Thomas Lim
The Board examination in Garo Hills has always been a concern for the state government. Education department makes sure no stone is unturned when it comes to improving the standards of education. The ugly incident of the Principal of a Non Government Lower Primary School in Khardang Babupara accused of raping his maid who is now 11 years old, who was also a student of his school, continually over a period of more than five years is yet another shocking incident as how the rural school is in the hand of immoral heads. How does one expect the standard of teaching will improve?
Recently, Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) has come out strongly against the acts of prostitution and human trafficking, the outfits was reacting to last week’s arrest of top militant of the Garo outfit - the A’chik National Volunteers’ Council –Breakaway (ANVC-B) - and two of his aides from a hotel in Shillong along with two sex workers wherein a well organized racket was busted which involved Garo Community. This has forced GNLA to form Anti Trafficking Cell to check rising incidents of human trafficking in Garo Hills, while the district authorities fail to check on such activities.

Thomas Lim

If Samajwadi Party is voted to power in the 16th Lok Sabha, the party will change the Law for awarding death penalty in rape cases. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is also the party Chief assured in public meeting held at Moradabad on Thursday. He further added in Hindi that Boys do make such mistakes but that does not mean that they should be sent to the gallows.
On many occasions, various political leaders have expressed their personal views on rape, but this is for the first time the politician who is a former Chief Minister termed rape as the mistake bound to be committed by boys. His remarks immediately sparked off an outrage like wild fire where various Women organization and Committee raised protests.
In most cases of rape, the victims only hope to get justice rest on more stringent Law, yet there is no sign of decline in such crimes and other crimes against children and women, which are related to sexual abuse.
Recently, there is an alarming rise of crimes against women especially in Garo Hills, where women are either pushed into prostitution or being trafficked outside.

Thomas Lim

In general the masses consider human trafficking purely on the phenomenon of individual being forcefully taken outside the state, either for forced labor or flesh trade. One refuses to accept that such anti social activities could take place between the districts or rural and urban areas within the state itself. Meanwhile, alarmed at the increasing cases of human trafficking and prostitution rackets busted, the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) has come out strongly against the acts. The outfit has asked the citizens of the region to report cases pertaining to such crimes to ensure action could be taken.
During early 1990s, Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) too had taken upon them to conduct moral policing, by awarding judgment to fornicators with public humiliation. The culprits were asked to stand in public places for a week with placard confessing the crime and both ears were pierced by locks and head shaved. But the punishments did not seem to have had much impact in the society. In recent times, the rape cases are on the rise within the jurisdiction under HNLC. This also shows that even with threats from militants, the anti-social activities could not be eradicated from the society.

Thomas Lim

The true essence of Indian Constitution and its execution can be felt just once in five years during Lok Sabha election. Right from the moment after declaration of Poll date, Election Commission of India takes the steering wheel of the nation till the declaration of the result. The poll bound period is the only time the political parties and individual refer to the Constitutional obligations. Once the popular government is installed, Constitutional Power is being interpreted to either suit the affluent individual or the government in power.
The election to the 16th Lok Sabha has also witnessed few exceptional incidents, where the Election Commission has exercised its power preventing the vested interest to make a mockery of Indian Constitution. The High Office of Election Commission of India was made glamorous by the 10th Chief Election Commissioner of India, Tirunellai Narayana Iyer Seshan, in view of his rigid stance to abide by the Constitutional commitment, but he could not master enough support to elect him to the office of President of India after his retirement as the parliamentarians already had the phobia called T N Seshan. All parliamentarians unanimously agreed to avoid having a President who might be inflexible when it comes to Constitutional Duties.