Editor,
On December 6, 2007 the Supreme Court upheld the earlier judgment of the Delhi high court asserting that school teachers cannot be deployed for election duty on teaching days. Dismissing the appeal of the Election Commission, a two bench judgment approved the High Court ruling. St Mary’s and other schools had challenged in the Delhi High Court the practice of the EC using teachers for election duty on the grounds that it was hampering the academic interests of students.
This is considered a historic judgment. However, The Election Commission of India and the State Election Commissions continue to flout this judgment. Is it not contempt of the highest court of the land? In the last Parliamentary Elections teachers were deployed. Presently in Garo Hills teachers have been given orders to perform election duty in the upcoming GHADC election. This is a clear violation of the Apex Court’s judgment. Though the election is for a day but a day or two prior to and post election date teachers have to be absent from school duties. You can imagine a school with half of the teachers absent from school for three to four days. It adversely affects the normal function and discipline in the school. This is a real concern as these are days when teachers have to complete the syllabus before the final examination. The worst t sufferers are class X and class XII students as they ready for their Selection examinations. The Election Commission is requested to exempt teachers from election duty as per the Supreme Court of India’s ruling.
Yours etc.,
Albert Thyrniang
Tura, West Garo Hills
Mawpat Forest land!
Editor,
After going through the articles and letters on the issue of the MawpatMawlai Forest land, I may mention here that making any agreement with KHADC on the issue would pave the way for deforestation in the said forest. Going-by the track record of the KHADC one should understand how this organization under the pretext of protecting the tribals, has been resorting to all types of activities disastrous to the environment and later leaving us tribals high and dry. Some members of the Syiem clan want to have an agreement with the KHADC with the ulterior motive of usurping the forest land by a group of Bakhraw Batri ( reflecting caste system amongst tribals). They want to dispose it off by dividing the land into plots. Some members of the Syiem clan want to use the land for their own interests only, while some others are opposing all the above attempts, but want to let it remain a forest land. It is difficult to judge who is right and who is wrong here but may I suggest that the State Government should acquire the entire land and declare it a Reserved Forest. This will end the controversy once and for all.
Yours etc.,
B K Lyngdoh Thabah,
Shillong-8