Letters to the EDITOR: Still Waiting for a Train

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Still waiting for a train

Even after 78 years of independence, Bilasipara, a major business town in Lower Assam, remains largely cut off from the railway network. The last operational train, the 02525 Kamakhya-Anand Vihar Special, was suspended again on April 27, 2025, leaving the town and nearby stations like Chapar, Bagribari, and Alamganj without any passenger train service. This train, which began operations via Bilasipara in February 2024, ran only once a week and at an odd hour—arriving at 1:45 AM. Despite the inconvenience, locals were happy to finally get connected to the national railway network. In June 2024, another train, the 05698 Guwahati–New Jalpaiguri Special Fare, was introduced, operating four days a week. However, its poorly planned timings led to its discontinuation after 6–7 months. Even when trains were running, ticketing services remained inadequate. Bilasipara’s railway counter stayed closed, and passengers at Kamakhya Station were often denied tickets to Bilasipara, being told to book for alternate destinations instead. Locals now question why the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) is neglecting this region. Is it due to financial losses or administrative oversight? With no passenger trains currently running and no updates from NFR, now people are asking why NFR is ignoring these towns. Is it due to financial loss? We, the people of Bilasipara, are still waiting and hoping for a new daily train with better timing to Guwahati.

Ramkrishna Sarkar

Gauhati University

Mental health crisis among youth

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw the attention of the concerned authorities and society towards a growing yet often neglected issue — the deteriorating mental health of youth post-pandemic. The pandemic not only disrupted academics and careers but also left a long-lasting psychological impact on students and young professionals. Anxiety, depression, and a sense of hopelessness are on the rise, yet mental health remains a taboo subject in many parts of our country. There are very few accessible counselling services in educational institutions, and awareness about emotional well-being is almost negligible in smaller towns.

It is high time that the government, schools, and colleges take proactive steps. Counselling centres must be made mandatory in educational institutions, awareness programmes should be introduced, and mental health should be treated with the same seriousness as physical health. Your newspaper can play a vital role in sensitising society and advocating for urgent action on this front.

Ankur Jyoti Das,

(dad.ankur1233@gmail.com)

High speed of vehicles near ISBT service lane

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I wish to raise concern about the growing problem of speeding vehicles near the service lane adjacent to ISBT Guwahati. This area is always busy with pedestrians, public transport, vendors, and daily commuters. Despite being a congested and sensitive zone, many vehicles, especially two-wheelers and private cars, drive at dangerously high speeds through the service lane. This reckless driving poses a serious threat to public safety and could lead to major mishaps at any time. There is an urgent need for preventive measures such as speed breakers, proper signage, and stricter monitoring to control vehicle speed in this area before any unfortunate incident takes place. I sincerely hope the concerned authorities will take necessary action to make the area safer for everyone.

Rimakshi Barman

Cotton University

Need for speed

breakers at Odalbakra

I, a concerned citizen and resident of Pragati Path, Odalbakra, am writing to bring to your attention the urgent need for constructing speed breakers at short intervals at Odalbakra. This location has witnessed multiple road accidents, resulting in loss of human and animal lives, and poses a significant threat to the safety of pedestrians, drivers, stray animals and residents. The location in question is prone to accidents due to: (i) High Speed of Vehicles: The road at this location is straight and wide, encouraging drivers to speed up, which has resulted in multiple accidents in the past; (ii) Presence of Educational Institutions: The presence of multiple schools (Vivekananda Vidyapith, Little Bird Academy, Sabitri Bharali High School, Gurukul Kids, etc.) in the vicinity, with hundreds of students crossing the road daily, makes it a high-risk zone; (iii) Presence of Hospital: The nearby hospital (Hayat Hospital) receives emergency cases, and speeding vehicles pose a significant risk to patients, medical staff, and visitors. Unfortunately, multiple stray animals who are fully vaccinated, sterilised & well taken care of by the residents have been killed by speeding vehicles, adding to the urgency of addressing this issue. In light of these concerns, I respectfully request that a required number of speed breakers be constructed at Odalbakra to reduce the speed of vehicles, prevent further loss of life and ensure public safety to protect pedestrians, drivers, voiceless animals and residents. I would appreciate it if you could highlight this matter with the urgency it deserves and prompt immediate action.

Arpita Purkayastha

(purkayasthaarpita77@gmail.com)

Need for harmony amid Dhubri tensions

I write with deep concern about the recent unrest in Dhubri, where fragments of animal meat and a cow’s head were found near a temple following Eid-ul Zuha (around June?7–8, 2025). This sparked communal tensions, leading to prohibitory orders and a controversial “shoot-at-sight” directive after 6?pm to prevent further violence.

While the government acted firmly—arresting around 38 people and deploying RAF and CRPF personnel—the reactions have been mixed. Assam’s Chief Minister called it an instance of beef being “weaponised”. However, critics argue that the heavy-handed approach might escalate fear and communal distrust.

In these troubled times, protecting communal harmony must be our top priority. The government should ensure peaceful law enforcement without targeting any community and clarify rules so people understand boundaries and avoid misunderstandings. Community and religious leaders should step up to emphasise dialogue, not division. Media can play a powerful role by reporting responsibly and promoting calm. Let us remind ourselves that Assam thrives on its unity in diversity. Sensational incidents should not be allowed to divide us. Rather, they should inspire renewed efforts toward peace, trust, and understanding across all communities.

Deepraj Das

(dipraj887@gmail.com)