Letters to the Editor: Semiconductor Project vis-à-vis Paper Mill

Semiconductor Project vis-à-vis Paper Mill

Every well-wisher of Assam would welcome the move of Tata Group’s (private sector) initiative to establish a semiconductor project at Jagiroad. We wish that more and more companies would come forward to establish projects in Assam. However, we want to emphasize the salient point that the semiconductor project can’t be a substitute for the paper mill at Jagiroad. The pertinent point here is that another site should have been chosen for the semiconductor project. There is no dearth of suitable land near Jagiroad or in Nagaon district for the semiconductor project. It is unfortunate and painful as well to mention that the state government has relegated the two paper mills to the pages of history, despite various commitments to revive them.

The paper mill, which had the capacity to produce 300 MT/day, was a labour-intensive plant. Initially, there had been more than two thousand employees, and subsequently, the number was reduced to fifteen hundred or so. Indirectly, it used to employ not less than two and a half lakh people, which included those engaged in bamboo cultivation, supply and transportation, etc. In contrast, the semiconductor plant is not a labour-intensive one. A semiconductor plant requires a variety of skilled employees to effectively operate and manage different aspects of the manufacturing process. And the production chain will run on automation.

In a state like Assam, where unemployment is galore, we need heavy industries in order to provide more employment. However, it does not negate the establishment of a sophisticated plant like that for semiconductors.

Prafulla Dowarah

Guwahati

Heartthrob

A heartthrob literally means a famous person for whom there are immense romantic feelings. In Bollywood, we have Salman Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Shahrukh Khan, and others, who are the heartthrobs of cinema lovers. In Assam too, we have one named Zubeen Garg, a popular singer who has created a ripple among the youngsters. Once, he also created a ripple in Bollywood with his melodious voice, but due to many factors like indiscipline, insincerity, unprofessionalism, etc., he couldn’t sustain his climb on the ladder of success and later faded away from the scene. But sadly, of late, it seems as if the said heartthrob has gradually lost his mental balance, as success seems to have gone to his head rather too early. His on-and-off behaviour on the stage has become unbecoming because of his arrogance and inartistic-like behaviour, which often leads to violence among the crowd. He is also always found to be in an inebriated stage on the stage, almost causing a lawnd-ororder situation. In the past, we saw greats like Bhupen Da, Khagen Da, and Kishore Kumar, who always maintained decorum and, at the same time, delivered great entertainment to the crowd. His frequent vulgar utterances on the stage have made us think that early success has gone to his head. A singer like Zubeen Garg is an asset to our state, but he too should behave as an artist while performing on stage. Arrogance never pays in the long run.

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

Statue of Valour

On March 9, 2024, PM Modi unveiled the long-awaited giant statue of Bir Lachit Barphukan, which will remain a memorable day for Assam’s history. Previously, Lachit Barphukan’s history was only known in Assam. Other greats like Shivaji, Rana Pratap Singh, Jhanshi Rani Laxmibai, Tantia Tope, etc. were included in the nation's history. All credit in this regard must and should go to the present state and central governments for introducing the great Bir Lachit to the nation. Unfortunately, on this very day, some Andolanjeevis, namely Akhil Gogoi in particular, appealed to the people of Kaliabor to boycott this ceremony and come out on the streets to protest against the CAA. In the meantime, the Axomiya people have come to know about the diabolical anti-national game plan of Akhil Gogoi and co., which ensured a huge turnout to attend the memorable ceremony.

It is high time that the voters of Sivasagar unmasked the evil designs of their MLA. Praising Gaurav Gogoi, sitting MP from erstwhile Kailabor constituency, who does not have iota of knowledge about Assam’s history and culture but only for his fluency in Hindi and English, has once again exposed Akhil’s evil designs as an opportunist and anti-national figure. JAI HIND, JAI AI ASOM.

Joel Gayari,

Tangla

It’s wooing time once again

The Lok Sabha elections are around the corner once again, and political parties have started to embark on wooing the voters with all kinds of freebies. These political parties are trying to create an atmosphere that promotes schisms—social, political, economic, and religious. Over the years, the voters have voted for different parties but have not found a leader true enough who could rule the country properly and lift it out of the morass of poverty, hatred, and corruption.

During elections, people try to vote with optimism and hope that their new leader will provide them with some kind of relief. Regrettably, these endeavours are almost always unsuccessful. The people have not witnessed any progress, and they are feeling increasingly despondent and apathetic. With each passing year, our problems only seem to mount, and every new party that comes into power disappoints like its predecessors. In order for our country to have a prosperous future, it is imperative that any new party coming to power takes note of the challenges that the people are facing and gradually solves them.

Jubel D’Cruz, 

(jubeldcruz@yahoo.com)