries are serious about building a strong and lasting partnership for the future.
However, some challenges still need to be solved through honest talks and understanding between the two nations. Visa policies need to be made easier, and political issues must be addressed carefully. If India and the UK work together with patience and respect, they can overcome these problems. I strongly hope that India and the UK will continue this positive relationship for many years to come. This friendship will benefit both nations and create opportunities for their people.
Altaf Hussain
Guwahati
Haphazard throwing of garbage
Guwahati is a place which is considered to be developing in a rapid manner. Almost 12,24,000 people are currently living in the city, with which comes the question of basic civic sense and cleanliness. Streets and drains across the city are often seen overflowing with untreated waste. These make the surroundings not only unsightly but also unbearable due to the foul smell. Passersby often have to cover their noses while walking through such areas. Every other day, new dumping spots emerge in random corners of the city. Today itself, I noticed a new one near SK Das Ward Street, Uzanbazar. The road, once clean and pleasant, now looks filthy and neglected. The lack of sufficient dustbins and the poor maintenance of the existing ones add to the problem, and also many bins are left overflowing for days.
It is disheartening to see how people have started ignoring this issue and how the authorities show little interest in timely waste collection and maintenance. The question that keeps coming to my mind is “Can these problems ever be solved unless both citizens and the authorities take responsibility?”
Prantar Niyogi
Guwahati.
Forest conservation
Today, forests have become victims of man's endless needs. We have almost forgotten that forests have been an unending storehouse of myriad raw materials. It differs from region to region due to differences in climatic conditions. But, sadly, the high demand for forest resources has led to their destruction and depletion. Trees are being cut down about four times faster than they grow. This causes serious problems such as loss of topsoil, irregular rainfall and frequent floods, leading to a shortage of firewood and poor land quality. Mining in the hills is further destroying the forests. Man's desire for wealth and material things places him in danger. Industrialization has encouraged deforestation. Urbanization has consumed big chunks of forests. We cannot allow this dangerous trend to continue. We need to strengthen the bond of friendship between nature and humanity. Every citizen has a role to play in forest conservation through care, protection and responsibility. We must avoid plastic and use recycled products to protect forests. We need eco-friendly forest tourism to promote mutual respect towards nature. Forest protection should be in the school curriculum. A mass-awareness campaign involving local communities will act as a deterrent against relentless exploitation of forests, which endangers the ecological balance and the very existence of living creatures.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati
Demographic changes
Once again you have hit the Editorial Column of your esteemed daily, dated October 12, with a very timely editorial, titled 'Demographic Invasion', with all historic facts and figures. After Gopinath Bordoloi, it is our present CM who is trying his best to safeguard the indigenous people’s identity from the continuous attempts of influx across the border.
For the last couple of months, the bonafide Asomiya people were thrilled to see the number of evictions of illegal encroachers from various parts of Assam and were expecting some relief from the illegal encroachers belonging to a particular linguistic minority community. But of late, due to some reasons known to all, the actions seem to be missing, which is very alarming, as these illegal encroachers are like weeds and locusts. They must be wiped out totally. If the present rate of demographic changes continues unabated, in no time the very name of Assam will be erased from the Indian map. Hence no other issue should divert the attention of the present government from this life-and-death-like issue of Assam and Asomiyas. Anyone trying to do so should be termed as Badan Barphukan. Our next-door neighbour, West Bengal, has already become West Bangladesh.
Lanu Dutt Chowdhury,
Guwahati.
Deadly cough syrup
The deaths of over 20 children in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and other parts of India after consuming Coldrif cough syrup have shone an unflattering light on the Indian pharmaceutical industry and the systemic regulatory collapse.
While our nation prides itself on being the "pharmacy of the world", the grim reality is a systemic collapse that has repeatedly failed to ensure the safety and efficacy of medicines produced for both domestic and international markets.
The Indian pharmaceutical industry has positioned itself as the "pharmacy of the world" by supplying more than 40 per cent of generics used in the US and more than 90 per cent of medicines in several African countries. However, the grim reality is that its regulatory mechanisms fail to do justice to this billing. Moreover, while pharma units are required to maintain a database on manufacturing practices and inspection results to alert manufacturers and doctors about the history of a brand, state regulators lack autonomy and resources to carry out their mandate of ensuring the safety and efficacy of drugs. Strengthening vigilance while making the regulatory oversight mechanism more robust is the need of the hour. I call on the authorities to strengthen inspection protocols, increase the number of testing laboratories, and impose harsher penalties on manufacturers of substandard drugs. The safety of our medications is a matter of life and death and should not be compromised.
Jubel D'Cruz,
(jubeldcruz@yahoo.com)