Letters to the Editor: Sunita’s spiritual solace during her space saga

Sunita’s spiritual solace during her space saga

The news article 'Sunita Williams' courage in nine-month space saga' published in your esteemed daily on March 20 focuses on the indomitable spirit and courage of Sunita Williams in the latest space expedition. Really, it may be assumed to be the story of a novel, as the entire episode of her return to Earth is a scintillating exercise in space history.

We are proud of Sunita Williams, who, as a true Indian, believes in spiritual life; she carried with her the idol of Lord Ganesh and the copy of the Bhagavad Gita during her space journey, and probably she attained the necessary courage that helped her stay in space from the scriptures of Hinduism. We salute the entire rescue team for the safe return of Sunita Williams and her fellow astronaut.

Benudhar Das

Barpeta

Climate emergency: Are we prepared?

There is no doubt that the climate across the globe is changing fast. The editorial 'Climate is changing', published in your esteemed daily on March 24, has highlighted that 2024 was the warmest year ever on record, with the average temperature exceeding 1.5°C above the pre-industrial levels. What is more alarming is that the world witnessed the most rapid glacier retreat in the last five or six years. The 2022-2024 period witnessed the largest three-year loss of glacier mass in recorded history. The global increase in temperature is accompanied by frequent and intense extreme weather events, including heat waves, droughts, storms and heavy and intensive rains. Climate change has also made a visible impact in the north-eastern region. Shillong used to be the combined hill station of the entire Northeast India. It was a paradise with just the right climate for people coming from the plains around for their holidays. But, surprisingly, when April comes, suddenly the mercury goes into a tailspin. The day temperature in Shillong city hovers between 29 and 30 degrees Celsius. The fluctuation between the day and night temperatures in Meghalaya has seen many people falling ill. Tripura, one of our neighbouring states, had to shut down schools on account of the heat wave last year. Massive deforestation has turned the forests into patches of barren ground with only tree stumps left behind. Although the Meghalaya state forest department has long since come up with a ban on charcoal production, every day several pickup vans drive from one locality to another in the city selling sacks of charcoal. The craze for scaling up tourism has turned people into unthinking zombies out to make a quick buck from Nature's gifts. The regular timber felling in some of the verdant forests of Garo Hills and transportation of the cut timber in smaller vehicles to avoid detection is indeed a matter of serious concern. Meghalaya is unprepared, but what about other states of the Northeast? With the onslaught on the forests, naturally fresh water is depleting at a rapid rate everywhere. Not to speak about Shillong, even many residents of our city don't get piped water today and incidents of pipe water explosion and leakage of pipe connection have become a daily news, while the government continues to blow its trumpet that the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) venture is successful and every home has regular piped water supply.When will we ever learn that deforestation, quarrying and mining are the three worst activities that impact climate change, which need to stop now. The time has come for people in the entire Northeast to prepare themselves to deal with the climate emergency. Let us stop reacting and make sincere attempt to handle climate change and motivate citizens to be proactive stakeholders in the people's movement against climate change issues. We have to wake up and take a call on this matter of life and death.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati.