Letters to The EDITOR: Road blockade

Of late, it is often seen that the local people of an area resort to road blockades as a mark of protest against the concerned authorities for any misdeeds. This road blockade naturally causes huge traffic problems for innocent commuters passing through that particular road. Some self-proclaimed local leaders take full advantage of the situation to make their presence felt and attract the attention of the political parties. The electronic media and social media in particular give undue coverage to the speeches delivered by these leaders, which embolden others to follow them.

Instances are there when candidates going to appear in an examination or interview become the victims of this road blockade culture. Yours truly, through this letter in your esteemed daily, strongly urges the law-enforcing authority to deal with the road blockade culture sternly.

Dr Ashim Chowdhury

Guwahati

Shortest test match in cricket history

India defeated South Africa by 7 wickets in the second and last Test match and levelled the series at 1-1. The bowlers dominated the match, and the match ended in just two days. Bumrah and Siraj bagged six-fers. With this, a new history of Test cricket has been created. This is the shortest Test match in cricket history in terms of total balls played. The Cape Town Test ended in just 642 balls (107 overs in total). India became the first Asian team to win a Test match against South Africa in Captown. This is a good start from Team India in this new year. Hope this continues, and with the same enthusiasm and passion, India will triumph in the T20 World Cup. Players should keep practicing; the more they practice, the better they will perform.

TKR. Noori

Paltan Bazar

Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra

On Thursday, Congress rebranded the 6,713 km Imphal-Mumbai yatra to be led by Rahul Gandhi as ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ and included Arunachal Pradesh as the 15th state in a bid to capitalize on the recall value of the previous Bharat Jodo Yatra. However, the idea of both the yatras had its inspiration from the first line of the Preamble of the Constitution. The Bharat Jodo Yatra concentrated on the aspects of liberty, equality, and fraternity, while the latest one will focus on ‘Nyay’ or justice on social, economic, and political fronts. The Bharat Jodo Yatra got embedded in the minds of the people and became a brand. It is a natural attraction that people are pulled towards brands; therefore, one should not lose its value. This yatra will benefit a lot, but Congress needs to work as hard as possible for public welfare to maintain and improve its fame.

Tauqueer Rahmani

Guwahati

Drivers’ protest

Drivers of commercial vehicles, including trucks and tankers, stopped work in parts of Madhya Pradesh on Monday to protest the new law regarding hit-and-run cases. As per the new law, hit-and-run cases can attract a 10-year jail term and a fine of Rs 7 lakh, which is completely strict and against the interest of drivers. Most horrific accidents happen due to drunk driving, and it becomes the cause of accidents. Therefore, the root of all evils, alcohol, must be banned and the new law amended. Otherwise, a widespread protest will occur, and it will bring untold suffering and losses to the country.

Ibne Farooq

Guwahati

Shrinking social circle

Nowadays, our virtual identity has become more important than our real identity. It’s starting to take over our lives. Our inner lives are governed by this as well. Our thinking and psychology have also adapted accordingly. People’s dependence on virtual space is increasing day by day. We have begun to evaluate relationships only through online media. The AI technology is completely machine-based, and once the command is given, the situation will be interpreted accordingly. When this world will work with this technology, it is time to review every instance of human behaviour. Due to technological development, we are connected to the whole world, but we do not keep track of our neighbours. Our social circle is shrinking, and mutual relationships are breaking down as quickly as they are formed. This situation is worrying.

Mohd Ashraf Siddiqui

Paltan Bazar, Guwahati

New Year, New Work

The arrival of the New Year is not only a change of day, month, and year, but the age of life also keeps changing seamlessly. Time is decreasing in life, and many tasks remain pending. We keep thinking, and time slips away like sand through the fingers. We review the past years and make new resolutions in the new year. We do our work according to our habits and priorities, but due to our busy lives, we ignore small things. Stay healthy; this should be our first priority because, without it, all work comes to a halt. The second priority should be to remain cheerful. For this, there is a need for mutual love and harmony. The third priority is money. Money is a means, and only through it are needs fulfilled. Financial planning is necessary for the future so that one does not have to wander anywhere in times of disaster. Be honest and virtuous so that other people will also emulate it. Have a feeling of belonging and cooperation with your family, relatives, and friends; stay together in happiness and sorrow so that relationships remain strong.

Nawaz Ashraf

Guwahati