Letters to the EDITOR: Paper tiger?

sentinelgroup@gmail.com

Paper tiger?

Through this letter of mine, I beg to make a fer-vent appeal to our Bir Lachit Sena cadres, the self-styled saviours of Axomiya people in Assam, to rescue and help those helpless Axomiya people residing in Assam and Nagaland, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh borders, and in lower Assam, the areas dominated by the immigrants where the Axomiyas have to spend sleepless nights fearing armed attacks from the Nagas, Arunachalis, and the immigrants. The helpless Axomiyas have to leave their villages with bags and baggage. We do strongly feel that there is no point in flexing their muscles in Sivasagar and Jorhat, harassing helpless business community people who have become a part and parcel of our society. Failing to comply with my request will make us believe that the Bir Lachit Sena is a paper tiger. Great Bir Lachit Barphukan must be turning in his grave.

Joel Gayari,

Tangla.

Let AI benefit humanity

The writer, Heramba Nath, in the article 'Modi calls for democratisation of AI to ben-efit all of

humanity', published in your esteemed daily on February 13, has rightly highlighted the PM's broader vision for artificial intelligence (AI) during the recent AI Action Summit in Paris, which is thought-provoking as well as praiseworthy. We underscore that AI's po-tential is immense. What it cannot do today? From field to factory, healthcare to space, AI-powered diagnostics and Predictive analysis can not only enhance existing infrastructure but also help smarter decision-making while optimising resource allocation. However, the problem is ethical dilemmas and undue risks asso-ciated with its rapid development. AI-driven misinformation is the biggest challenge for the world. Therefore, the PM has rightly said that unless global cooperation, AI's de-velopment, and deployment in setting ethical standards are impossible. Therefore, what is needed is the benefits and risks of AI must be shared and managed collectively to ensure its development aligns with ethical and human values with India's position as a responsible and forward-thinking player in the AI revolution. Today, the world needs a future where technology uplifts everyone, not just a privileged few, for social good. Let the world ensure that AI does not remain a mere business opportunity, but as a tool for empowerment powered by technology to usher in an era of a more equitable world. The question now is, will we rise to the occasion and navigate this AI frontier with wisdom and care? Are we equipped to strike the delicate balance between innovation and responsibility? Let us wait and watch.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati. 

Illegal appointment rocking PHED in Bodoland

The Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) in the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) is facing mounting criticism following allegations of an illegal appointment that has displaced a sincerely serving officer. The controversy centres around the posting of a local candidate as Technical Officer-I at the Office of the Executive Engineer, Kokrajhar Division No. II of the department in Chirang.

Sources allege that the appointment was made in violation of established procedures, leading to the displacement of a Technical Officer-I titled Nath of the department from Rangia, who was rightfully occupying the position. The case has sparked outrage and calls for immediate action to rectify the perceived injustice. Specifically, allegations point to the involvement of Executive Engineer Jaynal Abdin and a well-known corrupt employee of the department Puspa Adhikari in providing false reports, which were then allegedly used to justify the new appointment. Further accusations implicate Director Lakshweswar Goswami of PHED BTC, who signed the appointment letter illegally. The HRD in charge of the department, Kangkana Das, is also under scrutiny, allegedly for failing to address the irregularities and misleading the Secretary of the Department, effectively protecting the unethical process. According to sources, the new appointee was allowed to join the service while Officer Mr. Nath was already on duty, having withdrawn a previous resignation. The mental and emotional toll of the situation has reportedly taken a severe toll on Mr. Nath, who is currently undergoing medical treatment and is under observation by doctors. The controversy has ignited concerns about transparency and fairness within the PHED, with many calling for immediate action to address the alleged wrongdoing.

The situation has also drawn the attention of strong political figures. Ex-President of State BJP and MLA Rangia, Bhabesh Kalita, has officially stated that the appointment represents an anomaly in the departmental procedure and has instructed the relevant authorities to issue a service continuation letter to Mr. Nath. The primary demand from concerned citizens is the swift reinstatement of Mr. Nath to his rightful position as Technical Officer-I. Furthermore, they are demanding strong departmental action against those found guilty of perpetrating the alleged irregularities, ensuring adherence to proper protocols and ethical conduct within the department.

Asst. Gen. Secy. (Media Cell)

National Citizen Rights Forum of India, New Delhi-110002

(nationalcitizenrightsforumofin@gmail.com)

Class of parasites

Once again, the Supreme Court has decried the freebie culture adopted by political parties in their bid to woo voters. Every major political party in India desires to win elections, and there is nothing wrong with it because social service is an offshoot of power. But in the rat race for power, promises are freely made. Most of the freebies offered by politicians are far-fetched, unrealistic, and outright ridiculous. Nevertheless, they are unabashedly made because certain sections of society are gullible to tall promises, though the clever can easily see through the assurances. As long as there are sections of the people ready to be exploited, there will be political parties that go the whole hog to promise free rations, fixed amounts of direct money transfer into women's accounts, monthly cash to women, monthly remuneration to the jobless, free electricity, and the list is inconclusive.  Most of the parties freely promise but are not forthcoming on the huge burden their “free promises” will put on the exchequer if at all the promises are to be remotely met. The hands of the Election Commission (EC) are full of the onerous responsibility of conducting elections. Who, then, is going to arrest the unsavoury practice? Courts, of course. The top court has hit the nail right on the head when it remarked that a class of parasites is being created consequent to freebies being doled out by the governments.

Dr. Ganapathi Bhat

(gbhat13@gmail.com)