Court order for panchayat polls
The Panchayat minister has appointed Administrators to govern the panchayats and what powers are bestowed to them is not very clear. The monsoon issues of drain cleaning bush cuttings need financial approval from the BDO office. Will the BDO office sanction funds for the administrator to utilise the funds from the respective Panchayats, wherein the Sarpanch and VP Secretary were the bank signatories.
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The important GPDP files need to be approved. Such delay in elections will cost the village development to be stalled till the election process is completed, thanks to the Judges of the Bombay High court for passing the order to hold elections at the earliest.
Gregory E D’ Souza, Siolim
Judiciary and the Constitution
A flawed perception prevails in India where the ruling party wants judicial endorsement of every governmental action while opposition parties expect the judiciary to advance their political positions. Very few people understand that the only independent organ of governance is answerable to the Constitution and Constitution alone. This flawed thinking is also prevalent in (mis)understanding the function of other democratic institutions. Democracy means the participation of all in nation building irrespective of caste, creed, gender, religion or ideological leanings. A nation that welcomes everyone with open arms, a nation that assimilates all cultures and honours every language is bound to be progressive, peaceful, vibrant and prosperous. Inclusivity and diversity are the keys to progress and peace, a non inclusive approach is a recipe for disaster.
Sadly all we see in present day India is an antithesis of these tenets, no wonder we are where we are today as a nation. Divisive ideology has replaced diversity and sectarianism substitutes inclusivity; a subverted judiciary is now a handmaiden of the government at best and a mute bystander to injustice at worst. The lordships deliver judgements which are for the most part pro government either out of fear or in the fond hope of a comfortable post retirement sinecure.
Judgements are leaked to the police authorities or the executive hours before they are formally announced in court , the recent verdict regarding extension of custody of a fact checking journalist being a case in point. After undermining the Constitution in its entirety, the sarkar has successfully managed to hollow out the judiciary. It does appear that the next generation shall be made aware of ‘justice’ and the ‘Constitution’ only in history books (of course rewritten by the ruling dispensation) or in museums as relics from the past.
Rekha Sarin, Benaulim
OBC reservation not in sight
While the State Election Commission (SEC) has notified reservations for women, SC and ST in the Village Panchayat elections, the Chief Minister of Goa has assured that spade work for OBC reservations is in process. Considering the settled position of law arising out of Supreme Court’s judgements, it is amply clear that no OBC reservation can be granted unless the triple test is followed.
Any attempt to introduce OBC reservation without adhering to this test will be thwarted by the High Court if a writ petition is preferred. It is unfortunate that all this while, the Government could not take any concrete steps to provide OBC reservation by fulfilling the triple test. Now it will be injustice to the OBC community as elections are slated to be held without OBC reservation. Government inaction in this regard has been a great folly.
Sadanand M Raikar, Colva
Manual scavenging, dehumanising
It is learnt that the Corporation of City of Panjim (CCP) has recently procured a “Bandicoot” robot which is the only robot available in India to clean the city manholes. The procurement of the new machine will eliminate the work of manual sewage extraction. It may be recalled that recently one labourer reportedly died of drowning while cleaning a six metre deep Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) chamber while another one was rescued at Kapileshwarim, Kavlem in Ponda.
‘Manual scavenging’ is a term used mainly in India for manually cleaning, carrying, disposing of, or otherwise handling human waste in a septic tank or a pit. In 1993, India banned the employment of people as manual scavengers. In 2013 a landmark new legislation in the form of the Manual Scavengers Act was passed which seeks to reinforce this ban by prohibiting manual scavenging in all forms and ensures the rehabilitation of manual scavengers to be identified through a survey. Sewers and septic tanks are home to toxic gases like ammonia, carbon monoxide, and sulphur dioxide. Coming in direct contact with these would cause unconsciousness and even death. Under the new measures, sewer and septic tank cleaning will reportedly be mechanized. Instructions were also issued not to use the word ‘manhole’ anymore and that it should be replaced by ‘machine-hole’.
The Act recognises manual scavenging as a “dehumanizing practice” and cites the need to correct the historical injustice and indignity suffered by the manual scavengers.
Adelmo Fernandes, Vasco
People’s power versus US Supreme Court
United States of America looks set for a tug-of-war between the conservative Republican leaning Supreme Court with a 6-3 majority and the power of the people of the most affluent country in the world on the issue of abortion.
Come November, the entire House of Representatives constituting 435 elected representatives and one third of the Senate goes to the polls amidst divergent expectations. However, at present since the House of Representatives and the Senate, albeit just with the casting vote of the Vice-President and speaker of the Senate, the Democrats is just over the finishing line. However, people power in the US can overturn the verdict of the conservative Republican dominated Supreme Court if the 100 strong Senate which is now dominated by a wafer thin majority by the Democrats courtesy casting vote of Vice President give a commanding 60+ representation to the Democrats in the elections slated for November.
If news reports are to be believed, the pro-abortion supporters far outnumber the anti-abortion supporters. However, the moot question that might remain in the back of the mind is, is love making meant only for procreation or can it be a recreational pursuit? The American people have the power to decide for themselves by voting on this contentions issue.
Stephen Dias, Dona Paula
Ninety years of Indian cricket
Indian cricket saw the ups and downs in International cricket and the one Test match at Edgbaston left over from the last series will be an interesting proposition. It was C K Nayudu, who led the side against England at Lord’s in the first Test match for India. In the 100th Test MAK Pataudi led the side against England at Edgbaston, 200th Test was led by Sunil Gavaskar against Pakistan at Lahore, 300th test match by Sachin Tendulkar against South Africa at Ahmedabad and 400th test by Rahul Dravid against West Indies at Kingston, Jamaica and the 500th by Virat Kohli’s side against New Zealand at Kanpur.
The fifth Test of the series could not be played because of Covid related issues and now played in 2022.
India is already 2-1 ahead in the series and the odds are in favour of England. It is a 50-50 chance for both England and India to make a match of it. England can just square the series whereas Team India has a good chance of pocketing a test series overseas.
C K Subramaniam, Navi Mumbai
