Letters to THE EDITOR

As days for elections are getting closer thousands of sops and schemes are flying around. All the Ministers are busy laying foundation stones one after another. The contentious issue of implementation of Clause VI of the Assam Accord is kept in cold storage. Bike rallies, cycle rallies etc are all happening but no one is speaking on the vital issue of Clause VI. People were expecting a call on the issue before the polls. Very soon code of conduct will be enforced by the Election Commission of India. I was pinning hopes on Sarbananda Sonowal government. Already we have seen how serious the Congress government was on this issue over the years.

Chotu Nath Boro,

Baghbor

Raise marriageable age for women

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has stated that the minimum age of marriage for women should be raised from the current 18 years to 21 years. The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development has also constituted a committee to look into the minimum marriageable age for women. Today, women also have an equal right to receive education and choose their careers like men. Due to the marriage age of girls being 18, they are forced to break the career and marry early by family and societal pressure. In such a situation, women are not accomplishing their aspirations. To raise the marriageable age of women is the need of the hour.

Amit Singh Kushwaha,

Satna (M.P.)

'Disgraceful court jester'

Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi is back in the news for all wrong reasons. In the recently held Assembly session, the MLA in his usual style displaying all the antics tried to raise non permissible questions under the law on the floor of the House. The gross amount of indiscipline has become the eyesore for all. Rupjyoti Kurmi should be made to understand that gimmicks on the floor of the House at the cost of State exchequer are unacceptable. His court jesters have become very disgraceful.

Lanu Dutta Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

'Miya premi'

As the elections are approaching, a particular group of politicians will become 'Miya premi'. Miyas over the years have always been loyal to the Congress and after formation of the AIUDF, a certain percentage has shifted to it. So basically votes of Miya people have always been with either the Congress or the AIUDF. Let me clarify I cannot be accused of using slang term as Miya people recognize themselves as Miya. A political party, school, Parishad etc have come up with the word Miya. These Miya people due to high birth rate have become majority in many districts and in 35 constituencies they are the deciding factor. The originals from Bangladesh, the Miya people are flocked by the political leaders of the Congress, AIUDF, the new entrants AJP, Raijor Dol to woo them. But what is unfortunate is that after elections these breed of people will be dumped for next five years. The areas occupied by these Miyas were previously all Khilonjias'' land but thanks to the Congress for their vote bank policy Khilonjias are displaced by illegal Bangladeshi Miyas (now of course they are Bharatiya as they possess all the legal documents). Coming back to Miya people's living conditions it is pathetic. Literacy rate is very low, high birth rate (almost threatening to outnumber the majority people in all districts), high criminal records and poverty. Their masters, the Congress has done nothing barring making a few MLAs. Now, with votes being all important, a new group of people like Sikha Sarma, Mira Borthakur, Champak Kalita, Lurinjyoti Gogoi, Komal Medhi, Ajit Bhuyan, Zerifa Wahid, and others all heading towards the hub of Miya people with loads of promises in their bags. May their wishes come true.

Julie Bhuyan,

Gaurisagar

Causes of suicide and solutions

Due to the recent increase in suicide rates, it can be termed as a social disorder. In fact, although suicide is said to be a tragic end to personal dissatisfaction, there are social factors involved. From a social point of view, whenever a person is confronted with a situation of alienation or exclusion from the society in which he lives, he feels lonely. Whatever the reason, social isolation means that human life is shrouded in despair. According to Psychology, this is a stage called Resignation. As soon as this stage is reached, various kinds of baseless thoughts begin to enter the human mind. In such a situation, if the frustration of the individual is ignored by the society or not given any kind of importance, then such a person is bound to commit suicide and take the final decision. Sociologists, on the other hand, say that in a society without social harmony and unity, the tendency to commit suicide is higher. It is also a significant aspect of the control of society over human beings or the extent to which human beings maintain that control. It has been observed that not everyone is willing to accept social control equally. Suicidal tendencies are more prevalent among those who have little or no control over social control. According to Clinical Psychologists, even though the body lacks essential Sodium (Na) in the blood, people are generally prone to suicide. However, Schizophrenia is one of the leading causes of suicide, according to Applied Psychologists. However, in order to reduce the suicide rate in society, it is necessary to cultivate the great virtues of brotherhood, compassion, empathy and so on. In addition, efforts should be made to educate the society through moral education and sense of responsibility. Then surely we will have a real knowledgeable and positive living society for everyone. In this context, it is important to note that care must be taken not to allow superstition to have any effect on society. Awareness meting should be conducted in this regard if necessary (NGOs can take the lead in this). And I feel the need to say something very important, just as no one else makes a derogatory comment, ignore and belittle. If a person is really mentally ill, then arrange for the treatment and counselling of such a person and comfort him with kind words. Never underestimate the power of insanity. Everyone should know that cruel acts like suicide sometimes happen due to neglect of human beings. Our society is responsible for such unforeseen incidents, of course. Therefore, in order to be recognized as a good citizen of a civilized country, one must first fulfil one's duties and responsibilities towards the society in which one lives. Only then can one be happy and at peace. Otherwise, the opposite is sure to happen.

We wish a scientific and healthy society in the days to come.

Heramba Nath,

Kamrup.

Drama of Congress

The booth-level conference of the Congress was held recently in Sarukhetri, in the presence of party in-charge Jitendra Singh. That meeting was officially the launchpad of the party for the elections. Thousands of booth workers took part at the meeting only to see drama and comedy show. Sarukhetri MLA Zakir Sikdar, Chaygoan MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed, APCC president Ripun Bora, MPs Prodyut Bordoloi, Abdul Khaleque and other senior leaders were present on the dais. The booth-level workers are a worried lot with the present status of the party but Rekibuddin Ahmed, Zakir Sikdar, Ripun Bora, Abdul Khaleque, Gaurav Gogoi, all turned the serious meeting into a drama and comedy show. Poems, songs, one act play were what the crowd witnessed. The show stopper was Rekibuddin Ahmed, who was trying to display his versatility in Assamese, Hindi and English language to impress Jitendra Singh but he came a cropper down in front of the public. He looked like a clown in a circus show. It was difficult to gauge what he was trying to convey. Next was Zakir Sikdar, another dramatist, his broken Assamese was also a disgrace. In such high-level meetings, clowns like Zakir Sikdar, Rekibuddin Ahmed and a few more should not be allowed to speak. Lot of precious time is wasted. The prime objective is sidelined. Seems top brass is not concerned with the challenges laid in front of them. The Raijor Dol and the AJP are working tirelessly to secure Muslim votes. Recently, in a public meeting in Nagaon an unruly situation occurred where two groups within the party engaged in fisticuffs. This is not the way to prepare for a battle. The core committee of the Congress should show some maturity as we are all sure 2021 elections will be the toughest elections for the Congress. It's the question of survival.

Ismail Lota Ali,

Dhubri.