Letters to the EDITOR: Online gambling during IPL

sentinelgroup@gmail.com

Online gambling during IPL

I wish to draw attention to the growing issue of online gambling during the IPL season. While the excitement of the tournament is undeniable, the surge in online betting platforms is alarming. These platforms, easily accessible via smartphones, are attracting not just seasoned gamblers but also young people, including students, who are vulnerable to the lure of quick money. This trend has dangerous social and financial consequences, with many falling into debt, leading to mental stress and even extreme actions in some cases. It is imperative that authorities take steps to regulate these platforms, raise awareness about the risks involved, and promote responsible behaviour during such popular events.

While gambling in India is largely unregulated, the IPL season presents an urgent case for the authorities to impose stricter regulations on these platforms. Efforts should also be made to educate the public, particularly young people, about the risks involved in online gambling. Additionally, the government should promote initiatives focused on financial literacy and responsible behaviour, especially during such high-profile events.

Nilim Kashyap Barthakur

Guwahati

Boxing icon George Foreman passes away

Sad to read that the boxing heavyweight icon George Foreman has passed away at the age of 76. Nicknamed 'Big George' in the ring, the American athlete carved out one of the most extraordinary and enduring careers in boxing history. He won an Olympic gold medal in 1968 and claimed the world heavyweight title twice, 21 years apart. His second victory made him the oldest heavyweight champion in history at 45. Foreman first lost his title to the late Muhammad Ali in their legendary 'Rumble in the Jungle' fight in 1974. However, his professional boxing career was nothing short of remarkable, boasting 76 wins, including 68 knockouts, nearly double that of Ali. Retiring from the sport in 1997, Foreman made a financial decision that far surpassed his boxing earnings, lending his name to a best-selling grill that became a household success. Born on January 10, 1949, in Marshall, Texas, Foreman grew up in the segregated American South, raised by a single mother alongside six siblings. In his early years, he dropped out of school and was involved in street robberies before discovering his true calling in boxing. At just 19, Foreman won a heavyweight gold medal at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City before transitioning to a professional career, where he secured 37 consecutive victories. Throughout his career, he suffered only five defeats. In 1973, he delivered a dominant performance against reigning champion Joe Frazier in Kingston, Jamaica, knocking him down six times within the first two rounds. His 1974 bout against Ali in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), remains one of the most iconic matches in boxing history. After another loss, Foreman retired in 1977 and devoted himself to his faith, becoming an ordained minister at the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ in Texas, a place he founded and built. His defeat to Ali, he later admitted, was "the best thing that ever happened to me", as it led him to spread his message through preaching. May His Soul Rest in Peace.

Bhagwan Thadani

(bhagwan_thadani@yahoo.co.in

Unbecoming behaviour of MLA

The recent reported behaviour of a people's representative inside the Assam Legislative Assembly has not only shocked every individual of the state, but it has also made news headlines across the country. Unfortunately, the MLA involved in unruly behaviour belongs to the ruling party. The CM and the state BJP president have termed the MLA's behaviour as unbecoming of the BJP culture, which has assumed great significance, and it must be appreciated by every right-thinking citizen who believes that good public behaviour of a people's representative is an essential essence of a healthy democracy. The editorial 'People's representative' published in your esteemed daily on March 28 has rightly said that voters elect a particular candidate from among many candidates in the election to the Assembly or Parliament for presenting their issues and problems in an effective manner with facts and figures through convincing arguments on the sacred floor of the House and not displaying indecent behaviour in front of other members of the people's representatives. It is absolutely true that when one loses the power of reasoning, they resort to unruly behaviour in the family, society and public places, but one never expects or takes pride in seeing their elected representative behave in an improper manner in the House, which is unprecedented in the history of the Assam Assembly, where one can find in printed form the Assembly proceedings and the examples of the state's great personalities like Gopinath Bordoloi, Md. Saadullah, Bhupen Hazarika, Kamal Kumari Baruah, Gauri Shankar Bhattacharya, etc., who set examples of the kind of debates and discussions for those who aspire to become elected representatives. The state CM's initiative of taking most of the party MLAs for an orientation exposure to a leading leadership training institute in the country needs to cover all MLAs to prevent such situations in the Assembly. The other political parties also need to impose a set of codes of conduct for the party's respective members to prevent recurrence of such shocking displays of behaviour in the future. The pivotal role of the hon'ble speaker in forcing MLAs to abide by the rules and regulations of the House to maintain the sanctity of the Assembly cannot be overstated. One must remember that manners cost nothing but buy many things.

Iqbal Saikia, Guwahati