Letters to the Editor

Gujarat election

 The result of Gujrat election is certainly amazing. It was challenging as Prime Minister rendra Modi himself admitted. Anyhow, credit goes to the PM and the BJP as it overrules the 22 year anti-incumbency wave. Modi tried his level best and did not leave any stone unturned. He took part in as many as 30 rallies in the campaign, apart from putting almost  all his cabinet ministers on the trail.

The main opposition party, the Congress led by Rahul Gandhi, however did not fare well in the Gujrat poll. During the campaign, all parties attacked each other by only  mentioning their past records of work done .They only mentioned 'Vikash', promising and alluring voters with new welfare schemes. The ruling party even iugurated many projects during the election campaign which flouted election norms.

Putul Sarma,

Biswath Chariali. 

How safe are cabs  in Guwahati?

On 30th December last which was a Saturday, I booked a cab (OLA) from a city mall (Big Bazaar) to Geetagar, Guwahati at 8 pm. When I got in the car, the driver asked my OTP number and the destition. I replied to his questions in Assamese. As soon as a person speaks about the OTP number, it clearly shows the details of the passenger in the driver's mobile phone. Seeing my me as 'Indushree Agarwala' he asked me whether I am an Assamese or non-Assamese. I replied that I am an Assamese. The reason he told me why he asked the question was that I am fluent in the language. He added, "I hate non-Assamese people, they always rate me one or two star". I said OK. After any passenger vacates the car, a rating card is shown in the passenger's mobile phone to overall rate the trip.

After sometime the driver said, "Today my four trips were cancelled. This is my 17th booking. After you reach your place, please book one more trip from your mobile then it will be my 18th number, and one more trip I will arrange somehow. Our minimum number of trips in a day should be 19. Today, I have guest in my home, I need to go early. Please baidew apuni eta trip book kori dibo apur mobile'r pora". After hearing all this talk,  I really got scared as I was alone in the car. It is believed that cabs are very useful and helpful for all of us as their services are available 24x7. Here, my question is how far are the cabs safe for girls especially? Is it necessary for drivers to discuss about persol issues with a passenger? Is it necessary to be racist or to have the feeling of being racist?

I experienced an insecure trip and I just kept saying "OK, OK" . As soon as I reached Geetagar, I asked the driver to stop near a shop where I saw a few people. I got down before reaching my destition, paid the bill and he kept asking for my mobile phone so that he could book another trip from my account. After paying the bill, I immediately got down from the car and went on foot to my home.

My request to all cabs owners is to be polite with passengers.

Indushree Agarwala,

Tezpur, Assam.