Weekly Round-up by Anisa Fathima
Daijiworld.com, Mangalore
December 17, 2006
Our roads have time and again given us reasons to bow our heads with shame. It happened this week too when internationally renowned Hindustani vocalist Parveen Sultana arrived in the city for a performance and later complained of traveling on bad roads that eventually affected her voice.
The tens of protests in the district over bad roads haven’t had much affect on the administration’s ears, now we have had to listen from famous personalities too; but hopefully, this time, the message will reach the authorities. Enough and more has been talked, written and promised about improving roads, but nothing ‘concrete’ has been done so far. In the city, all we have seen are make-shift solutions like filling of a few potholes with mud.
The city may have been flaunted as one of the fastest growing cities in the country, but the state of the roads is in complete contrast with this tag. For any city to be developed, the most important factor is its quality of transport facilities, but having such pitiable roads, not many would like to travel to this land frequently.
MANGALORE: 'BAD ROADS LED TO BAD THROAT' - PARVEEN SULTANA
While our roads remained ancient, our gram panchayats (GPs) turned hi-tech with the directives from ZP CEO to all the GPs to purchase computers and go online from the beginning of New Year.
This is indeed a step towards development. In an age where almost everything is computerized, the government needs to brace up its facilities. Though it might take time for e-governance to make any real impact, the need of the hour is to strive towards making people especially those in the rural areas computer literate. E-governance not only makes us more modern, but also facilitates easy handling of procedures and data. This will also provide easy access to any data relating to land records, employee status etc. Online access will also mean that procedures, especially those that comprise of endless application forms, will be a matter of a few minutes. The issue now will be to see how quickly the plans are put in to practice.
MANGALORE: ALL GRAM PANCHAYATS TO GO ONLINE FROM JAN 2007
Last week I had mentioned in these columns the news of the death of a hostel girl after she was afflicted with malaria. More trouble followed this week, as 24 girls of the same Kudmul Ranga Rao hostel were admitted for malaria, and with Dalit Sangharsh Samiti locking up the Social Welfare department office.
The controversy attracted the attention of all, and ministers, MLAs and administrative authorities who hitherto hadn’t done much to the hostel suddenly came rushing to the city. It was a sudden awakening for the authorities to find their hostel in such a deplorable condition.
The incident led many parents to withdraw their wards from the hostel. It was alleged that the nets supposed to be provided to the hostel were locked up in MCC office awaiting DC’s orders for distribution. Well, what is the DC waiting for? When common people transgress from the stipulated norms, they are penalized, but who is to penalize the administration?
MANGALORE: TEN GIRLS OF KUDMUL RANGA RAO HOSTEL HOSPITALISED FOR MALARIA
MANGALORE: DEATH OF STUDENT IN HOSTEL - DSS LOCKS SOCIAL WELFARE OFFICE
While gram panchayats received directives to go online, the district second additional civil court went a step further by using video conferencing to record a statement during the hearing of a civil case. This was a historic feat, as it was the first time the court was using this technology to resolve a dispute.
Lots of unresolved disputes in the district court pertain to people who are from other districts, states or countries. In such a scenario it becomes vital for the court to be equipped with modern technology. Cases should not be postponed owing absence of people concerned.
Availability of this technology will also mean that people will not be able to give excuses such as inability to be present. There thousands of cases pending hearing and many more people rotting away in jails. The use of technology will not only speed up legal processes, but also make the trials more transparent.
MANGALORE: HISTORY CREATED AS DISTRICT COURT USES VIDEO CONFERENCING
Towards the end of the week, an incident of assault of three boys by a communal outfit hit headlines. The three boys, all college students were attacked for having gone out with two girls, who were incidentally their classmates.
This is a case of misplaced sense of authority. Nobody has the right to dictate terms to another, much less use strength on innocents. There is no law that prohibits girls and boys from socializing together, therefore, the police must take stringent action against those who indulge in moral policing in this manner. This is an infringement on basic rights to freedom.
Our country may be free from foreign rule, but the incidents that are happening within the country are creating a sense of fear as well as of moral imprisonment. Two days ago the Bajrang Dal activists went around Ahmedabad campuses manhandling college students on the pretext of controlling eve teasing. It is no business of anyone to interfere in another person’s life.
Communal groups are a threat to the country’s freedom, and people indulging in such acts should be dealt with utmost severity, instead of being giving bail as was done in this case. The guarantee of obtaining bail is what makes these people commit crimes.
MANGALORE: SRI RAM SENE ACTIVISTS ASSAULT STUDENTS
That’s it for this week. See you again next week with some more interesting happenings.
Anisa Fathima
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