Editor,
The dastardly and horrendous attack on Ms. Agnes Kharshiing and her friend Ms. Amita Sangma, have transgressed all norms of civilized behavior. There are no words strong enough to condemn such a despicable act which has lost all compassion even for unarmed women. The conscience of a section of our society has already gone to the dogs. Money and only money rules their hearts. Kong Agnes, as she is fondly called, is a renowned social activist and a champion of the downtrodden. Her sacrifice will go in vain if we do not rise up and root out the rot that has pervaded all layers of our society. Mere arrest and police enquiry will not help. This is a multi-dimentional problem as it involves multiple stake holders, the Coal Mafia, the Police, the Politicians, the Bureaucrats. The NGT ban on coal mining was spat on its face. The nexus is so entrenched that it needs a thorough, independent enquiry. We need to investigate all the circumstances that led to this episode which symbolizes the degeneration of a society which stand on ‘Kamai ia ka Hok’. I would suggest that nothing less than a judicial enquiry by a High Court Judge will suffice and bring back the much needed trust of the public on the Govt., its governance and that of the law enforcement machineries. The terms of reference may be decided with a view to unearth this filth and it should be a time bound enquiry otherwise as we have experienced, public memory is very short.
Yours etc
Torist Mark,
Shillong -6
Bloodthirsty coal mafia
Editor,
Banning of coal mining in Meghalaya by NGT has turned out to be a big hoax because this ban is violated left and right and with impunity. There is no effective, powerful authority that can implement the ban. Actually the immediate authority to implement the ban is the Meghalaya Government through its law enforcing authorities viz the District Authorities and the Police. But they have not only failed miserably but have closed their eyes and have allowed rampant illegal coal mining,transporting and sale of coal to the logical destinations. This has been going on almost immediately after the ban in 2014. The lacuna in the order of the NGT was that it also allowed transportation and sale of the already extracted coal, after the ban was imposed. The ban should have also included a ban on transportation and sale of the already extracted coal because in the name of the “already extracted coal” illegal coal mining was still carrying on and fresh stocks of coal is replenished in the depots and got the tag of coal already extracted before the ban. In fact, most of the coal miners take refuge in this in theyears preceding the ban. However, even after the ban on extraction, sale and transportation of coal, the coal mafia took advantage of the rider in the ban that allowed coal extracted before April 2014 to be transported but only after the officially appoimted by the Supreme Court had taken stock of the exsiting stocks of coal. Hence illegal coal mining, transporting and sale was continued unabated. Even as I write these few lines, illegal coal mining, transporting and sale of coal is still continuing with no one to put a stop to this illegality; not even the Supreme Court which took over the coal issue from the NGT. The fact is that there is no competent authority to put a stop to the illegal mining, transporting and sale of coal in Meghalaya. Perhaps it is better to lift the ban on coal mining and allow it to resume by following the coal working plan and working scheme to ensure that the environment is not destroyed and by restoring the already destroyed environment.
Now, the bare fact of why illegal mining, transporting and sale of coal is still continuing despite NGT ban is that there is a deep collusion and nexus between politicians,bureaucrats,police and the coal mafia. This is indeed a deadly and carefully knit web which is difficult to dislodge or break. Hence what can the lowly magistrates and police do except to allow the system to flow smoothly as they also have their own cuts from the coal transactions. Hence, ayone trying to put a hindrance to the system will be eliminated forthwith just like what the coal mafia did to Kong Agnes Kharshiing and Amita Sangma of CSWO, Poipynhun Majaw, RTI Activist, and Marshall Biam another activist of North East Indigenous People Federation. These horrific acts should be roundly condemned and the perpetrators must be arrested.
Yours etc
Philip Marwein,
Via email
Coal mining and violence
Editor,
The attack on the social activists by the coal mafia is systemic! For systemic problem and how to solve it, it must start at the top and not the bottom otherwise one will never be able to bring solution!
Every right thinking citizen must raise the voice against the menace and we send our empathy to the hurt persons! No words can be string enough against such dastardly cowardice when women are violently attacked!
D Kitbok Ryntathiang,
Camp: Pathum Thani,
Thailand