Editor,
The result of the personal interview conducted by the District Selection Committee Tura for the post of Lower Division Assistant was declared on the 26th of September, 2017. It is utterly disappointing to hear the news of the selected candidates. Ms Annie Valentina D. Shira, who is currently the Additional Deputy Commissioner of West Garo Hills and Secretary of DSC, Tura has selected her son, Achilles Tangrik D. Shira and daughter, Francesca Tigana D. Shira in the second and fourth positions respectively. According to sources, Francesca Tigana D. Shira did not secure the minimum marks in her typing test which is the preliminary examination for the selection in the written examination and tracing back to the academic records of Achilles Tangrik D. Shira, it is clear that he is incapable of securing the second position. Certainly, the question paper for the written examination and personal interview must have been leaked to them.
Ms Shira, the acclaimed MCS officer who also served as a teacher in Christian Girls Higher Secondary School, Tura for the past several years stated in the Examination Hall that “ONLY THE BEST OF THE BEST WILL BE SELECTED.” This means her children are the best of the best but they never succeeded in the previously held MPSC and DSC examinations. However, under the chairmanship of their mother, a clandestine act takes place. This exam was a joke and the result has cost the time, hard work and determination of the deserving candidates who have now lost hope in DSC. No Secretary has ever disgracefully stolen the seats of the deserving candidates the way she has. A deaf ear has been given to the complaints made by the candidates and filing RTI served no purpose.
With high position comes great responsibility, however, A V D Shira has clearly deprived and practised fraud towards the deserving candidates. Is it fair to steal the rights of the youth who have dedicated their time and effort to achieve success and how long shall this continue?
Yours etc.,
Dalbot Shira,
Via email
Migration, citizenship and indigenous woes
Editor,
Migration is driven by demographic disparity, discrimination and opportunities. While Canada welcomed more than 40,000 Syrian refugees, 11 million Mexicans represent the largest unauthorized immigrant group in the US. India receives the world’s largest undocumented migration flow of up to 17 million people from Indo-Bangladesh corridor. India witnessed 4.7 million Hindus and Sikhs migrating from West Pakistan after partition. Communal riots and economic stagnation during liberation of Bangladesh have forced minority Hindus to leave. The East Pakistan Displaced Person (EDEP) colony at Chittaranjan Park, New Delhi, Bihar, Orissa and Mumbai are where they are settled. People chose the Barak valley after Sylhet joined East Pakistan. Kolkata saw mass flow of migration due to its industrial development. It is an undeniable fact that large-scale migrations have illegally taken place over many decades from Mymensingh to Assam and still continues. The indigenous Tripuris became minority in the princely state of Tripura.
The Indira-Mujib accord for granting citizenship to those that entered India by Mar 25, 1971 has created its own problems. The North East Frontier Agency, now Arunachal Pradesh made the mistake of settling the Chakma-Hajong as refugees in 1966. Now the Supreme Court has issued orders to stop evicting Chakma-Hajongs and instead to grant them citizenship with ST status despite the emotional concerns of the indigenous Arunachali. Mizoram has already drawn action plan by granting citizenship of Chakmas keeping the 2018 assembly election. The age old ethnic hatred between the Nagas and Kukis (driven out their homeland Myanmar in the 18th century) is well known. Rohingyas made headlines after the West Bengal WB, Mamata Banerjee expressed support for their rehabilitation in India. They are not refugees as they entered illegally and none has applied for asylum. They have to be deported. Except Assam other NE states enjoy rights for indigenous people to maintain and strengthen their distinct political, legal, economic, social and cultural institutions. The 500 km Indo-Bangla border is yet to be sealed. AASU is fighting for implementing Clause 6 of the Assam Accord. Now the Assam govt is supporting citizenshipl for Hindu Bangladeshis. India just can’t afford migrants anymore. Migration has significant implication for NE’s demography, economy, socio-cultural framework and environment. Political parties utilize migrants as a convenient political vote bank. Above all a long term solution is necessary for both indigenous and legal migrant communities to live and work together in harmony towards the development of the state. Should India welcome illegal immigrants on humanitarian grounds?
Yours etc.,
Kamal Baruah
Guwahati
The Rohingya conundrum
Editor,
This refers to Prof DK Giri’s article, “What could India do?” (ST, September 13, 2017). In his famous 1893 Chicago speech, Swami Vivekananda said, “I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth.” So if religion of the refugees like Rohingyas starts influencing the decision whether they are to be given shelter in our country or not then it will definitely show disrespect to Swami Vivekananda and his ideals. At a time, when we are celebrating his Chicago address, we must not forget what he had actually said in it, “We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true.”
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata