Letters to the Editor: National Mathematics Day

The National Mathematics Day is celebrated on 22nd December every year in memory of the great mathematician of India Srinivasa Ramanujan. Mathematics is a subject through which we can make our learning more interesting and it also makes our brain more developed as it is a very interesting subject. The first Mathematics Day was celebrated as Pi-Day. The main theme of 2021 Mathematics Day was "mathematics for a better future". The first value of Pi was calculated by a mathematician who was called the Archimedes of Syracuse. However, the value was officially accepted by the scientific community only after Leonhard Euler came up with the symbol of Pi in 1737.

The International Day of Mathematics is a project by the International Mathematics Union with the support of numerous regional and international organizations.

Manish Kashyap,

Guwahati

State zoo

Through the column of your esteemed daily, I would like to draw attention towards the recent death of a four-year-old female giraffe in the Assam State Zoo cum Botanical Garden. This giraffe named Anne was brought from the Patna Zoo under an animal exchange programme way back in 2019. Many experts have blamed its death because of the faulty enclosure.

As we are well aware of the pathetic condition of the animals in our state zoo and this incident clearly indicates the mismanagement by the State Zoo Authority. Though zoos are essential to protect animals from dwindling and extinction, the animals living there needs a proper and natural environment so that they can live and flourish. But in most zoos, animals are forced to live in artificial, stressful and downright boring conditions. Removed from their natural habitats and social structures, they are confined to small, restrictive environments that deprive them of mental and physical stimulation. This is also because of lack of funds which leads to the poor arrangement of food and medical facilities, lack of proper administration and absence of workers and staff. The cages in which the animals are kept are always dirty and the animals are sickly and poorly fed. Therefore, animals that live in these zoos suffer from different kinds of diseases and die earlier than others in the wild.

It is now time that we raise our voice and demand a strict probe into such incidents. The government and the authorities concerned should take action as soon as possible. Being humans, we have the responsibility to give these animals the right to live in a proper and peaceful environment. So, for the sake of the animals living in captivity, we should build more spacious, friendly and well-managed zoos so that despite living in captivity they can live in their desired habitats. It is through these measures that our next generation will value wild animals.

Kaberi Bezbaruah,

Mangaldai

Awareness on COVID

To avoid Corona infection, the State health department carried out awareness programmes many a time. Though the Omicron virus has not created a lot of trouble in Assam, the spread of Corona is still going on. The Health Department asked the public not to gather in a large number, besides avoiding picnics. And all these matters have been discussed in the State Legislative Assembly.

We should realize from the core of the heart that the situation in the state is still not normal. We see the fun in all picnic spots. In the name of Christmas celebrations, there was a crowd everywhere. Everywhere Covid protocols were broken. We should respect the guidelines issued by the Department of Health. We should avoid festivals.

Achin Das,

Department of Mass

Communication and Journalism,

Gauhati University.

Again to AFSPA!

After the Nagaland incident, there is a demand to repeal the AFSPA Act. The Central Government has constituted a committee in this regard. The firing squad is at the centre of the Nagaland case. The committee should think from the point of view of the soldiers also. Because they have followed the intelligence input they got. If the soldiers had called to stop the vehicle, if the vehicle had stopped, then there would have been no firing at that time. The firing had to be done because the car had fled. However, the soldiers are being blamed. Even if the soldiers had not followed the information received they would have been guilty. Meaning that from both sides, soldiers would have been guilty. No one speaks clearly about how the soldiers should have done their duty in this complex dilemma. It is very easy to drive a goat by sitting on a camel. But it is for the soldiers to decide what to do in which situation. Leaving verbal bubbles in that situation like in political parties do not work. Why did soldiers have to speak the language of weapons? The country has come to know from the news that has come to read about this incident.

The Nagaland Assembly has unanimously passed a resolution to withdraw the crucial law, AFSPA. This is shocking. If tomorrow the law in that area is repealed and the insurgents take over, the soldiers will stand as a shield to protect the civilians. At that time there will be political leaders who will demand that 'we need more security because our lives are in danger'. At that time they will not remember the safety of the people.

A committee constituted by the Centre to study the withdrawal of AFSPA will give its recommendations within 45 days. Although this incident is from Nagaland, let's hope it does not contain recommendations that negatively impact the morale of soldiers everywhere. Unlike Kashmir, the language of bombs and bullets is not spoken in this region. That's why the soldiers here do not need weapons. Instead, they can be given sticks like police', there should be no such ideology. The repeal of AFSPA means taking out the teeth and nails of a tiger and sending it on a hunt. Why is it happening that the idea of taking away the rights of our soldiers by taking back the law is being insisted upon? Whether it is the Parliament House or the Rajya Sabha or the Legislative assemblies of the country, there is a ruckus in the Legislative Council over many topics. Because of this over the years, huge financial loss of public money has continued. A law should be made in this regard immediately. To date, it has not been taken seriously. Loss of life is valuable, financial loss is priceless.

While considering the AFSPA Act on Nagaland, it should be noted that the soldiers deployed in the most sensitive border areas of the country, especially in Kashmir, should not be bothered by the recommendations of the committee constituted. The soldiers posted in Kashmir should not feel that the soldiers who are caught in the interrogation because of what happened in Nagaland, can happen to them tomorrow. AFSPA is also applicable in Kashmir. If there is a demand to repeal that law like Nagaland in Kashmir and there are fierce demonstrations against that law, then how should the soldier protect the borders of the country? This should also be clear.

Er. Jayesh Rane,

Mumbai