Editor,
This has reference to a letter written by Salil Gewali on April 6, 2023 titled “Is humanity under threat” (sic) pertaining to the widespread violence across the country on Ram Navami, an auspicious Hindu religious occasion.
First, a few notes on Mr Gewali’s mendacious perspective of the violence. In going through the first paragraph of his letter, an unsuspecting reader would be inclined to observe, how auspicious and innocuous Hindu festival goers were subjected to deliberate and terrorizing violence. The stone pelting was even perpetrated by women and children, he states.
The gerrymandering of ground reports and numerous news agencies documented by both governmental and independent sources here is quite clear. Here is a brief of what actually transpired.
In Delhi’s Jahangirpuri, despite police denying permission to go through a minority locality, violent right wing Hindutva groups with flags, arms, speakers and makeshift temples, violated police permits and screamed in minority neighbourhoods threatening and terrorizing them with expletives and violence.
In Aurangabad in the wee hours of the morning, hundreds of right-wing Hindu bikers screamed through a minority neighbourhood causing a terrifying sense of fear especially amongst women and children.
In Mathura, viral videos of saffron flags deliberately posted on Jama Masjid created tension and violence there. In Baroda, in the Fatehpura area, stones were thrown at masjids and homes of Muslims followed by expletive filled hate speeches against minorities by right-wing thugs armed with swords, knives, sticks and guns.This pattern was repeated in Telengana, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and many other states in North and North West India.
Of all these rioting incidents and weaponizing the name of God, the common threads were arms, fear, terror, hate speeches, calls for genocide and humiliation of the minorities, be it the Masjid or the Church and of course violating police permitted routes. So much for an oblique reference to appeasing a specific community for fascistic reasons. In The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, William Shirer writes – “… By 1931 Hitler had gathered around him a band of fanatical ruthless men who helped him in his final drive to power. The S.A. (SturmAbteilung) or the Brownshirt storm troopers was but a mob – good enough for street fighting…its purpose had now been served”. The parallelism of this historic recurrence is fascinating.
And now last but not the least – Howrah, West Bengal about which Mr. Gewali refers to Mamata Banerjee, who he says, “quickly rubbed salt into the wounds of the aggrieved people,” the incident took place in Kazipada, a Muslim locality where Hindus and Muslims have been living together in peace for decades, participating in each other’s festivals for generations. Even the Times of India, a noted pro-government media house reported that 1000 rallies were carried out by violent and militant Hindutva groups carrying arms and flags with speakers blaring profanity-filled hate speeches against minorities. Ms. Bannerjee condemned the incidents and pointed to an army of goons brought in from outside the state to create mayhem and terror in Howrah. This has been borne out by subsequent facts, arrests and disclosure by these saffron goons. Mr. Gewali then continues to accuse her of “appeasing specific communities”. This “appeasement” narrative in general, of course, is a familiar narrative of specific organizations for years.
As a disclosure and by any stretch of imagination, I am not a fan of TMC neither of Ms. Banerjee, however, there is a critical aspect that Mr. Gewali failed to mention, perhaps with reason, and that is the impeccable credentials of Ms. Banerjee in maintaining equidistance amongst followers of all religious practitioners in Bengal. This vital omission and his accusation of appeasing specific communities smacks of superciliousness. He ought to do his homework and discover how Durga Puja, Eid and Christmas are celebrated with inter-participation irrespective of religious affinity in Bengal – until of course this Ram Navami incident. By the way there are numerous reports of Muslim neighbours helping Hindu families and vice versa in the Howrah rioting.
And that is the sign of humanity. No we have not lost it yet.
“When an opponent declares ‘I will not come over to your side’, I calmly say, ‘Your child belongs to us already…. What are you, you will pass on. Your descendants, however, now stand in the new camp. In a short time, they will know nothing else but this new community”. Speech by Adolf Hitler, November 6, 1933, The remaining portion of Mr. Gewali’s letter is classic obfuscation.
Yours etc.,
Kelsang Trinlay,
Via email
Reschedule MCS exam
Editor,
Through your esteemed newspaper, I would like to highlight a crucial matter pertaining to the Meghalaya Civil Service Preliminary Examination (February 2022). The aforementioned examination has been scheduled on 27 May 2023. This was announced by the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC) on 6 April 2023 vide memo no. MPSC/Ex-C/22/2021-2022/128. I would also like to highlight that the Civil Services Examination (CSE) (Preliminary) of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is scheduled for 28 May 2023, which was announced way back on 01 February 2023 vide Examination Notice No. 05/2023-CSP.
There are several bonafide residents of Meghalaya who are undergoing coaching and preparing for these exams (UPSC and MPSC) outside the state in cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai and Bangalore (some for many years). The choice for the UPSC preliminary exam centre for many of these aspirants would be the cities in which they reside in for the purpose of preparing for the exam, that is, cities located outside the state of Meghalaya.
Given that the time difference between the last paper of the MPSC preliminary exam on 27 May and the reporting time for the UPSC preliminary exam on 28 May is only around sixteen hours, it would be next to impossible for candidates taking the MPSC examination in Shillong or Tura to travel outside the state and make it for the UPSC-CSE examination on 28 May 2023.
Both the MPSC and UPSC Civil Service Examinations are highly sought-after exams and both are equally important for candidates who are interested in serving the State and the nation in various capacities. However, with the close proximity in the dates of both the exams, this may cause a conflict for many candidates who are taking both exams and have given the UPSC exam centre outside the state.
Therefore, I request the MPSC and concerned authorities in the Government of Meghalaya to kindly look into the matter and reschedule the preliminary exams of MPSC so that the bonafide aspiring candidates from the State are not deprived of sitting for either of the exams.
I understand that changing the date of the exam may cause some inconvenience, but I believe that the long-term benefits for the State and the people will far outweigh the short-term inconvenience. I am confident that the MPSC and the Government of Meghalaya can find a solution for the welfare and benefit of all the candidates who are appearing for both these exams.
Yours etc.,
A concerned aspirant,
Name withheld on request