Playing blame game: Letters to The Editor

India's biggest failure in the fight against COVID-19 has been its politicization. Even when the country is reeling under the second wave of the pandemic, the political parties are playing a blame game over the number of cases, ICU beds and the supply of vaccines. Due to petty politics, the common man has to suffer. All the parties should come together and help India win the war against COVID-19. Instead of telling people that the government can't control the virus, the parties need to sensitize people about COVID appropriate behaviours. We can control this virus only if we rise above such divisive politics.

Chandan Kumar Nath,

Sorbhog.

Crisis in Myanmar

This has a reference to a news item 'Myanmar Army will kill more; indicate internal memos' (The Sentinel, April 26, 2021). The way the military government in Myanmar is ruling the country will never make the country peaceful and developed. The people in Myanmar want their country to be ruled by a democratic government. People in Myanmar like people in other countries want to enjoy all kinds of freedom without unnecessary restrictions. The present military government in Myanmar is not legitimate. Nor has the present military government got a mandate from its people to run the country. Hence, the people are protesting against the rule of the present military government. What is glaring is that the military government is determined to remain in and it is not interested to hand over power to an elected government. On the other hand, the people will not sit idle, and they will continue to protest in one or the way. Certainly, the military government will not be able to suppress the voice of the people in the country forever. It will be reasonable for the military government in Myanmar to hand over power to an elected government.

Maheswar Deka,

Rangia.

Ashamed

It is horrifying to see people dying in hospital beds across the country due to a lack of oxygen supply. At the same time, it is nauseating to see our politicians shamelessly debating on the electronic and digital platform playing the blame game at this hour. I being a senior citizen want to question the Supreme Court's leniency shown to so-called farmers who are in fact 'Andolanjeevi' to fulfil their political agendas. Their unlawful acts of obstructing the public have caused immense difficulty in the transportation of life-saving oxygen vehicles. I am ashamed as an Indian.

Dr Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

ULFA, a curse

We the sons/daughters of the soil understand that a rebel outfit named ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam) was born somewhere in upper Assam in the mid-eighties to rescue Assam from Bangladeshi influx and to liberate us from Indian colonialism. Over the years many precious lives were lost in the process and many pseudo-Asom loving patriots and thinktanks emerged overnight who are still looting the State. Memories are still fresh in our mind when school-going children were blown apart in Dhemaji when they assembled to celebrate the 15th August independence day function. At present, the ULFA instead of protecting the sons and daughters of the soil from Bangladeshi infiltrators has started yet another dastardly act by kidnapping its people in exchange for ransom.

Candidly speaking, right now, the ULFA has become a group of desperate thugs to loot and destroy Asom instead of protecting us from Bangladeshi infiltrators. Without any hesitation, we shall call ULFA a curse to us. In another aspect, to date the AASU, AJYCP, Axam Xahitya Xabha all have maintained stoic silence in this regard.

Joel Goyari,

Tangla.

COVID resurgence

The resurgence of COVID-19 has once again shaken society with its mutations. Our daredevil spirit of winning over nature by defying the COVID protocols of putting on masks, social distancing and washing hands have cost us dearly. Significantly, a section of people still do not put on masks, spit on public places putting others into jeopardy.

At this hour of crisis, the civil society at the best can unite and follow responsible COVID behaviour. The efforts of our frontline workers need to be saluted and those in the Opposition as well as at the helm of affairs must also unite in the fight for the common cause.

The flashing of heart-wrenching photos of patients gasping for breath and to get medical facilities should be an eye-opener. The environment plays a very important role and planting more trees instead of concrete buildings will give much succour to our Mother Earth. Hazardous polythene, chemicals, fertilisers have already imbalanced the entire ecosystem.

It is a pity, we human being ourselves, have become potential virus carriers who are far superior to any other being in terms of intelligence. Let us look back, retrospect and try to leave a better society for our next generation by taking effective measures. A stitch in time will save the upcoming generations.

Purabi Pathak Barua,

Guwahati.

Well done! Priyanka Bharali

Singer Priyanka Bharali tore apart those journalists from digital media in a talk show hosted by TV channel. Indeed, all the satellite channels and digital web portals have become a menace to society. Instead of delivering the real news, the anchors of these channels and web portals express their biased views which unfortunately send negative vibes among the masses. The yellow journalists in digital and electronic media consider their news and views as the gospel of truth. They pretend they are the ones who are right in every issue. Priyanka Bharali rightly said in the talk show how anchors twist the facts and present them in a distorted and malicious way. I appreciate the majority of the Bihu artistes for cooperating with the government SOPs. There are plenty of people who have faith only in print media (of course barring a few newspapers) and there are plenty of reasons why people are losing interest and faith in private news channels and web portals.

Purabi Miri,

Jakhalabandha.

