Letters to The Editor: Cavalcade controversy

Cavalcade controversy

The incident in which the Prime Minister's cavalcade was blocked on the road by a group of farmers is highly deplorable and condemnable.

The Union Home Ministry has issued a statement terming the incident as a breach of security protocol asking the State government for a detailed explanation.

The protesters have not only humiliated an elected head of the nation but also the very sanctity of democracy. They have completely forgotten that the PM has been democratically elected by the citizens of this democratic nation.

By blocking the PM in such a manner and by doing this inexcusable act they have exposed their undemocratic and unprincipled ideology and immoral method of tackling things. The incident also raised eyebrows as video clippings show some of the police officials sipping tea along with the protestors. Questions arise regarding security. As the PM comes under the highest security care the state should have done this with utmost care and definitely, fingers are pointed at the ruling government for this breach.

Even though incidents such as these have happened in the past wherein governors, chief ministers, ministers and political leaders were blocked it is for the first time that the nation has witnessed a blockade like this creating a very vulnerable situation putting the very life of the PM in danger.

Those who protested may now chest thump claiming that they blocked the PM and had him return. However, it is said that farmers are being manipulated as mere puppets by some hardcore political factions and their leaders. Such incidents only help in making things worse. Let ideologies battle against one another rather than violent interruptions, blockades, disturbances and protests. It is high time those behind these protests taught those protesting to avoid violence and pave way for peaceful solutions.

M Pradyu,

KANNUR

Cotton University violence

The incident of attack between two groups of students in Cotton University is really an unfortunate incident. Never a student can think of attacking another student or other students. Friendship among the students of an educational institution is a must. Today's students are tomorrow's citizens of the country. There should be cooperation among the students of an educational institution. University students are role models for the students studying in high schools and higher secondary schools etc. In fact, no individual can attack another individual physically for any reason. The ideologies and stances of a student may not match those of another student or of other students. But, as per laws, nobody has the right to attack another person or other persons. Every student would have to abide by laws and respect human rights.

Maheswar Deka,

Rangia

A black day

It was a black day, for PM Modi's cavalcade was stuck in a blockade, in Ferozpur, Punjab on 5th January 2022. The Prime Minister, who had to take an alternative route by road from Bathinda as copter service was abandoned due to inclement weather, was stuck on a Flyover for 20 minutes as the part of Flyover was blocked by so-called farmers who staged a demonstration. The MHA called it a major security breach; while Home Minister Amit Shah dubbed the incident as 'Congress-made happening'. Prime Minister then was forced to turn back and cancel the day's programme. The general impression is that it was a well-orchestrated incident with a political design. Capt Amarendra Singh, former Punjab CM, said, he had passed over the same Flyover 2 hours earlier on his way to the venue where the PM was scheduled to address the rally. That the flyover was blocked with jumbo buss, tractors, small cars et al and that too inside 2 hours speaks volume about a pre-planning. The local eyewitnesses at the blockade site in inimitable simplicity claimed on a TV camera that the demonstrators were not farmers. A thorough probe will bring to light what went wrong, but the lax security handling related to Prime Minister is a major failure of the State Congress government. Now, if the rumour already afloat is correct that the said protest was a contrived one, then this is enough ammunition to undermine the country's image abroad that the popular Prime Minister has been subjected to major security lapse in his own country.

Pannalal Dey,

Guwahati

Vigil on drunken driving

Through your esteemed daily, I would like to appreciate the strict vigil on drunken driving taken up by the Assam Police and the Transport department to keep a check on traffic violators on 31st December 2021. Following the outbreak of COVID-19, it was a big challenge for the police to use the breath analysers on drivers and people took advantage of drinking and driving. This initiative of the government has geared up both departments to prevent road accidents. This should not only be limited to special days or occasions but such strict vigil should be implemented in order to avoid unfortunate happenings.

Ananya Mahanta,

Gauhati University

Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan

JAI JAWAN, JAI KISAN was the most popular slogan among us which was formulated by Lt. Lal Bahadur Shastri, 2nd PM of the nation who died mysteriously in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, one day after signing the historic peace treaty with Pakistan to end the 1965 war. It is beyond doubt that the jawans and the kisans are the backbones of our nation who proved their worth on many past occasions in the crisis hours of the nation. Our brave jawans have made the whole nation indebted to them by their sacrifices to protect the honour of our TRICOLOUR. The whole nation mourns when a jawan's body, wrapped in Tricolour is brought to his native place with full military honour after being martyred on the battlefield fighting the enemy. But of late the very same cannot be said about our kisans after what we saw how they dishonoured our TRICOLOUR in last year's Republic Day, a very auspicious day for the entire nation. The so-called farmer leaders cannot be the nation's true kisans as they have no respect for the TRICOLOUR for which our jawans have laid down their lives. The so-called self-styled farmers and their leaders are a disgrace as their loyalty to the nation are very doubtful at the behest of Congress and the Leftist forces. The fake farmers and their leaders sitting in dharna for almost a year with full comfort provided by unseen hands protesting against farm laws crippling the economy of the nation are agents of our enemy.

Dr Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

Kudos to South Africa

Kudos to South Africa (SA) for its memorable victory against India and congratulations to the team that is young and in transition. It will give them a huge amount of confidence.

