Hyderabad: On the occasion of International Workers Day recognised as May Day, Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekhar Rao held that the state government will continue its efforts to bring a qualitative change in the lives of workers in the entire country.
While extending greetings to all hardworking workers and professional workers who indirectly participate in the development of society, KCR said the day was observed to honour their struggles and gains and for improving their working conditions.
Highlighting various benefits the state government has offered to the workers and their families, KCR said that an amount of Rs 6 lakh in the event of the death of a worker is forwarded to their kin.
“So far about 4001 workers’ families have been covered under the scheme and an amount of Rs 223 crore has been paid to the beneficiaries,” he informed.
Likewise, the labourers involved in accidents becoming disabled were being provided Rs 5 lakh and so far 504 workers have been covered under the scheme in the state.
“In this context, an amount of Rs 8.9 crore has been disbursed to the beneficiaries,” added KCR.
Stating the benefits given to the female workers, KCR said that Rs 30,000 as maternity benefits were given to 1,01,983 beneficiaries each and Rs 280 crore have been accorded in this context In past nine years.
“Telangana government was providing Rs 30,000 for labourers so that they get their daughters married and 46,638 beneficiaries so far have received Rs 130 crore,” he said.
“Rs 288 crore has been distributed to the families of the workers who died in the course where each of them received Rs 1 lakh, said KCR adding that 39,797 workers’ kins were provided financial assistance of Rs 98 crore for the funeral.
Mentioning the budget spent during the COVID-19 pandemic, KCR said that the state government spent Rs 1,005 crore under various programmes for labourers’ welfare.
New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday said she was deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the Ludhiana gas leak incident and expressed her condolences to the bereaved families.
Eleven people, including three children, died allegedly after inhaling toxic gas in Ludhiana’s thickly populated Giaspura area on Sunday, with authorities suspecting that dumping of some chemicals in the sewer led to the noxious emission.
“I am deeply saddened by the news of the death of many people, including children and women, in the accident in Ludhiana. I express my deepest condolences to all the bereaved families and wish a speedy recovery to all those affected,” Murmu said in a tweet in Hindi.
Four people, who were taken ill, are undergoing treatment at a hospital and the area where the incident took place has been sealed, according to officials.
Maharajganj: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday claimed that mafias and other criminals used to forcibly occupy the land of the poor and demand “goonda tax” under previous governments, but the state is free of anarchy under the BJP and there is rule of law.
Adityanath, who was addressing public meetings in eastern Uttar Pradesh – one of poorest regions and a hotbed of mafias and gangsters, sought to woo voters for the upcoming urban body elections by harping on the planks of law and order and development.
The chief minister asserted that security was now guaranteed in the state. “Earlier, the mafia used to demand goonda tax, but today, they are begging for their lives,” he said.
The BJP leader alleged that earlier, the SP, BSP and the Congress used to hand out pistols to the youths of the state, but the incumbent government gives youngsters tablet computers.
“SP and BSP used to spread corruption and encouraged criminalisation of politics, diversion of funds and embezzlement in welfare schemes, but today the benefits of development schemes reach every poor,” the chief minister said at an election meeting in Deoria.
He charged the previous governments with turning Deoria from a sugar bowl to a bowl of bitterness.
“These people sold the sugar mills at a throwaway price… Because of their disgusting politics, they also created an identity crisis for the youth of the state and forced the farmers to commit suicide.
‘But we will restore Deoria to its existence again. A distillery will also be set up here along with ethanol plants,” he said.
The chief minister said that the atmosphere of fear that used to be created during festivals till six years ago is no longer there.
Addressing a conference of traders in Gorakhpur earlier, Adityanath said, “Earlier, the ruling party’s goons or the mafia used to forcibly occupy the property and the lands of the poor, but now, Uttar Pradesh has become free of anarchy and there is rule of law in the state.”
The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has maintained that it follows a zero-tolerance policy against the mafia and over 18O criminals have been killed so far in encounters with the police in the state. However, it has been accused by the Opposition and others of high-handedness and bias.
The criminals killed in encounters in the six years of Yogi Adityanath government included gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad’s son Asad and his accomplice.
The UP Police data shows that more than 10,900 police encounters have taken place in the state since March 2017, when Adityanath took over as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh for the first time.In these encounters, 23,300 alleged criminals were arrested and 5,046 were injured.
Praising the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Adityanath also listed the development works of the central and state governments.
