Editor,
Article 356 has been misused by the Centre to the detriment of the interests of the States, many times and, its misuse is clearly visible. This article should be deleted. Article 370 cannot be deleted/replaced because the State (J & K) does not have its Constituent Assembly anymore. The Article 370 (3) has a clause that the recommendation of the State Constituent Assembly “shall be necessary” before the President issues a notification declaring that Article 370 “shall cease to be operative”.
The way this Article 370 had been abrogated and carved up/reducing a State (Kashmir) to the status of a Union Territory, which it was not! and, to treat the indigenous Kashmiris thus is ethically and politically, exceedingly unjust beside being undemocratic would not only constitute a breach of the spirit and letter of the Constitution of India, but it may invite serious consequences for a harmonious association of Jammu and Kashmir State with India.
Restore Article 370 and return Kashmir into its original status as a full-fledged State that it was on 26th January, 1957/on the Seventeenth day of November, 1956.
Yours etc.,
Morning Star Sumer,
Shillong – 2
Clarity on plastic ban
Editor,
I feel obliged to request you to kindly let people get to know through the columns of your newspaper that the Govt. of Maharashtra had issued a notification specifying the types of plastics that are banned & the ones that are still allowed to be used, including “single use plastics which are non-replaceable.” In this connection people need to log in to the Maharashtra website to know the details. It will be of great help to all if a similar notification is also issued by the Govt of Meghalaya in order to avoid unnecessary harassment to the people who through ignorance might land themselves in trouble in the form of being penalised by the law enforcing agencies.
Yours etc,
Dr MMS Kharbudon,
Via email
The plastic menace
Editor,
Through the columns of your esteemed and widely circulated newspaper I would like to draw the kind attention of the concerned authorities and the society towards the plastic menace. In the last decade, plastic has affected the health and life of human beings very badly. Some incidents have attracted the attention of the whole world and put a question mark about the use of plastics in daily life. The use of plastic bags has not been reduced in any part of the city and almost all the shops are giving out their products in these plastic bags only. Plastic bags are commonly seen in the market. These bags are available in various sizes and come in handy while shopping. These are light and inexpensive. This is the reason why these are being used extensively. However, it is important to understand that as convenient as these are to carry and use they are equally harmful for the environment. These light bags get torn into small pieces over time but do not get disposed off because they are non- biodegradable. They pollute the soil and effect the growth of flora. They lead to infertile soil. Both wild plants as well as agricultural crops are affected by this. When the trees and plants suffer then the entire environment is impacted negatively. They remain in the environment for hundreds of years and add to land, air and water pollution.
People are also using them for their day to day lives and after completion of the use they are just throwing it out, causing damage to nature. Animals often eat plastic bags lying in the garbage. These bags can cause severe damage to their digestive tract and cause various illnesses. In the stomach of one dead cow, as much as 35 kg of plastic was found because plastic does not decompose, and requires high energy ultra-violet light to break down. The amount of plastic waste in our oceans is steadily increasing. Over 1 million marine animals including mammals, fish, sharks, turtles and birds are killed each year due to plastic debris in the ocean. Humans who consume these creatures having illnesses are likely to incur serious illness themselves.Currently it is estimated that there are 100 million tons of plastic in oceans around the world.
The use of plastic bags must be banned in order to make earth a better place to live in. The task should not be very difficult as these can easily be replaced by bags made of other materials. The government must take strict measures to ensure these are not used. Ban on plastic bags can only be successfully implemented if each one of us stops using these.
Yours etc.,
Pinaki Nandy
Guwahati – 34
To a greener world!
Editor,
I’m so glad to see that everyone is now awake and concerned for our planet earth, right from school students, to college and university students, the NGOs and as well families have come to the realisation that Mother Earth is on the verge of becoming permanently dilapidated. I support all these initiatives and as a concerned citizen of the country, I also try my best to do, help and support in whatever way I can. Now let’s see an example of one Indian State, Tamil Nadu. I have to salute the Tamil Nadu Government for being stern and for imposing a complete ban on the use of plastic bags. I recollect one Incident when I was buying groceries from Spar Hyper Market. I had bought tonnes of groceries and in the process of checking out, I was told, “No plastic Bag.” I did protest about how to carry all my stuff but to my astonishment they gave me a jute bag which is being made by an Orphanage Home in Tamil Nadu and it costs only Rs 10. As a buyer I was happy that the money could be of better use to the orphanage and also jute bags being eco friendly I could use it on my future shopping needs! So a big hats off to this Departmental Store.
Let’s hope that our State too implements such kind of alternatives. I look forward to a green, eco-friendly Meghalaya !
Yours etc.,
Chanmiki Ezra Laloo
Via Email