Editor,
“Give back our seats” is a common cry in Meghalaya when 12 MLAs choose to quit the Indian National Congress (INC) on whose platform he/she was elected. To hold on to the seat while crossing the floor is seen as, ‘little short of a fraud on the voters.’ Given the potential consequences of defection, which undermine the very foundations of our democracy and the principles which sustain it, the 10th Schedule was added to the Indian Constitution, popularly referred to as ‘Anti-Defection law’. This law has succeeded to a reasonable degree in preventing defection, but not without ambiguities. Hence, there is considerable scope for judicial interpretation of the law.
Yours etc.,
Dr Omarlin Kyndiah
Via email
AFSPA has no place in modern India
Editor,
This weekend the Assam Rifles, Special Force acting on a tip-off that insurgents were crossing over from Myanmar to Mon District, Nagaland, shot at and killed at least 15 coal mine workers in Oting. Hence a case of poor intelligence claimed the lives of innocent people. This speaks volumes of the gross miscalculation and indiscriminate use of force. That special forces of Para SF 21 an elite unit within the command of the Army with best weaponry and intelligence had misjudged the situation without verifying the authenticity of the so-called targets leaves a lot questions on the tactical error of such an operation. The use of deadly force is legitimate during war or when the enemy is on the verge of taking over a country’s territory but in this unfortunate ambush the use of such tactics had resulted in the loss of innocent lives. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act – a colonial era law has to be trashed as it violates all forms of human dignity and human life. A democracy like India needs to become a model of tolerance not a model of aggression and intimidation or else our standing in the international scene is questionable.
Yours etc.,
Dominic Stadlin Wankhar,
Via email
Vaccination a must; so too SOPs
Editor,
With the new variant Omicron making its entry in many countries including our own, it is even more essential that the government and individuals take the new mutant seriously in order to avoid similar or God forbid worse situations the world faced in the last two years. We cannot afford to go back to those times of fear, pain, of being confined within our homes, of the numerous lives lost. While the government must be prepared and not go off guard, every individual citizen must strictly adhere to SOPs of wearing their masks, washing their hands and sanitizing and maintaining physical distancing. At this point in time it becomes even more needful for those who have not been vaccinated as yet to get themselves vaccinated as the vaccine is a shield that could help protect us to a certain extent. It’s common knowledge that the vaccine does not claim to provide hundred percent protection and thus a person who is vaccinated may still be infected, however it must be understood that a person who has been vaccinated is far more protected than one who has not. Rather than posing risks for oneself and also for others, the most logical action would be to put on that mantle of protection.
Humans are a socializing lot and when things seem to have got better and people are allowed to go about their work and enjoy their share of fun and recreation, it must however not be forgotten that COVID 19 is still hovering around us. Let us be more wise and vigilant and fight this war together for our sake and for the sake of our loved ones and our fellow human beings.
Yours etc.,
Jenniefer Dkhar,
Via email
Demand for scrapping AFSPA.
Editor,
In the wake of that indiscriminate firing on the coal miners on Saturday, December 4, 2021 killing six people on the spot with more succumbing to injuries at the hospital on Sunday. I was able to watch a TV discussion on TV channels. Surprising is the fact, that in the past, these same incidences had been taking place, and not only that, the human rights activists on every count did raise their voices, with prominent judges of the country behind the victims, but AFSPA still remains the Act to be time and again misused on the pretext of countering insurgency. This has culminated in what can be called the saddest day in the history of our country, in the state of Nagaland.
Those maddening phrases of ” deeply regret” and ‘mistaken identity’ are impossible to accept, as the dead can never be brought back to life. Does the army expect people travelling in open trucks to stand with their hands up? The AFSPA has to be scrapped once and for all, so that any hope for a peaceful solution of the Naga problem does not fade away.
Yours etc.,
FL Lyngdoh
Via email