Letters To The Editor

Reservation in education

I would like to draw the attention of the authorities on the reservation system in education. As we all know education is a weapon that one holds, everyone has the equal rights to achieve it. But due to reservation system in India, most of the students who really deserve it are denied. It's time India did away with this system.

Being a student from the general category, I know how sad it is when the opportunities which I deserve go off from my hand. Students under reserved categories have many privileges such as scholarship and all.

Such discriminations are not in education alone. These are seen in getting jobs as well.

Manjima Nambiar,

Gauhati University

Same medicine

The recent incident of stone pelting by supporters of a political party over the convoy of AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi in Nalbari is condemnable. Personal and physical attack on political adversary cannot be accepted. Such instances are common in West Bengal and Bihar but gradually Assam too has been infected. During the CAA agitation, in many places we have witnessed cadres of various regional organizations attack convoys of members of ruling party. Lurinjyoti Gogoi and company have got the same medicine they once prescribed while they were in the AASU. But again before parting I condemn the attack on Lurinjyoti Gogoi's convoy. The responsible leaders of any party should control their supporters or workers. It is my appeal to the AASU in particular to abort personal or physical attacks on leaders. There are other democratic ways to give their resentment a voice.

Joel Goyari

Tangla

Communal polarization

Communal polarization is the latest strategy adopted by political parties to capture power. The BJP was initially branded as the only communal political party by the Opposition parties. They alleged that the BJP in order to grab power resorted to communal polarization. With the passage of time polarization strategy is more adopted by likes of TMC, Samajwadi Party and Congress.

The developments in states of West Bengal, Assam, Uttar Pradesh are clear indication in this regard. Any political party infested with communal virus with extra territorial loyalty is dangerous to the nation. There are several past instances where supporters of a secular political party bursts crackers on the streets to celebrate Pakistan's victory over India in cricket, sometime back in Kolkata.

Lanu Dutta Chowdhury

Guwahati

Postal-ballot facility

Voting in India is the Right of every Indian citizen who has attained 18 years of age. Keeping in view this fact, the decision of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to extend the postal ballot facility to 3 new categories of voters i.e. senior citizens above 80 years of age, differently-abled persons and COVID positive/suspect in home/institutional quarantine for the upcoming elections to the Assam Assembly is highly commendable. The videography of the entire process of voting and the presence of police personnel in the place of voting makes the entire process transparent. This initiative taken by the Commission is the need of the hour keeping in view the rush of people in the polling stations during the challenging times and the difficulty of the 3 categories of voters in exercising their franchise. Moreover, preparation of the list of voters applying for the postal ballot facility should be done properly to avoid any malpractice. The decision of the Election Commission of India to increase the timings of voting in the polling stations and increasing the number of polling stations is praiseworthy. Needless to say that the cooperation of the local and the district administration will help to carry out the entire process of postal ballot facility smoothly.

Partha Pratim Duarah

Nazira (Sivasagar)

Increasing prices of fuel

Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to highlight the plight of the common people regarding the ever increasing prices of fuel. The price of petrol has reached an all time high with the surging price of LPG gas has.

The steady but upward trajectory of prices of fuel has caused the common man to worry. Especially considering the scenario that crude oil prices in the international market was one of the worst hit during the peak of the pandemic, plummeting to 0. When the public expected a decrease in oil and natural gas prices in India, it has rather taken a completely different path, with petrol prices touching Rs.100 per litre in some States. It is understandable for the government to levy taxes on fuel to help the ailing economy of the country to recover, but such a rise in prices is excruciating for the middle and lower echelons of the society.

Considering the government's stance on cutting down pollution by reducing diesel vehicles and introducing voluntary scrappage policy, it was strange to see not much support towards electric vehicles' market in the new budget. The intent to introduce electric vehicles and the infrastructure involved, by the government would have been appreciated and would have seen a shift in the market from fossil fuels to battery-powered vehicles also prompting decline in prices of fuel. Thus concluding, a concrete steps by the government are necessary to curb the prices which is hurting certain sections of the society.

Soumyadeep Das

Guwahati

Deserters' time

The notification for the first phase of elections is out and in next one or two days, all the political parties would come out with their candidate list. Definitely, many aspiring ones would be heartbroken with ticket denial. Then the game of floor crossing would start. Overnight some will join one or the other party compromising their ideology or principles for their personal benefits. Already likes of Pabindra Deka, Meera Borthakur, Kamal Medhi, Jagdish Bhuyan, Ajanta Neog, Dulu Ahmed, Pulakesh Barua to name a few have deserted their primary party. This list is sure to grow longer in the coming days. So basically it is the prime time for floor crossers or deserters to fulfill their personal objective.

Ashim Chowdhury

Guwahati