Speaking in Maharajganj later at an election meeting, the chief minister claimed, “Earlier, traders used to walk with their heads bowed while criminals and mafia used to go around fearlessly, but now that has been reversed. Cities are being made safe.”
The BJP’s ‘double-engine’ government is leading the state on the path of progress, he said and urged voters to form a “triple-engine government” by electing its candidates in the civic polls.
He spoke of medical facilities being enhanced in the state.
Those who divide the society in the name of caste are not going to succeed at all, Adityanath said, adding that the BJP government has completely checked such divisions.
There is a double-engine government in Uttar Pradesh and development work is going on at double speed, he added.
Before 2017, most of the districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, including Maharajganj, used to suffer from encephalitis, but now, this disease has been brought under control. Vantangia villages of the district has also joined the mainstream of development, the chief minister said.
The Vantangiya community comprises people brought from Myanmar during colonial rule to plant trees for afforestation.
The chief minister also sought votes for BJP candidates in a public meeting in Kushinagar.
“Earlier infectious disease on one side and hunger on the other troubled the people. Nine years ago, when the public blessed PM Modi, he changed the picture of the country. The Kushinagar people who were stranded in Sudan were safely transported here,” the chief minister said.
He maintained that willpower is necessary to bring change.
“There was once an atmosphere of fear and panic during the festivals six years ago. Today, there is no nuisance in UP. Festivals shape the identity of the new Uttar Pradesh.”
He pointed out that under the SP-BSP regime, water was supplied by installing generators and electricity was only available for a scant 2-4 hours per day.
We are working to provide water to every household in UP. “Kushinagar is our top priority,” he asserted.
Last Tuesday, a nearly 100-year-old four-story garage in Manhattan’s financial district caved in, killing the a building manager, Willis Moore, and injuring five others. An employee who survived the disaster told local reporters that he had witnessed long cracks in the garage’s concrete, and that Moore himself had been trying to warn the owners about the issue.
The tragedy was a blaring wakeup call about the condition of New York City’s parking structures. The professional engineers who inspect garages say there may be more of them in need of immediate fixes.
On Tuesday, the city’s department of buildings (DOB) spokesperson announced that following the disaster, it had compiled a list of other garages with open violations related to structural issues. Out of roughly 4,000 parking structures in New York City, the agency identified 61 garages with “immediately hazardous” violations “related to a failure to maintain the building, and which specifically note structural conditions”, a spokesperson said in a statement.
“While we have not received reports that any of these 61 locations are structurally unstable, DOB inspectors are currently sweeping all of these locations out of an abundance of caution, and in the interest of public safety,” the spokesperson added.
The garage that collapsed in Manhattan had multiple open violations that referenced loose or cracked concrete, dating back to 2003. Eric Cowley, a licensed engineer who inspects New York City parking lots, says photos appear to show a girder supporting the top deck fell “like a diving board” – suggesting the structure was already in disrepair – and that the deck appeared to be covered with a porous road surface, which could have added excessive weight and allowed water to seep in. “I think [the cause of the collapse] was that decision-making, and zero maintenance,” Cowley told the Guardian.
Parking is big business in America’s densest city, and regulation has historically been lax. A covered spot in lower Manhattan can easily run $1,000 a month. To maximize profits, many parking lots operate valet-style, so that employees can cram as many vehicles in the building as possible. But until last year, there were no requirements for New York City parking structures to be regularly inspected by engineers.
After the disaster, the city compiled a list of 61 garages with ‘immediately hazardous’ violations. Photograph: Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
The 57 Ann Street building had four open violations with the city’s department of buildings, with one open violation noting “cracks between girders”, “missing concrete covering steel beams” and “defective concrete with exposed rear cracks”. Another open violation from 2009 noted “loose pieces of concrete in danger of falling at various locations”.
Records show the garage owner paid fines for these violations. A DOB spokesperson said the building had carried out repairs in 2010, though it failed to submit required “certificates of correction” to officially close out the violations. The DOB paid two visits to the garage in 2011 and 2013 and “did not find structural concrete conditions at the building which would have necessitated a violation”, the spokesperson said, adding that no DOB inspector had visited the building in the decade since. A representative for Enterprise Ann, the company operating the garage, said that it “continues to cooperate with the agencies involved to investigate the cause of this accident”.
But garages won’t be able to go unmonitored that long any more. A law that went into effect last year requires New York City garage owners to hire a licensed engineer from a list of 50 “qualified parking structure inspectors” to inspect their structures, at least once every six years. The rule is being phased in across the city, with Manhattan garages up first – the doomed Ann Street garage would have been required to do an inspection by the end of this year. But some outer borough garages won’t have to complete an inspection until late 2027.
