Letters to The EDITOR: Rise in human-wildlife conflicts

Rise in human-wildlife conflicts

Human-wildlife conflict has been increasing in many regions of the state as expanding human activities continue to disturb natural habitats. As forests are cleared for agriculture, roads, and settlements, wild animals lose their natural homes and are forced to move closer to villages and towns in search of food and shelter. This often leads to situations where animals enter farmlands, damage crops, or even pose a threat to human safety.

On the other hand, humans also harm wildlife directly or indirectly through habitat destruction, careless waste disposal, and illegal hunting. Animals like elephants, leopards, wild boars, and monkeys are frequently involved in such conflicts because their territories overlap with human areas. The result is loss of crops, property damage, injury, and sometimes tragic deaths of both people and animals.

To reduce this conflict, it is important to protect natural habitats, create safe wildlife corridors, and spread awareness among local communities. Authorities must also ensure proper compensation for affected farmers and promote early-warning systems. Only by balancing development with conservation can we ensure peaceful coexistence between humans and wildlife.

Uddiyan Kumar Nath

Gauhati University

Musical events & concerts in Assam

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to write about the dearth of musical events & concerts in Assam and why Assam is so outdated and lagging behind the other states.

Assam is very rich in our cultural events. But in Assam, people don't bother much about organizing musical events by calling global artists & singers much. Assam hardly conducts 2 or 3 concerts a year. Today's Gen Z & Millennial people are all looking for concerts and events. With zero hope from Assam in this regard, we need to visit other states for attending shows & concerts. Just 80 km from Guwahati, Shillong organizes so many musical events & concerts every year to gather people from all different places. They also call highly trending global artists & singers every year & conduct many concerts & events. People coming from different places land at Guwahati Airport & then go by road to Meghalaya. Meghalaya, being such a small state compared to Assam, can hold so many big, big musical concerts every year. My question to the specific authority is why Assam is lagging behind so much. For the first time, in the year 2025, our Honourable Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that global star Post Malone is going to perform in Guwahati. We should organize musical events & concerts as much as we can to attract tourism & to increase the economic growth of the state.

I request the concerned authorities to take a look into this matter for the betterment of Assam & giving the state a reputation globally to attract more and more people from different places & countries to visit Assam. Organizing musical concerts & events can give recognition to Assam for the tourism sector.

Ronit Kumar Das

Pragjyotish College

Lack of civic sense among Indians

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to draw attention to the growing lack of civic sense among many people in our country. Despite rapid development and rising literacy, public behaviour often remains careless—be it littering on roads, ignoring traffic rules, vandalizing public property, or showing disrespect for queues and shared spaces.

Such actions not only tarnish our environment but also inconvenience fellow citizens. Civic sense is the foundation of a responsible society, and its absence reflects poorly on our collective mindset. It is high time that schools, communities, and authorities work together to inculcate awareness and enforce stricter penalties for violations.

I urge citizens to act responsibly and contribute towards a cleaner and more disciplined India.

Karanjit Das

(karanjitdas464@gmail.com)

Children are distracted by mobile phones

Today, mobile phones have become a major source of distraction for children. Instead of focusing on studies, outdoor games, or creative activities, many children spend hours watching videos, playing games, or scrolling through social media. This constant screen time reduces their concentration, weakens their memory, and affects their physical health. It also limits real-life communication and family bonding. When children depend too much on mobiles, they may lose interest in reading, learning, and exploring the world around them. Therefore, parents and teachers must guide children to use mobile phones wisely and encourage healthy, balanced habits.

Sofikul Islam

Goalpara, Assam

Red vs. White Ball

Cricket, a very popular Commonwealth game of late, has been classified into two categories by Australian business tycoon Kerry Packer: Red and White ball cricket. Packer’s message was, ‘Big Boys Play At Night’. He started Day/ Night Cricket to arrest the downhill popularity of test cricket, which often showed no result.

