Letters to the Editor: Unscrupulous Tactics

Unscrupulous Tactics

The depredation that took place in the Indian aviation sector due to the IndiGo imbroglio recently will be remembered as a shameful act in the aviation history of the country, exposing at the same time that even the fastest and most expensive mode of transportation can also cause discomfort when mismanagement occurs. On the one hand, flights of IndiGo are cancelled in sequence; on the other hand, the price of the tickets of other airlines abruptly rises sky-high, forcing the gullible passengers to pay huge amounts for fares in the consternation of missing the last-minute booking. The whole predicament became a commercial carnival for the airline companies. People's woes were leveraged to make profit out of it. Every IndiGo cancellation was a bonanza for other airlines. While the ground staff handled people's acrimony, the IndiGo management remained reticent for any rejoinder at the initial stage. People lost their wherewithal, and the Indigo’s head honcho remained unworried by the situation.  And till the company came out with their reasons for the fiasco, and till the aviation ministry imposed a price cap on the tickets, hundreds of crores were drained to the coffers of other airlines from the helpless passengers. This grime incident revealed a bitter truth: there is always a chance of people being plundered in such emergency situations if more than 60% of the market share of the domestic aviation industry remains in the hands of a single airline company.

In India Air travel is not always a luxury. It is sometimes due to a medical emergency, attending a sister’s marriage within a tight schedule or maybe an appearance before the judge regarding an important court case in some other state. Failure to reach the destination at an appropriate time can totally alter the expected outcomes. Government will have to act more promptly during such crises to thwart the recrudescence of such acts of loot and knavery in the name of providing airline service.

Kabir Ahmed Saikia,

Rajabari, Jorhat

Action needed for public safety in Guwahati

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the deteriorating public safety conditions across Guwahati, a matter that affects every citizen's daily life and well-being. The rise in reckless driving, poor road infrastructure, and incidents of crime, particularly against women, demands immediate and concerted action from our authorities.

Our roads are becoming increasingly hazardous due to overspeeding, disregard for traffic rules, and poorly maintained surfaces, leading to frequent accidents, especially in areas with inadequate street lighting and missing pedestrian crossings. The vulnerability of women in our city is also growing, with reports of harassment and violence creating an atmosphere of fear.

Himanjyoti Kalita

Gauhati University

(himanjyoti632@gmail.com)

Thorn in heel?

Sashi Tharoor, the lone Congress MP from Kerala, is very much in the news at present. We know in the last AICC election for the post of AICC president, Tharoor openly dared Rahul Gandhi and Co. by contesting against official candidate Kharge and lost gracefully. Since then, Tharoor has been maintaining almost an independent stand in party affairs. Of late, it is often seen that Tharoor is all praise for PM Modi for his good governance, thus daring Rahul Gandhi and Co. So far Rahul Gandhi seems to be watchful about Tharoor’s moves and has refrained from taking any punitive actions against him.

The cold war between Gandhi and Tharoor is very keenly watched by all political parties, BJP in particular.

Has Tharoor become a thorn in Congress's heel?

Dr Ashim Chowdhury.

Guwahati.

Pure air quality is a fundamental right

Delhi's AQI stood in the ‘severe’ category on December 15 with a reading of 427 after the second highest AQI. Gradually daily life is restraining to a considerable extent. Schools are being shifted from hybrid to online mode up to 5 classes. This longstanding problem still remains a tangled naming legacy. It is far better to dissolve this worsening plight rather than confabulating on useless points. A well-ventilated environment and pollution-free air are essential components for human survival, but people are bereft of this human necessity.

It may bring great havoc for the capital in the form of migration to the periphery because this very metropolitan city has a large share of other state residents in population as well as international visitors and tourists, due to which the wheel of growth can get to a standstill. The government must ensure pure air quality and similarly other human necessities for the transparent and prosperous lifestyle.

Nadim Dhakiya

(nadeemturki59@gmail.com)