Editor,
The KHADC Chief Executive Member P. N. Syiem has recently asserted that a Special Leave Litigation will be filed before the apex court vis-à-vis the Meghalaya High Court ruling on traditional institutions. Mr. Syiem’s countermove is in the wake of the ruling of this Hon’ble High Court which directed the State Govt. to formulate a suitable and holistic legislation to set at rest the on-going controversies surrounding this issue. Mr. Syiem’s contention is premised on the fact that the State Govt. possesses no inalienable right whatsoever in codifying laws for headmen who are empowered by the district councils.
The current stand-off of these organs of powers has left many of us in a tunnel vision! Come what may, the establishment of the Meghalaya High Court, to be précised on March 23, 2013 has wrought in dramatic social changes in the State and we must be grateful to such a temple of justice which endeavours to usher in a transparent administration to the very foundations of the grass-root administrative set up like subjecting the Rangbah Shnongs within the define parameters of RTI; to rope them within the definition of “Public Servant” purportedly to include the latter under the provisions of Criminal law implying: Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 in case of any financial irregularities or, for that matter, any of the economic offences. Hence, it can be conclusively inferred that henceforth to be elected as one of the Rangbah Shnongs would not be like treading a bed of roses for those who had hitherto harboured such notions. The said High Court has indeed given a stunning wake up call to many of us the laid-back denizens who couldn’t care less about the value of attitude to life.
As a commoner, however, I’m, to call a spade a spade, not an overly expert of the finer nuances of legal implications which led Mr. Syiem to approach the apex court but, in the context of this legal wrangle in our State I am incidentally reminded of one of the articles, not of course related to Meghalaya, of Mr. A. S. Aiyar, one of the best known columnists of India, who had expressly stated a few months before, thus: “Such problems often arise with judicial over-reach, when courts begin to issue executive orders. Courts are designed to judge whether something is right or wrong. They are not designed to make policies……”
All said and done and as things stand to-day, a discerning law abiding citizen like me will find himself in a mind-boggling complexity over the ongoing legal tussle pitched between the Court, our State Govt and the irrepressible Mr. Syiem who passionately wants to uphold the inviolable rights of the traditional institutions of this land of Hynniewtrep.
Yours etc.,
Jerome Diengdoh
Shillong – 2
AG’s office please take note!
Editor,
A part of the footpath along the boundary on the eastern part of the A G’ s office is always flooded with sewage water leaking from the campus of the said office premises since long. For pedestrians it become difficult to use that part. They have to come down to the main road risking their lives as that is a very busy junction where vehicles move at high speed. The office has an estate officer to look after and maintain the estate. I am surprised how this leakage has remained unnoticed and unattended for such a long time. I think he is not aware and least bothered about discharging his responsibilities. If an establishment like this fails to discharge its responsibilities how we can expect our city to be clean and tidy and above all who shall be held responsible if any one succumbs to his / her injuries while avoiding that part of the foot path to land on the road and get hit by a speeding vehicle? The said foot path is also too narrow and without any safety protection or guard wall, since the road is one way and with heavy traffic at all times of the day. Hence the appropriate authority should take steps to widen it a little more with protected guard wall / grill so that pedestrians can cross easily and use the foot path without risking their lives.
Yours etc.,
Nilanjan Bhattacharjee
Shillong -6.
Unfair creamy apartheid
Editor,
Apropos the report titled, “Bengaluru’s shame” (“Round the states”, ST, February 6, 2016), the mindset of the mob that tortured a 21 year old Tanzanian student at Bengaluru street has a deep rooted sewerage connection with hatred and prejudices against women in general and dark complexion in particular. India’s sex ratio of 940 women against 1000 men exposes the practice of killing girl child through foeticide and infanticide. Though things are slowly changing but women are still treated as gender dalits. They are being projected as animals in popular B-grade reel world. Reel heroes resort to eve teasing to ‘tame’ heroines and those have been sold as love stories. Heroines are to dance with minimal clothes even in subzero temperatures with monkey-cap clad heroes as if women are not human beings so there is no question of their catching cold. With such animal tag in her forehead, a woman is to face apartheid in marriage market if she happens to have a dark complexion. Cosmetic companies freely fan the existing colour prejudice for selling their fairness creams. Such attitudes against the fair sex and dark complexion explain Bengaluru mob’s becoming so furious with a black woman.
In fact, many avatars of prejudices are dancing in the dark in the courtyard of our country that have created gender dalits (women), colour dalits (girls with dark complexion), language dalits (non-Hindi speakers in Hindi heartland), class dalits (poor who are in the wrong side of hit and run) besides caste dalits. That nine dalit students committed suicide in Hyderabad University in just five years clearly indicates what a hostile environment a dalit is to face in educational institutions in twenty first century India. The juggernaut of prejudice against caste dalits still rules the roost. This prejudice of hatred has a new language avatar. It is a matter of concern that non-Hindi speakers in Hindi heartland are being relegated to language dalits. Such prejudice is creating walls of falsehood among us and kills Nido Tanias in the process. However, it is seen that the existence of so many avatars of prejudices cannot hide the age old class hatred. After the 2002 hit and run incident at a Mumbai street, a Bollywood singer is quoted as having said that a dog will die a dog’s death if it sleeps on a road. This clearly exposes our attitude towards class dalits. In fact, the monster of hatred is still so powerful that it makes parents kill their wards in the name of pedigree. Such a canibalistic and horrific acts are passed off for honour (!) killing. According to statistics from the United Nations, one in five cases of honour killing internationally every year comes from India.
The need of the hour is to fight in all possible ways against prevalent hatred for dalits of all hues. The Preamble of the Constitution of India resolves to secure FRATERNITY. It is our duty to translate it into reality in our everyday life. Any departure should, adequately, be dealt with. The environment should make us realise the truth that a rainbow is so beautiful because it is multicoloured.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De
Kolkata -700110