Editor,
The article “Joyful Inclusive Education For Free” by Iwamon Laloo and Glenn Kharkongor evokes a feeling of happiness and joy as the subject matter of the article stands testimony to the truth that love, devotion, compassion and humanity is still very much alive. Where everything around us seems to be so murky and vicious, the dedication and willing hearts of the five teachers under the visionary, Bilian Lamare is not only commendable but also an example worth emulating. In today’s age where nothing comes for free, the five have not only led the way by giving their valuable time but most importantly their dedication and willingness to share what they had acquired and achieved and thereby spread the message of oneness and solidarity amongst those who are less fortunate. To all the students of this “unique school” one wishes them luck and to the teachers a big salute and God’s blessings. May we have many more such kind hearts and good Samaritans to be torchbearers for a better and peaceful tomorrow!
Yours etc.,
Jenniefer Dkhar,
Via email
Dangerous shadow of mobile towers
Editor,
The proverb of yore – “Home is where the heart is” is literally stale now. Today, the more accepted equivalent is, “Mobile phone is where the heart is.” Nearly every one of us is engrossed with our mobile sets either chatting or playing games, endlessly or checking emails and so on and so forth. As often noticed, no one pays much attention to what others say or are aware as to who has come in and who has gone out, but we all tune our ears to the message tone and all eyes turn to the cell phone screen.
The current feeling is that we should have more mobile chargers, wifi facilities and such techno-products in every waiting room instead of magazines and books. No doubt, mobile phones have made our lives easier since we can do almost everything on them, but they have also made us slaves. Though we do the important things through our mobile sets, most of us use this set for the unimportant things, and for a whole lot of frivolous fun.
Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitters, YouTube are the four principle forces that do not let our attention deviate from the android set. Many of us are so addicted to it that it is the first thing we look at in the morning, and it is the last thing we look at before we fall asleep. We cannot keep our eyes away even for 5 minutes. Our attention is fixed to our mobile sets. Frankly speaking, with our increasing cell phone dependence, the mobile towers around our town have increased by leaps and bounds. Perhaps many are still not aware that they are standing tall at the cost of our own health. They are casting their sinister shadows which invariably send out the bombardment of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). Unlike the light waves, this radiation from mobile towers can penetrate deep into the bone marrow and damage each individual cell unit and the like.
The normal belief that “bad news travels fast,” does not apply at all to the mobile tower’s bad impact. Such bitter truth is deliberately suppressed by the greedy mobile companies and their allied service providers. The media is also hand in glove in the game. It is in the know that certain corporate houses also fund their own bunch of devious scientists who put forth false contentions to counter the genuinely investigated findings.
Well, to erect such mobile “monsters,” the companies appoint a number of agents. Those slimy agents on their part chase after the uninformed building owners. These days they are making their foray into the rural segment. Every possible cunning method is used by them to convince owners’ of the property. With the lure of monthly rental, the unsuspecting owners are made to sign the papers which they can’t even read. The clauses in the agreement are totally in favour of the company. This is how the building owners and the nearby residents are deceitfully made to swallow the harmful electromagnetic radiation (EMR). Days are not far when building owners will end up spending 1000 times more money in medical treatments than what they would get from the company. This does not end here, and all the neighboring residents, for no fault of theirs also have to face the equal heat of EMR. They just become the collateral sufferers in future. More about the monster tower and its adverse impacts will be discussed in the next letter.
Yours etc.,
Salil Gewali,
Shillong-2
Link filing RTI to Aadhar Card
Editor,
At a time when central government is linking every aspect of day-to-day life with Aadhaar Card, it is high time that filing RTI applications may also be linked to Aadhaar Card mainly to prevent filing fake RTI applications in the name of others and to prevent misuse of RTI Act, with the phenomenon now being quite common. Linking RTI with Aadhaar Card will also make people file RTI applications with responsibility.
There is absolutely no logic in the baseless argument that attaching Identity-proof with RTI applications will reveal the identity of the applicant, because identity is already disclosed through name and contact-details including address given on an RTI application. Attaching copy of Aadhaar Card will just verify the correctness of identity-details given in the RTI application. Provision if recorded in database will reveal persons making frequent use of the transparency Act. Rather the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) is duty-bound to attach the ID proof compulsorily with every RTI application because of clear directions by Punjab and Haryana High Court in its order dated 02.11.2012 in the matter -Fruit & Merchant Union vs Unknown (CWP 4787 of 2011).
Yours etc.,
Madhu Agrawal,
Delhi – 6