Letters to the Editor: Unpleasant incident at picnic spot

Unpleasant incident at picnic spot

Through this column of your esteemed daily, I would like to draw the kind attention of the concerned authorities to an extremely unpleasant and disturbing incident that took place at Daragaon picnic spot in Baksa district.

Daragaon, located along the India–Bhutan border in the Baksa district, is widely known as a naturally beautiful picnic destination. As per our plan, on Sunday, 4 January 2026, we visited the place with our family for a picnic. Unfortunately, a few members of another picnic party seated very close to us attempted to attack us and physically assaulted our family after consuming excessive alcohol. This incident happened suddenly and without any provocation from our side.

There were only four members in our group—my wife, our seven-year-old daughter, one of my relatives (a brother), and myself. The intoxicated and unruly youths, reportedly from Nalbari district, behaved in an extremely aggressive and threatening manner. Their conduct created such a terrifying situation that we somehow managed to save our lives and return home safely.

Fortunately, two calm and sensible elder youths from the same group intervened at a critical moment and helped us. Otherwise, the consequences could have been far more serious. One of the intoxicated youths who rushed forward to attack us also cast an objectionable gaze at my wife and asked inappropriate and irrelevant questions, which further aggravated the situation and caused deep mental distress.

What is most concerning is the complete absence of any security or safety arrangements at the picnic spot. Moreover, due to the lack of mobile network connectivity in the area, we were unable to seek immediate assistance from the police. This absence of connectivity appeared to embolden the intoxicated youths and allowed them to act with impunity. We strongly condemn the behaviour of those unruly youths. Through your esteemed daily, we humbly appeal to the Baksa district administration to take urgent and effective measures to ensure proper security at the Daragaon picnic spot and safeguard the safety and dignity of all visitors. If such negligence continues, there is a serious risk that even more dangerous incidents may occur in the future.

Heramba Nath

Hindumaizali, Kamrup

Prevent fishing

in Kaziranga

It has come to our notice that the state government has issued a series of prohibitory orders to prevent any kind of fishing activity in the water bodies of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve during the Magh Bihu festivities. It must be mentioned here that Kaziranga National Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an Important Bird Area (IBA). Usually, people in multitudes enter the park annually to carry out their fishing practices in the wetlands near the national park. These wetlands are now part of the Kaziranga National Park. Any such activity is a flagrant violation of wildlife protection laws, which apparently disrupts the already fragile ecosystem of the park and threatens the park's endangered species, such as the one-horned rhinoceros, varieties of migratory birds and approximately forty-two species of fish. Coming just days ahead of the festival, the decision of the court has, however, received a mixed response. Yet, it has become an imperative need to issue regularly prohibitory orders to control such illegal fishing in the water bodies in Kaziranga National Park. We can only hope that the respondents will make every effort to enforce the prohibitory orders, even in the face of potential gatherings of a diverse range of individuals at the fishing site.

Iqbal Saikia,

Guwahati

Slow death

We all know that Majuli, the biggest river island in the world, is also the HQ of Vaishnavite culture in Assam. It is known for its beautiful xatras that preach Mahaprabhu Srimanta Sankardev’s message across the world. These jatras are also places of tourist attraction which even attract many foreign tourists, who, in turn, help us to earn foreign exchanges. But the latest news regarding the numbers of churches in the riverine areas of Majuli has shocked us. It is reported that there are 65 churches at present, all in the riverine areas, outnumbering the xatras, which stand at a poor 32. If this silent aggression continues for another decade, Majuli will become the JERUSALEM of the east, and our centre of learning, the xatras, will meet a slow death. Are the great MAHAPRABHU XATRADHIKARS aware of the situation? They owe us an explanation.

Joel Goyari,

Tangla

Assamese medical entrepreneur

Nomal Chandra Bora, born to a modest peasant family in Gohpur, Sonitpur, embarked upon a tumultuous journey that would eventually reshape healthcare delivery in the state. Recently honoured with Dual National Lifetime Achievement Awards by the Association of Nurse Executive (India), his five decades of work in neurology, nursing leadership, and community advancement stand as a testament to grit and public purpose. With a mere Rs 5,000 saved from his AIIMS residency salary, he envisioned GNRCH as an indigenous institution capable of catalysing Assamese medical entrepreneurship. His efforts became emblematic for those who sought to build rather than migrate abroad, thereby creating a template for societal upliftment; his work in the social sector is unprecedented. The “Shiksha Mitra” initiative further inspired the general public to view healthcare as a vocation for service. The state government and the general public must actively nurture indigenous health enterprises through tax incentives, subsidies, rebates, and institutional support to realise his ultimate vision of a private hospital with no bed charges, minimal medication costs, and one million Shiksha Mitras.

Shahin Yusuf

(shahinyusuf21@gmail.com)