Letters to the Editor: Attempt to undermine

On the fiftieth anniversary of the Bangladesh Liberation War, a snippet from an old interview of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw with Karan Thapar has gone viral on the internet in which the journalist is heard undermining India's heroic triumph in the 1971 India-Pakistan war that liberated Bangladesh from Pakistan. Journalist Thapar asked the Field Marshal: "Did you win because Pak Army proved to be incompetent in the 1971 war?" The reply was a majestic one from the man himself – "No, it is not true, Pak Army fought very gallantly but they had no chance, they were 1,000 miles away from their base, I had almost 50:1 advantage". The interview took place in 1999 on BBC's Face to Face. The left minded journalist instead of crediting the Indian Army for standing up to Pakistan's army valiantly; the veteran journalist cum writer was trying to undermine the Indian Army's valour. His attempt to paint a picture that India won because of the weak and inept Pakistani army.

It may be recalled how in 2020 another clip from 2002 has gone viral in which Field Marshal Manekshaw, one of India's greatest war heroes, had narrated how Pakistani Prisoners of War of 1971 war had hailed the professionalism of the Indian Army following Indian victory in the war. A Pakistani staffer revealed how the Indian General had saved his family. The Pakistani staffer recalled how his five sons were PoW of the 1971 war were treated with a lot of respect despite they being Pakistani soldiers.

There has always been some serious deliberate attempt by the leftist brigade to undermine India's achievement in any field. The ecosystem of leftist like to compare India with Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and paint a blurred picture and of pessimism and despair. Their motto is for any bad happening in the country they colour it with Hindu identity and for any great things about India, they have a tough choice to make! Mughals, Nehru or British!

Julie Bhuyan,

Gaurisagar

Just a thought

The State government has been doing an excellent job in preventing drunken driving and rash driving by putting many checkpoints throughout the state. Usually, the New Year eve night records maximum road accidents due to drunken and rash driving. While the other day, I was returning home, I was stopped in the Ganeshguri area for a breathing analysis test to which I obliged as a responsible citizen. While the citizens are made to undergo the said test, the police personnel too should undergo that test before joining the duty or in the middle of the duty. On that day, I found something fishy with the police personnel. My olfactory smelled the scent of spirit (alcohol) from a few police personnel who were on duty. My humble request to the top officials of the Police and Home department is to kindly look into this matter. My thought is everybody should be equal before the law. Before concluding, I offer my appreciation to CM HB Sarma for living up to his promise that on 31st December 2021 there was zero causality in drunken driving.

Pratuljyoti Buragohain,

Guwahati.

New Year and Bihu

In view of the third wave of Covid, particularly due to the rapid spread of its new variant Omicron, it is time not to get swayed by the temptation of New Year and Bihu celebrations. Rather let us protect ourselves, our family members and others from getting infected by following all norms and making those aware who have not been jabbed yet. Hope by the beginning of the New Year 2022, we will be greeted and welcomed with a positive spirit.

Chandan Kumar Nath,

Sorbhog

New low

The state cricket is touching a new low as the state team, be it junior or senior, is setting a record for a new low in regards to its performance. A lot was expected from the current ACA officials after the previous corrupt regime of Bikash Barua, Gautam Roy and Ganeshshyam Baruah company were thrown out. The present committee led by Devojit Saikia and company, who boast of being past cricketers of excellence, had sworn before the media after uprooting the previous committee officials that they would take Assam Cricket to new heights. It has been more than four years that this committee has taken the office, but to our utter surprise, nothing has changed in the ground. The pathetic performance of the state team continues to lower the morale of the cricket fans of the state. The new committee is more politically motivated. All the ACA members who are known to be closed to the government at Dispur are keener on staging IPL matches than delivering state team performance. The visionless ACA officials, more particularly the secretary and president, are keen on worshipping the BCCI general secretary and president.

Dhiman Senchowa,

North Lakhimpur.

IIT Madras ranking

It is a matter of immense pride and self-esteem for the Chennaities that for the third year in a row, IIT Madras has been ranked as the 'most innovative educational institution in the country' by the Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA). It is hardly of any surprise that this premier and prestigious educational institution from Chennai continues to excel in scholastic achievements. At IIT, Madras students get the right exposure to the practical concepts of engineering. It has its own research park, which acts as a catalyst for far-reaching technological development, where every student can pursue his/her innovative ideas with full support from faculty members. Faculties of international repute, a brilliant student community, excellent technical and supporting staff, and an effective administration, have all contributed to the pre-eminent status of IIT Madras.

Ranganathan Sivakumar,

Madipakkam, Chennai