| 19 Aug 2022 3:42 AM GMT
On 17th August, after a long two-and-half year hiatus, AASU has again started the anti-CAA movement in association with NESO under the leadership of evergreen student Dr Samujjal Bhattacharjya. The anti-CAA movement was called at AASU's headquarter Swahid Nyas located at Guwahati. To their utter dismay, there was literally zero participation of the general public in their programme. Only a handful of some over-aged students, who are in their mid 30s, participated in the protest movement by shouting at the top of their voices. There is a popular saying which goes like, "one cannot fool all the people for all the time". This old and wise saying was very much applicable with the AASU's call on 17th August. People like Dr Samujjal Bhattacharjya, Lurinjyoti Gogoi, Akhil Gogoi, Dipanka Nath, Dr Hiren Gohain, Ajit Kumar Bhuyan, and also a few from artistes' fraternity, have all fooled the general public by misleading and spreading false propaganda about CAA. These so-called guardians of greater Asomiya community are silent on the massive demographic changes in some of the districts like Goalpara, Morigaon (epicentre of jihadi activities), Dhubri, Darrang, Barpeta etc., for reasons known to all. The continuous demographic changes have reduced the indigenous populace to minority level in their own homeland. Dr Samujjal Bhattacharjya and company are also mute spectator to the jihadi activities that are flourishing in some of the madrassas.
It is just the beginning as AASU has a planned series of anti-CAA programmes in the coming days. It will be interesting to see how the general people respond to their call. Will they again be successful in fooling the general public or will the public give them the cold shoulder?
Politics over Har Ghar Tiranga
The celebration of the country's 76th Independence Day is over. It was no doubt an unprecedented show of response to Prime Minister Modi's appeal for Har Ghar Tiranga, as from Assam to Gujarat and from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, our pride, the Tiranga was fluttering high and handsome, making every citizen feel pride, except for a few diehard compulsive Oppositions like Congress, AIMIM, SP, Leftists to name a few who smelt politics behind PM Modi's appeal and saw the ghost of the RSS. According to them, it was communal BJP and RSS who were behind this spectacular show of unity that is a political game plan to woo the voters before the 2024 general elections. Secularism was and is the password for our secular Opposition to counter Modi even at the cost of nation's security. Going by the present events we, the bona fide Indians, are made to believe that the very word 'secular' means negation of nationalism.
Bharalu, one of the tributaries of river Brahmaputra, which passes through the city of Guwahati, is one of the most polluted river in the State. The CPCB has included river Bharalu in 'Priority 1' category of polluted river stretches as it recorded BOD level of 52 mg/l in the river. The river Bharalu turned into a drain which now only carries polluted water and untreated sewage of the city. The waste water from households, commercials/business establishments and small to medium industries within the city flows directly to the river Bharalu through the system of mutually interconnected drains. All these wastes reduce oxygen availability for aquatic life. Heavy metals and large quantities of plastic have been detected in Bharalu. Further, the river Bharalu has also recorded presence of Coliform bacteria on a large scale. This clearly indicates water pollution and threatens the lives of the residents using that water supply. Moreover, the pollution also affects the overall quality of the river Brahmaputra. It is a matter of great concern as groundwater is a drinking water source for a significant population of Guwahati. The worsening of the water quality of the Bharalu is a direct result of poor urban planning and poor actions of people. Various plans have been proposed for reviving the Bharalu, but it needs a push towards targeted action. Restoration of rivers is always a difficult task and cooperation between different agencies and strong social backing and political will are required to achieve this target. The State administration should install sewage treatment plants. Extensive awareness programmes among people can increase voluntary participation in keeping the river clean and save the ecosystem.
The suspension of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) by the world governing body FIFA is likely to have serious implications on Indian football. Apart from suffering the humiliation of losing the hosting rights to the Under-17 Women's World Cup in October this year, the national teams become ineligible to participate in continental tournaments. The AIFF is in a state of topsy-turvy due to the mismanagement of its administration after long-serving former chief Praful Patel stayed in office beyond the maximum term of 12 years, without holding fresh elections. Clearly, this needs to be addressed seriously to change the course of action and a fresh constitution must be drafted quickly for the AIFF so that elections can be held immediately and players do not lose precious time in their careers. This is the first time that the AIFF has received suspension from FIFA in its 85-year history. It is unfortunate that soccer turns sombre for Indian football, and let us hope that it resurrects itself quickly from the 'sudden death.'