Letters to The EDITOR: Child marriage
Child marriage
Child marriage, practiced in early days in society by people belonging to any society or community or religion was a curse. Any sensible person should teach the illiterate persons about this draconian system in their community or religion earnestly. Fortunately, in our Assamese society, this draconian practice is not in force though some did practice remotely in remote places. But with the immigration of people from Bangladesh, this draconian system was practiced openly among their community leading to their population explosion and, in turn, leading to rise in criminal activities among the young generation. For the sake of vote bank none of the political parties ever tried to raise the issue. The Congress, which was in power for vast majority of time, never tried to eradicate the practice of child marriage nor did they raise any concern.
Very recently, in the state assembly, the ruling party tried to enforce a law banning child marriage. But very sadly, the opposition, in their usual style, opposed this move. AIUDF and their one-time ally Congress staged a walkout protesting against this law and sat below the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, which simply proves that an alliance between AIUDF and Congress is imminent before the coming poll.
Mahatma Gandhi, who was himself against child marriage, must be turning in his grave.
Joel gayari,
Tangla
Rail track via Jakhalabondha
A BG Rail track via Jakhalabondha to upper Assam is now felt essential to ease the work load on the present NH and the existing rail track via Lumding to Tinsukia. An elevated rail bridge over the Kaziranga area will have to be constructed. The link will reduce the travel distance to upper Assam and will be an added attraction from a tourist’s viewpoint. Positive and aggressive decision-making zeal is the need at this hour to overcome the deficiency in the communication sector that has accumulated since the independence in this region.
Prasanta Baruah
Dispur
HSLC exam paper
Through this column of your esteemed daily, I would like to draw the attention of the authorities concerned to the genuine issue of the paper setter’s gross negligence while designing the math paper for the HSLC examinees. The question paper was reportedly very tough, beyond the examinees’ expectations and out of the syllabus. The question paper has been designed in such a way that even a brilliant student can hardly attempt most of the questions. Quite surprisingly, out of forty-five MCQs, at least thirty problems require a pretty long process to solve. Moreover, a few questions are such that only advanced students can attempt them, and one problem has been given from an optional exercise (Exercise 7.4) not meant for examination at all. It seems the person setting the question paper has designed it with the sole intention of showing off his own depth of knowledge on the subject; he has not been thorough and ensured that the exam paper aligns with the purpose of testing the students. A good question paper strikes a balance between covering everything and staying within the syllabus simultaneously, creating an environment where students can show what they know without feeling rushed. The paper setter must ensure the versatility of the question paper, which has a balance of both simple and complex questions. But, regrettably, it seems the difficulty level of the said exam paper is such that one is hardly able to differentiate between excellent, good, and average students. Since the questions are not in line with what students have been taught and are expected to know, the exam paper did not motivate the students and created undue academic pressure. The paper setter, while designing the exam paper, should have been mindful of the fact that he or she didn’t have any knowledge of who the examinee would be, and he or she could not have an idea of grasping the power and IQ level of every student without teaching them in the classroom.
Such anomalies, stemming from utter negligence, drastically affected the performance scores of the students. The education minister of the state should take note of these facts and look into the matter seriously.
Dipen Gogoi,
Teok, Jorhat
Leopard population rising
It’s heartening that the leopard population in the country has grown by 1,022, or approximately 8%, over the past four years. The count rose from 12,852 in 2018 to 13,874 in 2022. While the highest number of leopards was reported in Madhya Pradesh (3,907), only three other states reported over 1,000 animals each: Maharashtra (1,985), Karnataka (1,879), and Tamil Nadu (1,070). Even Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and West Bengal saw a collective 150% rise to 349 animals. While Uttarakhand reported a 22% decline in the big cat numbers, reportedly due to poaching and man-animal conflict. Also, in specific states like Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Odisha, and Telangana, there has been a decline in the number of big cats.
The study, the fifth cycle of leopard population estimation in India, focused on forested habitats within 18 tiger states, covering four major tiger conservation landscapes. It included a foot survey spanning 6,41,449 km and strategically placed camera traps at 32,803 locations, resulting in 85,488 photo-captures of leopards.
However, although small in size, the leopard, estimated at around 13,874 in India, is a skilled and versatile hunter. But the fact is that there are six leopard deaths for every tiger death in the country. This situation can change only if there is a specific leopard conservation policy that will realise the country’s potential to host an even larger population of this often ignored cat.
Bidyut Kumar Chatterjee
bkchatterjee9@gmail.com
India loses two mega stars
For most of us, Ameen Sayani’s radio journey began with Binaca Geetmala. His golden voice had a charm and warmth that struck a chord across generations. He played an important role in revolutionizing Indian broadcasting. Those were the days when there were no mobile phones, tape recorders, TVs, or computers. Life was simple, and we would wait eagerly every Wednesday for his show to start—melodies and golden hits with a mesmerizing commentary.
Generations of Indians grew up listening to his voice on Binaca Geetmala, named after a toothpaste brand, every Wednesday at 8 p.m..
He began his career in English radio but found his calling in Hindi broadcasting, becoming a household name with his signature “Behno aur Bhaiyo” greeting. He died of a heart attack at the age of 91 on February 20, 2024. His death is a loss to the entire nation. He will always remain etched in our hearts and minds. We also mourn the death of ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas, who passed away on February 26 after a prolonged illness. May their souls rest in peace.
Jubel D’Cruz,
Mumbai