Letters to the Editor: Irresponsible use of firearm

It has been widely reported in the press on 24.01.22 that an ASI of anti-narcotics squad fired at a former student leader near Kachalukhuwa Tiniali, Nagaon on suspicion of being a drug peddler. The wounded former student leader, Kirti Kamal Bora, with one bullet stuck in his body, has been brought to Guwahati. The bullet has been surgically extracted from his body at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital where he is currently undergoing treatment. The incident occurred when the police picked up a youth during a search operation on Saturday evening (22.01.22) and was reportedly beating him on the road itself. The former student leader Bora arrived on the spot and asked the reason for thrashing the youth. Enraged at being questioned, the ASI shot at Bora's lower limb and injured him.

Apparently, it is a blatant act of a trigger-happy police personnel firing from his service gun at a person with very little reason. The police personnel took law in his hand without taking responsibility to identify and investigate the person, which is regretful. The agitated students have strongly reacted which is but natural, followed with protests and demonstrations against the police in Nagaon. The Chief Minister has taken notice of the rueful incident and openly stated that the police personnel will not be spared if guilt is established against him. Hopefully, the enquiry already decided to be held will delve deep into the incident to find out the truth. Incidents of illegal and unethical violence on the unarmed public by the men in uniform should be firmly with dealt to restore public faith on the police.

Pannalal Dey

Guwahati

Uninterrupted

budget session

The budget session of the State assembly is on the cards and will start soon. Many important issues are likely to be placed and debated on the floor of the assembly during the session. A healthy debate in any issue is always welcome and is a good sign of democracy. The expenses of any assembly session are borne by the taxpayer's money, hence we the tax payers of the state demand that the upcoming budget session runs without any undue interruptions as very often seen in the past by some court jesters in order to make their presence felt among their electorates.

Through this letter of mine, we the taxpayers and the electorates warn the Oppositions, Akhil Gogoi, in particular to refrain from causing undue interruptions of the house with his unruly behaviour. He cannot fool us any more with his antics.

Dr Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

Netaji's legacy

To begin with let me quote an anecdote. In the year 2019, a video went viral in social media which showed a man wearing a T-shirt with the face of Great Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. The man in question was one Saikat Chakraborti, the then chief of Staff for democratic socialist Congresswoman Alexanderia Ocasio- Cortez. That video created huge uproar in USA and the reason for it is not hard to seek. If one puts himself into the shoes of any American whose grandparents fought the Nazis in the iconic beach of Normandy, France in WW2, how can one glorify a person who is seen as ally of Nazis? But then, Saikat Chakraborti is an American of Indian lineage and Netaji was fighting for the freedom of all Indians of his time. So, whose grandfather is more important? Whose freedom matters more? This is how Netaji forces one to admit complexities of history. If one tries to study Netaji's life through the prism of ideology, one is bound to get uncomfortable.

Netaji was out-an-out a nationalist who could go to any extent to get freedom for his countrymen. He was neither leftist nor rightist. From Congress angle, the Congressmen always idolizes Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru. We know that Netaji was elected to the position of Congress President in 1939 defeating Gandhiji's candidate, but Congressmen forced him to resign. At that time Nehru was starting the process of dynasty politics. In fact, in 1928, Motilal Nehru wrote a letter to Gandhiji that even though Sardar Patel was more qualified, the leadership of the Congress should be handed over to young leaders like his son Jawaharlal Nehru. Mahatma Gandhi replied that the time is not yet ripe for Motilal Nehru's son to ascend the throne and requested Motilal Nehru to sit on the throne for a while and accordingly, Motilal Nehru became party president in 1928 and year later his son became party president. This is how Netaji was treated inside the Congress.

Supporters of BJP may feel that Netaji is their choice of leader but in truth Netaji was not an advocate of Hindu right and free market, he was an outspoken leftist, in the right word radical leftist. Perhaps, the leftist could be happy that Netaji shares their ideology. But in true sense, it is exactly the opposite. Maybe Netaji's life story will embarrass the leftists more. Did Netaji set out from Calcutta to go to Nazi Germany? The answer is big no. He went to Peshwar, crossed over into Afghanistan and from there to Soviet Union. He was in fact trying to reach out to Communist USSR, the promised land of revolution. But as it turned out, Communists at that time were allies with Nazis, so when Netaji reached Russia, the Communists turned him over to Nazi friend - Germany.

Bose was no anti-imperialist either. He sought help from the Soviet empire and from Nazi regime, two of the most brutal regimes of the history. He also sought help from Japanese forces. The history of Japanese imperialism in East Asia and South East Asia is unimaginably cruel. No matter how much one studies about Subhash Bose, one thing is certain that he cannot be boxed into one ideological corner. So, what is the legacy of the great man? He is the person with unqualified and uncompromised patriotism. He always put the nation first. With daring sense of purpose, Netaji tried everything under the sun to throw out the Britishers. He tried Gandhian way, tried to take advantage of WW2 situation, organized a liberation army Azad Hind Fauj and what not. Perhaps, he is the most enigmatic figure in the world history. For the sake of India's independence, he was prepared to go to the grave alive a thousand times.

Julie Bhuyan,

Gaurisagar.

Politics in

poll-bound States

A bench of the Supreme Court (SC) comprising Chief Justice (CJI) N V Ramana and Justices A S Bopanna and Hima Kohli sought the response in four weeks on the PIL filed by BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay, seeks seizure of election symbol or de-registration of a political party that promises or distributes irrational gifts from public funds before elections. Lawyer Upadhyay is correct that the recent trend of political parties to influence voters by offering freebies with an eye on elections is not only the greatest threat to the survival of democratic values but also injures the spirit of the Constitution, said the plea. Interestingly, when senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for Upadhyay, said that in states, having huge debt, all parties are promising freebies, ultimately it is the public whose money is promised to be given. Immediately the bench pointed to Singh is doing so then why in the affidavit you have named only two (political) parties (Aam Aadmi Party and states examples like, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress) in affidavit and asked Singh to read the judgment of the apex court on the issue. Not only all the political parties, but lawyer Upadhyay may have forgotten that ahead of the election bound state, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi used his power particularly for his 'double engine' states. One has to agree that the Prime Minister is beyond party politics, but during the time of election he never remains neutral in his speech or his hundred projects. Why does the Apex Court remain mum over it and why the Election Commission should not take suitable deterrent measures, such as development projects in the poll-bound states?

Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee

Faridabad 121005