Now, owners don’t want to wait. Cowley and other qualified garage inspectors say their phones have been ringing off the hook since last week’s collapse. Jason Damiano, an inspector with Rand Engineering and Architecture, said he had “definitely” seen an increase in requests since last Tuesday, including from the owners of faraway garages in Brooklyn and Queens whose inspections weren’t due for years. He worries the small team of inspectors won’t be able to meet the demand: “It’s good to have the work, but whether I can handle it is the issue.”
A covered spot in Manhattan can run to $1,000 a month. Photograph: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images
It’s a sharp departure from the usual complacency. Parking spaces are currency, so garages are often reluctant to shut down sections for repairs, Cowley said. “In order to work on one level of a garage, you’d have to take over part of the level below as well. And if you have to work on the ramp, nobody can get in or out.”
The repairs can be costly, so the garages that tend to be more proactive about repairs “are the ones that have the means to do them”, said Rand’s Damiano. He’s seen some garages only take action after pieces of concrete start falling on to customers’ cars: “Eventually you hit a point where car owners are complaining.”
Once inspectors go in, they can find danger quickly. Water dripping from the ceiling is a red flag. The garage’s floor – what engineers call the “traffic membrane” – matters too. Cowley’s firm is repairing a Trump-owned parking garage: “The staff were washing cars on a concrete slab where the original traffic membrane had worn off. So all that water was going into the concrete and coming out downstairs.”
57 Ann isn’t the first New York City garage to collapse. The first floor of a Queens structure buckled in in 1997, forcing the city to halt nearby subway lines to prevent further damage. In 1999, an underground parking garage at a Lower East Side housing complex caved in, crushing cars and leaving a 150ft crater. And in 2010, the facade of a garage on Manhattan’s west side collapsed, raining bricks on to the sidewalk below.
Engineers say part of the tragedy is that it took the city so long to require inspections.
“Certainly, if [57 Ann] had been able to be inspected years ago and was essentially forced to do repairs or to shut down, that could have saved lives,” Damiano said.
“Obviously, these things are mostly catastrophe driven,” Cowley said. “But at least going forward, we’re on top of it. You live and learn, right?”
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )
Tel Aviv: A certificate of appreciation from the President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey was presented on Tuesday to the commander of the INDIA’s National Rescue Unit, Col (Ret) Golan Vach, who commanded Israel rescue mission that helped locate survivors and provide aid during the recent earthquake in southern Turkey.
The Israeli rescue mission was one of the first to arrive to provide aid after the earthquake and succeeded in rescuing 19 survivors from the ruins.
The certificate was presented on Israel’s National Memorial Day (Yom HaZikaron in Hebrew) for the Fallen Soldiers of the Wars of Israel and Victims of Actions of Terrorism, which is observed every year the day before Israeli Independence Day.
Israel’s deputy ambassador to Turkey, Nadav Markman, who assisted in the rescue mission, said, “We greatly appreciate the gratitude from Turkey. The members of the Israeli delegation acted bravely and professionally. The close cooperation between the IDF, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the other factors in the field made it possible to save many lives, to show the beautiful face of the State of Israel.”
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by Siasat staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Whitefield Youth Association is a voluntary group based in Pendle, east Lancashire, that was originally set up with the aim of transforming young lives after disturbances that blighted Burnley in 2001. Good Sports, by the local photographer Nik Hartley, casts a light on the group, which now attracts about 200 young people a week
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( With inputs from : www.theguardian.com )
Unnao: Criminals in Uttar Pradesh walked around with their heads held high but now they hang placards around their necks begging for their lives, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Tuesday while campaigning for the urban local body elections.
Adityanath addressed elections rallies in Unnao and Rae Bareli ahead of the polls, scheduled to take place in two phases on May 4 and May 11.
Addressing an election rally in Rae Bareli, Adityanath said, “BJP ki ek hi yukti, pradesh ko dilai mafia se mukti (The BJP has only one solution which has rid the sate of criminals)’. The mafia are begging for mercy to lead regular lives and earn livelihood by honest means due to zero tolerance against crime.”
He also took a dig at the previous regimes, saying people associated with a particular party would brandish country-made pistols while the youths now are working on smartphones and tablets.
