Letters to THE EDITOR: Humanity above all

Humanity above all

When floodwaters rise, they wash away more than homes and livelihoods; they also expose the true character of society. In such a difficult hour, the humanitarian relief work of AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal deserves appreciation.

Ajmal has reportedly donated substantial sums of money for flood relief in Upper Assam, distributed essential food items and personally visited affected areas to stand beside distressed people. His presence on the ground sends a significant message: philanthropy is not merely about writing cheques from a distance; it is about showing up when people are down and out.

What makes his initiative particularly noteworthy is that his generosity appears to go beyond the boundaries of religion, politics and identity. Disaster does not ask whether a victim is Hindu or Muslim, Assamese or otherwise, before destroying a home. Therefore, relief should also rise above such divisions. In a pluralistic society, compassion must remain our common ground. While every act of relief must be assessed transparently to ensure that assistance reaches the genuinely affected, sincere humanitarian service should not be dismissed merely because of political differences. At a time when flood victims are struggling to pick up the pieces, every helping hand matters.

When calamity strikes, humanity must take precedence over politics, and Ajmal’s philanthropy has demonstrated that compassion transcends religious boundaries.

Dipen Gogoi,

Teok, Jorhat

Solar bottleneck

Today India is the third largest user of solar power after China and the United States of America. Therefore, Rooftop Solarisation (RTS), under the central government's flagship scheme, is a crucial intervention for increasing renewable electricity generation. The recent editorial of your esteemed daily entitled 'Removing Assam's solar bottleneck' has rightly highlighted that the delay in releasing the state's share of subsidies has significantly hindered more households in the state from adopting solar power for their electricity consumption. It is true that there is tremendous awareness among the people about the importance of the RTS project, as it is a dependable household energy source. Yet, the gap between public aspirations and the actual delivery of institutions prevents RTS and other renewable energy projects from moving beyond setting target dates and routine review of progress. Removing this bottleneck in project implementation is crucial, and it is extremely necessary for decarbonising the country's energy sector. Therefore, installation of RTS projects is essential for Assam. At the same time, higher-capacity battery costs must be subsidised to remove consumers' inertia. The importance of adequate battery storage capacity of RTS cannot be overstated.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati

Sinner, the

grass-court winner

25-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner has proved his mettle once again by lifting the prestigious Wimbledon title, the first player of his country to win successive All England Club titles. Since 1968, only nine players have won back-to-back Wimbledon titles.  With two Australian Open and one US Open title under his belt, Sinner has proved big time that he is a tough nut to crack on grass as well. German Alexander Zverev learnt the hard way Sunday night and went down fighting in four gruelling sets, though he appeared to be struggling with a knee issue following a fall in the third set.

A die-hard tennis fan was robbed of the rivetting Carlos Alcaraz–Jannik Sinner show on court as the former skipped the tournament due to a wrist injury. After coming up trumps at the US Open in September 2024, Sinner seemed destined for bigger things, as he was virtually on a roll from early in that year, notwithstanding the loss to Alcaraz at the French Open.  Regardless of the unfortunate doping scandal and a tennis player's famous Achilles heel – injury – Sinner has come back every time he was considered down and out. 

Dr Ganapathi Bhat

(gbhat13@gmail.com)

Diabolic gameplan

Presently, the entire Upper Assam is reeling under devastating floods because of a cloudburst in Nagaland, and the entire Delhi is reeling under violent protests against the NEET paper leak. Violent clashes are reported between Delhi Police and the protesters on the streets of Delhi, resulting in injuries to both parties. The NEET paper leak protest launched by Sonam Wangchuk is now backed by the likes of Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, and a few people from the film fraternity, like Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, Prakash Raj, etc., to name a few whose loyalty to the nation is known to us and who have made the issue totally political. Some people have used the stage to raise issues like the repeal of the abrogation of Article 360, the release of terrorist Umar Khalid, bashing Hindu deities, etc. Even foreigners are seen among the protesters.

After being hospitalised, Wangchuk appeared to be sidelined slowly. Goons are hired from elsewhere to pelt stones at the police and at public property, like the Hydrogen train. There are even reports that farmers have started gathering at the Haryana border to protest against a bill that is still in its early stages. We still remember, sometime back, farmers pulled down the tricolour from the Red Fort during a so-called farmers' agitation.

The houses of Parliament are adjourned daily by the opposition, causing massive loss to the public exchequer. In the meantime, many Delhi Metros have to be closed down due to stone-pelting by the protesters, causing harassment to common commuters. It seems as if the opposition wants to settle the matter on the streets instead of debating on the floor of the parliament.

A very diabolic game plan indeed by the opposition to destabilise the country.

So better to be watchful, my countrymen. Now that Sonan Wangchuk has ended his 26-day fast and the central government has also taken some reform measures so that paper leakage of any exam is not repeated, the next move of Abhijit Dipke is worth watching.

Dr Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati

ATVMs at Guwahati Railway Station

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to appreciate the efforts of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) in providing modern and passenger-friendly facilities at Guwahati Railway Station. One such initiative is the installation of Automatic Ticket Vending Machines (ATVMs), which enable passengers to purchase unreserved tickets quickly and conveniently without having to stand in long queues. This reflects Indian Railways’ commitment to promoting digital services and improving the travel experience.

 However, during interactions with passengers at the station, However, interactions with passengers at the station revealed that many people remain unaware of this facility. that many people are still unaware of this facility. While some had noticed the machines, they did not know how to use them. As a result, many passengers continue to wait at ticket counters, even though ATVMs offer a faster alternative. This is not a shortcoming of the facility but a matter of public awareness. With a few simple measures such as awareness campaigns, clear signboards, public announcements, live demonstrations, and staff assistance, more passengers can be encouraged to use ATVMs and enjoy the convenience already provided by Northeast Frontier Railway.

I hope this letter will help spread awareness among passengers and encourage them to make use of this useful facility. It will also support the continued efforts of Northeast Frontier Railway in building a smarter, more efficient, and digitally empowered railway system.

Sudarshana Goswami

(goswamisudarshana3@gmail.com)