Letters to the EDITOR: Unfortunate

Majuli, Barpeta, and Batadraba are the three main epicentres of xatriya culture in the entire northeast of India. But very alarmingly and unfortunately, these above-mentioned centres of Sankari culture are under threat from encroachers posing a threat to the age-old Sankari culture and religion, where conversion to another religion has become routine even in Majuli,s where many famous xatras are located. With a very heavy heart, I beg to say that the Xatradhikars of these famous xatras in Majuli are fully responsible for the conversion of the gullible Mishing people residing in remote Char areas of Majuli, where the Xatradhikars have hardly cared to visit and mingle with the people. It is high time that these learned xatradhikars start realizing their past mistakes. The mass conversion of the Mishing people to other religions, that too in Majuli, is very surprising and unfortunate. Merely organising Raax Mohotsav and being on the invitee list for Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir celebration will not impress us. It is the harsh reality.

Lanu Dutt Chowdhury,

Guwahati.

Can a rule of law's surrender to liberty earned as a consequence of its breach come rather true? Again, a breach of the rule of law is ignored in order to protect a person’s liberty, which he is not entitled to. Moreover, the scales of justice tilt against the rule of law. Only when the rule of law prevails will liberty and all other fundamental rights be guaranteed under our Constitution. Further, the rule of law does not mean the protection of a fortunate few. The Supreme Court said Gujarat did not have the jurisdiction to grant remission to the convicts. The case was transferred by the SC in August 2004 from Gujarat to Maharashtra, and the CBI Special Judge in Greater Mumbai convicted the 11 men and sentenced them to life imprisonment in January 2008. Hence, the SC clarified that it was Maharashtra, where the 11 men were tried and sentenced, and not Gujarat, which was the appropriate government to grant remission. Gujarat had considered the remission applications under the state’s remission policy of 1992, applications procured by fraud, suppression, and misrepresentation of material facts before the court. At last, justice was delayed but not denied in the Bilkis Bano case.

C.K Subramaniam

(cksumpire@gmail.com)