Letters to THE EDITOR

COVID-19 is still not over

India has been able to achieve more success in controlling coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic than many rich countries of the world. The country's doctors, nurses and health workers are to be commended for such achievements in the field of COVID-19 control. The services of doctors in particular have become the norm for all in this regard. It would be unthinkable what would have happened to India, a country of 135 crore people, without the full cooperation of these doctors, nurses and health workers, who are recognized as first line fighters in the war against COVID-19. Many new strains of the coronavirus continue to be transmitted in rich and developed countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. As coronavirus control has slowed down, new strains of the virus have emerged. But at a time when the situation in our country is starting to become almost normal, new waves of coronavirus have been detected in some States. Coronavirus has re-emerged in 5-6 States of the country. Coronavirus infections have been on the rise for almost a week, especially in Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Karnataka. In India, the number of new COVID-19 infections has dropped to 9,000 in 24 hours, but now it has risen to 18,711 in 24 hours, killing about 100 patients daily. In Maharashtra, more than 10,000 people are newly infected with COVID-19 daily. More than 2,700 people are infected daily in Kerala and more than a thousand in Punjab. On March 7, the Central government issued several new directives on the resurgence of coronavirus infection in the country. The new government directives for wearing masks and maintaining social distancing are mentioned in the directives. In addition to making it mandatory to adhere to these directives (hygiene rules) in shopping malls, restaurants, parks, places of worship, etc., the directives also specify that any food should be brought home or eaten outside the restaurant. The directives state that re-infection occurs due to public disobedience to COVID-19 hygiene rules. Assuming the situation improved, the public as well as the administration relaxed the COVID-19 hygiene rules. The situation in India today has been slow to improve due to the slightest neglect or indifference towards a global pandemic like the corona.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and other well-known medical scientists are urging people not to be too enthusiastic about vaccines. The vaccine can strengthen the body's immunity for a year or a certain period of time. Even if there is a vaccine, there is always the possibility of getting infected. On the other hand, medical scientists are worried about the emergence of a new species of coronavirus in India. A study conducted by the Indian Institute of Science (IIS, Bangalore) on samples from Karnataka found 11 different strains in the body of corona infected persons. This is of course a matter of concern. In such a situation, it is the responsibility of the people to respond positively to the instructions of the government. In particular, the COVID-19 hygiene rules should be sincerely adhered to by the people of the country. Everyone should keep in mind that it is very important to take precautions against the coronavirus.

Heramba Nath,

Kamrup.

Appeasement policy

Appeasement of a particular religious community practiced by some of the political parties in the run-up to the Assembly polls is disgusting. Leading the way is TMC in West Bengal, Kamal Hassan in Tamil Nadu and the Congress in Assam. The new regional parties Raijor Dal and Assam Jatiya Parishad(AJP) too are following the same formula but these parties boldly claim themselves as secular. The level of appeasement sometimes goes out of boundary which itself threatens the integrity and security of the nation. When the brave soldiers are keeping vigil at the frontiers and also sacrificing the life for the sake of country's integrity and security, these leaders for the sake of power are damaging the country's integrity.

Joel Goyari,

Tangla.

Congressmen in Assam

Every Congressman in the country proudly declares that Congress is the century old party who fought against Britishers for India's independence. I agree that Indian National Congress (INC) is a hundred-year-old political party but it is debatable to admit that India attained independence because of strong Congress leadership. This party over the years has been reduced to ashes due to some wrong policies of the leadership. In Assam, Congress has been in power for majority of time post independence. In recent years Lt. Tarun Gogoi governed the State for 15 consecutive years. In the present context, the once strong Congress has now turned into a sinking ship due to the leaders of the APCC like Gaurav Gogoi, Ripun Bora, Rakibul Hussain and Pradyut Bordoloi. All the four are dreaming of becoming Chief Minister as a result the priorities of the party are thrown into winds. They have brought the party to that extreme point when the party had to make alliance with the AIUDF for the survival of the party. We still remember the thunderous voice of Lt. Tarun Gogoi when he said 'Who is Badruddin?' Now his son Gaurav Gogoi is advocating for alliance with the AIUDF. The appeasement policy and dynasty politics are the other two root causes which will spell doom for the party.

Tanveer Mullah Haq,

Nalbari.

COVID vaccine for teachers

It is heartening to see that the vaccine for COVID-19 has been made in a record time and is being given in an effective manner. At the same time, the spurt in new cases has caused some worry. School children and teachers account for a good number of fresh cases. To deal with this situation, the teachers should be put in the priority category for administering the vaccine so that they are able to perform their duties properly.

Chandan Kumar Nath,

Sorbhog