Adityanath was referring to the Uttar Pradesh government’s drive to distribute tablets and smartphones free of cost to one crore undergraduate and postgraduate students as part of a push to the link the state’s youths with the Digital India campaign.
Addressing another rally in Unnao, Adityanath said, “Before 2017, traders were exploited and extorted. Today, they are benefitting from the PM SVANidhi scheme. Prior to 2017, there was terror of miscreants while today, cities are being made safe.
“Earlier, there were heaps of garbage but cities are becoming smart today. Now, there is no place for mafia-criminals, crime, corruption and corrupt people in Uttar Pradesh.”
The BJP defeated the Samajwadi Party to form the government in Uttar Pradesh in 2017. Adityanath became the chief minister for the second consecutive term after assembly polls last year, a feat achieved in India’s most populous state after over three decades.
Speaking in Unnao, he said, “This is the new Uttar Pradesh. Government facilities are being given as per eligibility. We consider every citizen of Uttar Pradesh to be a member of our family, so no one can claim that there was caste or religious discrimination.”
“No extortions or kidnappings for ransom, Uttar Pradesh is no longer anyone’s fiefdom,” the chief minister said.
He also criticised the previous regimes for creating law and order problems that prevented girls from going to school.
“(Earlier) the youths faced an identity crisis. The nation’s reputation suffered and scams became prevalent. The perception of India has changed since 2014. People now look at the youth of India with respect. Today, India is making progress in every field,” Adityanath said.
Adityanath said India has transformed in the last nine years and that transformation has become the centre of attraction for the world. The dream of 140 crore people in India is being fulfilled without any discrimination under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Similarly, there has been a change in how Uttar Pradesh is perceived inside India in the last six years, he added.
In the last six years, the “double engine government” has provided a house each to more than 54 lakh poor people in rural and urban areas while toilets have been built for 2.61 crore underprivileged.
Adityanath said the civic elections are not a small matter and are meant to add a “third engine” to the existing “double engine government” of the BJP in the state to accelerate its development.
The prime minister’s vision is the mission of Uttar Pradesh, he said. The Ganga Expressway is being constructed to connect western Uttar Pradesh with the state’s central and eastern parts and will benefit the people of Unnao, the chief minister said.
The expressway will allow people to travel to Delhi in six hours and Prayagraj in two, he added.
Unnao and Rae Bareli will go to the polls in the first phase on May 4. The votes will be counted on May 13.
The elections are seen as setting the tone for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, which sends 80 lawmakers to Parliament.
Sunil Gavaskar used to be called the Little Master during his playing days and could face bouncers from dreaded fast bowlers like Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Dennis Lillee and many others without flinching. During the communal riots in Mumbai in 1992-93 he showed his courage in a different way outside the cricket field. Following the demolition of the Babri Masjid, the entire city was engulfed in flames of communal carnage.
One day the former India captain witnessed an act of violence against a hapless taxi driver and his family. The family belonging to the minority community was travelling along the road when their vehicle was stopped by a murderous mob. They beat up the driver and were preparing to lynch all the family members including children. Gavaskar was standing on the balcony of his building when he saw what was happening on the street below.
He shouted to his wife to inform the police and then rushed downstairs without any weapon in his hands except his raw courage. His wife not only told the police but also informed other residents of the building that her husband had gone out to save innocent lives. She asked them to also go and help out. A few of them showed the courage to follow Gavaskar’s example and rushed downstairs.
But Gavaskar was the first to arrive at the scene. He told the rioters: “Whatever you are thinking of doing to this man and his family, you must do it to me first. I will not step out of the way.” The violent mob knew who Gavaskar was. The Indian captain was too famous a personality to go unrecognised. Seeing the cricketer’s determination they hesitated. They could not muster the courage to fight with a world famous cricket player.
When a few other residents of the building also arrived and took their positions beside Gavaskar, the would-be murderers realised that things would not go their way. After venting their frustration by shouting abuse at the taxi driver and his family members, they melted away and left the scene. The driver was clearly overwhelmed at this close shave and thanked Gavaskar and his neighbours profusely. Finally Gavaskar himself advised the man to leave the scene at once and reach his home safely.
Sunil Gavaskar never mentioned the incident thereafter to anyone. But his son Rohan, who was also a good cricketer, related the tale at an awards function which had been arranged by the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai. Heaping praise on his father’s batting skills and determination on the cricket field, Rohan Gavaskar also told the gathering about his father’s bravery and what had transpired during the riots.
