Editor,
Kudos to Albert Thyrniang for his article, “The Manipur in us” (ST July 27, 2023). Yes, the tug of war between the VPP and ACHIK on the Reservation Policy has indeed widened and caused serious mental friction between the Eastern and Western sector communities of Meghalaya. Even the demand for Tura Winter Capital has created an irritant in the minds of the people of the eastern sectors of Meghalaya. These issues have the potential of culminating into the ‘Manipur’ way if rhetoric is not controlled and if the MDA allows the spread of uncontrolled passions of rhetoric.
On the demand for a Winter Capital in Tura and the retrospective roster on employment policy, the talks between Conrad Sangma and the ACHIK activists at Tura were going smoothly along the lines desired by them. After all, the CM cannot displease people in his own backyard and there was no reason at all to cause trouble thereafter. What irked the people was the allegation by the DGP that those who perpetrated the violence outside the CM’s secretariat had planned to harm the CM. This was far-fetched and a figment of his imagination to cover up the failure of police intelligence. Then followed the indiscriminate arrests which was also to divert the attention of the public and to cover up police failure. This is unacceptable! People’s intelligence cannot be underestimated.
Then on the ‘Manipur’ sentiment in religions, Albert Thyrniang was 100 per cent correct when he pointed out that in Shillong Diocese only a Khasi Bishop is acceptable; so also in other dioceses such as Jowai Diocese where only a Pnar can be appointed bishop and in Tura Diocese only a Garo. In this connection I wish to mention what happened in 2014 when (Emeritus) Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil, SDB, DD of Guwahati Arch-Diocese was appointed as Apostolic Administrator of Jowai Diocese but this was fiercely opposed by a group of 13 Archdiocesan Fraternity (Priests) of Jowai Diocese led by a seniormost priest vide their strong worded letter Ref: DF-JD/02/2014 dated 21/2/2014 because he was from the Salesian religious congregation; not a diocesan. Besides that he was not a Pnar or a Jaintia. But true to his religious vows he ultimately joined his office disregarding the opposition of the 13 clergymen who signed their letter of opposition. Contrary to their opposition the laity of Jowai Diocese readily accepted Arch-Bishop (Emeritus) Thomas Menamparampil as their pastor though he was the Apostolic Administrator there for a brief period.
Albert Thyrniang was also correct when he asked, “is this the real face of the Church?” Certainly not. This type of mindset, nay the “Manipur” in all of us, is highly inflammable and destructive. The quicker we get rid of it the better. We can build a much happier world to live in.
Yours etc.,
Philip Marwein,
Sr. Journalist,
Shillong
Biodiversity Bill could spell damnation
Editor,
The Biodiversity Bill was passed in Lok Sabha and will now be passed in the Rajya Sabha. No doubt ease of doing business is good intent but we have to be careful to avert global warming. July this year was the hottest month in 120,000 years on earth. The said Bill was forwarded to the Parliamentary Committee but all the six members of opposition parties had not agreed to the recommendations and had expressed their reservations.
India is one of 17 internationally recognized mega biodiversity countries and hosts four of the 35 globally recognized biodiversity hotspots. Since countries have sovereign rights over their biological resources, Indian companies enjoy easier access to and use of these biological resources for various commercial applications, including pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and bio-technology. The biological diversity act was enacted in 2002 to facilitate the development of products relying on Indian biodiversity One particularly significant change is the proposal to encourage foreign investment, which may be attractive to foreign investors interested in India’s biological resources.
For instance, the proposed amendments may facilitate more developments such as the partnership that brought Jeevani (the “life giving “drug) to the market. Jeevani, made from the ‘red bull ‘berries discovered by the Kani tribe, became very popular in and outside India in the early 2000s. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the success of the drug benefited the pharmaceutical company responsible for its commercialization, as well as the scientists involved in its development, and the tribe.
Strikingly, the arrangement for benefit sharing with the Kani tribe came at a time when Indian law did not mandate such sharing. With the Biological Diversity Act and its amendments we might expect further facilitation of local knowledge and benefit sharing.
However, the new forest law dilutes conservation laws and threatens India’s Himalayan ecosystem and is a matter of grave concern. The passage of the Bill amending the Forest Conservation Act of 1980 by the Lok Sabha has the potential to aggravate threats to the environment. The FCA was originally enacted to regulate industrial use of forested land such as for mining or hydropower and to put a price on such exploitation. When the new law comes to the statute books after the Rajya Sabha passes the Bill, it will exempt forest land within 100 kilometres along India’s borders and certain other types of forest land from protection. It also does away with the earlier requirement for the consent of residents living on forest land.
After a nod from the Cabinet, the Bill was referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament, which endorsed it without any changes. Six Opposition members in the panel, however, dissented. They pitched for environmental audits and suggested that state governments be consulted before forest diversion orders are issued in the geologically sensitive Himalayan and northeastern regions. A large number of conservationists and civil society groups had also raised similar objections, pointing out that India’s border areas encompass some of the most biodiverse rich forests and protected areas. According to the Forest Survey of India’s, India State of Forest Report 2021, the Himalayan provinces of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh have very high incidences of climate hotspots.
The Centre has justified the legislative reforms as being part of the commitment to mitigate climate change and argued that the Bill that scientists and environmentalists have raised concerns about includes provisions that would make India atma-nirbhar in agroforestry while increasing the forest cover. The intentions appear to be noble.
But what underpins such a lopsided policy? This is a global contagion and a faulty idea of envisioning the environment as a resource to be exploited ceaselessly. A paradigm shift from the resource-based approach towards greater accountability for governance on ecological protection will not happen unless the common man demands such a transition
Civil society should put pressure on the government that a balanced approach be adopted, taking care of both facts such as ease of doing as well as global warming.
Yours etc.,
Yash Pal Ralhan,
Via email