Letters to the Editor: Road Name Change

Road name change

It is very heartening to note that the name of Dhakapatty, the main commercial hub of Nagaon town, has been changed to Rupkonwar Chowk by the Nagaon district administration at the initiative of CM Himanta Biswa Sarma recently, after a prolonged public demand. Similarly in Guwahati too, there is a very busy road on the eastern bank of Dighalipukhuri connecting Gauhati High Court with Rabindra Bhawan named Tayabullah Road since time immemorial. As senior citizens of Guwahati, we know very little about Tayabullah, except that he was a Congress man very closely connected with Sir Sadullah and Fakhruddin Ahmed, with little or no contribution towards Guwahati and Assam’s development in any sphere.

In this very road lies the ancestral residence of three great sons of Assam, towering personalities of Assamese literature, namely Lt Satyanath Bora, Lt Gyan Bora and Lt Ambika Bora, who need no introduction.

Hence, I, being a senior citizen of Guwahati, very humbly beg to request the GMC authority to change the name of Tayabullah Road to Satyanath Bora Road with immediate effect. Lt Satyanath Bora was the founding father of Assamese Studies of erstwhile Cotton College, presently Cotton University.

Awaiting in anticipation.

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury

Guwahati.

GMCH’s negligence

The recent tragic death of a newborn at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) after falling from the phototherapy bed has not only highlighted negligence and substandard services in Assam's public healthcare system, but the incident has also seriously eroded public trust in the state's largest government hospital. The CM, who visited the hospital the same evening and publicly expressed shock and shame over the tragedy, also acknowledged the role of staff negligence, which must be appreciated. A question arises: is this tragedy an isolated case in the state? The answer is obviously 'No'. The state of healthcare continues to be plagued and has long been criticised despite significant infrastructure investments, which resulted in driving many patients to seek treatment outside the state, even for non-critical conditions. The CM's admission that there have been numerous complaints of harassment by patients' attendants was an eye-opener for the police, who immediately arrested nearly a dozen trolley pullers inside the hospital premises. Apart from infrastructure and resources, the GMCH urgently needs better service delivery and systematic reform, like an online appointment system, which is common in cities like Chennai, Hyderabad or Delhi. The state's premier healthcare institution must rise to meet the standards of care and compassion, especially for the poor and economically disadvantaged patients in the coming days.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati.

Railway accident

Three innocent lives were lost in a most preventable tragedy near an unmanned railway crossing, where unsuspecting pedestrians on their morning walk were mowed down by a high-speed electric train. The villagers, with justification, lay the blame at the doorstep of the Indian Railways, as there has been a history of people dying at the said level crossing, and there has been no action despite a policy of construction of underpasses in unmanned railway crossings.

The underpass in this sector has remained in disrepair for years, remaining perpetually waterlogged and compelling people to risk their lives by crossing the tracks. In such circumstances, the plea of “trespass” cannot absolve the Railways of liability; on the contrary, it constitutes gross negligence. The station master must record in his official memo and diary why the underpass was rendered unviable for safe commuting in the recent accident.

We demand that the railway authorities accept responsibility, compensate the dependents forthwith, and immediately put in place a standard operating procedure ensuring that no such hazardous construction endangers lives again.

Shahin Yusuf

(shahinyusuf21@gmail.com)

Plastic waste:

A slow poison

for Earth

I wish to draw attention to the growing threat of single-use plastic in our society. Despite repeated announcements by the government to ban polythene bags and other plastic items, the execution of this ban seems weak and ineffective. Plastic has become a silent sin against humanity, slowly destroying our earth and harming future generations.

What is most disappointing is the lack of civic sense among people. Even where dustbins are available, many choose to throw plastic waste on the roads, fields, or rivers. Recently, during my visit to Narikoli Temple on a Monday of the Sawan month, I witnessed free distribution of kheer. Although proper dustbins were placed, very few people used them, while most threw the plastic bowls carelessly on the temple campus and surrounding areas.

We can no longer ignore this careless behaviour. The government must introduce strict fines and effective monitoring to restrict such practices. At the same time, NGOs, schools, and social groups should run awareness drives so that people learn to take responsibility. We must remember that the earth is our shared home, and protecting it is a duty we cannot neglect.

Sanjeeb Deka,

Gauhati University

Politics of Convenience

Recently, television screens showed Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi meeting with Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Gaurav Gogoi. The intent behind this meeting was evident — Lurinjyoti sought to align with Congress leadership, including Rahul Gandhi, in order to contest the upcoming elections jointly and mount a challenge against the ruling BJP.

The irony cannot be overlooked. During the Assam Agitation, 855 Assamese youths laid down their lives in the fight against illegal immigration, at a time when Congress was in power. This tragedy cemented the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) as a staunch opponent of Congress, declaring unequivocally that the party could never be forgiven for its role. Lurinjyoti himself once stood at the very top post of AASU’s leadership. Yet today, the same leader has chosen to embrace Congress, seemingly discarding long-cherished ideals for the sake of political expediency.

This shift forces us to reflect on the motives of those who once spearheaded student movements in Assam. If leaders who rose to prominence by championing nationalist causes can so easily compromise principles for personal gain, how can they be trusted as protectors of the Assamese identity?

The controversy deepens when viewed through the lens of the “foreigner” issue. Traditionally, this referred to illegal immigrants from East Bengal, most commonly associated with the Miya Muslim community. Yet when a journalist recently used the term “Miya Muslim” in conversation with Lurinjyoti Gogoi, he sharply reprimanded the journalist, insisting that “Miya is a respectful form of address — you must say ‘illegal foreigner’, not ‘Miya Muslim’.” His reaction gave the impression that he now seeks to position himself as a defender of the very immigrants once opposed by the movement he helped lead.

Congress’s strategy of cultivating this community as a vote bank is well-known. Now, Lurinjyoti appears to be walking the same path, reminiscent of Mamata Banerjee’s brand of politics in West Bengal — offering protection to a particular community in exchange for political dividends. By doing so, he aspires to project himself as a national leader. What this reflects most starkly is the decline of principled politics. Nationalist ideals are increasingly abandoned in favour of convenience and short-term gain. Leaders no longer ask what benefits the people or protects the identity of Assam; they ask only what benefits them personally. When politics becomes a game of personal advancement, the public should expect very little in terms of genuine commitment or vision.

Kumud Ch. Barman

Hengrabari, Guwahati