PUBLIC’S EASILY OBTAINABLE AND PARTICIPATORY LEGITIMATE E-MEDIA 19 July, 2020 Contact us at : [email protected] “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll @thepeopleassam start having positive results.” –Willie Nelson Guwahati, Assam National Media On Assam Floods: Q.1: ONE PRIMARY REASON? Q.2: WHO IS RESPONSIBILE? ssam has always been flood-prone. However, it was the 1950 Earthquake that n the last 60-years, three-different State Governments and various Central Governments changed the topography and made the matter worse, a report by BBC published took charge, who together spent over Rs. 30,000 crore, but yet to find the “permanent” in 2015 said. Back then, the problem was again the same: National Media not solution, promised every year. This year similarly, after the second-wave of Assam Floods, highlightingA Assam’s Disaster. Truly they say today, “Resources are theirs, but the problems IChief Minister of Assam visited several relief camps, where he announced Rs. 25 crore for are ours”. Environment Expert said in 2015, that 40% of Assam’s land is vulnerable and three-schemes, made to find a “permanent solution” to the annual Assam Floods. Similarly, flood-prone. The Brahmaputra valley alone accounts for 9.6% of India’s total Flood prone last year Rs. 18 crore was announced for three-schemes which too said, it would be used to area. People in Assam go emotional when we see the Nation’s Prime Minister wearing the find out a “permanent solution”. But did we find one? Every year we condemn, every year Traditional Gamusa, meanwhile the person never visited Assam to actually introspect, rather we sob tears, learning the miseries of Lakh of the populations affected by the Annual Floods. would also call to take stock of the situation? Except, the negligence & carelessness about The problem of decades still remains unspoken, unreported and unknown. As such, who Assam, what is the ONE primary reason behind the floods? holds the responsibility? Continued On Page: 08 Continued On Page: 08 “RELIEFS” SHOULD NOW THE DEMISE OF INC IS LOCATED BE “SOLUTIONS” AT 10 JANPATH sit? What is Sanitisation when By: Biprajit Roy Chaudhury your home is washed away? Dreams to succeed, but to watch through a phase which no one would who are not appreciating of what reality drown can be devastating. have expected 10 years earlier from has been given to them by the party. Once upon a time, flood brought now. With two successive breakouts joy for the soil to be fertile. Today, from the party, the Congress needs Recurring citation of Sachin Pilot’s that joyous heart is hard to handle, to question what the top tier achievements as rather heavenly so fragile. decision making group is doing if gifts provided by the Congress not pulling the party together after Party – one has to wonder that if What we serve is a “relief”, but successive defeats in two General it is a party that can only give a the lives of the affected will only Elections. With Jyotiraditya Scindia ticket and the individual efforts of receive the true ‘relief’, once the and Sachin Pilot overtly expressing the candidate are what makes him yearly ritual of floods vanish.The their discontent with the party, one win or lose then how is it that the Photographs speak louder than has to wonder what Sonia Gandhi party becomes directly responsible their voices. Assam Floods have is actually doing as the current party for Sachin Pilot becoming a MP at only seen devastation since years president and where is she leading a young age. now. INC to if not a dark phase of loss and despair. The Indian National Congress “More than we need is a reason which started as party that to live”. The question remains The sons of former Congress incorporated and accommodated the same every year: is there a loyalists, Madhavrao Scindia and various lines of thought and sects PERMANENT SOLUTION? Rajesh Pilot, all was not well with of individuals and still managed to From the Editor Or will every year, there will be their sons as they felt sidelined by the survive with negligible breakaways. only ‘reliefs’ to compensate the party in their own states’ working hat is Social- unsolved riddle? Bitter but true, he grand party or the affairs – or as put by the current Continued on Page: 08 Distancing when you people should give up hope that dynastic party or the Indian Congress party members that these barely have 6ft area to W the Assam Floods could be solved. TNational Congress is going two are just two greedy individuals International PUBLIC’S EASILY OBTAINABLE AND PARTICIPATORY E-MEDIA 2 Sunday, 19 July ,2020 New Ebola Outbreak SYSTEMATIC RACISM: Grows in Western DRC A GLOBAL RESPONSE Image source: www.google.com By Pallavi Dey by starting from within our organiza- tures and