Cabinet reshuffle: Letters to The Editor

Cabinet reshuffle

The recent cabinet reshuffle of the Narendra Modi government is considered to be a notable one in several aspects. First of all – the induction of 11 women MPs as Central Ministers. Similarly, out of 5 Ministers from the North East and giving two of them cabinet ministers, is another noteworthy point. Perhaps this is the first in the history of the Northeast. Five engineers, 6 doctors, 7 civil servants, 7 research scholars, 13 legal experts, 12 Scheduled Castes, 8 Scheduled Tribes, 5 minority communities, 27 OBCs and 29 from general class MPs are included in this expansion.

In a country like India, various aspects such as seniority, experience, caste, community, regionalism, etc., attract priorities in choosing Ministers but this time the exclusion of senior and experienced ministers like Dr Harshvardhan, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Prakash Javedkar, and others has proved that no Ministerial positions are permanent unless you perform well.

Dr B.K. Nath,

Tezpur.

CM's comment
on MLAs

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's frivolous comment made on the MLAs' roles and duties in a public meeting at Sorbhog in Barpeta district on Tuesday has drawn a lot of flak from several opposition MLAs. A Chief Minister is never expected to make such an unbecoming comment publicly that demeans not only the MLAs but also the constituents at large who have sent their representatives democratically to the Legislative Assembly. Had he brought an MLA to book in the Assembly who was found to go beyond his prerogative or the ambit of executing his powers, it would hardly have come under any criticism. But, stating in public that the MLAs are in charge of only making laws and trying to usurp their powers by creating 'guardian ministers' is not only anti-democratic and autocratic but also against the established political norm. There's the likelihood that it will simply set a very dangerous precedent for future citizens.

Dipen Gogoi,

Teok, Jorhat.

Marking system

I have written to the Chief Minister about HSLC and HS examinations. Students who get 95 per cent in the HSLC examination can also get 95 per cent in the HS examination. But how can a student who gets 45 per cent get 95 per cent according to the newly published rules? It is never possible for everyone to get 95 per cent. The marks obtained in Class IX and the marks obtained in HSLC will be close to each other. The marks of the higher secondary examination will be close to the marks obtained in the HSLC examination.

I sincerely hope that the Chief Minister will take a clear and constructive decision in this regard very soon.

Heramba Nath,

Kamrup.

Streetlights

Through this page of your widely circulated daily, I would like to draw the attention of the authority concerned of the GMC (Guwahati Municipal Corporation) for the installation of streetlights in the prominent interior lanes or bye lanes of Guwahati city.

Crimes including robbery, chain-snatching, theft and all other illegal activities are going on under darkness. So it is an earnest appeal to the BJP-led new government and the authority concerned to provide and install streetlights.

Kabyajyoti Das,

Guwahati.

Love jehad

Love Jehad is of late has become a very serious issue occupying the headlines of many dailies and has become burning issues in states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi, Assam, Kerala, West Bengal to name a few. Inter-faith marriage is not an issue in secular India but purposefully hiding one's real identity and faking as a different person to suit his intention is a crime. Initially, I was not interested in this issue but going by the present trend and seeing myself in various videos and articles how particular religious people are targeting Hindu girls I have realized the essence to be alarmed. In this regard, I want to mention some Bollywood actors, sports personalities and politicians who are openly indulging in Love Jehad. A glimpse in the history of their matrimonial records will make all secular Indians communal.

Joel Goyari,

Tangla.

OIC's request

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is keen to send a team to Kashmir to get first-hand information on the ground realities in Kashmir. Now, will the OIC send a similar request to the Pakistani government to visit Balochistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK)? At the same breathe, can they ask China to arrange a tour for them to see the conditions of Uighur Muslims? If both the nations agree to their demand then certainly India should not hesitate to comply with their request. The condition should be that Pakistan and China must comply with their request first.

Julie Bhuyan,

Gaurisagar.

Social media literacy

Through the esteemed columns of your daily, I would like to express my concern about social media literacy.

The tragic incident of 2018 wherein two young boys was beaten to death in the Karbi Anglong district in Assam due to floating rumours of child abductors over WhatsApp is fresh until today in the nerves of the people who heard about it. This was a result of social media illiteracy which took the lives of two innocent youths.

The year 2020 remarked the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus after which the government declared a nationwide lockdown. This in turn increased the use of social media sites for keeping in touch with family and friends.

But what stands contradictory is the illiteracy while reading and circulating information that is not authentic. These false messages or information leads to many unfortunate situations for example the myths about vaccination which is persisting presently, the misinterpretation of the declaration made by the authorities.

