An Open Letter to Narendra Modi Sir From an Honest Assamese

Writes LEENA HAZARIKA

I have always been a proud civilian of India, but, I am overwhelmingly humiliated to see all the agony some other natives of Assam are going through every year. This is something which I have been thinking from quite some time now. I needed to ask you as to how much do you bother about Assam? We all appreciate the incessant debates about the central government overlooking us and our essentials, but, does the unfortunate people really sense any modifications through these discussions between government and other authorities or are they just regarded as mere tools to another misleading melodrama of yours? Don’t you think it is high time we act more than we discuss about the ongoing complications? We, the deprived people of Assam, don’t worry about your bill and budgets, because, we seldom get time to protect ourselves from the flood which ruins our crops, land and home. We fear about our future, our children starving and the constant horror of death. We panic for our life.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority report, the current flood has destroyed around 1.37 lakh hectare of crops this year making over 1.27 lakh people homeless across 19 districts. More than 10 people died till date. We are not even counting the past years yet. Areas like Morigaon, Lakhimpur, Kaziranga, Dhemaji, etc are facing the major breaches of the river Brahmaputra. You, sir talking about digital India, what modern technology do you think, is preferable to save us from the calamity every year? Does this 1.27 lakh people seem nothing to you? We don’t need your statistics as to how much fund are you sending to help us. We want you to come and see as to how much of those funds are being actually used for us.
Let’s, for a second ignore the human beings, but, what about the natural resources and wildlife in Kaziranga?  We people have shelters to run away from but what about those animals who die every year due to our negligence and lack of protection. Does providing wildlife rehabilitation and reservation centres are enough to protect them?

Assam Flood
Assam Flood

Sir, for you, it might not be a natural calamity but for the poor farmers, who goes hungry day and night to get their annual crops, it surely is a natural disaster. For the children who cannot visit their school for education, it is a natural calamity. For the families who lost their loved ones, it is a natural calamity. For the animals who can’t voice their pain, it is a natural calamity. For the family who loses their whole future in just one day, it is a natural calamity. For the people who see their own houses being taken away by flood, it is a natural calamity.

It is easier for us, who are fortunate enough to live a prosperous life, to comment that flood happens all the time. But, those people are going through much more than that. We understand, it is wrong to comment as to why Chennai, Mumbai, etc. gets help and media coverage as all human beings are equal in the eye of law. But, Article 21 of the Indian constitution gives right to life for everyone including the poor inhabitants of Assam too. So, why don’t you prove to us this time that your Government doesn’t neglect us as we feel so. If, that’s too much we are asking for then you are failing us as the representative of the people.

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