The recent spat between the Assam Agricultural University and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, over the damage caused to the College of Veterinary Science Multi-Purpose Playground is unfortunate and could have been avoided.
In a written reply to an RTI query, the Associate Director of Students’ Welfare, College of Veterinary Science, Khanapara, it was alleged that the ruling BJP was responsible for the damage to the ground.
It is very strange, why the ADSW has replied to the RTI query, when there is a PIO of the faculty, who has been entrusted to reply to all such queries. From the documents available with your news portal, it is obvious that the PIO was not only aware about the activities of the ADSW, but was instrumental in authorizing the ADSW to reply to the RTI queries, which is against the normal protocol.
The present multi-purpose playground was a barren piece of land, and it was only in 1976, that the land was developed as a “Yuva Nagar”, to accommodate the delegates of the Youth Congress, during the All India Congress Committee session held in Guwahati.
After the session the ground was developed to its present stature by Late Jatin Goswami, the then Deputy Director of Students’ Welfare. It was the untiring efforts of late Goswami, overseeing the earth filling, with an umbrella to beat the hot summer sun, that the ground was developed to be one of the best playgrounds of Guwahati.
Any person, who has played in this ground, has an emotional attachment to the ground. So when they witness the desecration of the ground by activities other than sports they are hurt.
But it would be very unfortunate to single out a political party for the damage caused to the playground. Every succeeding government in Dispur, has used the playground for various activities, be it Government or political. The ground has also been used by various organizations, including the Army, to show-case their activities. Hosting all these activities has taken its toll on the playground.
So to blame the Bharatiya Janata Party for the present state of the ground reveals a partisan attitude. My humble submission to the University Authority is to stop crying over spilled milk and utilize the money, which have been sanctioned by the government, for the repair of the playground, and also to review the process of renting out the playground.