In recent days, the internet was flooded by news with people who lost money over online frauds. The probable reason is the lack of information before sharing confidential information.

Lastly, be it scams or floating rumours what stands unsavoury is the unnecessary suffering by the common people and the loss they endure.

Thus, the only way to end this misery is the correct use of social media with proper knowledge and information to avoid any regrettable circumstances.

Anjali Chandak,

Guwahati.

Language of advertisements

Advertisement plays an important role on televisions. Some ads make me unhappy and irritated. The language used in advertisements seems almost different from our mother tongue. It has less similarity with our language which we are speaking since our childhood. My heart becomes heavy after seeing the language used in some advertisements. Wrong and improper use of Assamese grammar and pronunciation in advertisements translated from the Hindi language spoils our language.

On the other hand, the minds of our children who spend most of the time in front of televisions will also be influenced. The editors of our news channels and leading organizations should take some historic initiatives to save the glory of our mother tongue.

Aditya Ankur Nath,

Tezpur.

The essence of Eri Sador

Eri Sador is still relevant in a world that is under the warmth of cheap machine-made blankets. Eri Sador-clad people are a normal sight in rural winters of Assam. My late Aaita used to be an expert weaver until she lost her sight in her sixties. Like all the grandmothers who knit warm clothes for their grandchildren, my Aaita weaved Eri Sadors for me. She has left a trunk full of them with a note that says, give these to Baakhor (my pet name given by Aaita) when he gets big enough to wrap these around him. Though it is economically viable to buy blankets instead of Eri Sador as in today's market we will get a couple of blankets for the price of an Eri-sador but like our Gamosa which gets so much love and respect from us and even political brawls happen because of gamosa, Eri sador also deserves some love.

Noopur Baruah,

Tezpur.

Cab drivers facing a financial crisis

The cab drivers of the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International (LGBI) Airport are now in a deep financial crisis. They have faced many difficulties in making a living since the lockdown last year. Cab drivers, as well as their families, are now in the darkness. Due to the corona pandemic, the number of passengers in the airport has come down, making it difficult for cab drivers to earn a living. Some taxi drivers used to borrow vehicles by taking a loan from banks and use them as rental vehicles, although they are currently unable to pay the EMI of the loans taken to purchase these vehicles. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the local MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita are requested to take strong action in this regard at the earliest.

Abhijit Kalita,

Palasbari.

Time to quit

I was and still an ardent fan of Swiss tennis star Roger Federer, a living legend with a 20 grand slam Singles title only equalled by Spanish matador Rafael Nadal. Federer's magical touch, grace, personality and enchanting smile have made him the heartthrob of millions of fans. At the same time, we all must admit that all good things must come to end one day, or the other day and Roger Federer is no exception. Now nearing his 40th birthday, Federer is losing his flair, power, speed and stamina as can be seen in his last Wimbledon quarter-final match against an unheard 24-year-old Polish opponent where he was outclassed in every department of the game. He was simply a shadow of his past committing numerous unforced errors. It is time that the maestro hung up his racquet and calls it a day. We have seen in the past where many greats like Rod Laver, Pele, Muhammad Ali, Donald Bradman, Pete Sampras, Michael Phelps, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble to name a few have retired at the zenith of their career, making them legends. It's painful to see a great like Roger Federer being thrashed by any Tom, Dick and Harry.

Dr Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

Violation of COVID protocols

At a time, when the 2nd wave of COVID-19 is not showing any signs of slowing down, people are still violating the COVID protocols in the market areas of the city. People are roaming freely without wearing masks and are not following the social distancing norms.

Though COVID-19 cases were decreasing down in the Kamrup (M) district, there is a growth in the numbers in the past 2-3 days. The district administration on Thursday constituted a task force to ensure the strict imposition of COVID-19 protocols across the city. However, it is rare to find police officials in many markets. Even though, the presence of police personnel doesn't seem to make any difference.

Abhishek Konwar,

Guwahati.

TV serial episodes

It is observed that many TV serials continue for years after years with even changes in generations of the characters shown in such TV serials. It makes viewers TV-addicted with an unimaginable number of total man-hours viewing TV serials only adversely affecting studies of students and proper attention to children by mothers who are victims of such addiction. Already social media has ruined the lifestyle and working efficiency of all including office-goers.

The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting should regulate the maximum number of episodes in a normal TV serial to say 52 (one year). However, such a restriction may not be there on epic-serials. Even TV serials with the single-story in each episode can also be exempted.

Madhu Agrawal,

DELHI