Editor,
For a while, I thought the sledgehammering letters written by Benjamin Kshiar and L.A Sangma which appeared in this newspaper (ST May 4, 2022) was sufficient bashing for the pigsty like and inhuman arrangements made for our young and valuable sports persons of our state participating at the extravaganza called- Meghalaya Games 2022. However, I want to reiterate here that the whole meaning of holding the Games was totally misplaced and intentionally executed by the Chief Patron of the games, the Sports Minister, the Sports officials and the officials of the Meghalaya State Olympic Association. It is very clear that they all connived to use this event to make hay while the sun shines at the cost of the innocent young boys and girls of our state participating in the games. I can very well imagine the type of food they got or whether they got any food at all and the types of logistics arranged for them. This is too much to bear for all Meghalayans. We must all demand that the heads responsible for this saga must roll right from the head of state and all the rest. If you cannot give the best to our upcoming sports stars who are our children, please, for God’s sake, do not make them sacrificial lambs while you, yourself, enjoy in your ivory towers and seek accommodations whenever you require in not less than five star hotels.
Yours etc.,
Philip Marwein,
Sr. Journalist,
Shillong-2.
Why this anti -Bengali rant?
Editor,
This is in response to the highly biased and prejudiced, racist and anti-Bengali letter of D. Bhattacharjee titled “Bengal’s culture of violence”(May 4, 2022). So Bengal has captured the headlines “mostly for unpalatable issues”! Perhaps the very recent communal violence in New Delhi, Gujarat Uttar Pradesh and various other states (revolving around the Ram Navami muscle-flexing) were extremely “palatable” weren’t they? However, if such issues are hidden under the carpet by the Godi-media, it wouldn’t hit the headlines obviously ! Karnataka’s tirade against hijab, halal, aazaan are also “extremely palatable” it would seem. So too the atrocities against Dalits in North Indian states!
I am only mentioning what has happened in recent times. If the saga of last 4-5 years, namely killings in the name of “Gomata”, murder of innocents in the name of “honour” and “love jihad”, annihilation of Gauri Lankesh, the 2020 New Delhi communal carnage, Unnao-Hathras-Budaun etc are covered then it would exceed even the Mahabharata ! “Goli Maro” and thereafter shoots innocent, non-violent NRC-CAA protesters but there is no punishment for such “brave” leaders! What a great place our national capital is ! The open calls to take up arms against Muslims by “religious” leaders seem to be palatable to Bhattacharjee. Why? Because those have not happened in Bengal ! Since the last 8 years, civilised countries of the world have time and again been shocked about the series of developments in India. None of such barbaric and horrendous incidents happened in Bengal; rather they happened in the rest of India- from Haryana to Karnataka, Gujarat to Assam ! However all these things are extremely “palatable” and so wouldn’t merit headlines ! Headlines should be reserved only for Bengal. Sweep the scandals of all states under the carpet and character-assassinate only Bengal. Bravo!
Even today rampant character-assassination is reserved for Mamata Banerjee, TMC, West Bengal Government and West Bengal only ! But now the whole Bengali community is being tarnished with a “violent” colour —- “their inner soul will remain rooted to violence”! What a barbaric specimen of blatant racism and crude anti-Bengalism. Going by Bhattacherjee’s rants then Hindi-speakers Gujaratis Marathis Kannadigas Malayalees Tamils, Asomiyas Khasis and all other Indian communities are paragons of divinity and virtue and messengers of peace. Would Bhattacharjee dare to character-assassinate any non-Bengali community in such a barbaric way? However, if it is granted that 2002 Gujarat pogrom, murder of Junaids to Pehlu Khans, annihilation of M M Kalburgis to Pansares, burning Bengali Afrazool Khan to death in Rajasthan on charges of fictitious “Love Jihad”, gangrapes and spine-chilling murders in Uttar Pradesh or Kathua, flogging of Dalits in Una Gujarat, open call of taking arms against Muslims form specimen of “non-violence” “compassion” and “love” — then of course the whole Bengali community is “violence-personified”!
Let me enlighten D. Bhattacharjee that we true-blue Bengali Bhadraloks are extremely proud of ourselves for our impeccable secularism and scientific temperament; thanks to which we can reside above all pettiness of communalism, racism, casteism or “honour killings.” Also, we feel proud of being residents of a state which is untouched by the barbarities of riots, pogroms, mythical “love jihad”, untouchability (unlike Rajasthan or Tamil Nadu, Bengal doesn’t reserve crematoriums for “upper caste”!), assault on mosques or churches, “Gomata”-related killings or annihilation of secular rationalists ! If Bhattacharjee honestly examines his soul and has courage of conviction he should also criticise the series of ugly and violent incidents in the rest of India and put the onus entirely on the people of the country whether to shun violence or to live happily with it as it appears today.
Yours etc.,
Kajal Chatterjee,
Kolkata
Temperature rise
Editor,
Satellite images of land surface that indicate temperatures between 55 and 60 degree Celsius over areas of north west India lend credence to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) recent warning that extreme heat was gripping large parts of India and Pakistan. In fact, this unusual rise in temperature has perplexed the scientists who have been observing climate change across the world.
The Central government has taken steps to monitor the heatwave conditions and review the health emergency preparations. On the other hand, at the time of such a crisis India needs more than that. The National Meteorological and Hydrological departments are working in unison with health and disaster management agencies to implement plans for dealing with the crisis. In fact, without a comprehensive approach the crisis created by extreme rise in temperature cannot be resolved. Heat waves pose a multi-dimensional threat. It has impacts on health, ecosystem, agriculture, water, energy sources and different sectors. In fact, India’s efforts to ease the crisis is not proportionate to the challenges posed by heat waves. Even though information about high temperatures is given by IMD every year, the government fails to devise and implement comprehensive plans. Consequently, we face the same crisis every year.
It is a fact that heatwaves are related to climate change. On the other hand, climate change alone is not the cause of heat waves. Given that 60 degree Celsius can damage infrastructure and cause serious health problems to living beings, we need to be alert. We need to change our lifestyles to suit extreme heat. Working hours, study time, construction of buildings and other ways of our lives need to be adapted to suit extreme heat conditions.
Yours etc.,
Venu GS,
Kollam
