Editor,
Once again my daughter was deprived of her right to exercise her franchise. There was NO RAMP for the wheelchair without which she is immobile. The Supreme Court of India accepted the writ petition of the Disabled Rights Group on the 5th of October 2007. The Honourable Court’s verdict was – (a)Polling Stations to compulsorily have ramps to enable disabled persons to have an easy access ( b)The numbers in the EVMs to be made available in Braille for the benefit of the Visually Impaired.(c)Separate queues and special arrangements be made for persons with disability in polling stations, and (d)The polling station personnel are to be extra courteous and render necessary assistance to persons with disability. Will an FIR against the Election Commission serve any purpose? The laws enacted are never implemented. As I have said many a time before, one ought to have the desire to consider anyone as a fellow human being. A disabled is also a human and a citizen of our country – the largest democracy in the world.
Yours etc,
Sajjad M. Ali
Shillong-1
Have money, break the rules
Editor,
I am deeply concerned by a certain news about schools levying fines on students for breaking the rules. A cousin of mine who is about fourteen years of age told me that the school she studies in will levy ‘fines’ for students who break the rules. The fine ranges from from ten rupees to five hundred rupees. This may not be an attention grabbing topic but there are serious questions that need to be addressed. Firstly should school authorities impose this kind of punishment? What are they teach the kids anyway? Are they saying that it’s alright to be unscrupulous as long as you can afford it? Or that crime has a price tag and it’s totally acceptable to break the rules if you can afford the fines? What happens to students who cannot pay fines? Will they be expelled? It just doesn’t make sense at all.
I am familiar with the phrase “money talks”, but we cannot forget that this is happening in the realm of learning. The institution already charges very high fees not to mention, the extra payments for “co-curricular activities”. So if apart from all these, students must also pay for their pranks then the principal of that particular school is no less than a con man.
Lastly, if this sort of reprimand is encouraged then what would become of these budding young minds? Punishment is the price that students pay for misconduct and I’m not talking of physical punishment here but detention after class hours etc. This letter, is just to express my apprehension, because I think that it is a very dangerous precedence.
Yours etc.,
Jerry Lucius Pyrtuh,
Via email
On DC’s clarification
Editor,
I refer to the letter “Clarification from DC, WGH” in ST dated 25.2.13. I would like to remind the DC that criticism is part and parcel of a high profile job such as the one he holds. All criticism should be welcomed and used in a constructive manner to prevent future recurrences. Even if one has the very best of intentions and an exemplary record, one cannot escape criticism from sections of society that may be genuinely aggrieved. While some criticism may arise due to personal vendetta like he suggests, this percentage would be quite small and insignificant. The whole point is, the DC should look at every bit of criticism objectively and not merely assign it to personal vendetta. He should be looking at ways and means of improving his administration continuously instead of lashing out at his critics. Mr, Bakhsi’s response has been anything but mature for an IAS Officer and quite disappointing for the general public. By all means, let him fight his personal battles with his detractors if he deems it fit to do so without denigrating the office he holds. But at the same time, let him respond to criticism in a positive and constructive manner, by assuring the public that his office is taking steps to prevent a recurrence of those mishaps which invited criticism in the first place! The DC needs to be reminded that he is a public servant and therefore his actions are under public scrutiny. He is the one who is answerable to the public and not the other way round.
Yours etc.,
James Pariat
Shillong
Lessons not learnt !
Editor,
Last Thursday’s twin bomb blast that claimed 16 lives in Hyderabad have delivered yet another stern message not just to Andhra Pradesh but to the Central and all state governments. Unfortunately, no lessons seem to have been learnt from the past. It was on the 18th May 2007 that the Mecca Masjid in the old city of Hyderabad witnessed a provocative act of terrorism. Within three months, the city had seen a repeat, that time with so much devastation (25th August 2007 at Lumbini Park, Hyderabad) in which 40 people lost their lives. Last week’s twin bomb blast has raised another question of how safe is India?
As a traumatized Hyderabad mourns its dead, a hard look at the terrorist strikes and the question whether the intelligence Bureau’s warning was acted upon are relevant not so much for fixing the blame as for the pointers they throw up for the corrective action required. The focus must shift to ways of preventing such tragedies and, should they occur, responding to them. The latest bombings have exposed not only the lack of local intelligence, but also the woeful inadequacy of the mechanism, if one exists at all, to handle tragedies and disasters on so massive a scale.
The threat perception level remains very high not only in Andhra Pradesh but other states of India including North Eastern States. This needs to be watched, monitored and analysed thoroughly if dastardly terrorist attacks are to be prevented. A greater coordination among various wings of the state police and regular exchange of information and intelligence with the Central agencies acquire importance in this exercise. To meet the challenge of terrorism successfully, these issues need to be addressed with a sense of urgency.
Yours etc.,
Bivan R. Mukhim
Shillong – 22