Immediately it started showing results with the advent of ODI, and decades later, T20 bang-bang cricket showed results within hours. Players too started wearing colourful dresses to attract crowds. World Cup championships came into being for 50-over ODI and T20, which became instant hits. Temperament, tenacity, technique, resilience, etc., which were the hallmarks of cricket, were forgotten. A bowler can purchase a wicket, and a wicket-taking delivery may go for the maximum, while a batter with zero technique can score quickfire 50s and emerge as a star batter. In both 50-over ODI and T20, India became a world beater at the expense of 5-day tests, which was very evident by our performances against the Kiwis and the Proteas in our own backyard. The cash-rich IPL matters most, while the Ranji Trophy was put on the back burner. Let us wait and see.

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

Free transportation for students

I would like to bring attention to an issue that affects a large number of students across the state. Many students travel long distances every day to attend schools and colleges, and the cost of daily transportation has become a heavy burden for them and their families. In several cases students even skip classes because they cannot afford the fare.

Students already carry identity cards issued by their institutions, which makes it easy to verify genuine beneficiaries. Providing free transportation through government buses for students with valid identity cards will reduce financial stress and encourage regular attendance, especially for those coming from remote or economically weaker backgrounds.

Education should never be compromised because of travel costs. I therefore request the concerned authorities to introduce free transportation facilities for students at the earliest and ensure that every learner can reach their classroom without worry.

Bhaskar Deka

(dekabhaskar937@gmail.com)

Importance of thoughtful learning

The present education format has turned our students into mechanical or repetitive learners of quoted subjects.  Memory and hard work are prioritised over meaningful and active learning.  There is less focus on comprehension in mechanical learning or "rote learning".  Most of the present school education emphasises more on "see" and "tell" and less on "how" and "why". Knowledge, skill, attitude, analysis, synthesis and evaluation—all are ingredients of active learning.

Discussions, debates and deeper learning are focused to pave the way for thoughtful learning. Educationists have, from time to time, advocated for grades instead of marks to bridge the gap of complexity.  In many countries, meaningful learning, which encourages students to come up with their own theories to harmonise with active learning, has clicked.  A common education strategy that amalgamates work and skills, theory and thoughts, and reading and learning has to be incorporated across India. 

Dr Ganapathi Bhat

(gbhat13@gmail.com)

Sack cricket coach Gautam Gambhir

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) must sack and throw out the Indian cricket coach Gautam Gambhir from his Test coaching duties immediately after India's humiliating 2-0 drubbing by South Africa on Wednesday after the 408-run ambush in Guwahati. The shameless and useless Gambhir left the ball in the BCCI’s court rather than stepping down on his own by taking the moral responsibility. Incidentally, the Indian team has notched up two dubious distinctions under Gambhir’s regime: collapsing to 46 all out against New Zealand last year and the 408-run defeat now, the highest margin of loss in terms of runs. There are a few other members of Team India, like Rishab Pant and Rana, who are also useless, and they must be thrown out from the team immediately.

Bhagwan Thadani

(bhagwan_thadani@yahoo.co.in)

Bribery in Medical Education: A threat to public trust

The recent ED searches across multiple states in the NMC bribery probe expose not just scattered wrongdoing but a deeper erosion in our medical-education ecosystem. When institutions entrusted with shaping future doctors resort to illicit means for approvals, the damage extends far beyond administrative malpractice; it undermines public faith in healthcare itself. Medical colleges are not factories for degrees; they are sanctuaries where competence, ethics, and compassion must be cultivated. Bribery corrodes this foundation.

It disadvantages honest institutions, demoralises students, and ultimately compromises patient safety. This scandal must serve as a wake-up call. Transparent inspections, digital audit trails, and independent oversight panels are essential. More importantly, we must foster a culture where integrity is valued as highly as infrastructure.

Dr.Vijaykumar H K

(hkvkmech3@gmail.com)