regulations to become more tions,” wrote Vijay Eswaran, Execu- comprehensive. Image source: www.google.com acial discrimination is tive Chairman of QI Group. As the While some initiatives have been By Raktim Ronojoy Neog An epidemic of the virus on the a widespread issue that uproar began to acquire momentum, welcomed, others have fallen flat for other side of the country that began in has been an ongoing and global businesses and organizations appearing hypocritical or opportu- bola is spreading in the August 2018 killed more than 2,277 commonlyR overlooked problem. are propelled into the scenario and nistic. Amazon tweeted its solidarity western Democratic Re- people. The WHO declared the out- Staying silent has proven to be de- are observed taking action – by sup- with the black community which public of the Congo (DRC), break over in Ituri and North Kivu structive, making one duplicitous in porting the Black Lives Matter move- was criticized for its role in selling withE nearly 50 known cases across a provinces on June 25. the system of oppression and griev- ment, tackling inequality in their facial recognition technology to law large region bordering the Republic Experts said the use of a vaccine ances. But, this year with the killing own workplaces, donating to social enforcement. Similarly, Nike’s ad of the Congo and the Central African and swift containment efforts includ- of George Floyd on 25 May 2020 by justice organizations, and using their against racism has been called out for Republic, the World Health Organiza- ing mobile hand washing stations and a Minnesota police officer spurred a platforms to promote racial diversity, the company’s lack of racial diversity tion (WHO) has said. a door-to-door education campaign global agitation and resuscitated the inclusion, and equity in the business on its executive leadership team. Ebola outbreaks in the DRC are kept the disease at bay. long movement to end the system- community. Thus, a brand’s history with such recurrent as the virus is present in an While the number of infections in ic racism and inequality that have There are many companies that an issue plays an integral role. animal reservoir in many parts of the the new outbreak is low, Ryan cau- reigned not only in the US but also have gone a level up and declared Prominently in the USA, Accord- country. tioned: “In the era of COVID, it is in workplaces and corporate commu- many statements in public so as to ing to Bostic, the first Black person Mike Ryan, the WHO’s top emer- very important that we do not take nities across the world. make their workplace more inclusive to head one of the Fed’s 12 region- gencies expert, said on Monday that our eyes off these other emerging dis- Since then, social media and and productive. For instance, Apple al branches, “the reckoning needs to 48 cases had been confirmed, while a eases”. streets in the United States and announced the launch of the ‘Apple be deeper, grappling with a legacy of total of 20 people have died, in DRC’s “We saw in North Kivu and other around the world have been thronged Racial Equity and Justice Initiative’, economic disadvantages which opens Equateur province since authorities previous outbreaks of Ebola that these with protesters demanding justice. with an investment of $100 million a broader discussion of whether mon- announced a new outbreak there on can get out of control very easily,” he Nevertheless, these protests have also which will focus on education, eco- etary reparations to repair the dam- June 1. added. expanded into the business realm nomic equality, and criminal jus- age of discrimination make sense, for The province includes part of the The DRC, one of the world’s and have exposed companies, brands, tice.PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta example, of how tax, social and em- River Congo, he said, adding that it poorest countries, is also dealing with individuals for their behaviors, com- wrote in his recent op-ed in Fortune, ployment policy should change, of was a large geographical area where a measles epidemic that has killed ments, and practices. in which he announced a commit- whether the Fed should build racial communities were linked, and people more than 6,000 people, as well as There’s a disturbing paradox in ment of $400 million over five years metrics into its policy analysis or be travelled long distances. COVID-19, which has infected more the workplace which is evident in a to “to lift up Black communities and given broader powers to help individ- The newest outbreak is the 11th in than 3,000 and killed 188, according majority of worldwide organizations increase Black representation at Pep- ual households.” the DRC since scientists first charac- to official figures.