Editor,
Recently Health Minister, A.L Hek, has revealed that as many as 8 Congress MLAs are keen to join the BJP but they are waiting for another 5 more to be able to cause a split to avoid the anti-defection law. It is a fact that Congress MLAs here in Meghalaya, as anywhere else, are a worried lot. They have every reason to worry because the political positioning of the Congress in the state and in the country is not at all comfortable. Again the political situation in the whole country is far from comfortable for the Congress and in fact it is at its lowest ebb and there is nothing more to enthuse the rank and file of the Party. Many Congress leaders in several states are deeply worried and disgruntled and they speak in different voices contrary to that of the High Command. Almost all the Congress MLAs here in Meghalaya understand what’s is in store for them and they realise that facing the elections in 2023 will be a tough call as the party will, by then, have no more moral booster. The ship of the Congress is fast sinking and the usually green fields of the Congress are now all withered. However, as far as Meghalaya is concerned the political prospects of the BJP are not there as of today or even 5 years from now. As things stand it will take more time for BJP to be widely accepted in Meghalaya and many MLAs think hundred times before joining this Party. Hence the claim of Hek hardly convinces anyone and should be taken with a pinch of salt. The fact of the matter is that Congress MLAs are more inclined to join NPP and other parties than to join BJP. But one thing is certain; many Congress MLAs will shift allegiance before 2023 general elections.
Yours etc.,
Philip Marwein,
Via-email
Hong Kong protest subsides
Editor,
Millions of Hong Kong protesters now heaved a sigh of relief when the Chief Executive Carrie Lam finally accepted a key demand of pro-democracy protesters following three months of unrest, announcing the withdrawal of a much-loathed extradition bill. However, the activists have vowed to press on with their campaign. Moreover, Hong Kongers are dissatisfied with China’s rule in Hong Kong ever since its handover by the UK in 1997. One of the pressing demands of the protesters was to withdraw the bill extraditing criminal suspects to mainland China.
Following Carrie Lam’s acceding to the strikers’ demand for withdrawing the extradition bill, the rigid government has relented, thereby surprising the world. But her initiatives fall far short of the key demands of Hong Kong’s democracy movement, which include universal suffrage, exoneration for the 1,140 protesters arrested so far during the unrest, and a Commission of Inquiry into how the police have handled the protests, instead of referring the matter to the Police Complaints Council, which protesters say is dominated by pro-establishment figures. The IPCC also lacks the legal power to summon witnesses.
The Bill that sparked the Hong Kong protests would have allowed, for the first time, the extradition of fugitives to mainland China. Critics of the measure feared that Beijing would use its provisions to round up dissidents in the semi-autonomous territory, which was ceded to China in 1997 after 156 years as a British colony. Opposition to the Bill quickly escalated into a campaign for full political freedom for Hong Kong, whose 7.2 million inhabitants are linguistically and culturally distinct from mainland China.
Hong Kong has developed exponentially and has retained its distinct characteristics from the mainland of China and therefore, it has to be given complete freedom to grow further as a tourist gem of the world. But covering this tiny piece of land with rigid rules and regulations would only choke it up from blossoming into vibrant colors of life. Variety is the spice of life and to enjoy this uniqueness of life, people need freedom. But denying freedom to people of Hong Kong, who once enjoyed it to the hilt is like denying air to breathe. It is hoped that Chinese government would try to understand the people of Hong Kong and take practical steps to bring peace to this special administrative region.
Yours etc.,
TK Nandanan,
Via email
Convenience fee for rail ticket bookings
Editor,
The recent move by IRCTC to restore convenience fee for online railway ticket bookings will cause inconvenience to rail passengers. The move aimed at generating only the revenue for the Railways instead of providing comfortable services to the passengers, including ease of booking tickets, needs careful study. Bookings made through digital payment gateways, UPI wallets and other online modes will otherwise attract fees of Rs 30 and Rs 15 for AC and Sleeper services respectively.
One is given to understand that the convenience fee was waived off in the wake of demonetization since November 2016 and the move was aimed at encouraging passengers to avail digital payments while booking online tickets. It is ironical to note that instead of promoting paper free ticketing facility and cashless payment services, the Railways is only forcing passengers now to pay more for online services thus availed through booking tickets. The move otherwise forces the passengers to only rush to manual ticket booking counters to get railway tickets and thus increases burden on the Government to issue more paper based tickets and entangle itself in cash based payments.
The Railways should instead find innovative ways to garner revenue and should not levy fees for digital payments made. In an era of technological revolution, the Railways should also find smart ways to reduce paper based railway ticket printing and should instead encourage cashless and online mode of ticket booking and payments by waiving off necessary payment gateway/service fees.
Yours etc.,
Varun Dambal
Bangalore – 72