Editor,
Patricia Mukhim’s article, “Echoing the coal mafia’s rhetoric” is chillingly incisive and cuts to the chase. It exposes the shocking truth behind the rhetoric and breast-beating of the coal mining industry post the NGT ban. We have seen politicians, bureaucrats, so-called environmentalists and banned militant groups share a common platform and make a concerted effort to overturn the ban. This is unprecedented and shocking. The web of deception spun by the Coal Mafia runs deep and engulfs even the highest of the high in the state, or so it seems. These are desperate people, running scared and willing to go to any lengths to fight the mining ban. It is also becoming clearer by the day that the mafia have bought off every influential voice in government, even possibly the Chief Secretary. Politicians, starting with the Chief Minister and half the cabinet of ministers are themselves mine owners, and therefore their stand is biased and prejudiced. It is interesting to observe that the more vocal these people become, the greater the revelation of hidden strands in the conspiracy. Amidst all this, one certainly expected the traditional bodies and NGOs to make their stand clear on a subject which should be closer to their hearts than anything else. After all, protection of our culture, heritage and habitat is the basis of their existence, isn’t it? But no, these groups too are notoriously silent and by their shameful silence, the hypocrisy and connivance of traditional heads and NGO leaders is exposed. As Ms. Mukhim states, it is money and money alone which is the prime driving factor, not concern for people or environment. I say, more power to the National Green Tribunal and its champions! May they succeed in delivering us from this evil. Amen.
Yours etc.,
Moses B. Kharpuri
Rotterdam, NL
Why disturbed area?
Editor,
One does not intend to take sides or castigate any individual, be it the Chief Minister or the Director General of Police because the matter at hand is far more crucial than the two big personalities in the state. Above everything else, the safety and security of the people is and must be the top most priority of the State. The Garo Hills have been in turmoil, bloodshed, murder, kidnappings et al. Our State that has seldom found mention in the national media was in the news for the wrong reasons with the gruesome murder of a mother of four by a militant outfit. In spite of such heinous crimes, Garo Hills remains largely unpoliced and people are fearful. This has raised many questions about the competence of the police department. It is obvious that people while expressing their fears and are also sceptical about the ability of the State Police to take on the militants. But one wonders if it is advisable to tag some pockets of Garo Hills as ‘disturbed areas’ and call in the army. Calling the army requires a lot of thinking and introspection because it then means that we would be enforcing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) that denotes that the armed forces would be granted special powers in the “disturbed areas”. The armed forces can thereby arrest anyone without any warrant, fire on anyone to kill if the person is suspected to be acting against the law, search any premise and any vehicle and most importantly the army officer cannot be prosecuted under the law. Hence, declaring any part of any state in this country as disturbed area has to be done only when the state machinery and the police department has failed completely which I hope it (State machinery) has not. The police department may be short of forces but this does not mean that policing cannot improve. While the State Government has sought for additional central police forces the State Police should upgrade their skills and weaponry to combat the well equipped militants in the state. Now is the time to act and the state government must take firm action against the militants rather than cajoling and rewarding them fitfully for the various crimes they have committed.
Yours etc.,
Jenniefer Dkhar,
Via email