Disappointed as an Indian fan but delighted for SA and its captain, Dean Elgar, who not only defied a hostile Indian attack and body blow from balls produced but also delivered a match-winning unbeaten inning of 96 to lead his team to a seven-wicket victory over India in the second Test. So far, India had played six Tests at Wanderers, this is their first defeat at Johannesburg was down to a combination of factors, from Rishabh Pant's hara-kiri (he also needs to differentiate between bravery and foolhardy and hope that Pant learns something about tenacity and discipline from this Elgar masterpiece) and a porous middle-order to SA getting the heavy roller advantage and poor catching. Though Cheteswar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane ended up scoring 50 odd each and that will give them a reprieve and it will become heavy on cricketers like Shreyas Iyer. Compare to SA captain, Dean Elgar's match-winning innings India's captain K S Rahul probably didn't get the adequate preparation time to lead India for the first time, as Kohli's decision to opt-out of the second Test due to a back injury came just hours before the start of the game.

Even though Rahul played a half-century innings in the first innings but the crucial moment, especially during SA's second innings, his captaincy left a lot to be desired. Catches win Matches is probably one of the most famous proverbs in the game of cricket, sadly Pant's dropped catch proved crucial as also Shardul Thakur failing to hold on to a caught-and-bowled chance of Temba Bavuma (is their most consistent batsman in the series), before to open his account was a costly drop and two half chances. Who forget that India had dropped more than 30 catches during their tour of Australia last season, and dropped a couple in the first Test against South Africa also. It is ironic that "the best" Indian pace attack was the first to "fail" to draw or win a game at this ground in 6 attempts. Hope in the final Test of the three-match Test series India will be back in his form under the leadership of Virat Kohli to proud the country with a splendid performance.

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee,

Faridabad 121005

Oh, Punjab!

The north-western state of Punjab bordering Pakistan is the land of five rivers and is also known as the barn of the nation because of its agricultural produce. Apart from agricultural produce, Punjab is also a leading state in other fields like sports and industry. There are thousands of stories and folklores of bravery, chivalry, sacrifice associated with the natives of Punjab. The Punjab that comprised of Sikhs and Hindus has always faced the brunt of the attacks of invaders of the nation with total valour as evidenced by our history. We bow our heads with utter reverences when we quote the names of Guru Teg Bahadur, Ranjit Singh, Sardar Uddham Singh, Shahid Bhagat Singh, Lala Lajpat Rai etc. The list is endless. But most sadly, today's Punjab has changed drastically. The reason is the utter lust for power of a few political leaders belonging to a particular national political party named INC. Of late it has been infected by a deadly virus named Novjot Singh Siddhu, a deserter from BJP and a former Indian test cricketer. His bonhomie with Pakistan's PM and its army chief should make every Punjabi rise to the occasion and prove their loyalty to their motherland which they have done earlier on so many occasions.

Lanu Dutta Chowdhury,

GUWAHATI

We are deprived

I wish to highlight the serious issue of the Darrang District, the part that falls under Kalaigoan LAC and Dalgoan LAC. There is no single higher educational institution in this vast area comprising Chamuakhat, Rajapukhuri, Ranipukhuri, Bherbheri, Shyamtila, Nepali Bazar, Panbari etc.

These areas have never seen any progress since independence, especially in the field of higher education. No MLA or MP has made any provision for a higher educational institution in this area. Assurances were given during the elections but they never made it happen. Meanwhile, blind fans of one local MLA posted on Facebook that he was working for a college in that area, but it is yet to be materialized. Sadly, the leaders of many so-called student organizations are mute on this issue. Most of the people in this vast area are engaged in agricultural activities. Their children have to run 20-25 km away for higher education, only those who are financially well can afford it. Every year, thousands of poor meritorious students are deprived of higher education due to a lack of institutions. Especially, girls can't even think of higher education. We hope that this letter will bring to the notice of our honourable CM, Himanta Bishwa Sharma and Education Minister Ranuj Pegu, including both local MLAs. Hope, we soon will get a college in our area as promised by the BJP government's "Sabka Sath Sabka Vikash" slogan.

Shahnur Alam,

Gauhati University,

Department of Communication and Journalism.

Bangladesh Liberation War

There is little doubt that the historic victory in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War was not only a crowning glory for the Indian military but equally a victory for the country on the diplomatic front. The ruling BJP, during the recent Vijay Diwas celebrations of the war, should have the generosity to remember former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and give due credit to her for the victory, since she played a stellar role that led to the unconditional surrender by the Pakistan military. In fact, India gave shelter to millions of refugees from Bangladesh who sought refuge to escape from the onslaught of the Pakistan forces. Unquestionably, this was independent India's most decisive military victory, leading to the formation of Bangladesh, which was perhaps Indira Gandhi's finest hour as PM, because she handled the political, diplomatic and military perspectives dexterously and executed her plans with clock-like precision. No doubt, the BJP's failure to mention Indira Gandhi's name during the celebrations was deliberate and a crass act of ignoring her decisive role in the creation of Bangladesh.

RANGANATHAN SIVAKUMAR

Madipakkam

Chennai – 600 091