Misuse of internet
The internet is a powerful tool for education and communication. It helps us gain knowledge, at-tend online classes, and stay connected with the world. However, its misuse has become a serious problem. Many people spend excessive time on social media, online games, and inappropriate websites. Such usage wastes valuable time and affects studies, health, and social life. Cyberbullying, online fraud, and spreading false information are also increasing due to irresponsible use of the internet. Young minds are susceptible to influence, potentially leading to poor academic performance and mental stress.
Therefore, parents and teachers should guide students to use the internet wisely. Awareness programmes should be conducted in schools, and strict rules should be enforced to prevent misuse. I hope the concerned authorities will take necessary steps to promote safe and responsible use of the internet.
Barasha Thakuria
Gauhati University
Career Grand Slam
A Career Grand Slam is the highest achievement and honour for any tennis player in his/her playing career, which has been achieved by a few handful. They are Laver, Nadal, Federer, Djokovic, Graf, Serena Williams, Navratilova, and recently Alcaraz. Out of these greats, Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz is the youngest, at 22 years old. His latest triumph at the Australian Open against another living legend, Djokovic, in a classic final will be written in golden letters in tennis history. Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam winner, is yet another demigod in tennis history. Hats off to those above-mentioned super persons of tennis, though of course history is made to be broken. So let us wait and see.
Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,
Guwahati,
Child labour
At a time when the state CM has made it unequivocally clear that child protection is this government's priority, the news headline that a little girl was found confined in a storage drawer beneath a bed in Guwahati has not only made one's head hang in shame, but the image has also rightly unsettled the city. This incident is not an aberration; similar cases emerge with grim regularity. Each case serves as a reminder that child labour in Assam and across India remains an unresolved issue. Though the state has many laws and social protection schemes, they still fail to find the children they are meant to protect. While some children return to education, stability, and hope after being rescued, many others unfortunately live outside institutional arrangements and end up returning to labour and abuse. This cycle repeats, quietly and endlessly. At last, one is compelled to question oneself: what are we really achieving? It is true that problems do not dissolve on their own. Apart from the government's efforts, there is a need for mass awareness generation through informational displays about the prohibition of child labour across the state. The most important factors are community-level prevention, mapping of vulnerable children, retention through child-friendly schools, effective delivery of child welfare schemes, and sponsorship support under the Juvenile Justice Act. Unless there is intent by all stakeholders matched by implementation, it is quite impossible to move closer to a child-labour-free Assam.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.