P Singhania , Shillong

‘Brutal but so true’. This is how I would surmise the article entitled ‘The Whore and the Whisper’ by Mr. Saptadip Saha. Mr. Saha has not minced any words and has got to the crux of stereotyping and branding that are so common in society today. We often write people off as a certain type without even stopping to think of the circumstances which have brought about a certain way in which a person behaves. Here, I should not be mistaken for condoning inappropriate behaviour. However, I am of the opinion that stereotyping and judging other people should be avoided till we have a clear picture of the background and situation that a person comes from. I am sure Mr. Saha would agree with me on this.

K. Dey , New Delhi

The Government of India is being held to ransom. It is facing a catch 22 situation as the Sardar Hills District Demand Committee’s road blockade in demand for the upgrade of the Sardar Hills into a full district of the state of Manipur has been countered by the United Naga Council which is hell bent against such a move. The UNC has called for a counter road blockade and in this regard, one has to keep in mind the movement for what has been termed as ‘Greater Nagalim’ which envisages the inclusion of Naga dominated areas from several states such as Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur. The UNC knows very well that the granting of districthood to the Sardar Hills will greatly hamper the cause of a ‘Greater Nagalim’ and hence the counter road blockade. I really pity the Government of India which I feel is now in between the Devil and the deep blue sea.

B Singh , Imphal

Arunachal Pradesh is in crisis. The vacuum that Dorjee Khandu has left in the state is clearly visible when one takes into account the political turmoil that has engulfed this state which was, during the tenure of Mr. Khandu touted as one of the fastest developing and most peaceful states of the Indian Union. It is a shame that those at the helm of affairs at Itanagar have chosen to sweep this coveted reputation under the carpets in pursuit of personal gains. Peace is a furtive entity in the North East region and Arunachal was blessed with this under Dorjee Khandu. It is sad to see how low the leaders of the state have stooped from such heights.

N. Mumpa , Itanagar

It is appalling that in spite of Shillong proclaiming itself as the educational hub of the North East, we still have cases of public lynching. Educated people do not indulge in such barbaric practices such as public lynching, period! Mob psychology probably had a big hand in this instance as is often the case in such travesties. It would bode well on the authorities concerned to deal with such cases with a firm hand so as to avoid a situation such as the one in Assam where ‘witch hunting’ has become commonplace.

H. Lyngdoh , Shillong

The fireworks industry in the villages of Padmapur and Trilochanpur is a commendable effort of the people of those villages in trying to make ends meet. However, it is a known fact that this industry is a dangerous and volatile vocation and I was shocked to see that children are also engaged in the process of making fireworks. Precious lives have been lost such as those belonging to the family of Aswina Behera and I strongly feel that having children in close proximity and actively engaged in such a dangerous occupation is simply inviting disaster.

A. Roy , Bhubaneshwar

“The ‘Jan Chetna Yatra’ by L K Advani was nothing but a political gimmick with an eye on capturing power.” - Well said Mr. Taurn Gogoi. We the people of Assam are not fools and here I am calling a spade a spade. Mr. Advani using the recent scams to further his own political ambitions is a fact and there should be no confusion over this. If the Congress party is to be blamed for the numerous scams unveiled so far, then Mr. Advani is equally to be blamed for trying to pull the wool over our eyes.

B. Gohain , Guwahati