DON BOSCO Statue desecration

Lately, we all have witnessed a growing cultural intolerance which is increasingly creating hatred and disturbance in the socio-cultural fabric of our state. The latest was the events that shook the region on 7th August 2015, when some vandals and local miscreants (backed by Right wing forces) desecrated a statue of Don Bosco that was scheduled to be inaugurated in Guwahati. This issue provoked a lot heat and political controversies

Noted journalist, Patricia Mukhim penned a powerful article on this entire issue in Assam Tribune on 13th August 2015 on this topic, which must be read by all concerned citizens.

[DOWNLOAD]
Also see:
1)  Vandals prevent installation of Don Bosco statue(Assam Tribune) [LINK]
2) Four members of BJP arrested in Don Bosco statue case [Press Trust of India,Guwahati] [LINK]
3)  ABVP Activists Vandalise Don Bosco’s Statue in Guwahati (The WIRE) [LINK]


A reader of Assam Tribune very aptly summed up the entire issue in brief words, when he sent the following piece in the Letters to the Editor (20th August,2015)

Towards Agricultural diversification in India

In recent times the  share of Agriculture in India's economy is witnessing a declining trend. Although it calls for a general alarm, but at the same time, its time we take some alternative measures like the developed nations did, when they experienced similar trends years ago. This great piece of article by Dr Kandarpa Barman lays down the scope of Agricultural diversification in India and the possible roadmaps that we may embark upon for a equitable and sustainable growth of our most important sector.

Agricultural diversification
Dr Kandarpa Barman
Source: Assam Tribune (12th July,2015)
 <DOWNLOAD>

On NAGA Peace Accord 2015 - Selection of Articles

The following are compilations on the Opinions of scholars on the recently concluded Naga Peace Accord, concluded between Government of India and National Socialist Council of Nagalim (IM) leaders on August 3,2015.

The Naga Accord: the devil is in the details
   by Sanjoy Hazarika
Source: Assam Tribune 5th August 2015
<DOWNLOAD>
 
 Euphoria over a secret pact
    by DN Bezboruah
Source: Assam Tribune 11 August 2015
<DOWNLOAD>

 Naga Peace Accord
  Source:Editorial writeup, Assam Tribune ,5 August 2015
<DOWNLOAD>

Accord with NSCN (IM): an analysis
   by Brig. Ranjit Borthakur (Retd)
Source: Assam Tribune 14 August 2015
<DOWNLOAD>

Urban Hazards- Accidental Deaths & Motor accidents

A friend once told me that Motor accidents kill more people in a year than Terrorists or Insurgents   do. I, like the others present there, laughed at his fancies of his abstract mathematical calculations - until I read this staggering fact about our own state. In 2014 there was 7,825 Traffic accident cases in Assam which claimed the lives of 3,212 persons and injured another 6,562 people. And this too when Assam's share in the total accidental deaths nationwide was just 1.3% (in 2014) !!!

In the following articles (both are editorials) data on Accidental deaths, as revealed by the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports are analysed (5 August 2015) and the other article dwells on another aspect of ever increasing legalities in Motor Accidents in Assam, and the lacunae of proper judicio-legal apparatus in tackling the case in an expeditious manner. This is a very crucial aspect, because if the guilty are not punished- they remain a potential death threat for countless more citizens for the future.

Accidental Death (Editorial- 5th Aug2015)
Download > https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9T81jqFu5oCN25acnhWbXMtRFk/view?usp=sharing

Motor Accidents Claim (Editorial- 21st July 2015)
Download > https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9T81jqFu5oCc1FaQktkSkVkWFk/view?usp=sharing

On Population Explosion

 India is expected to surpass China to become the world's most populous nation by 2022, this is as per the Report of World Populations Prospects:2015 released by the United Nations recently. And this is indeed a very alarming thing. The latest figures have advanced the previous projections by about 18 year, if I am not wrong. This should ring a bell at the ears of all policy makers. But sadly, it may not - growing population also means increasing political constituencies, increasing Markets, increasing "Demographic Dividends" , and increasing Profits for the 10% Indians who control 75-80% of the economy. It has to be the common man,afterall who has to take the lead in this regard and initiate steps to save this nation from the impending doom of population explosion.

    The following two articles published in this regard, have higlighted this aspect quite precisely.
World Population Day: some thoughts
by Chambas Gogoi (Assam Tribune 11 July 2015)
Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9T81jqFu5oCZHFNQUhocmF4SkE/view?usp=sharing
 
Editorial article on - Population boom
Source:Assam Tribune, 2nd August, 2015
Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9T81jqFu5oCYjY2cWd0RFJHSjA/view?usp=sharing

Let us save our daughters

Not much alarm has been raised by a disturbing trend observed in India in recent times.The steeply declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) in children under six years of age from 945 girls for every 1000 boys in 1991 to 927 in 2001 and to 918 in 2011 in India is deeply alarming. If this trend continues, it could create a societal collapse in the coming decades. The following two pieces of articles, one by Manisha Choudhury (Assam Tribune,24th July) and the other by our esteemed Nobel Peace laureate 2014, Kailash Satyarthi  (Assam Tribune,20th July) are very well articulated articles on the increasing gender imbalance that casts a very ominous shadow on our culture and society.

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: celebrating the girl child
by Manisha Choudhury
Download: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9T81jqFu5oCV2RXZkF5cl95MzQ/view?usp=sharing

Let us save our daughters
by Kailash Satyarthi
Download: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9T81jqFu5oCb1BrZHNKSWlveG8/view?usp=sharing