Letters to the Editor: Concerns about the rental system

Concerns about the rental system

The current rental system in Guwahati, particularly regarding the difficulties faced by students, is a cause for concern. Nowadays, it's challenging to find rental accommodations directly, as most people prefer to go through brokers. However, brokers often demand 50% of the rent, which adds to the financial burden of tenants. This system poses significant challenges for students who are already facing financial constraints. Paying such a high commission to brokers makes it even more difficult for students to afford decent accommodation. It creates an unfair situation where students have to sacrifice a large portion of their limited budget just to secure a place to stay.

I believe it's time to reconsider and reform the house rental system in Guwahati. Measures should be taken to ensure that rental accommodations are more accessible and affordable for everyone, especially students. By eliminating or regulating excessive brokerage fees, we can alleviate the financial strain on tenants and create a more equitable renting environment.

Krishna Baro

Tihu

Modi’s diplomacy

The ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict and the Israeli-Hamas engagement have almost become a threat to the entire world. In the meantime, many political and financial changes have taken place, and Russia has been politically and financially isolated by the western powers. Some former Warsaw Pact nations, Poland and Hungary in particular, have become members of NATO. The UN, in its limited capacity, is trying to bring an end to this crisis, but till now, their efforts have not achieved the desired result. India, at this stage, was asked by the international community to play a leading role. Our PM, in spite of his busy schedule, carefully played a lead role by keeping both NATO nations and the Russia-China combination in good humour, which simply proves India’s importance and presence in today’s global events. India became a leading nation to counter China and started acquiring the latest arms from the West. It also kept Russia in good humour, as evidenced by the cheap acquisition of Russian crude oil. Because of Modi’s diplomacy, all Indians were safely evacuated from war-torn Ukraine and Afghanistan.

Some PM aspirants of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc, namely Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Mamata Banerjee, Akhilesh Yadav, etc., to name a few, will simply take decades to match the acumenship of Modi’s policies and diplomacy.

Dr Ashim Chowdhury

Guwahati

Are peasants becoming political pawns?

The farmers protest and the various disturbing episodes occurring on the outskirts of the national capital are giving sleepless nights to citizens and have now turned into a crisis effecting the day-to-day lives of the commoners. With the main roads taken over by the protesters and the internet interrupted, the public has begun to experience the brunt of the agitation.

Some years ago, a long march was taken out by the farmers of Maharashtra.  The march never caused any issues for the common people. It was a march with a clear purpose and conducted in a peaceful manner, getting support from the public, irrespective of political parties, and finally achieving its purpose in making the government promise and assure fulfilling the demands of the peasants.

The long march protestors on reaching Mumbai never caused any inconvenience to its citizens and did not throw the heavy city traffic out of gear, causing panic to the commuters and examinees as it was an examination time. The march was exemplary, clearly showing that they were protesting peacefully, and the aim was clear: to make the government not ignore the rustic souls of India, the main backbone of the nation. The long march finds a significant place in today's era, where such marches and rallies backed by political parties and groups often end up in clashes, riots, and bloodshed. The present agitation now sadly exposes the so-called sympathisers, who are political by nature and, in the name of supporting the peasants, are only opportunists trying to make gains for their own political and selfish motives. It is high time the true peasants understood the motives of these elements and did not become victims of their vile scheme.

Pradyu Mukund

(pradyumukund22@gmail.com)

Beating Maoists at their own game

In the never-ending battle between the police and the Maoists, either in Chhattisgarh or Jharkhand, the former has almost decimated the latter, the latest being the killing of three Maoists in the Koyalibeda forest area of Kanker district in Chhattisgarh on Sunday.  Significantly, Home Minister Amit Shah, in a series of posts on X on Friday, had said that the Centre's holistic approach, contributing to health and educational uplift in the tribal areas dominated by the naxals, resulted in curbing naxalism to a great extent.  Familiarity with the surroundings and rapport with the locals have acted as weapons for the police in their war against the Maoists.  Intelligence gathering has been a Maoist--forte; the police have succeeded in beating the opponents at their own game.

Providing counselling to the local tribals against giving in to the Maoists’ demands figures right on top of the police’s agenda. Over the years, many Naxals have given up their violent ways in several states; the credit should go to the concerted effort of the security forces. A combination of a humanitarian touch and taking the fight right into the Maoist camps has paid rich dividends. According to Home Ministry data, over the last nine years, there has been a significant decline in left-wing extremism-related violence and deaths. Fatalities among both security forces and civilians have drastically reduced, by 72 and 68 percent, respectively, and these are exceptional numbers.

Dr Ganapathi Bhat

(gbhat13@gmail.com)