Editor,
Kudos to the Chief Minister for walking the talk and taking pro-active measures regarding the environment. I would however bring to the attention of all that the theme for World Environment Day 2018 was perhaps the most direct in many years. Ban Single Use Plastic Bags and the slogan “If you can’t REUSE it REFUSE it!” I find this missing in the Meghalaya Campaign which only talks of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! The first RE must be REFUSE!! In fact more than 25 State Governments and many more cities aren’t giving citizens an option to REFUSE, they are simply banning the use of single use plastic bags and imposing hefty fines on the offenders. Why are we not taking this up?? If within seconds, access to internet and social media can be cut, are we in Meghalaya so inefficient that it takes us more than 25 years to enforce the ban on plastic bags. This campaign started that many years ago with organisations such as MEWS and Shillong We Care and many more. In fact, the use of single use plastic bags seems to be increasing exponentially in Shillong. Everything is sold in such bags, including our beloved “kwai” and it’s become our right! PLEASE can we put the REFUSE before REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE.
Honorable CM Sir, may I humbly suggest that together with your innovative “Walk With Me” PLEASEEEEEE add “Say NO with ME!” Could you ban the use of single use plastic bags in the Secretariat for a start!
Yours etc.,
Carmo Noronha,
Shillong -1
Minority communalism
Editor,
After a Muslim cleric from Karnataka caused a fracas by stating cows would be slaughtered during Bakrid, popular lyricist and activist Javed Akhtar slammed the comments as “irresponsible and outrageous.” The noted writer very appropriately maintained, “Secularism doesn’t mean ignoring or tolerating minority communalism”. The lyricist suggested that this irresponsible and outrageous cleric Tanveer Hashim should immediately be arrested for trying to create communal tension in Bengaluru.
The cleric, Tanveer Peera Hashim, reportedly made his remarks during his sermon on the occasion of a Ramzan prayer meeting held in Vijayapura in North Karnataka. He stated, “Let me bring to your notice, in two months time there will be Bakrid. In the name of cow, this satan (devil) will do a mischief. I am telling you (the minister) this beforehand so as to ensure that with the cow another sacrifice does not happen,” Hashim said, while addressing the crowd in Urdu. Ironically, Health and Family Welfare Minister Shivanand Patil was also present among the listeners. The volatile remarks sparked a row as cow slaughter is banned in Karnataka. The cleric heads the Hashim Pir Dargah at Vijayapura.
It is inexplicable as to why the advocates of pluralism like social activist and writer Arundhati Roy and many other ambassadors of tolerance in the country are maintaining a stoic silence on this issue. Why is the secular Congress party and its allies in Karnataka as well as elsewhere in the country dumb, mute and speechless?
Yours etc.,
Samares Bandyopadhyay
Advocate, Kolkata High Court
Potential for organic farming
Editor,
Way back in 2003, “Sikkim Organic Mission” was initiated by the Government of Sikkim, with the grand ambition of becoming a hundred percent organic state. The Government of Sikkim sensed the unhealthy use of chemical pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers in agricultural and its negative influence on people’s health as well as the environment. Accordingly, the government set out to adopt the organic method of farming based on ecologically balanced agricultural principles.
Organic farming does not demand the use of chemically prepared supplements and for pest control but promotes the use of biological materials for growing and nurturing the crops. This landlocked Himalayan state with comparatively less land available for cultivation has earned the honour of being the only organic state in India, setting an example for the other ‘prosperous’ and ‘favoured’ states in India.
Meghalaya, a biologically rich and naturally blessed state, has the potential to adopt the organic way of farming. A number of farmers have been for generations practising various traditional farming methods which involve minimal or no use of chemicals. These farming methods are not just limited to influencing positive health among people, but, also help in maintaining a healthy, natural environment. As Meghalaya is well known for its commendable contribution to conserving the environment by using various traditional and scientific methods, hence adoption of organic farming throughout the state will add up to its ecological health. Meghalaya’s ecotourism along with organic farming will make a perfect blend that will accelerate the state’s growth and development, as people will get to experience the mesmeric natural environment as well as consume natural, healthy and chemical free agricultural produce.
Now, it’s for the government and the relevant divisions to decide upon the introduction of a flagship mission to promote and finance organic farming throughout the state, believing that Meghalaya has the potential to be an Organic State.
Let us make “Meghalaya Organic Mission” a reality.
Yours etc.,
Saurav Thapa,
Shillong- 2
Needed strong cyber crime laws!
Editor,
Your editorial, “Another voice silenced” (ST, June 16, 2018) has rightly observed that with the brutal killing of another courageous journalist, Syed Shujaat Bukhari the world of journalism and free speech is poorer and is even more under threat today than ever before. It is a shame that some people have been abusing the social/ electronic media. They are largely responsible for pushing India backwards in press freedom from 133 in 2016 to 136 in 2017 to 138 this year in World Press Freedom Index.
Some of those who use social media can go to the extreme of celebrating a brutal killing of a courageous lady editor, Gauri Lankesh! They can spit unprintable filthy abuse whenever an opinion does not tally with their own. Social media has even been made a place for uploading caste/ gender atrocities to create a reign of terror. It is even being used to manufacture a riot or to lynch people after giving them a bad name like child lifters etc.!
The need of the hour is to strictly implement cyber crime laws.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata