Letters to the EDITOR: Death of a dream: Jonaki crumbling!

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Death of a dream: Jonaki crumbling!

It is heartbreaking, and frankly shameful, that Jonaki Cinema Hall — the first cinema hall of Assam and the cradle of Assamese cinema — now stands in ruins. What was once a proud symbol of our cultural awakening has been reduced to a silent, decaying structure. For the last five years, Jonaki has been in a state of neglect. The projectors have long gone cold, the seats are empty, and the spirit that once lit up its screen now flickers faintly in memory alone.

Jonaki is not just another old building. It is a landmark of Assamese identity — a place where stories, emotions, and dreams came alive for generations. To watch it crumble due to administrative apathy is to witness the slow death of our own heritage. We cannot claim to honour our artists, our culture, or our cinematic legacy while we let Jonaki rot in silence.

The government and cultural departments must wake up to this reality. Heritage is not preserved by speeches; it is preserved by action. Jonaki deserves urgent restoration and recognition as a protected heritage site. If steps are not taken now, we will lose not just a cinema hall but a chapter of Assam’s soul. Let Jonaki rise again—not as a relic of nostalgia, but as a living beacon of Assamese pride.

Noopur Baruah,

Tezpur

Revival of Assamese film industry

Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I wish to draw attention to the remarkable revival of the Assamese film industry in recent years. For the last few years most people were busy watching movies on Netflix and other online platforms. Because of this, cinema halls in Assam used to remain almost empty. But now things are changing. People have again started going to cinema halls to watch Assamese movies. Movies like Bulbul Can Sing, Village Rockstars, Kothanodi, and others have brought national and international recognition to our cinema. Along with these films, new releases such as Bhaimon da, Local Utpat, Ratnakar and Roi Roi Binale, which was just released on 31st October, and many others have received immense love and appreciation from viewers. These films highlight the beauty of our culture, tradition and language and also entertain us and make us proud to be Assamese.

I sincerely request the government and people to continue supporting our film industry so that it can grow even stronger.

Anupriya Deka

Cotton university

The maestro’s last curtain call

From sleepy towns to the bustling capital city, the streets of Assam woke up with fans in overwhelming numbers on Friday morning with Zubeen Garg's melodies on their lips, who thronged theatres across the state to watch the icon's final cinematic appearance in the film "Roi Roi Binale". In the film, he is portrayed in the lead role as a blind artiste. For the first time in the Assamese film industry, theatres across Guwahati and other towns flung open their doors at 4.25 am. Inside, every seat was taken, while outside the theatre emotions of thousands of Zubeen's fans ran pretty high. The flashbacks from Zubeen's real life towards the climax made the audience, young and old alike, break down while watching the movie, and many more were seen becoming emotional while coming out of the theatres, while many others sang Zubeen's timeless melodies. The 146-minute-long musical drama produced by Zubeen along with his wife, Garima Saikia Garg, is definitely going to break several big records in the box office.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati.

Good job!

We, the citizens of Ambari, Uzanbazar, ward No. 11, one of the oldest localities of Guwahati, suddenly had to face a total shutdown of the GMC water supply since last Kati Bihu without any prior notice. One can easily imagine the plight of the poor citizens who had to buy water from private sources, which is very taxing for an ordinary citizen.

As bonafide tax-paying citizens of GMC, we finally decided to approach our Councillor and Mayor to redress our grievances. Very surprisingly, the response was very prompt. Within 48 hours of our approach to our Councillor Ratna Singh and Mayor Mrigen Sarania, the water supply to our whole area was restored, bringing smiles to the faces of the poor citizens. We feel proud and safe at the hands of the present administration of GMC. A good job deserves appreciation.

Lanu Dutt Chowdhury,

Guwahati

Securing our

folk arts future

Assam is a land where music, rhythm and storytelling are not just limited to art forms but are an identity. From Bihu dhol and pepa to tokari, khol, and naam-ghoxa traditions, our folk culture has uniquely shaped the cultural fabric of the state. However, today, many young people may admire these forms from a distance, but they are, in fact, losing their authenticity and popularity in a world where global pop culture becomes a daily influence.

Our folk arts are not fading because they are old. They are fading because we have not reintroduced them meaningfully to the new generation. If youths can learn guitar, piano and Western music production online, they would eagerly learn about Bihu naam, Tokari geet, Sattriya instruments, and Goalpariya lokgeet too, provided there are enough platforms supporting them.

Assam needs structured youth-orientated folk art workshops, campus folk-music clubs, government-led artist mentorship programmes and digital documentation of our traditional forms. Folk musicians and young creators should collaborate so that these traditions live, breathe and evolve.

At a time when reels and algorithms shape taste, it is essential to modernize our cultural presentation without losing authenticity. When the youth carry forward tradition, it will definitely succeed.

Assam has always been culturally rich. Let us ensure we remain culturally alive. Creating opportunities today will save our roots tomorrow.

Parthiv Kashyap

Pragjyotish College

Guwahati.

A Ride Full of Risk: Women thieves targeting city buses

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to express my concern over the rising cases of theft by women thieves posing as passengers in public buses. This has become a serious issue in recent times, especially in crowded city routes where such incidents are increasing day by day. Many commuters have reported that women thieves, often working in groups, cleverly steal purses, mobile phones, and other valuables from unsuspecting passengers. What makes the situation more alarming is that people are often hesitant to doubt or question women travellers, and this hesitation is being taken advantage of by such offenders. As a result, several honest and innocent passengers are becoming victims daily, losing their hard-earned belongings. These incidents not only cause financial loss but also create a sense of fear and mistrust among commuters, especially among working women and students who depend on public transport regularly. It is high time that the authorities took strict measures to control this growing menace. Regular checking by police officials, installation of CCTV cameras in buses, and public awareness campaigns can help prevent such crimes. Passengers should also remain alert and report any suspicious activity immediately. I sincerely hope that the concerned departments will take this issue seriously and take appropriate steps to ensure the safety and comfort of all passengers.

Farzana Akhtar

Guwahati

From Ph.D. to Poverty

Wages: The plight of

Assam’s young academics

Assam’s higher education is facing a serious crisis. For over a year, recruitment for Assistant Professors has been frozen, leaving thousands of qualified scholars—many in their late 20s and 30s—trapped in prolonged uncertainty. Most of them are NET/SLET-qualified, M.Phil. holders, Ph.D.s, and even post-doctoral researchers, yet they survive on contractual pay ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,000 a month. Behind every research paper lie years of study, sleepless nights, and countless personal sacrifices. These are individuals who have devoted a decade or more to knowledge and research but are now struggling to make ends meet.

Unfortunately, new policies seem to prioritize the reappointment of retired faculty over the recruitment of deserving young scholars. This neglect of merit, research experience, and the vision of NEP 2020 has created a generation of overqualified but underemployed youth who are losing their most productive years.

It is high time the government lifted the recruitment freeze and restored merit-based selection.

The timely release of recruitment advertisements is essential to maintain academic standards, prevent brain drain, and provide stable opportunities for research scholars. Today, many colleges in Assam depend on contractual teachers, often without the required qualifications—an alarming trend that threatens the quality and credibility of higher education. I urge the concerned authorities to expedite the recruitment process and safeguard the future of Assam’s academic community.

Dr. Ranjan Das

Assam