Mass Appointments in Assam
On 25 May 2023 the chief minister of Assam Dr.HemantaBiswa Sarma completed phase by phase one lakh appointments in state as per the promise given by him during the last assembly election campaigns in Assam in 2021. The Union Home Minister Amit Shah distributed the last phase of appointment letters totalling 44,703 to the candidates in a function organised for ceremonial distribution of appointment letters to the candidates in Guwahati. Dr. Sarma has boasted of it as the achievement of the state BJP government led by him.
Expecting a satisfactory employment especially in public sector, a student generally acquires academic and other qualifications in a stream or discipline as per his interest and ability. After doing the course, if he is not appointed to the post fit and suitable for him, he loses interest and sincerity in job, gets frustrated and even suffers from psychiatric problem.
So far my knowledge is concerned, a large number of candidates has not found appointment to the posts as per their academic and other qualifications. Many candidates having PG degree and other good qualifications have been appointed to the posts meant for lower primary school teachers and class III and IV. It means they are underemployed. Despite Assam is teemed with abundant and rich natural resources, no successive government has so far taken pragmatic measures for rapid industrialisation, resulting in grim unemployment problem in the state. Considering their future life under this circumstance, these candidates have reluctantly joined those posts. Besides they are also confronted with acute financial crisis. They have to maintain family. Nevertheless they express satisfaction saying- “Something is better than nothing; today’s egg is better than tomorrow’s hen”.
Muhammad Abdus Samad
Dhupdhara, Assam
Was under ‘Pressure’!
Justice (retired) Sudhir Agarwal, who was part of an Allahabad High Court bench which delivered a key judgment in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit in 2010, is reported to have said he was under “pressure” not to give the ruling. He added that had they not done so, there would not have been any verdict in the matter for the next 200 years.
Justice Agarwal, who retired from the High Court on April 23, 2020, told the reporters after an event in Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, “After delivering the judgment…, I felt blessed…. There was pressure on me to postpone the judgment in the case. There was pressure from within home and also from outside.”
“Family members and relatives used to suggest to somehow pass time and not deliver the judgment,” a June 3 report cited him as saying.
While taking oath, a judge owes his allegiance to the Constitution of India and the law of the land. However, I wonder whether a judge like Justice (retired) Agarwal remained true to their oath. This is on his own admission.
K.P. Mathur
Lucknow, UP
The Odisha Train Derailment
The Odisha train derailment, which claimed 288 innocent lives and rendered more than 1000 injured, is considered the fourth deadliest in India.
There was a time when Railway Minister used to tender resignation, taking moral responsibility for the tragedy, after any train accident. Five railway ministers resigned taking moral responsibility for major accidents during their respective tenures. But now we are passing through the worst of time when about 300 lives have been lost but the Railway Minister is not ready to take the responsibility. This the lust of power and shows diminishing moral sensibility of those in power.
Kuljit Singh
Sonitpur, Assam