Editor,
Apropos the news item, ‘ Fear of Devil keeps voters away’ (ST March 1, 2018), I must say I was amused to learn that there are still people out there who are carried away by spellbinding preachers about the absurd linkages of Aadhaar, EPIC, EVMs and ‘666’ or the head of all Satan – Lucifer. The most absurd thing is that quite a good number of voters of Mawkyrwat constituency were influenced by this group of preachers allegedly led by one Phawa who alleged that Aadhaar, EPIC & EVMs are linked to Satan or ‘666″. This was the reason why the believers of this message did not turn out to vote on February 27. I wonder what type of credulous believers are these? Have all of them lost their common sense or is it that their belief has overtaken their common sense? On my part I find quite it difficult to believe the above humbug.
My only question is whether the group of preachers led by this Phawa is responsible for voters not turning up at the polling booth. Are these preachers responsible for disseminating falsehood with regard to the linkages which led to the non-exercise of their franchise by the voters in question and whether they (preachers) are liable to be prosecuted under the appropriate sections of the Representation of the Peoples’ Act? I also appeal to the CEO of Meghalaya to take cognizance of this fact, and cause a suitable enquiry so that the matter is taken to its logical conclusion to the satisfaction of all concerned. Non-exercise of franchise by so many voters from several villages under Mawkyrwat constituency may affect the results of the current election in this particular constituency.
Yours etc.,
Philip Marwein,
Shillong-2.
A timely action!
Editor,
“A stitch in time saves nine” goes the maxim and so the timely action to preempt post poll violence by the State in vulnerable pockets is admirable. These days people are bad losers and vent their anger on anything and anyone. What happened to Late Jonathan N Sangma and his companions should not be repeated although the incident could have an altogether different angle after the supposed author of this act was supposedly gunned down. This has raised many eyebrows and questions. But let natural justice be done and I better leave it at that!
There are two kinds of terrorists one with the gun to cause violence and the other are the moneybags who ‘loot and
scoot’ from the banks. The latter are the worst kinds of terrorists and should be branded as “ Economic Terrorists.” They must be
ruthlessly dealt with and those conniving with them should be branded “Domestic Co-Economic Terrorists’ and meted equal
treatment. The news report that the CBI could not track the Nirav Modi-Mehul Choksi duo (mama-bhanja) mega crooks is disappointing but they (CBI) are constrained by external pulls and pressures surrounding global ties that India has with all nations and which compels it to tread with utmost restraint. Even global detective agencies might not be able to track them for they could pass off as harmless civilians. Besides there are no dearth of ‘moles’ in every arm of the Govt. who will alert these mega ‘economic terrorists,’ about proposed action by Govt. These crooks must be brought to book at any cost as they have robbed every penny of the middle class, the poor and all the hard earned money of the Indian citizen. As regards the Congress-BJP spar on the issue of Nirav Modi -Mehul, Choksi it is illogical to presume that children can grow into adults overnight without their parents giving them birth in the first place. The crooks took advantage of the chaotic situation arising out of demonetization where crooked employees of public sector banks pilfered and exchanged cartons of pink currency via the back door in exchange for old notes by business tycoons as shown by almost all national TV channels at the time. And how did they account for discrepancies in the balance sheet? With the unpaid loans of NPAs of course! PM Modi’s well intentioned move boomeranged on him. The then RBI Governor from 2011 to 2016 Raghuram Rajan predecessor to the present Governor Urjit Patel should be held accountable for his negligence.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best!
Yours etc.
Sonaram M Sangma,
Tura.
Missing the woods for the trees!
Editor,
Apropos Micheal N. Syiem’s letter: ‘Oratory skills and substance’ (ST Feb 20, 2018) in which the latter in commenting against my letter: Can’t see why Paul can’t win (ST Feb16, 2018), has questioned how I, as a govt. employee have committed a bloomer by publicly writing on the State’s election issues and for which, Syiem wondered, if the State Election Commission would take action against me. Without mincing words, I’m privileged to articulate that I respect Syiem for not only having been an ex-President of KSU but I have been given to understand that he has had no less a brilliant academic career in the past; nonetheless I feel sorry that he overlooked the fact that my comments in the said letter relates to those bygone years of 2008 to 2013 and not definitely thereafter. Hence, after those five long years, one may have relinquished service for varied reasons like superannuation, voluntary retirement etc., and one is at liberty to exercise one’s constitutional rights like contesting elections a la our ex-bureaucrats currently contesting from 25-Mawsynram, 24 Mawphlang constituencies to mention a few; or, for that matter, one can write on any subject on earth but, of course, that must be within the ambit of the Constitution and under the specific frame-work of legality and rationality. In sum, I fear that Michael Syiem has not read between the lines of my letter in question and has thus missed the woods for the trees.
Yours etc.,
Jerome K Diengdoh,
Via email