Letters to the Editor: Be careful during Durga Puja

The general public is worried that not all COVID-19 vaccinated people are completely safe and that other people could be infected. According to ICMR scientists, people who have been vaccinated have also spread COVID. The SOP adopted by the State Government at the entrance of Durga Puja pandal place is really meaningless. This is because the rate of COVID infection is increasing day by day in different countries of the world after vaccination. After 82% of people in Singapore were vaccinated, the number of people infected with COVID has increased at an unprecedented rate. Israel has already made it mandatory for COVID vaccines to be the third dose (booster). The United States has also decided to provide a third dose (booster) of the COVID vaccine. 69% of people in India have been vaccinated with the first dose of the COVID vaccine. In such a situation, various festivals like Durga Puja, Kali Puja, Dewali, Navratri etc., have raised fears of increasing the spread of coronavirus. Therefore, the people of Assam should be careful during Durga Puja. Of course.

Heramba Nath,

Kamrup

Reserved activism

Why all activism is reserved for only Hindu festivals is a question that every right-thinking people should ask the Leftists. This year two Maa Durga pandals in Kolkata are giving a political impression through their themes. The theme for Kolkata's Barish Club's pandal is NRC where Maa Durga is shown as a refugee woman, an insult to our belief and faith. Another pandal in Kolkata's Dum Dum area was decorated with shoes to lend support to the ongoing farmers' protest. The leftist ecosystem failed to erect and decorate a pandal in the theme of post-poll atrocities on Hindu people in West Bengal by immigrant Muslims who are loyal supporters of the Madam Chief Minister.

Julie Bhuyan,

Gaurisagar

An open letter to CM

The overall performance of the five-month-old BJP government under Himanta Biswa Sarma is satisfactory, but we have strong reservations about the performance of his cabinet colleagues, of course barring Keshav Mahanta and Atul Bora. The exponential rise in prices of the essential commodities in the market is adding to public woes. Already people are suffering due to an abnormal rise in the price of fuels – petrol, diesel and LPG. We the common people are least bothered whether fuels are cheap in other states and in some other countries. The baseline is that we have elected you and your party to govern us and we want that price of vegetables, milk, fish, meat, edible oil, wheat, rice, etc., should be within a limit. A responsible minister uttering some nonsense stuff to hide his failure is unacceptable. You cannot let Ranjeet Kumar Dass dig your and our graves. Bringing an incompetent person in that chair is the need of the hour.

We know controlling prices of petrol, diesel and LPG is not in your hands. We the common people can definitely convey our resentment in the rise in prices of these fuels to PM Modi through you. Travelling for say 100 km by self-driven private vehicle has become a costly affair with the price of petrol crossing over Rs 100 and that of diesel around Rs 95. The living cost of a middle-class family who usually does not come under the purview of government subsidies is getting unbearable. Lastly, I stand with you in your journey to protect and safeguard the rights of the indigenous people of Assam.

Through this esteemed daily, I request you to kindly take up this matter seriously.

Pratap Dutta,

Tezpur

Litmus test

As the appointed day of by-elections to five constituencies are nearing it seems that both the ruling and the opposition comprising Congress, RD, AJP and CPI are busy attacking each other. The results of these by-elections have no bearing on the stability of the government. In this regard the newfound messiah of Assam, one Akhil Gogoi is playing a very pivotal role to dictate the terms among the fragile opposition for unity against BJP. The recent Dhalpur eviction episode and Sherman Ali's anti-national utterances have no doubt have given BJP an edge over the rudderless oppositions. In the meantime, Lurinjyoti Gogoi, the one-time fiery AASU leader known for his anti-CAA stand who was totally rejected by the people in the last Assembly election is in the fray, and this time with the support from the Congress. It is very shameful for the AASU because AJP is the brainchild of the AASU and the AJYCP.

This bye-election should be yet another litmus test for the locals about their political wisdom and maturity. Let us wait and see. JOI AI ASOM.

Lanu Dutt Chowdhury,

Asom.

Blame game by

Assam Police

Recently, the DGP of Assam Police blamed the lower-level police officials for botching up the investigations of a case allegedly involving an important person.

In earlier times also, like the one involving corruption involving senior police officials, the top cops were quick to point out that the Police as part of a society, and if a section of the society is corrupt, so is a section of police officials.

Statements, of this nature, coming from very senior officials of the Assam Police is extremely unnerving and is a case of shirking responsibility.

The cops must accept responsibility for their failures and take remedial measures so that the shortcomings can be overcome. Else, this would give a dangerous signal, especially to the policemen at the field level.

D Bhutia,

RGB Road, Guwahati