New Year expectations

A New Year has dawned with fresh hopes, leaving behind harrowing memories of a pandemic year. It has, however, carried forward the most crucial lesson learnt during the battle against COVID-19. The mankind must be humble before nature to survive and co-exist. The pause button pressed by nations across the globe in a bid to break the chain of the new coronavirus left a cascading effect on the world economy, but it has resuscitated the nature. Globally, over 80 million people were infected across 218 countries of whom 1.78 million lost the battle. India recorded 1.02 crore confirmed COVID-19 cases of whom 1.48 lakh died in 2020. The hope for vaccination in India in the New Year has brightened. By achieving 96 per cent recovery rate India has showcased its resilience against the pandemic before the world. However, confirmed cases of infection caused by the new strain of COVID-19, first detected in United Kingdom, which is more infectious, in the country should warn the country against chest-thumping and put everyone on notice that challenges of pandemic will continue in 2021. It is reassuring to know from the Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Randip Guleria that India is well-placed to combat even if there is rise in infection due to the new stain of COVID-19. He has, however, underlined the need for remaining extra-careful to make sure that rise in infection due to the new strain does not impact the country in a big way. Heart wrenching woes of the migrant workers in the country during the nationwide lockdown last year brought home the lessons that the robustness of an economy cannot always be determined by growth statistics. Unprecedent protest by farmers over the three new farm bills has spilled to the new year. Only flexibility and sustained dialogue can end the deadlock. Putting the pandemic-ravaged economy back on the rails will continue be a major challenge in this year too but the signs of recovery has lifted the mood of stakeholders. Continuation of welfare measures for poor and the downtrodden by the Central and the State governments and efforts to create jobs and livelihood avenues will be critical to sustain the turnaround. The pandemic has also brought new opportunities, particularly in the export sector. The 2021 is going to witness encouraging results of India's push for enhanced bilateral and multilateral engagements with ASEAN, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and active Indo-Pacific alignment to boost export and connectivity. Reopening of educational institutions is going to bring back the vibrancy in daily activities that was overshadowed by uncertainty during the peak of the pandemic in 2020. The New Year is poised to be more eventful for Assam, as it is also the election year. Ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led coalition government is looking at another term. Political realignment in the state which started last year during the election to the Bodoland Territorial Council is expected to take the final shape within this month. Formation of the new regional parties, after the COVID-19 travel restrictions were eased, is going to make the Assam Assembly elections all the more exciting. As a new government will assume office by May, political activities will overshadow other activities in the first five months of the new year. Care must be taken by one and all that the significant gains made by the state in the battle against COVID-19 is not lost in the political hustle bustle. These four-five initial months are also crucial for the state to complete all works repairs of breaches in the embankment caused by multiple waves of devastating floods last year, before the onset of next Monsoon. A dredger for the state to be deployed for undertaking corrective dredging of Brahmaputra to remove sediment from the riverbed is set to sail all the way from United States this month. However, it remains to be seen if the parties are going to make the perennial problem of annual flood and erosion a major poll plank in the assembly polls and if they have any concrete permanent solution to offer instead of rhetoric. Till 2019, the state lost 72,54,710 bighas of land due to erosion caused by the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries. The State government must put in place the mechanism for fast tracking the flood management and anti-erosion works so that election activities do not cause any unwarranted delay. Job crisis triggered by downturn in the economy due to pandemic will remain a huge challenge in the new year. The solution lies in conservation of nature and environment, making agriculture a remunerative activity, encouraging entrepreneurship in agriculture and horticulture, setting up food processing industries, harnessing bamboo resources and promoting cultural and eco-tourism. There is always light at the end of the tunnel and hope floats that 2021 will bring prosperity to all.