Editor,
On Aug 13 last there was an emergency involving a patient who had come to Economic Medical Hall for consultation with the attending doctor. The patient suddenly started vomiting blood and the condition deteriorated. The attending doctor advised immediate hospitalisation. We tried to call 108 of EMRI but no one responded. Similarly emergency number of Police (100) and that of the Sadar Police Station (2224400) were also not responding. The reply from the other end was that the number 2224400 was not in service. However we contacted the DSP, D.K. Prasad and he in turn contacted 108(EMRI) and informed us accordingly. By the time the EMRI ambulance arrived over 30 minutes had passed and the patient was already shifted to a hospital in a taxi. This incident is shocking as there was no response from 100 (Police emergency) or 108 (EMRI). Further the ambulance was parked quite far and hence it takes a lot of time to reach the place of reporting due to road congestion.
I therefore request that the EMRI ambulance be kept in strategic points like the Police Station etc., from where it will be easier for them to attend to any emergency call. The authorities are also requested to see that there are proper attendants to receive the calls as people will only call them in case of an emergency.
Yours etc., SL Singhania,
Via email
Abuse of social media
Editor,
Though social media has positive points and enables speedy communication, there have also been numerous cases of misuse of this medium for spreading fake or defamatory news.
On August 15 last a woman lecturer of a private university in Tura, and her male friend have been vilified just for being seen together. Adults have the right to choose their partners. To assault the lady and defame her publicly through social media is a criminal act. Besides the identity of the lecturer is now widely known.
The group of men who ill-treated the lecturer and her male-friend were later identified to be members of some NGO but their group name is still unknown. They manhandled the lecturer and posted a photo of her and her male friend on Facebook groups along with nasty captions on the photo. The post went viral within a minute carrying hundreds of indecent comments and it became an echo chamber of holier than thou types. This has brought shame to the lecturer, her family and to the University. We students are angry and wonder why the name of the University was mentioned and why the identity of the lady lecturer was not kept confidential. Opening fake accounts and giving sordid comments has brought shame to the family and University as a whole merely because social media was available for hate comments and prejudiced opinions. Defaming someone’s personal lifestyle and uploading that on social media is harming us as a society.
The elderly woman (lecturer) was beaten up mercilessly. This is a criminal offence and an inhuman act. She was a respectable woman in society and educates youth for their future. How did these vigilantes even dare to hit a woman? We strongly condemn their assault on the lecturer and uploading photos with nasty comments. Are those 20-30 men cowards to beat up one single woman? Aren’t they aware that there are special provisions of the law for protection of women? What have they gained by manhandling a women and publicly humiliating her?
The trouble today is that half educated people want to become leaders of society. These are not real NGOs. In fact the culprits must be arrested at the earliest and strong action must be taken against them. They should be booked under different sections of the law for their wrong doings.
We the students of the University strongly condemn such inhuman acts and demand strong action against the culprits for manhandling our beloved lecturer and defaming her. We repeat that such vilification campaigns should not be allowed on social networking sites and those opening fake accounts merely to defame others with disgraceful photos or comments must be booked under the IT Act. Let us wisely use what we have in our hands for the betterment of the society and a better future.
Yours etc.,
Concerned students
Name withheld on request.
Wanted a nuclear-free world
Editor,
The statement of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh that though India is firmly committed to its ‘no first use’ doctrine on nuclear weapons, what happens in the future ‘will depend on the circumstances,’ is frightening. India is a nuclear power and the country is able to include nuclear warheads in our defence whenever it wants to; but a possible nuclear war is unimaginable considering its power to exterminate large number of humans. We have seen and experienced the consequences of nuclear explosion in Nagasaki and Hiroshima in Japan and we now shudder to think of another nuclear holocaust. But those who have not experienced the aftermath and impact of nuclear explosion do not dread the nuclear holocaust like the child who does not get burnt does not dread the fire.
So, it is easier to speak of nuclear war but the devastation and its subsequent suffering on humanity is unimaginable. We have to bear in mind that in a nuclear war, there will be no winners or losers but only widespread devastation. War is short term madness and through war nothing is gained but something great is lost.
Interestingly, most of the countries in the world have amassed lethal weapons to destroy the world many times over and the same countries are in a mad rush to possess more and more deadly weapons. So, the ardent wish to possess more weapons comes out of our jingoism which is destructive. We don’t want a third world war or a nuclear war. Therefore, every country has to take a ‘no to war’ pledge and the leading countries in the world must take initiatives to destroy nuclear weapons in the world. “Let’s strive for a world sans nuclear weapons,” should be our motto in 2020.
Yours etc.,
TK Nandanan,
Via email