Horse trading

Horse trading has become a common term being used frequently to compare some people with doubtful integrity, who get them easily sold out for a petty sum of money. This has become a trend in Indian politics. However, I don't like to spend my energy and time discussing this. My objection is to comparing those people with horses. The horse is a beautiful and elegant animal. Its galloping steps are unique to look at. A horse has many faceted utilities to humankind. It is used for riding, playing golf, carrying loads in plains and hills, used for the race, used by police and army for various purposes. Above all, they are diligent and loyal to their masters. Therefore, it is unjustified to equate horses with some cheap politicians. Allow the horses to remain in their place.

Prafulla Dowarah,

Guwahati.

Online gaming
addiction

Online game addiction is as dangerous as drug addiction. In today's generation, the cell phone has become an integral part of everyone's life. Parents allow their children to use the internet and cell phones thinking it would help them to study. They don't pay attention to what they watch or how they use the internet. Because of this, children become addicted to online games which lead them to many criminal activities.

For the past few years various online games such as Clash of Clans, PUBG, Call of Duty, are being played by children. In news headlines and social media, it was read that some teenagers committed suicide because their parents didn't allow them to play mobile games. Some even killed their parents. During the COVID-19 lockdown, many suicide cases were registered. An incident was reported in July 2020 where a 13-year-old boy of Qasbayar village of Southern district Pulwama committed suicide only because his father asked him to stop playing and have his dinner.

PUBG addiction has not only affected teenagers' life but also adults. When PUBG was banned on September 2, 2020, along with other Chinese apps, many PUBG players became frustrated. On September 8, 2020, a 21-year-old student from West Bengal's Nadia district committed suicide as he was unable to play. Online game addiction can happen to anyone irrespective of age. Another criminal case could be traced back to one incident in October 2018 where a 19-year-old man allegedly killed his parents and sister.

All these incidents pose a real threat to society. Even though parents think that the internet and cell phones help their children with their studies, they should monitor their children. Due to COVID, online classes were taken by educational institutions. Parents bought personal mobile phones for their children so that they can easily attend their classes. Teenage is a very crucial age where parents should give utmost importance to their children. Even though parents scold their children, nowadays instead of being afraid or obey their parents, they end up taking extreme steps. So, parents need to become friends with their child and guide them throughout by monitoring and helping them out. Online game addiction cannot be treated easily.

Himadri Kalita,

Guwahati.

Ensure fire safety in hospitals

It is mournful to note that 82 people died and 110 have injured in a catastrophic fire that broke out in the intensive care unit of a Baghdad hospital tending to severe COVID-19 patients. Negligence on the part of hospital authorities has been blamed for this fire tragedy. The initial reports suggest it was caused when an oxygen cylinder exploded in the ward of Ibn al-Khatib hospital. In India, 14 coronavirus patients died in a fire at a hospital in Maharashtra last week. The innocent patients, who were hospitalized for better treatment, lost their lives in these fire accidents. The authorities concerned should ensure fire safety in hospitals and initiate strong action against those guilty of fire incidents. Fire safety measures should also be compulsorily audited in all hospitals. This is the need of the hour.

Amit Singh Kushwaha,

Satna (M.P.)

COVID-19 crisis

With the increase in COVID-19 cases and fatalities, many States are coming together to impose lockdown including in Karnataka. While the nation is battling out to bridge the supply and demand gap for oxygen requirements, lockdown comes as another blow on the common man's shoulder. Though lockdown has been imposed in the best interest of the health and safety of the common man, there is otherwise a dire need to ramp up medical facilities to meet the urgent needs of both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.

It is also appreciable that some of the countries like Iran, Bhutan, the USA, the UK, Germany, and Australia have come jointly to support the nation's aid and have shown solidarity towards India in such a crisis. The world should otherwise be indebted to India, as the nation took a lead in supplying vaccines through the 'Vaccine Maitri' operation to many countries in a bid to combat COVID-19. The nations should now show more support and strength through the supply of medical aid to India and thus support India's fight to root out COVID-19 from society.

Varun Dambal,

Bangalore.

Recovery proceedings by banks

Food, clothing and shelter are basic needs of any human being. But this phenomenon is nowadays not followed by banks initiating hard and inhuman recovery processes even in ongoing disastrous unprecedented corona pandemic.

Unfortunately, such harsh and inhuman recovery processes are initiated even on borrowings on residential properties without realizing that affected borrowers and their family members could become roofless in the present most critical days of the corona.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) should intervene and order the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and all banks to suspend with immediate effect all recovery proceedings on borrowings at least against self-occupied residential properties. District Magistrates across the nation should be directed towards a clear worded notification that eviction orders may not be passed for vacating self-occupied residential properties. If corrective measures are not immediately taken up, there is every possibility of starting a dangerous trend of family suicides because small industrialists and traders are the worst affected categories of borrowers after economic slowdown as an aftereffect of unplanned demonetization and GST implementation even though both of these were supposed to be ideal features for a clean economy. The corona crisis has further totally broken up borrowers who are finding it hard even to arrange for their daily needs what to talk about loan repayment.

Even for the future, loans may not be permitted against self-occupied residential properties to ensure that borrowers may not leave their families in trouble after their deaths which in several cases are suicides because of such hardships of loan recovery on self-occupied residential properties.

Madhu Agrawal,

Delhi.