Vaccine slot not available: Letters to The Editor

Through your esteemed daily, I would like to highlight the issue regarding the unavailability of slots for vaccination. Today we can notice that there is a hue and cry among the people of Assam, especially in the age group 18-44 because their vaccine slots are not available. The youth are facing problem because they are unable to book the vaccine slots. Online classes are going on, some may be completing their studies, some may be doing jobs and everyone who is already going through different problems which are affecting their mental health in this pandemic situation, and now their only hope which was the vaccine has also been not given any importance by the Government. The assurance should be given to the youth by the government that vaccination will be given to all no matter how late it will become, and if the online process is showing so much of a problem then other options should also be made available. True hope should be given to the youth so that they can fight against this pandemic with physical as well mental strength.

Nabamallika Bordoloi,

(nabamallikabordoloi564@gmail.com)

Assamese scientist

She is a woman from the outskirts of the Karimganj district in the Barak Valley. She is currently a member of the DRDO team of scientists who have developed drugs to fight the COVID pandemic. She is Jubilee Purakayastha. Jubilee, a young scientist with a keen mind, has always wanted to do something for the country and society. Now she is proud of this great achievement. The countrymen are also proud of her.

However, scientists around the world are working to develop drugs to combat COVID. In India, a team of DRDO scientists was involved in the same task. A joint venture between DRDO and Reddy's Laboratory is launching an anti-COVID oral drug, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG). In the meantime, this drug has been approved by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). The drug is expected to be available in the market by mid-June. Daughter Jubilee of Assam is an active member of the 2-G preparation team. According to Jubilee, the drug they invented is very similar to glucose. It usually needs to be mixed with water like powder and eaten. According to scientist Jubilee, low blood glucose levels increase the risk of infection. That's where 2-DG will work. In India, the drug was found to have the expected effect on 220 patients. According to Jubilee, this drug is very effective in counteracting COVID. General people will benefit from this. If a COVID patient has low oxygen levels, this medication will increase within four to five hours. From May to October last year, DRDO scientists researched several COVID-infected patients. It has been observed that Oxygen supply is not required for the use of this drug. In addition, a large number of users of this drug have reported negative RT-PCR tests.

For her great service and contribution to the country, she must be thankful. We sincerely congratulate her on this achievement.

Heramba Nath,

Kamrup

Peace talks with ULFA-I

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's appeal to ULFA(I) to abjure violence and come forward for peace talks with the government is reasonable.

The talks between the ULFA(I) and the government will be fruitful if both parties cooperate. Assam is a poor state in India. Further; the indigenous people in Assam are feeling insecure for being outnumbered within their State by the legalized Bengali-speaking illegal Hindu immigrants. The indigenous people in Assam want that immigrants that entered the State after 24th March 1971 should leave the state on their own or the government should deport them. Above all, no foreign nationals should live in Assam permanently considering that Assam is a small and poor state, and the Government should not permit any foreigners to settle in Assam. The economic backwardness of Assam is decades old. Unless the Government at the Centre grants sufficient funds to the Assam government, the State government cannot take up plans to develop the state speedily. The scope of employment in Assam being limited, the unemployed youths in the State have remained unemployed for years. Here, the government needs to create as many jobs as possible for giving employment to the unemployed youths in the state. The Assam government is yet to make economic and social infrastructure abundant in the state. A great number of people in Assam do not have access to public utility services. A problematic State Assam is, the government, as well as the people in the state, should work in unison to make the state peaceful and prosperous.

Maheswar Deka,

Rangia

MLA Akhil Gogoi

Neither I support Akhil Gogoi blindly nor do I take bias stand against him. I minced no word to criticize him in the past for some of his actions. That does not mean that all his actions were condemnable. He is the mastermind to expose big-ticket corruptions in the state. As an activist, he raised voices against some actions of the State and Central governments, which would likely inflict a big blow on the interest of Assam and the Assamese people in future. He succeeded or not is altogether a different issue. To err is human! Akhil can also make mistake.

Akhil is now an honourable member of the Assam Assembly, elected from the prestigious Sivasagar constituency. Here, let me cite an anecdote from history. Alexander the great after defeating Puru, in the battle, asked "what treatment you want". Puru replied, "like a king". Likewise, Akhil should be treated as an honourable MLA. Akhil is not yet convicted. He is innocent until proved guilty. This is how law of the land interprets things. At the same time, it is wrong to suggest that a convicted can be tortured or ill-behaved. Please do remember, those were the things of the past. My suggestion to Akhil is that he should behave responsibly and gracefully. He should remain calm and fortitude despite any provocation emanate from different quarters in future. Progress and development of Sivasagar depend on his active participation in the Assembly. Expectations from people are much more. Don't belie the hopes of electorates of Sivasagar as well as the people of Assam. We want to see a different man in Akhil Gogoi!

Prafulla Dowarah,

Guwahati

Some achievements

The release of Ritul Saikia from the captivity of the ULFA is one of the biggest achievements of the newly formed government at Dispur. It was heartening to see the young lad reuniting with the family members after his torrid stay in ULFA's camp. The newly-elected Chief Minister tackled the situation very tactfully in Ritul Saikia's release which the harshest critics of Himanta Biswa Sarma would appreciate. The magic stick displayed by the Chief Minister in breaking the impasse gives us the impression that the problem of any magnitude can be solved by Dr Sarma.

Before parting, let's hope that very issue is not a flash in the pan.

Dr Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati-1.