Between December 1992 and January 1993, it is estimated that more than 900 people lost their lives in Mumbai. This country needs more eminent people who have the courage and commitment towards peace that Sunil Gavaskar displayed that day. If our celebrities show this kind of fearlessness then many others will follow their example and plenty of innocent lives will be saved whenever such conflicts arise.
Laws must be judged on the basis of results. The consequences of existing lax gun laws in the US are there for all to see. According to the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey (2018), with less than 5% of the world’s population, the United States has 46% of the world’s civilian ownership of guns.
It works out to 120.5 guns per hundred people for the United States, while in the case of Canada, it is 34.7, UK 4.6 and Japan 0.3. As for the gun-related homicides per 100,000 persons, it is 4.12 for the United States, while in the case of Canada, it is 0.5, UK 0.04, and Japan 0.02.
The total number of deaths from guns in the US, both homicide and suicide, in 2021 was about 48,000 which is 25% more than the deaths from car accidents.
The correlation between the scale of ownership of guns and gun deaths is glaringly obvious.
Moreover, because of the ease with which one can get any kind of gun, including rapid-firing automatic rifles, mass shootings are uniquely endemic in the US. Already there have been more than 100 mass shootings this year or more than one per day. Nearly 160 people have died in mass shootings, including 11 in Monterey Park California. Particularly tragic is the frequent mass shooting of schoolchildren and teachers. Only a few days ago three 9-year-old children and three adults were killed in a school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee.
To understand constitutional issues, one must start by studying and analyzing the text of the relevant articles. Here is how the Second Amendment reads: “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”
The Second Amendment was not something new in the U.S. Constitution. More than 20 years before the U.S. Constitution was ratified and the Union formed, at least three states – North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia – had similar provisions in their constitutions.
The relevant clause in Pennsylvania’s Constitution (1776) reads as follows: “The people have a right to bear arms for the defense of themselves and the state and as standing armies in the time of peace are dangerous to the liberty, they ought not to be kept up….”
North Carolina and Virginia had almost identical provisions in their constitutions.
A careful analytical reading of the Second Amendment clearly shows that the right to gun ownership was in the context of the need of the state to have “a well-regulated militia,” for their security. No other purpose or basis for owning guns, such as sports, clay pigeon shooting, hunting, or recreation has been mentioned.
Calamity Jane, notable pioneer frontierswoman and scout, at age 43. Photo by H.R. Locke.
An important point must be made here. For individuals in a democracy, a specific constitutional provision for ownership of guns is not necessary. For example, Canada does not have any article in its Constitution for individual ownership of a gun, and yet private ownership of guns in that country is the second highest after the United States. Indeed, it is interesting that there is hardly any democratic country in Western Europe that has a constitutional provision for the right of gun ownership, and yet people have guns. On the other hand, countries that like the US constitutionally guarantee the right to keep and bear arms include the Czech Republic, Guatemala, Ukraine, Mexico, and the Philippines, not the best examples of democracy and freedom.
In a democracy, specific sanction for each right in the Constitution is not necessary. As the Ninth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution makes clear: “The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights should not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.”
Obviously, people have all rights flowing from their unalienable right to “Life, Liberty and pursuit of Happiness,” as so eloquently put in the 1976 Declaration of Independence. For example, an individual has the right to own cars, planes, drones, and motorboats even though there is no specific provision in the Constitution for their possession. Indeed, like so many other things they simply did not then exist. The Constitution provides general guidance, but not all the specific details. The latter is achieved by tens of thousands of laws enacted and many more rules framed in pursuit of the goals laid down in the Constitution.
An individual can own and do anything in pursuit of his right to “life liberty and pursuit of happiness” so long as he does not adversely impact the similar rights of others.
How to interpret and implement the Second Amendment in today’s circumstances?
ATF inspector at a federally licensed gun dealer
At the time when the Second Amendment was adopted, there was no organized, standing professional army in the US for external defense. In fact, because of their oppressive experience of the British colonial soldiers, there was a deep distrust of the regular Army as the clause in the Pennsylvania Constitution shows. The war of American independence was fought and won by an assortment of hastily assembled state militias’ not a regular and professional standing army. Today for its defense the United States has the world’s most powerful army with an annual budget of $750 billion. The US Army is under full civilian control and there is no question of its oppressing the people.
So, from the point of view of external defense, the Second Amendment is an anachronism.
