Letters to the EDITOR: ‘Pacheti Mahotsav’

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‘Pacheti Mahotsav’

'Pacheti Mahotsav' is a culturally rich, prestigious festival, celebrated annually at the Khatara Satra near historic Patharighat in Darrang district on the 'sankranti' of the Assamese months of Bhada and Ahin. The festival, deriving its name from the Sanskrit word 'pancha', meaning 'five', is deeply rooted in the story of Lord Krishna's birth. This festival features vibrant cultural presentations like 'Dadhimathan Kristi' and 'Ankia Bhaona' by local artistes, along with melodious 'naamprasangas' performed to the accompaniment of traditional musical instruments, creating a divine and festive atmosphere. Originally a religious observance at the Khatara Satra, which was established in 1568 by Lechakoniya Govinda Atoi, a disciple of Mahapurush Madhabdeva, it has evolved into a prominent mass festival, promoting unity and communal harmony among people of all castes, creeds, and religions.

Dheeraj Deka,

Dighirpar, Darrang

OBC NCL policy

The OBC Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) policy, designed to bring justice to historically marginalised communities, has ended up creating serious challenges for middle-class OBC students. The primary contradiction is that while caste is a permanent social identity, the reservation benefit is denied if an OBC student’s family income exceeds a government limit. This means students who remain socially and culturally OBC are forced to compete in the general category, even though they still experience prejudice and lack the same opportunities and networks as those from privileged backgrounds. Treating economic status as the sole criterion oversimplifies the complex realities of discrimination, and families just above the income threshold are unfairly excluded even though they may struggle to afford quality education and tools for upward mobility.

Many middle-class OBC families face a double disadvantage, bearing the social stigma and setbacks associated with their caste while being stripped of reservation support meant to level the playing field. At the same time, misuse of the OBC NCL category is rampant, with ineligible families manipulating income documents to secure certificates for benefits they do not rightfully deserve. This corrupt practice takes opportunities away from genuinely marginalised students and exposes a major weakness in how the system is implemented.

A further problem is the outdated creamy layer income limit, which isn’t revised to match inflation or rising costs. Middle-class OBC families are wrongly labelled as ‘creamy’ even though they might barely make ends meet while being expected to compete without reservation benefits. This system, instead of promoting justice, deepens frustration and alienation among honest students. There is an urgent need to update the income limit, strictly enforce anti-fraud measures, and acknowledge that caste-based disadvantage persists regardless of a family's recent economic progress.

Pragyan Rajmohan,

Charaideo

Traffic Chaos

Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I'd like to draw the attention of your readers to the increasing traffic chaos in Guwahati that is turning into a daily nightmare for thousands of commuters. Guwahati, a bustling metropolis and gateway to Northeast India, is now becoming one of the most chaotic urban situations in the world with increasing traffic congestion due to unplanned development. Areas such as Silpukhuri, GS Road, Ganeshguri, Zoo Road, and Paltan Bazar often experience gridlock during peak hours. Coupled with a lack of discipline, lack of parking, poor road conditions and public transport systems that must be improved upon, traffic chaos is only going to worsen. Traffic congestion is a serious and growing problem with significant consequences for our city. It’s a waste of both time and fuel, and the increased pollution poses a health risk to all of us. When the traffic is tied up, it can even delay emergency medical services, putting lives at risk. We need a multi-pronged approach to address this issue. This includes optimising public transportation, as the municipality’s public transport schedules need to be reevaluated. Stricter traffic regulations are essential. We must accept the necessity of additional road work to improve and expand our current infrastructure.

Nandini Nath

(nandininath2006@gmail.com)