Letters to The EDITOR: Beyond a college degree

Beyond a college degree

College degrees are just degrees. It serves two purposes, i.e., as a credential and as a filter. Like there is a movie ‘Chain kulli ki main kulli’ with the main conclusion that there is nothing wrong if you are born poor, but if you die poor, then it will be your responsibility. The famous dialogue in that film states, ‘Jadoo tumhara bat me nahi, tumhara hat me hain.’ That is talent; the miracle is within you, not in the bat. Similarly, there is nothing in a college degree unless one properly uses one’s talent, willingness, and passion in that particular field. In the editorial ‘Dreams beyond degrees’, published in your esteemed daily on March 12, it has been rightly said that the financial assistance under the Chief Minister’s Atmanirbhar Asom Abhijan (CMAAA) is an encouraging development to the MSME ecosystem in the state. Assam has ample opportunities for entrepreneurial growth in agriculture and allied sectors, the packaging sector, the handloom and textile sector, the readymade garment sector, the livestock rearing and dairy sector, and bamboo and wood-based industries. It may or may not guarantee a job as per the college degree, but it definitely motivates one to aspire for self-employment and contribute his mite towards the state economy after leaving the educational institutions. Let us hope that the success stories of CMAAA beneficiaries can shift the mindset of an entire Assamese generation and help create the talent pool for different sectors. The importance of teachers in grooming their students as sustainable degree-linked entrepreneurs cannot be overstated.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati.

An uncalled-for conduct

towards students

It is indeed strongly condemnable that Ranoj Pegu appeared to look down on a team of students from Dibrugarh University who had approached him with genuine concerns over the recent fee hike. His body language and overall demeanour toward the student delegation left much to be desired, and his remarks appeared to be unnecessarily harsh and dismissive. What many found difficult to stomach was his offhand reference to the six-year-long Assam Agitation, where he reportedly questioned what significant achievements the movement had brought to the state. Such a remark seemed to brush aside one of the most defining mass movements in Assam’s history. It is widely acknowledged that Assam has rarely managed to secure its rights without people standing up and speaking out through agitation. What makes the remark even harder to digest is that the minister himself had once taken part in agitation movements before stepping into mainstream politics.

It goes without saying that when issues related to education crop up, students will naturally turn to the state’s education minister rather than run from pillar to post. As a responsible public representative, he ought to have heard the students out patiently, dealt with the matter calmly, and assured them that he would look into their concerns. A more friendly and constructive conversation could have easily kept the discussion on track without dragging the Assam agitation into it.

Dipen Gogoi,

Teok, Jorhat

ELUSIVE 24’

We know that Assam has 126 total assembly seats, which will probably be going to poll sometime in the month of April. Even though the date of the election is yet to be announced, the election temperature has reached a feverish pitch. The opposition, mainly the Congress, RJD, AJP, CPM, CPI, and CPI(M), in the meantime tried to form an alliance against the ruling BJP, which ultimately did not materialise despite the best efforts made by the self-appointed so-called ambassador-in-chief Akhil Gogoi, the RJD chief.

The only bone of contention for the opposition alliance is one assembly seat, named DHING, a totally linguistic minority-dominated constituency. At present Assam has 24 constituencies which are fully dominated by linguistic minority communities, which seems to have drawn the opposition’s attention. Meanwhile, the ruling party very logically is not in the race for those 24 constituencies due to reasons known to all bona fide Asomiya voters.

It will be very interesting and amusing to watch who gets the elusive majority in those 24 constituencies, as the opposition seems to rely on the votes of the linguistic minority community. Poor Akhil Gogoi has become a lone ranger in the race for the 24 assembly seats.

Dr Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati.