Letters to The EDITOR: Illegal and arbitrary parking fees at Kamakhya station

Illegal and arbitrary parking fees at Kamakhya station

I wish to draw the attention of the concerned authorities through your esteemed newspaper to the ongoing malpractice of illegal parking fee collection at Kamakhya Railway Junction. Last week, while parking my private LMV at the designated parking area of the station, I was charged ?30 by the parking attendant. However, the official rate board erected at the site clearly mentions that the parking fee for a Light Motor Vehicle is Rs 10 for up to two hours. When I pointed out this discrepancy, the attendant casually claimed that the parking tender had “not yet started” and that the applicable rate was Rs 30. When I questioned how parking fees were being collected if the tender had not commenced, the attendant merely laughed and did not explain.

This event is not an isolated incident. I had faced a similar situation a few months ago but chose to ignore it at the time, as no rate board was visible then. The fact that there is now a clearly visible rate board makes the overcharging even more worrying. Despite repeated requests, no receipt was issued for the amount collected. Interestingly, I observed that commercial auto drivers ahead of me were handed some form of paper slip, though it was unclear what amount they were charged, pointing to selective and opaque practices.

Such arbitrary fee collection without receipts not only violates basic norms of transparency but also raises serious questions about accountability and possible revenue leakage at a major railway junction. Thousands of passengers and visitors use this station daily, many of whom may be unknowingly overcharged. I request the Railway authorities and local administration to urgently look into this matter, verify the legitimacy of the parking contractor, ensure strict adherence to the displayed rates, and mandate the issuance of proper receipts for every transaction.

Arnab Bhattacharjee

Beltola, Guwahati

Mathematics education under NEP 2020

Mathematics in India needs liberation from fear, not more formulas. For too long, the subject has been reduced to marks, speed, and mechanical accuracy, silently convincing millions of students that mathematics is only for a “gifted few”. This mindset has done more damage than any difficult syllabus ever could. A meaningful reform must restore mathematics to what it truly is: a language of logic, curiosity and everyday problem-solving. The real strength of change lies in shifting focus from memorisation to understanding. When students are encouraged to ask why, explore patterns and apply concepts to real situations, mathematics stops being an abstract punishment and becomes practical empowerment. Confidence grows when learning is paced, mistakes are treated as part of thinking and success is measured by reasoning rather than rote answers. However, policy intent alone is not enough. The classroom is where reform either lives or dies. Teachers need freedom, training and trust to move beyond exam-centric teaching. Ensuring that students in rural and under-resourced areas do not fall behind due to lack of infrastructure or digital access is equally important. Equity must be the foundation, not an afterthought. If math education succeeds in nurturing curiosity instead of fear, it will not just create better engineers or scientists; it will create confident citizens who can think critically, make informed decisions and solve real-world problems. That transformation is long overdue, and if implemented honestly, it can redefine how an entire generation relates to learning itself.

Aditya Kamble

(adiikamble16@gmail.com)

China sees Trump’s climb-down

India is not a US proxy and cannot be treated as one. That matters a lot to China. What China notices very carefully. India did not publicly align with Trump’s hard-liner positions. India avoided joint rhetoric that boxed China in. India kept channels open with everyone.

India desires flexibility, not confinement within the US's sphere of influence. India is assertive, not subordinate. PM is willing to absorb short-term pressure to protect long-term autonomy. India is engaging in a multi-vector strategy rather than aligning with a single bloc. Beijing does not see Modi as selling out to Trump. Instead, they perceive Trump as realising the limitations of commanding India, unlike his allies. That slightly reduces China’s paranoia about India being a frontline US pawn— which is actually useful for stability on the border. Russia interprets the situation more explicitly.  Will India eventually abandon strategic autonomy for US approval? Defence and energy ties remain insulated from US pressure. India handles Washington better than Europe does. Both countries have long experience dealing with US pressure. They have the ability to distinguish between symbolic accommodation and genuine strategic surrender. India said no and kept the relationship functional. That combination increases India’s value to everyone at this juncture. Under Modi, India is predictable in its interests but unpredictable in its alignments.

This is precisely the image a rising power seeks to project. And that is why internationally this episode is not framed as India's sell-out but as India's arrival as a confident, independent pole. If you want, next we can look at how Indian diplomats quietly engineered the negotiations without public drama; that part is classic South Block craftsmanship. Three cheers for the tariff war.

Jayanthy Subramaniam

(jayantck1@hotmail.com)

Welfare versus

freebies

There lies a significant difference between investment for welfare projects for the poor and unabashed freebies offered by political parties in election times, as per the observation of the Supreme Court during proceedings at the admission stage of petitions that sought to declare the announcement of freebies as "corrupt practice". Promises are made because there are certain sections of the society that are gullible to tall promises. Parties freely promise but are not forthcoming regarding the huge burden on the exchequer.

On an earlier occasion, too, the Supreme Court had decried the tendency of political parties to indulge in "freebie culture." It had observed that freebies disturb the level playing ground in an election. But is there any major party in India that is not known to offer freebies?

Aren't the politicians themselves responsible for the so-called "fiscal disaster" that is a direct offshoot of the freebie culture?  Where is the expert committee to resolve the issue as suggested by the Supreme Court?

Dr Ganapathi Bhat

(gbhat13@gmail.com)

Campus violence

Once again, the otherwise illustrious Cotton University has found itself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, as a violent clash broke out over a trifling issue that spiralled out of control. What should have been brushed aside as a routine sporting loss instead blew up into an ugly confrontation when students of SRB Hostel allegedly lashed out at residents of SNBC Hostel after losing a football match during Sports Week. The situation quickly escalated, leading to the use of sharp weapons and leaving three SRB Hostel students critically injured in GMC&H.

This deeply troubling incident exposes the disturbing mindset that appears to be ingrained in a portion of today's students, where tempers quickly flare up and sportsmanship is disregarded. It also points to a wider malaise within the education system, where academic success is often chased at the cost of moral teaching and value-based learning. Such episodes compel us to scrutinise not only institutional shortcomings but also the role of parents, who must assume responsibility, as such behaviour frequently reflects a child's upbringing and the moral foundation they receive.

Dipen Gogoi,

Teok, Jorhat

Assam’s artistic tradition

The country celebrated its 77th Republic Day on January 26, 2026. This celebration was followed by a grand parade at Kartavaya Path with the 150 years of Vande Mataram theme.  This Republic Day, Assam proudly led the procession this year, marking a historic turnaround and a moment of immense pride for the state. The tableau showcased Assam’s Dhubri district’s Asharikandi Heritage, a regional craft that found a place in the national tableau; something quiet yet powerful stood tall before the country—terracotta shaped not just from clay, but from centuries of memory. The terracotta of Asharikandi is not just a craft. It holds stories about labour, migration, resilience, and identity that have shaped Assam over time. Human hands were shaping the soil of Asharikandi long before the term 'handicraft' became a policy term. Clusters of pottery-making families migrated from eastern Bengal (present-day Bangladesh) in the early nineteenth century and settled along the banks of the Brahmaputra. They carried with them ancestral knowledge, which slowly adapted to Assam’s land, water, and way of life. What emerged was a distinctive Assamese terracotta tradition—rooted in continuity, yet open to innovation.

At the heart of this art lies hiramati, the soft, locally sourced clay that gives Asharikandi terracotta its warmth and character. There is no factory shortcut here. Each piece is kneaded, shaped, dried, fired, and finished entirely by hand. The process is slow, physical, and deeply intimate. Every fingerprint on the structure remains as a silent signature of the artist’s soul.

The most iconic creation of this tradition is the Hatima Doll—a serene mother holding a child on her lap. It is simple in form but profound in emotion. It mirrors rural Assamese life, where motherhood, care, and endurance define everyday existence. When Sarala Bala Devi received the National Award in 1982 for this very form, Asharikandi stepped into national consciousness. Yet the village never chased fame; it simply kept working.

Today, over eighty per cent of Asharikandi’s families remain dependent on terracotta for survival. Generations work together—children learning by watching, elders guiding without manuals. Thus, pottery is not an art taught in institutions; it is absorbed through living. Names like Dhirendra Nath Paul, Mahadev Paul, and many emerging young artisans carry this lineage forward, quietly shaping clay while the world rushes past.

Despite its recognition, the tradition stands fragile. The cheap industrial replicas, shrinking local markets, rising costs of raw materials, and waning interest among younger generations threaten its future. Terracotta cannot compete with plastic in speed or price—but it was never meant to. Its value lies in patience, sustainability, and cultural depth—these are some of the qualities modern economies often overlook.

But preserving Asharikandi’s terracotta art is not an act of nostalgia; it is a responsibility. Government initiatives and NGO efforts have helped, but preservation cannot survive on policy alone. It needs public respect, fair markets, documentation, and inclusion in education and tourism—not as a spectacle, but as heritage.

When the Republic Day tableau displayed Dhubri’s terracotta, it reminded the nation that India’s strength does not only lie in skyscrapers and technology but also in villages where clay still listens to human hands. To protect this art form is to protect a way of seeing the world, whispers of ancestral knowledge and wisdom, and a ray where creation is slow, collective, and meaningful.

“If the clay cracks, a culture cracks with it. And once broken, no amount of celebration can mould it back.”

Abihotry Bhardwaz

(Gauhati University)

Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026

The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, mark a visionary and transformative step in India’s environmental governance.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026, replacing the 2016 rules and coming into force from April 1, 2026. The new framework strengthens waste governance by mandating four-stream segregation at source—wet, dry, sanitary and special care waste—and clearly defining responsibilities for stakeholders. A strong polluter-pays mechanism introduces environmental compensation for violations, supported by online tracking and audits through a centralised portal. Bulk Waste Generators are brought under Extended Bulk Waste Generator Responsibility (EBWGR), requiring on-site processing or certification. The rules promote faster land allocation for waste facilities, greater use of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) by industries, and strict limits on landfilling. Special provisions address legacy waste remediation, hilly areas, islands, and tourist regions. Overall, the SWM Rules, 2026, aim to advance sustainable, decentralized and technology-driven waste management in India.

Joydev Mahanta

Bapujinagar, Goalpara