Editor,
I, a concerned citizen of Tura, find it to be of utmost importance to raise afresh the issue of illegal transportation of people in goods transport vehicles through your esteemed newspaper. It is unthinkable that the basic road safety rules can be bent if it suits the appropriate authority while the penalties for violating the same rules are being strictly adhered to during other times. It is for everyone to see that passengers can be thrown around the truck bed when hit by another vehicle because they are not restrained by seatbelts. They can be easily ejected due to the sudden stop in a head-on collision. And riding in the back of a truck means passengers are near vehicle exhaust fumes. Dizziness, headache, and vertigo are just a few of the symptoms that can cause serious health issues.
A violation of Supreme Court Order by a competent election authority had taken the precious life of a Tura local. The Supreme Court in 2009 held that passengers were not “authorized” to travel in goods vehicles. But it is unfortunate that there is no proper and honest enforcement of the legal provisions. State transport departments just perform the ritual of issuing public notices to comply with the SC orders on road safety. It is to be seen that trucks and small goods vehicles transport passengers for religious programmes and political rallies all the time. But the competent state authority remains a silent spectator and allows the road mishaps to happen.
By highlighting this issue in your well-known newspaper column, I hope to bring the competent election authorities to task for the manner in which they had treated the government servants deputed for election duties. When the transportation of cattle in the back of trucks required to be in conformity with Article 21 read with Article 51A (g) and Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 ensuring that all animals are treated with compassion and dignity and are not meted out with unspeakable cruelty, is it not for the state to give adequate care for human lives and protect them from any vulnerable situation? It is therefore inhuman to have used trucks to transport election officials and it certainly amounts to cruelty. It is against the spirit of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution that safeguards human lives and protects life.
The fact is if an official commits any breach of the code of electoral conduct, he is punishable but now the question is if the authority in question is in gross violation of human rights and causes irreparable loss to life or property, who is answerable and what are the penalties!
Yours etc.,
Sume Chandola Sangma
A concerned citizen,
Via email
Of Elections and Exams
Editor,
In their manifestos, the various political parties in Meghalaya identified education as a priority area requiring intervention if they were to win the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly elections in 2023. I’d like to remind the various political parties that the MBOSE SSLC examination 2023 will begin on March 3, 2023. Having said that, I should also mention that after the election results are announced on 2nd March, 2023, there will be various celebrations in the state’s various constituencies. We have seen over the years that there is a lot of commotion following the announcement of any election results, with loud celebrations lasting well into the early hours of the morning. This is bound to create some disturbance for our students who are appearing or are going to appear for the Board examinations. Hence, this is an appeal to the various political parties and their candidates to first empathize with our students before attempting to materialize the lofty ideas embodied in their election manifestos. Please create the right and conducive atmosphere for our students appearing for their board exams and ensure that the enthusiastic supporters refrain from creating any ruckus on March 2, 2023.
Yours etc.,
Dr. David Feral Marbaniang
Via email
How secret is the secret ballot?
Editor,
The letter, “Is a Secret ballot actually Secret,” which appeared in your local daily (ST Feb 26,2023) and written by Marshanlang Rymbai is really praiseworthy. The apprehensions as mentioned experienced by the electorate in the last 75 years in our country and with 17 General Elections and as many numbers to various State Legislative Assemblies are real. Now since we have all exercised our franchise on the 27th February 2023 for our Meghalaya Legislative Assembly we hope that our ballots are secret. The ECI ensures safety of EVM right from counting day and up to a period of 45 days from the date of declaration of the results. The boxes are under the custody of the District Election Officer as part of Election Commission’s Standard operating procedure and also there is an Election Petition (EP) period. Various questions that may arise in the minds of the voter have been narrated elaborately by Mr Rymbai. Therefore the District Election Officer must take necessary steps to ensure that the voter’s vote is secret and not leaked out otherwise the powerful and established politicians may take advantage and seek recourse to vengeance on those who did not support him/her.
I once again congratulate Mr. Rymbai for speaking his mind through the letter and hope for better steps if not already taken by the authorities concerned.
Yours etc.,
S.L. Singhania,
Via email