Reviving Bharalu
It is heartening to learn that the Save Bharalu Abhiyaan has now grown into a people's movement. Needless to say, the dying Bharalu Riverflowing through the heart of the city is symptomatic of the shocking insensitivity of citizens and governments alike towards the well-being of the natural environment. The recently organised first-ever ‘Cultural Boat Rally’ on the Bharalu river in memory of music icon the late Zubeen Garg has created history when residents from all walks of life united by the dream of restoring the dying Bharalu to its original glory. Zubeen Garg's iconic song 'Mayabini Ratir Bukit' playing alongside the abhiyaan, which the supporters regarded as 'a prayer for the river's revival, made the atmosphere vibrant. The editorial 'People's Charter for Sustainable Guwahati', published in your esteemed daily on October 7, has rightly said that if both the government and the citizens put in place a collective and concerted action plan, Bharalu can certainly be revived, as there have been instances of rejuvenating highly polluted rivers across the world. It is the right time our unresponsive authorities woke up from slumber to work in tandem with the civil society to accomplish what would be a remarkable job of ecotourism. At the same time, we should remember that it is not just the Bharalu, but most of the existing wetlands in the city are being pushed to the brink by thoughtless human action fuelled by greed. If the residents of Guwahati are really concerned about the wellbeing not only of themselvesbut also of future generations, they must come forward to become a part of the ongoing Save Bharalu Campaign, as it is a pragmatic and achievable path for people-centric urban development in the region.
Iqbal Saikia,
Guwahati.
Protecting celebrities from AI misuse
The Delhi High Court’s decisive action to crack down on the misuse of AI to generate deepfakes of celebrities is highly commendable. The court is rightly recognizing that the rise of deepfakes poses a serious threat to an individual’s personality rights, privacy, and livelihood.
The ruling acknowledges that a citizen has a right to safeguard the privacy of their name and persona, drawing on principles established by the Supreme Court. While current laws are yet to fully address AI-linked threats, the court’s intervention provides crucial protection. This sets an important precedent, affirming that fame cannot come with total disregard for privacy.
Nadim Dhakiya
(nadeemasim607@gmail.com)
Shadow
of the past
On 4th October, by sheer chance I watched the 3rd day’s proceedings of the 1st Test match played at Ahmedabad between the West Indies and India. India won the match on the 3rd day by an innings and 140 runs. After watching the proceedings for some time, I was dumbfounded to see the level of decline of West Indies cricket, a nation which ruled and thrilled the entire world of cricket by their calypso type of cricket. The present West Indies cricket lacks technique, discipline, motivation, etc.
We still remember with pleasure the memories of the Greats, namely Frank Worrell, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes, Gary Sobers, Gordon Greenidge, Rohan Kanhai, Sir Clive Lloyd, Sir Vivian Richards, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Brian Charles Lara, Courtney Ambrose and lastly Chris Gayle and others, a few who mesmerised the entire cricketing world with their style of cricket, which they were the masters of in both versions of the game. The greats mentioned above were also gentleman cricketers both on and off the field. I am afraid if the present trend continues, the West Indies might be disqualified as a Test-playing nation by the ICC. Today, West Indies cricket unfortunately is a shadow of the past.
Dr Ashim Chowdhury,
Guwahati
Divine best
Surely an unprecedented, unimaginable incident happens in none other than the Supreme Court, with even the Honourable Chief Justice of India getting attacked with a shoe! If a person of such an authority gets attacked in the secured environment of the highest court of the land, no prizes for guessing correctly the fate of vulnerable common people on streets in these times of insanity and intolerance!
And on the exact opposite pole remains our respected Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, who has acted divinelyby not only continuing with the proceedings undeterred but also by maintaining his composure ("You don't get distracted by these things. Let's not get distracted"), but also asking the apex court registry not to take any action against the uncivilised advocate and even return the shoe hurled at him!
What a superb practical implementation of Ahimsa and mercy! Hats off to CJI BR GAVAI. Would such an act of gallantness open the poisonous eyes of the advocate concerned and his ideological brethren!
Kajal Chatterjee,
Peerless Nagar, Kolkata-114.