Letters to The EDITOR: Personal enmity?

sentinelgroup@gmail.com 

Personal enmity?

Personal enmity is usually common among the common people that sometimes leads to fatality. Among our politicians, political rivalry leads to political enmity so much so that they call each other by names openly. Even the duly elected PM of the nation is not spared; as of late, the opposition has started calling him names.

Earlier it was not so, as even after a hot debate on the floor of the assembly or the parliament over issues of national interest, both the ruling and the opposition members were seen sharing a lighter moment outside the business area, sharing jokes and sharing sweets and gifts on occasions like Holi, Diwali, Eid, etc. Political rivalry among the ruling and opposition members sometimes creates a ruckus on the floor of the houses, which makes us think, are we fit for democracy?

Regarding political/personal enmity, I beg to quote the names of two high-level politicians, namely Stalin (the name reminds one of a dreaded tyrant of the erstwhile Soviet Union post-WW2), who happens to be the CM of Tamil Nadu, a state very advanced in literacy, culture and medical infrastructure, and Mamata Banerjee, a lady full of vengeance and also foul-mouthed who happens to be the CM of West Bengal, a state known as the breeding ground for think tanks of the then India. Both these leaders have personal enmity against PM Modi, which is very much visible when the CMs of the two states refuse to follow the routine protocol of receiving the head of the country when he/she is on the official tour to the respective states. Both of the CMs should be given a crash course on protocol and decorum.

Dr Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati

IIM in Guwahati

With the Parliament passing the bill, the country’s 22nd and the NE’s second Indian Institute of Management (IIM) is set to be established in Guwahati with an investment of Rs 555 crore. An institution such as this was a long-felt need in Assam, which now will go a long way in bringing in long-term transformation in the educational spheres. Education holds the key to a state’s inclusive progress. The IIM will add to the cluster of higher educational institutions comprising IIT, National Law University and AIIMS, and definitely having a large number of premier institutes in and around the city will put it in a position to emerge as a hub of quality higher education in the years ahead. It is true that the path for the desired transformation is an arduous one, but investment backed by sincerity, perseverance and hard work will make the Northeast’s educational scenario at par with the advanced regions of the country. The state is in need of many different higher institutes of learning to meet the goal of regional aspirations and balanced development. When a state’s university ranks among the best, it emerges as a leader in the academic domain. Only then will we be able to produce successful candidates, especially for the prestigious IAS and allied services, on a regular basis, which is the need of the hour. Our lacuna lies at the grass root level. We need planning to revamp the public school education system, for which there is a need for adequate government attention, as one should not forget that every great thing has to begin from scratch.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati

Modern slavery

“I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed more if only they knew they were slaves.” One need not look beyond these thought-provoking words of American abolitionist Harriet Tubman to decipher the evils of slavery. Though Tubman spoke at the end of the 19th century, her words hold true for modern slavery as well. Human trafficking, bonded labour and forced marriages are direct examples of today’s slavery, whereas domestic work, construction activities and sexual exploitation fall within the “domain” of forced labour. Nobody can turn somebody into a slave unless the latter allows them. Now it sounds like a misnomer. ILO has specially targeted migrant workers who are trapped because of their poor understanding of local language and tradition. American thinker Frederick Douglass’ “Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave” rings in one’s memory. To take stock of the progress done by ancillary agencies and the respective governments, “International Day for the Abolition of the Slave Trade” is observed on August 23.The United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states, “No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms,” should receive fresh momentum.

Dr Ganapathi  Bhat,

(gbhat13@gmail.com)