Of religious assimilation
Editor
The last paragraph in Bhogtoram Mawroh’s article, ‘Religion and Indigenous identity’ published on November 29 needs to be addressed. To state that the followers of Ñiam Khasi Ñiam Tre may get assimilated by larger religions is the most naive and outrageous assumption ever ! We stand strong and firm in our own faith with full respect for all denominations.
Yours etc.,
Bijoya Sawian,
Via email
Rhino Point traffic issues
Editor,
Through your esteemed daily, I would like to seek clarification from the Shillong Traffic Police on the modalities and instructions on the “No Right Turn” (for vehicles coming from Harrison Bridge direction) at Rhino Point.
1. Apart from Ambulances and Fire Engines, which other vehicles are exempted from the “No Right Turn” and can freely turn right at Rhino Point at their convenience often blatantly allowed by the cop on duty?
2. Are all ML01 and ML02 vehicles and those of defence services vehicles ( especially when the driver is the only occupant of such vehicles) exempted from the ” No Right Turn” regulation at Rhino Point as well? If so, is there a specific order to that effect in place?
3. Are all Boleros and Scorpios, Innovas and Fortuners and other so called very important types of vehicles with tinted glasses (with or without the VIP beacon or the so-called VIP himself/herself inside the vehicle) also exempted from the said regulation?
These are three simple questions, which I am sure, will be answered suitably by the STP through this newspaper, without anyone ever having to seek recourse to the RTI Act, in the foreseeable future.
Yours etc.,
Tanu Dasgupta,
Shillong.
Confusion over uniform
Editor,
The directive of a renowned Salesian institution – St. Anthony’s College to students proceeding into the next academic semester to wear uniform seems to have irked a number of students and teachers alike. However, a closer look within most educational institutions in the urban and semi-urban areas reveals that the uniform has been a rule for those in classes 11 and 12 though there are institutions that don’t impose uniforms for the above section. The direction by the said college has come a bit too late, because if this is to be a ‘good’ initiative it has to be standardized before admissions and not in the middle of the semesters as this is an additional burden for parents. I suggest that uniforms be implemented from the new session for new batches seeking admission into the college. Those protesting should understand that institutions are not fashion platforms to flaunt around an individual’s background. There are many who come from different economic and social strata and the disparities show in the clothes worn. If the uniform is to be made compulsory the opinion of students and parents should have been solicited. Having said this let us remember that the quality of teaching and educational outcomes are the most important factors that mould a student and not clothes.
Yours etc.
Dominic Stadlin Wankhar
Via email
Muslim brothers help
Editor,
In the last decade or so, we are seeing divisive forces gaining ground and trying to divide Indian society along Hindu-Muslim lines. A prominent Hindutva party and its leaders are catalysts in this process. This has transformed into a major sectarian violence, especially in the Northern states of India. Many lives have been lost as a consequence, and many more are rendered homeless, and have lost their livelihoods.
However, there is hope and a silver lining. One example of this is the rescue operations of the 41 workers trapped in the collapsed Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand. First of all, the technique used to rescue the trapped workers was primitive i.e. rat-hole mining technique used for coal mining, which the National Green Tribunal has made illegal. Further, of the twelve rescue team members involved, seven were Muslims. They did not hesitate to help the people in distress, irrespective of religious affiliations. This instance shows that, in general, Indians do not discriminate against any religion. This, definitely, is a bright spot.
Yours etc.,
D Bhutia,
Guwahati – 24
Give peace a chance
Editor,
With reference to James M Dorsey’s article, “Mirror image of divide among Israelis, Jews, Muslim leaders and scholars” (ST, November 27, 2023), in the song, ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’, Bob Dylan asked, “Yes, and how many deaths will it take ’til he knows that too many people have died?” This question is now blowing in the wind in the killing fields of Gaza.
Indiscriminate bombing by Israel in Gaza even on hospitals, schools and refugee camps killed 15,000 Palestinians including over 6,000 children and 4,000 women and caused some 7,000 people including over 4,000 children and women missing under the rubble. Now that the ceasefire is on, world leaders need to take diplomatic initiatives for its extension and for a permanent two state solution of the Palestine problem as per the Oslo Accord.
After the Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7 this year, the United Nations secretary-general Antón Guterres said that Hamas attack did not take place in a vacuum. We need to go back to the background of Palestine crisis to judge whether his comment was correct.
The partisan plan of Great Britain’s Palestine was adopted to create an Arab state and a Jewish state and an independent Jerusalem under a UN trusteeship in 1947. Israel proclaimed its independence and the Arab – Israeli war erupted. Palestinian people failed to get a separate state. In November 1967, United Nations Resolution 242 called for the withdrawal of Israel from the occupied territories.
But that resolution could not force Israel out from their occupied territories in Palestine. In September 1978, Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt were signed. But it contained no mention of self-determination for the Palestinian people. It even excluded relevant elements of the UN resolution 242 passed in 1967.
After his tenure as the President of the USA, Jimmy Carter admitted in his 1985 book, “The blood of Abraham” that he did Palestinian people a disservice by lending his support to the Camp David framework as it, “removed Egypt’s considerable strength from the military equation of the Middle East and thus gave the Israelis renewed freedom to pursue their goals of fortifying and settling the occupied territories and removing perceived threats by pre-emptive military strikes against some of their neighbours.”
Then came Oslo -1 Accord in 1993. In May 1994, an agreement concluded in Cairo arranged for the first stage of withdrawal of Israeli security forces and their transfer of authority to the newly created Palestinian Authority. The withdrawal from the cities of Gaza and Jericho was completed. In September 1995, Oslo-2 Accords were signed. It contained details of Palestinian self-rule in the areas other than Gaza and Jericho.
But even their wait for freedom from 1947 to 1995 was not enough for the Palestinian people. When they were near the finishing line after a marathon manoeuvre to get their legitimate right, a Jewish extremist killed the Prime Minister of Israel, Rabin. Thereafter, the Jewish people elected Benjamin Netanyahu, an outspoken critic of the Oslo Accords. The people of Palestine who had been promised self-governance within a timeline of 5 years, were deprived of that, courtesy, the Israeli politics.
So, we see that the comment on the Hamas attack by Antón Guterres was as right as the observation that Indian Rebellion of 1857 did not take place in a vacuum. The truth is that 15 million Palestinians have been suffering the brutality of Israel’s oppression for decades. The American government needs to reflect on what Khaled Abou El Fadl has said, “The people in the United States don’t like to hear it, but puritanical Islam has been on the rise because of our unequivocal policy of absolute support for Israel, regardless of what Israel does – even if they invade Lebanon and bombard a major city like Beirut, full of civilians.”
The USA should take a neutral role and help the United Nations to effect a permanent two state solution for lasting peace in West Asia. Yes, all we are saying is give peace a chance.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata