Editor,
This is to thank the Shillong Times for a wonderful picture of the Prime Minister looking at a tiger through a glass partition during the inauguration of ‘Vantara’, in Jamnagar, Gujarat, on Tuesday (ST March 5, 2025). The picture takes me back to the year 1789, when the British philosopher Jeremy Bentham stated, “sentience should be the determining factor when considering a living being from a moral standpoint.” According to Bentham, “criteria such as intelligence or the ability to speak are irrelevant for the moral status of a being. Not all humans are able to count, or to philosophise about morality, but all are capable of experiencing happiness and suffering.” For this reason, we believe that people should be treated equally and other creatures too deserve respect as they are also able to have a subjective experience of life.
Yours etc;
VK Lyngdoh
Shillong
Belief system and faith
Editor,
This is with regards to a letter by N K Kehar on “Meghalaya and non – tribals,” (ST March 7, 2025). My objection is to this line, “But since formation of ADCs in 1952 , a huge number of tribal people have abandoned their tribal belief system and embraced an alien faith which is a living testimony of failure of ADCs in preserving the unique tradition and culture of Meghalaya.“
My comments :-
1)Firstly , this is nothing but a value judgment on the freedom of a person or a group to choose their own belief system and faith. JJM Nichols Roy the architect of the ADCs said during the debate in the constituent Assembly in 1948, “No human can judge the relationship between me and my God.”
2)ADCs come under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India. Nothing has been mentioned about belief system and faith. Unless the Constitution I read is wrong, then NK Kehar may please show me the correct version .
3) Kehar appears to have also interpreted that the tribal people had no freedom to choose their belief system and faith other than the one practiced by their ancestors, which can also mean that the practice of human sacrifice in some parts of Khasi and Jaintia Hills in the past should have continued even though it was barbaric and inhuman. Further the practice of Sati in some parts of India should have also continued in the name of tradition and culture.
4) Kehar also tried to impose his own perception that belief system and faith are synonymous with tradition and culture, which the Sixth Schedule is silent about. And anything else other than that is alien. This theory is being propagated by the Sangh Parivar – RSS – Hindutva, especially in tribal areas of India and is an approach which can divide the tribals and may lead to fissiparous tendencies especially considering the fragility of the socio-political situation in the Northeast and neighbouring Bangladesh and Myanmar .
5) I nevertheless understand the sentiments of Kehar about the case of non-tribals vrs the ADCs which is undemocratic and discriminatory but that cannot be addressed by clubbing it up with belief system and faith.
Yours etc.,
Rudi Warjri,
Via email
Booted out, but not beaten: Zelenskyy stands tall
Editor,
The tense meeting last Friday between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and former U.S. President Donald Trump sent shockwaves across the world. Many began to question America’s leadership and commitment to justice and democracy.
Just imagine how Ukraine has endured Putin’s brutal aggression for three long years. Entire cities have been devastated. Countless civilians have lost their lives. But despite this unimaginable pain and suffering, Ukraine remains resolute. It stands firm, a true testament to Zelenskyy’s unrelenting fortitude. Throughout the unprecedented devastation, Zelenskyy has proven to be an icon of resilience. One woman from New York posted on Facebook, saying, “Zelenskyy is undoubtedly a leader determined to protect his people and uphold his nation’s freedom at any cost. Lots of love from America.”
What was most disappointing, though, was that instead of the dignity that was due to him, Zelenskyy was humiliated in the Oval Office. The whole world watched in shock. The leader carrying the pain of a “wounded nation” was neither shown empathy nor given sympathy but was talked down to and booted out of the White House. The world was not silent. People across the globe condemned the haughtiness of the American leadership. However, to Zelenskyy’s relief, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni boldly stood together with Ukraine. Amazingly, over 70,000 signatories launched an online petition requesting the cancellation of King Charles’s invitation to Donald Trump for his visit to the UK.
What is especially alarming is that the fallout in the Oval Office exposed how Trump could undermine the values of democracy on a whim. Critics called his handling of the encounter not just a failure of diplomacy but a failure of humanity. How could so-called global leaders turn a blind eye to the suffering of millions for so long? One believes there is no greater injustice than ignoring the desperate cries of a nation fighting for its integrity and sovereignty. To put it bluntly, a country that silences these cries with bombs and bloodshed is never a “superpower”. It is nothing more than a sheer savage force.
Of course, history has no mercy for tyrants. Russia’s aggression has brought Vladimir Putin unprecedented infamy, as he is now openly mocked and condemned by the majority of the global population. Arrogance and egotism may allow some leaders to wield power for some time, but they do not make them immortal. No throne is eternal. No empire of cruelty stands forever. Hands stained with the blood of humanity are bound to face divine retribution. In addition, acts of brutality never bring a man inner peace. The guilt of his sins or bad karma haunts him in this life and the next.
Yours etc.,
Salil Gewali,
Shillong