Letters to the EDITOR: Women’s safety first

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Women’s safety first

Today when we speak of women empowerment and providing gender justice to females, the patriarchal remarks made by CM Mamata Banerjee that girls shouldn’t be allowed to go out at night, in reaction to the unfortunate rape incident in Durgapur of a medical student, are highly condemnable.

Such comments, especially from a woman Chief Minister, belittle every claim that women's safety has increased today with infrastructural development, connectivity and government participation, and expose the failure of law and order in the state. When the government is regarded as the major stakeholder in providing security and freedom to women to exercise the existing social opportunities and held highly accountable for crimes that violate women’s dignity and liberty, such a weightless and insensible statement from a person occupying the top chair of state will court trenchant denunciation and nothing less than it. Today fear stalks every woman as she walks down the street. News of girls and women being harassed, assaulted or silenced reminds us how unsafe women still are – on streets, in workplaces and even in homes.

Fear has become a part of women’s lives today. From a young girl coming from tuition to a woman coming back from work, every step is taken with caution. We speak of empowerment, but empowerment means little if safety itself becomes a privilege. Unless authorities ensure more stringent law enforcement and faster trials in sexual assault cases, along with proper victim support, the collective effort of society and individual measures towards women's safety will become futile. Being the father of a girl child, my heart shivers in fear and uncertainty thinking about how my daughter will leave home tomorrow for study or a job when she grows up, when perpetrators of law are at large, and justice is seen delivered in a tardy manner, and state authorities shift blame to society and individuals to free themselves from culpability.

Kabir Ahmed Saikia

Rajabari, Jorhat

Assam - 785014

Deepor Beel’s silent cry

Deepor Beel, Assam’s only Ramsar site and a natural heritage in Guwahati, is struggling to survive. Indiscriminate illegal occupation and the reckless dumping of city waste have turned this once-thriving wetland into a dumping ground. The toxic seepage has polluted the groundwater and consequently risked the health of nearby residents. Tragically, the haven that once welcomed thousands of migratory birds every winter is now being degraded, threatening their survival.

Unfortunately, if we remain oblivious and this continues, Deepor Beel will be lost forever—along with its biodiversity, its cultural significance, and its ecological services. Authorities must take immediate action, stop the dumping of waste, evict encroachers, and start restoration efforts. More importantly, citizens must speak out to protect this heritage before it disappears. Saving Deepor Beel is not just an environmental duty; it is our moral responsibility to future generations.

Jahnvi Singh,

Buddha Bihar Road

Margherita.