Letters to The EDITOR: They don’t care about us!

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They don’t care about us!

The song "They Don't Really Care About Us" is not a relic of the past; rather, it serves as a warning that has been ignored.

Michael Jackson did not sing merely for entertainment; he used his platform to make accusations. He named the violence of power that smiles for cameras and turns deaf to people. Today, his words bleed into our streets. People speak, but are not heard. They vote but are not represented. They suffer and are told to be patient. Democracy has become a performance where applause matters more than truth.

Governments change faces, not habits. The language is always development, security, nationalism-but beneath it lies the same old disregard. Farmers cry, workers collapse, minorities fear, and youth rage-and the response is silence, suppression, or slogans. Pain is managed, not healed. Dissent is labelled. Questions are treated as threats.

"They don't really care about us" is no longer rebellion; it is reality. It plays in empty pockets, in censored newsrooms, in streets where justice arrives late or never. The system hears noise, not people. It counts numbers, not lives.

Noopur Baruah,

Tezpur

New airlines

India's aviation sector is set to welcome three new airline companies-Shankh Air, Al Hind Air, and FlyExpress-as the government has recently granted them no objection certificates (NOCs) to begin preparations for commercial services in 2026.These new entrants aim to boost competition and offer passengers more choices in a market. Shankh Air plans to operate regional routes from Uttar Pradesh, while Al Hind Air and FlyExpress are expected to focus on domestic connectivity across smaller cities, as per news reports.

For passengers, the benefits are significant: lower fares through competitive pricing, better regional connectivity, particularly to tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and reduced pressure on existing airlines that have recently faced operational disruptions. More airline options also mean more flight frequencies and routes, enhancing travel convenience for business and leisure flyers alike. Overall, these approvals mark a step towards a more dynamic and passenger-friendly aviation landscape in India.

Joydev Mahanta

Bapujinagar, Goalpara

GMCH overburdened

GMCH is a lifeline for thousands of patients not only from Guwahati but also from every corner of Assam and even neighbouring states. Every day, the hospital struggles with an overwhelming rush of patients. Long queues, a shortage of beds, a lack of doctors, and overworked nurses have become a daily reality. Patients often wait for hours, sometimes days, just to receive basic treatment.

The situation becomes more painful for poor and rural patients who depend entirely on government hospitals. Due to the excessive load, doctors are forced to work under extreme pressure, which affects the quality of care. In times of crisis, emergency wards remain overcrowded, leaving attendants helpless.

While the population is increasing, healthcare infrastructure has not grown at the same pace. More medical colleges, district-level hospitals, modern equipment, and regular recruitment of doctors and staff are urgently needed. Strengthening primary healthcare centres can also reduce pressure on GMCH.

Healthcare is a basic right, not a privilege. Immediate and sincere action is required to prevent the collapse of our public health system.

Bhaskar Deka

Pragjyotish College, Guwahati

Helmet - A lifesaver

A helmet is an essential component of motorcycle or scooter driving.  But people generally avoid wearing helmets for various reasons.  By avoiding helmets, people are risking their lives and putting the family into unnecessary trouble. Even pillion riders will have to wear helmets. A helmet is insurance for life after all, as most accidental deaths are due to head injuries.  While a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report declares that motorcyclists are about 18 times as likely as car occupants to die in a traffic crash and three times as likely to be injured, a study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Bangalore, has also confirmed that the severity of head injury, death due to head injury, incidence of skull fracture and occurrence of post-traumatic epilepsy were higher among those who were not using helmets as compared to those who did.

Protective headgear certainly reduces the severity of the impact on the brain. Unfortunately, the majority still prefer a severely injured brain to a fractured helmet.  They don't realize that head injuries occurring in those wearing helmets are almost never critical, provided they wear a quality helmet, preferably one with an original ISI mark.  This is applicable to the pillion rider as well.

Using helmets of the right size can also prevent neck pain. Some people complain about losing their hair by wearing a helmet, which is simply an excuse not to wear one. Inputs gathered from manufacturers and sellers of helmets too confirm positive attitudes that are even being reinforced by responsible corporate employees.  It is now up to individual states to make helmet use mandatory in order to provide a clear affirmative answer to the question, "Helmet use: YES?"

Jayanthy Subramaniam

(jayantck1@hotmail.com)

Dangerous use of AI

Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw the attention of the authorities and the general public towards the dangerous use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Artificial intelligence has become a part of our daily life. It is used in education, healthcare, business and communications. However, the misuse of AI is creating serious problems. AI is being used to create fake videos, fake voices, and false news, which mislead people and spread rumours. Deepfake technology is a major threat to privacy and reputation.

Moreover, excessive dependence on AI is reducing human creativity and employment opportunities. Many people are losing jobs due to automation. Students are also misusing AI tools to complete assignments, which affects their learning ability.

Without strict regulations, AI could potentially harm society. The government should introduce proper laws to control the misuse of AI. Awareness programmes should also be conducted to educate people about its ethical use.

I hope the concerned authorities will take immediate steps to regulate the use of artificial intelligence for the safety of society.

Rishika Ligira

(rishikaligira0@gmail.com)

The Files

Nowadays it is very heartening to note that a few filmmakers have started making films based on some untold true stories of the past. In this regard, one must quote the names of Kashmir Files and Bengal Files, which depict the true stories of extreme violence committed against Kashmiri Pandits and Bengali Hindus in Kashmir and in undivided Bengal. Once released, both the films drew strong protests from the leftists who project themselves as the custodians of secularism due to reasons best known to all bonafide patriotic Indians, as these two films depicted the true stories of extreme violence committed upon the Hindus in Hindustan itself. The so-called secular brigade dismissed the films as propaganda at the behest of the RSS, which were made to give the BJP an advantage in electoral politics.

We can only hope and pray that the production of another fact-based film, named Assam File, does not happen in the near future.

Lanu Dutt Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

Farmers' livelihoods at stake

The news article 'Department fails to provide cold storage: farmers' livelihoods at stake,' published in your esteemed daily on January 8, has drawn our attention with great shock. The state's annual vegetable production is huge, but, surprisingly, the number of cold storage facilities in the state is minimal. Lack of adequate cold storage makes both farmers and consumers bear the brunt. It is indeed regrettable that the Assam Agriculture Department has failed to develop an effective marketing mechanism and establish sufficient cold storage facilities, particularly in the vegetable-growing areas. As a result, farmers are selling perishable items like potatoes, cauliflowers, and green peas at throwaway prices. The middlemen are profiting greatly from this situation, charging exorbitant prices to consumers for various seasonal vegetables in the state's markets. Due to lack of facilities, farmers are forced to dump seasonal vegetables, causing immense loss. The state needs mini cold storages in large numbers in vegetable-growing areas in the larger interest of the farmers and consumers immediately. The ASAMB should develop a combined and concrete mechanism to purchase vegetables directly from farmers to eliminate the menace of middlemen. The state CM should intervene in the matter to ameliorate the farmers' woes before their plight goes out of control.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati