Letters to the Editor: Atrocities against Hindus in B'desh

Atrocities against Hindus in B'desh

It is a well-known fact that Bangladesh was born out of erstwhile East Pakistan after the liberation war between India and Pakistan in 1971 at the behest of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led Mukti Bahini, an armed resistance against the Pakistani army to liberate Bangladesh. Many brave soldiers of India had to sacrifice their lives in the said war, which ended with the winning of India over Pakistan and the liberation of Bangladesh from the clutches of Pakistan. Since then Bangladesh has been a close, friendly country of India till the present regime led by Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, ousted the elected government of Sheikh Hasina.

Sheikh Hasina, the worthy daughter of Mujibur Rahman, is a democratic and peace-loving secular leader under whose leadership minority Hindus were living with dignity, but when Muhammad Yunus took the reins of power in Bangladesh, a hostile autocratic rule was established on the pretext of a student movement against the Sheikh Hasina government.

Muhammad Yunus has earned a bad name by becoming a close ally of Pakistan and China, posing a threat to the once-friendly country of India, as inhumane atrocities against minority Hindus are being committed. India should become tougher in dealing with Bangladesh and send a strong message to Yunus to face retaliatory action if he fails to save minorities and their religious institutions in Bangladesh.

Benudhar Das

Galiahati- No. 2, Barpeta

World Tiger Day

The International Tiger Day, which is observed annually on July 29, reminded us of the popular story that began with "Ek Tha Tiger" and ended with "Tiger Zinda Hai." Now, a question arises In one's mind, as to whether the tiger's roar says the final word on conservation success. Definitely 'No.' It only transforms the human-wildlife conflict. The July 29 editorial, 'Stripes at crossroads', has rightly said that infrastructure development such as construction of highways and laying of railway tracks and establishment of institutions, playgrounds, etc., in the fringe areas of the tiger reserves in the state, has only increased incidents of tigers straying into human settlement areas, leading to either incidents of lynching of tigers by mobs or human fatalities in tiger attacks. What we actually need to do is help people learn to coexist with wildlife outside the protected areas. If we want to see forests of tomorrow echoing with the tiger's mighty voice, we must stand together and pledge to shun apathy and greed. It is essential for us to know that the world is a resource to be nurtured and not to be exploited. Measures like isolated corridor conservation seem to have failed to ensure the desired level of tiger protection in non-reserve forest areas. If the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) actively considers projects like the landscape-level approach, it will prove effective for the next level of tiger conservation initiatives. There is an urgent need for Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ) notifications for regulating human development activities within the protected areas and raising community awareness about tiger corridor conservation for harmonious coexistence between humans and tigers.

As custodians of the Earth, it is our solemn duty and collective responsibility to prevent the extinction of tigers, as the loss of this precious species means the loss of a cultural and spiritual icon that has inspired humanity for centuries. Can one deny the pivotal role that art, literature, and media can play in inspiring a new generation to value the stripes, which are at a crossroads?

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati

600-year Ahom rule in Assam

The Ahoms ruled Assam for over 600 years—a remarkable feat by any standard. History should not merely be seen as a series of battles or political shifts. It teaches us what to emulate and what to avoid. Focusing only on the glorious aspects leads to a distorted view.

The foundation of the Ahom dynasty was laid by Chaolung Sukapha, a visionary leader who united diverse indigenous communities under one rule. His most remarkable trait was his willingness to adopt Assamese as the official language, setting aside his own, to foster unity.

The eventual downfall of the Ahom kingdom was not due to external forces alone, but internal power struggles among contenders to the throne.

Today, the youth of the Ahom community can draw inspiration from Sukapha’s legacy. In a time when the Assamese society remains divided and weakened by internal differences, Ahom youth must rise to the challenge—not to dominate, but to unify.

Sukapha’s reign was not built on laziness or rhetoric. It thrived because of a strong, efficient workforce committed to governance and defence. Likewise, today's youth must cultivate a strong work culture, moving beyond empty slogans.

Only through unity, inclusivity, and dedication can we hope to rebuild the strength once exemplified by the Ahoms.

Prafulla Dowarah

Guwahati

Irrigation crisis in Assam

Farmers in Assam are going through immense suffering due to the unavailability of water in their paddy fields at this crucial time. In sharp contrast, states like Punjab and Haryana have established irrigation systems that cover nearly 80% of their paddy cultivation, ensuring consistent agricultural output. Unfortunately, Assam lags far behind in this regard. What’s more concerning is that despite the presence of a designated irrigation department in the state, irrigation facilities on the ground are severely lacking. This dire situation clearly reflects that government development initiatives are largely focused on urban centres, leaving rural agricultural regions neglected.

For a state whose economy is primarily dependent on farming and where a majority of citizens are cultivators, such indifference toward farmers and agriculture signals a troubling trend. The concerned department must take immediate and effective steps to improve irrigation infrastructure and provide lasting relief to the struggling farming community.

Dipen Gogoi,

Teok, Jorhat

Real friends last forever

Having a best friend by your side is one of the best gifts one can ever get from God. Friends are the gems who will never ever leave you alone in any circumstance, even if the whole world is acting against you.

We all need a friend with whom we can share our happiness, sadness, and other important aspects of life. For the flourishing survival of everyone, it is very necessary to interact with each other. Sharing our insecurities with our friends gives a mental peace to one's life and also a sense of keeping protected.

Friends are the people in our lives who understand us profoundly and will be with us forever as long as we live. Friends will not need us to change; they will accept us the way we are and listen to us whenever we need them. Our friend is the only person who will not feel jealous of our success and will keep on motivating us for as long as we need them.

Having a true friend is one of the most precious gifts one can ever have in their life. A person should consider himself/herself one of the luckiest persons on the earth if he/she has a true and sweet friend in their life. Real friends give us many sweet and pleasurable memories to rejoice for. None of us will ever want to lose a true friend, as that's where we find our comfort. A friend is somebody who, without exaggerating, will keep appreciating you to help you keep going with a positive frame of mind. They will keep on thriving forever; for all those years, you will be there on the earth.

A friend is always devoted to you in helping you out on various issues of life, and that develops a sense of feeling protected with a friend. Friendship Day is observed around the world in order to give people an opportunity to express their feeling of love. One can express their feelings with International Friendship Day essays, speeches, wishes, messages, and various other means.

It is only this bond of friendship that gives us a person in life that will never become greedy for anything. They will always be active in finding something that can benefit their friends in one way or another. We do not have a foundation to select our friends on any ground, including caste, age, sex, creed, or any such differentiation that exists within the society. It is that a friend knows all the realities of his/her friend and helps each other satisfactorily on various issues they may be feeling stranded in. In general, a friendship blooms when both the partners are of the same age, background, and character, but that does not mean people from variant backgrounds cannot be best friends. There will always be the bond of love between two people no matter what age group they fall in or which society they are from.

Jubel D'Cruz,

(jubeldcruz@yahoo.com)