Letters to THE EDITOR

Youth awareness

I would like to highlight the other side of the New Year picnics. It is about the youth, the youths while in picnic spots get too drunk and simultaneously, we encounter different news about frequent road mishap of a few excessively drunk visitors while returning from picnic spot. There are several reports coming from various picnic spots about how youths after taking overdoses of alcohol, involve into fights or arguments either with locals or with other picnic parties. The authorities of the picnic spots should keep an eye on the visitors, especially the youths, prohibit them from using alcohol and other addictive beverages, in order to overcome these kind of situations in future.

Youths are the future of our nation. Therefore, it is important for us to make them realize their duties towards the nation. Enjoyment is needed but alcohol and risking their lives is never an option.

Biki Sarmah,

Department of Communication

and Journalism, GU.

High & dry Mahanta

Two-time State Chief Minister Prafulla Mahanta is all alone in the AGP. A few days ago, he has said openly that he is being sidelined inside the party by the core committee. Candidly, he deserves not to be only sidelined but 'kicked out' of the party. The one of the biggest betrayers of Axomiya jati is thoroughly responsible for the present plight of the AGP. Prafulla Mahanta's plight is so bad that no other party, even the Congress will welcome him if he approaches to join them. He had the best chance to settle solve the infiltration problem, but instead he welcomed the migrants. A few people get a second chance to rectify the mistakes. In his second chance too, he failed to address the illegal influx problem, and as a result our state plunged further in the darkness. Now things have come to such a pass that one has to please those infiltrators to win or form the government. The slogan of khilongiar sarkar is a myth. The AGP can wash their previous sins by throwing 'betrayer' Prafulla Mahanta out.

Manthan Rudra Kashyap,

Boko.

Eco-friendly picnic

Picnic is a meal which is taken outside or outdoors as a part of enjoyment, fun with favourite ones- ideally in a beautiful scenery , amazing surrounding and full of fresh air. It often inspires many to go outdoors, especially to connect and just be in love with nature. The best way to get this done and eat while having fun is basically through a picnic.

But as we get these aesthetic benefits from the environment that surrounds us, it is also fundamental for us to try to give back to the environment the beauty and serenity it gives us too. But in return, we are harming the environment as well as animals and water polluted through picnic. So, why can't we make our picnic eco-friendly? It is seen that the picnic areas are left by people in a messy way which harms the environment, besides polluting it with the junks left over after picnic. Why can't we dispose our waste products in an environment-friendly way. As the certified picnic areas have trash cans that are sorted out into recyclables and non-recyclables, organic and inorganic. And if a picnic area doesn't house these facilities we can carry our trash home to sort and throw them away. It is also seen that people use loud music which creates noise pollution, in case of that we can use our own voice and eco-friendly instrument which do not produce loud voice for example guiter which in return will not harm the environment and as well as help them enjoy peacefully .

Pinaki Goswami,

Mirza.

No time for vaccine hesitancy

Now that the Indian drug regulator has approved emergency use of two Coronavirus vaccine, the stage is finally set for one of the world's biggest inoculation drives. As PM Modi said, "This is decisive turning point in India's long-drawn battle against the deadly Covid-19 pandemic that has traumatized every sphere of our life. India has recorded the second highest number of infection in the world, with more than 10.3 million confirmed cases and nearly 150,000 deaths. The fact that a vaccine that can immunize them against the virus won't be available should be a cause of some relief to the people. The government plans to inoculate some 300 million people on a priority list this year and we need as many affordable vaccines as possible to complete the gigantic task. While the fact that such availability of vaccine should be a moment for celebration, it is vital that we do not let our guard down. The regulator has only given the nod for only restricted use of the two vaccines for 'emergency use' and the huge vaccination exercise will have to be carefully monitored for its safety and efficacy. Even if the vaccines are safe and effective, it will be months before the individuals administered the vaccine shots develop sufficient immunity to fight against virus and arrest the pandemic. During this period, the existing Covid-19 protocols like - wearing masks, maintaining social distance and frequent sanitization will have to be strictly followed. Moreover, the process of vaccination a large enough chunk of India's population to develop her immunity will be a long-drawn one. The scientists inarguably deserve full praise for developing a number of vaccines against Covid-19 in record time. However, given that the regulator has only given nod to 'restricted use' of the two approved vaccines, as the government rolls out the vaccination drive it needs to clear the fog on vaccine safety and efficacy among the people. Vaccine hesitancy is a reality and the only way to counter that is to be open and honest about adverse effects and post- vaccination complications, if any, and make available relevant information in the public realm.

Chandan Kumar Nath,

Sorbhog.

China denying WHO

experts entering country

Many people around the world believed that Coviod-19 virus was manmade and was developed at a laboratory the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV ) in Wuhan city of China.

The World Health Assembly, which is the governing body of WHO having 194 members around the World, last year approved a resolution to set up an independent inquiry to conduct an impartial, independent and comprehensive evaluation of international response as well as that of the WHO.

Accordingly, a WHO team which was supposed to visit Wuhan for proving COVID origin was denied entry to China. The visit of exerts of WHO to China was agreed upon in December last year after a number of discussions with the WHO. The initial case of COVID-19 was reported from a wet market in that city. The US has openly stated that the virus is made by man in China, which of course has been denied by China. Mr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO chief, has expressed his dissatisfaction on the matter of denial of entry to experts. If China has nothing to hide than why this denial to world experts to study the originality of the deadly virus for which the world had to suffer so much?

Bikash Barpujari,

Beltola, Guwahati.

Picnic season

Most of the picnic spots are located on river side and water bodies. River banks are now full of plastics and such other non-gradable wastes scattered here and there. I would like to request the picnic goers to look into this point. Police and home guards can be engaged to see such things.

Putul Sarma,

Biswanath Chariali.

Nadir

Ripun Bora has taken Congress to nadir, the lowest point. The sordid drama staged by the party president minutes before the press conference where he was heard telling MP Gaurav Gogoi that he would make some false promises before the media got exposed. Today's politics have certainly come to the lowest point where mud-slinging, openly calling someone by name, giving false and fake assurances, etc have become the order of the day. Someone has rightly said politics is the last resort of all the scoundrels. As Assembly polls are approaching we will come to witness more such ugly and dirty faces of the politics.

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,

Ambari, Guwahati-1.