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International Day of Friendship
When the world is constantly reeling under the shadow of betrayal and hostilities, the observation of July 30 as the International Day of Friendship reminds everyone of a bond that has always succeeded in uniting human beings. In fact, people across the world would have turned completely uncooperative had friendship not existed among them. It is that feeling which has helped the human beings to understand the value of compassion, sharing and being together. Friendship neither demands standards nor equal power and pelf. All it requires to become friends is just a genuine commitment towards each other. Real friends exist despite differences in ideologies, political opinions and personal choices, revealing the fact that dissimilarities cannot fray the bonds if hearts are connected. When differences in caste, creed and religion has unabatedly worked as a force to fracture the society, friendship has inspired the human beings to look each other as same fellow companions and strive towards seeking peace and harmony. In this contemporary world, friendship exists as a civic ethic that has succeeded in removing fear and distrust from people's heart and taught the importance of cooperation and unity in peace building. Be it in the western world or in developing countries, friends everywhere show the same qualities: care, fidelity and respect towards each other. The rules for being friends do not change with geography. Friendship becomes stronger when commitments emerge while dealing with the ordeals of life.
In a country like India, friendship plays a significant role in maintaining social cohesion. Despite the prevalence of myriad religious beliefs and political ideologies in the country, friendship has helped to develop a sense of camaraderie among the citizens and proved the world that coexistence is possible even when personal dichotomies exist. At the same time, in this digital era, when likes and comments are mistaken for sympathy, understanding the true meaning of ethical commitment is very necessary. Since sending emojis cannot assuage a distressed person in the way physical presence of friends does. Friendship never erases disagreements; rather, it makes disagreements acceptable. It helps to understand that tolerance is not a weakness but a virtue of showing respect for other rights. In a world where missiles and bombs are used to make things right, friendship can be the pragmatic solution to achieve peace and stability for a durable future.
Kabir Ahmed Saikia
Rajabari, Jorhat.
Structural reforms
The other day the PM promised the agitating students to clean up the examination system. The bill to make punishment more stringent for leaks in examination papers was introduced in Parliament as part of the vow. In the latest instance, a task force on examination reform headed by Nandan Nilekani, the technology expert, was announced. The bill is not a startling novelty. A law with similar aims was passed in 2024. The new bill intensifies the penalties. Now, a question arises: why should paper leaks occur at all? Numerous academics and experts have pointed out that paper leaks in various national-level examinations are symptoms of a far deeper malady. Unless there are structural reforms and systematic changes, hardening laws will help little. The National Testing Agency must be a government entity to prevent its connection with coaching institutions that encourage corruption. The computer-based, multiple-choice questions designed for admission into higher education institutions are not a gauge for diverse talents. The root of the current education system needs to be corrected, as that is causing so much frustration and rage among young people of the country. It fails to see the bigger picture.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati
Mobocracy
ruling the day
We understand that India is run by a system called democracy, which was first formulated by great Abraham Lincoln. The recent violence by CJP supporters over the NEET paper leak in Jantar Mantar, Delhi, suggests that some in the opposition's think tank believe in 'mobocracy and streetocracy'. In this regard, one must quote the name of one named Yogendra Yadav, who has no locust standi in today’s national politics and has happened to be one of the chief advisers of Rahul Gandhi and co. For six consecutive days, the opposition stalled the proceedings of both houses during the monsoon session of Parliament, causing immense loss to the public exchequer. The followers of Yogendra Yadav, a person who has never won any election, do believe in streetocracy and mobocracy, twin systems where issues are settled on streets by mobs, not on the floor of the parliament. Do we support these twin systems?
Dr Ashim Chowdhury
Guwahati