Letters to the EDITOR: Contemplations on the New Year

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Contemplations on the New Year

At the dawn of a new year, people have a longing to see the culmination of some of the unfinished tasks that have been lingering for a long time. The New Year 2025 shall really augur well and bring happiness for all if the authorities concerned take due diligence and exigent action on core issues afflicting the state and its citizens. Of the several duties and activities of the government, recurring floods and soil erosion, depleting forests, endangered flora and fauna, degrading environment, treatment of municipal wastes, and food adulteration, which have an impact on public life in a big way, will necessitate genuine efforts of the authorities concerned for efficient implementation of government projects and programmes on the ground for their mitigation in the year.

Secondly, the denizens of Guwahati have been struggling for long concerning the vexed city transport system, urban flooding, and unclean cityscape, which require a visionary approach from authorities concerned to improve these services. The need of the hour is to supplement the existing means of conveyance with the modern, eco-friendly, and high-capacity Metro trains to cope with the dual hindrance of growing population and traffic jams in the city. The city drainage should be maintained properly, and projects for the development of wetlands around Guwahati should be executed within the target time for diverting rainwater to these wetlands. The mechanism for regular collection and disposal systems of garbage needs to be overhauled in order to conserve the city’s public health and hygiene. 

Pannalal Dey,

Guwahati

Gender-neutral laws

Although India has made substantial strides towards achieving gender equality, several difficulties still cannot be resolved by implementing measures to protect one’s gender. Thus, we must progress towards achieving gender equality by reforming our laws to be more gender-neutral.

Gender-neutral laws pertain to laws and policies that do not discriminate against individuals based on gender. These regulations ensure that all individuals, regardless of gender identity, are granted equal rights and opportunities.

Jubel D’Cruz,

(jubeldcruz@yahoo.com)

Welcome to the

city’s new CP

The New Year of the English calendar must bring smiles and hope to the citizens of the state capital, Guwahati, with the change of guard in the Commissionerate of Police. A highly decorated new CP, Partha Sarathi Mahanta needs no introduction. His previous several successful strategic operations against anti-national elements, including the arrest of ISIS India head Haris Farooqi, made him one of the most outstanding police officers of the country. The editorial, ‘The City & the CP,’ published in your esteemed daily on January 6, has rightly said that there exist some major gaps, like the complaint about the refusal of the city police to register a case that resulted in the murder of a young woman in broad daylight in the heart of the city. This lackadaisical attitude of the police needs to be checked totally. With the city growing in the most haphazard manner since the capital was brought down from Shillong to Guwahati, the city dwellers are confronting almost every day various types of crimes, and the situation has reached such a stage that people, especially women, feel unsafe going out either for morning walks, daily work, or evening strolls on the road, particularly the bye-lanes. Crime and disorder pose a threat to the social fabric. The lives of common people have become  worse. The new commissioner’s introduction of a dedicated WhatsApp helpline must be able to remove the tag ‘unsafe city’ and bring police closer to the public in tackling day-to-day crimes, most prominently chain snatching, mobile thefts, and violations of traffic rules. It has been seen that police draw flak from the public and the media alike for failing to meet their expectations and get no marks for working in accordance with the law. Many police officers fear that in difficult situations, strict adherence to the law may put their professional career in jeopardy. Such unpleasant things must not be allowed to happen. With the crime scenario undergoing a sea change in recent years in the city, it is hoped that under the new efficient CP, criminals would not escape punishment and citizens would live with pride in the city with the improvement of its functioning to the desired levels.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati

Inflation’s impact on

Magh Bihu celebrations

Magh Bihu, an Assamese harvest festival celebrated with feasting, community bonding, and traditional rituals, faces potential challenges in the context of rising inflation. Inflation, the increase in prices of goods and services, can significantly affect the purchasing power of households, thereby impacting traditional festivals like Magh Bihu. One of the key aspects of Magh Bihu is the preparation of traditional food items like pithas (rice cakes), ladoos, and other delicacies made with rice, sesame, jaggery, and coconut. The rising costs of these raw materials due to inflation can strain household budgets, particularly for middle- and low-income families. Community feasts (Uruka) and the construction of makeshift huts (Meji) also involve collective financial contributions. Inflation can result in higher costs for firewood, bamboo, and other materials needed for the rituals, potentially reducing participation and altering the scale of celebrations. Inflation may reduce the grandeur of the festival, leading to more minimalist celebrations. It could also create disparities in how families and communities celebrate, potentially impacting the social harmony fostered during Magh Bihu.

Chandan Kumar Nath,

Sorbhog, Barpeta