A Remington 20-gauge semi-automatic shotgun, a Colt AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a Colt .45 semi-auto handgun, a Walther PK380 semi-auto handgun and ammunition set against an American flag.
Similarly, at the time of the drafting and adoption of the Constitution, there was no organized and elaborate National Guard, police force, FBI, or intelligence agencies for the internal security of the state, society, and the individual. Hence the emphasis on private ownership of guns for personal defense as well as the defense of the state as and when necessary.
Over the years many legal protections have been provided to the citizens against state high-handedness. Besides the right of habeas corpus, a citizen is protected against self-incrimination under the Fifth Amendment, the duty on the part of the arresting authority to inform the accused of his ‘right to remain silent’ and the ‘right to an attorney’, (popularly known as the Miranda rights), the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty, proof beyond a reasonable doubt, strict laws about the admissibility of evidence, etc. These protections are quite effective in safeguarding the individual’s rights.
Today, for internal security as well as personal safety and protection against state oppression, private ownership of guns is not only unnecessary but a problem. All around security will be enhanced by strengthening institutions, better training of state security personnel, improving accountability, not their distrust, and unchecked and unregulated proliferation of private ownership of guns. Though much is left to be desired, security is far better today than in the past. Attempts at constant improvements going on. In today’s urban life with large assemblies of people everywhere, offering easy targets for mass shootings, guns in everybody’s hands will make problems unmanageable.
The argument that personal safety is enhanced by the ownership of guns and carrying it everywhere is not consistent with logic or supported by facts. When people know that the others are carrying a gun the temptation is to pull out the gun and shoot the other person before he shoots you somewhat like what happens in a Wild West movie. With widespread gun ownership, instead of fistfights and injury, there is shooting and death.
This is borne out by the example of the British police. They do not carry weapons when on duty. Consequently, the criminal also does not carry a gun and shoot the policeman to avoid arrest and thus becomes guilty of homicide. He tries to run away often unsuccessfully but there is no exchange of gunfire and deaths.
So, from the point of view of internal security and personal safety also the Second Amendment is an anachronism.
It is common sense that to be effective laws must take into account the prevailing circumstances. These are quite different today from what they were more than 230 years ago when the Second Amendment was adopted.
At that time the total number of guns in the US could probably be counted in thousands not millions. The assembly-line mass production techniques for anything had not yet been developed. Today in US the total number of guns in private hands is over 350 million.
Even more significant is the change in the lethality and firepower of the guns. At the time of Second Amendment, the guns were muzzle-loading. It would take some minutes to load a gun and fire it. So, to fire 10 shots in quick succession you would have to first load and keep ready 10 guns which would take perhaps 20 minutes or more. This completely ruled out mass shootings by an individual.
The first breach in loading guns using cartridges was invented around 1850. The first automatic pistol was invented in 1892 by Joseph Laumann. And then came the automatic pistol with a separate magazine in the grip and today we have an R – 15 which can file dozens of shots in a minute and mow down dozens of people in seconds.
There is simply no comparison between the muzzle-loading guns of 1791 firing one shot per two minutes or so and automatic rifles like AR-15 or AK-47 firing dozens of rounds per minute. One wonders what those who made the Constitution in the time of muzzle-loading guns would have to say about the freedom to own AR-15.
Laws about gun ownership and carrying it on the person must take into account this change in the firepower of weapons. No law, not even the Constitution is a law unto itself, unchanging and unchangeable. Constitution and laws have as their purpose the welfare of the people, and their right to “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.” They can be amended or even abrogated if, required for the good of the people. Considering the number of gun deaths especially mass shootings and deaths of innocent school children it is time to amend or reinterpret the implementation of the Second Amendment.
Regulating a right is not “infringing” it. Almost all rights of an individual including those under the First Amendment and can be regulated. No right is or can be absolute. The basic principle governing the exercise of rights is that an individual cannot pursue a right to the point where it infringes the similar right of another person. The way the right to gun ownership is being pursued is harming the Right to Life of many people as the frequent random deaths especially of innocent children testify.
An individual has the right to own and drive a car, but this right is regulated to ensure that the right of others to life and the pursuit of happiness is not endangered. The car must be registered and have an identification number plate. There must be third-party insurance coverage. The driver must achieve driving proficiency, pass a test, and have at all times a valid driving license. The car must have minimum safety standards. It must have seatbelts, and a collapsible steering column. It must meet emission standards, have good brakes and tires, and annual roadworthiness certificate. One cannot drive a car under the influence of liquor. The prescribed speed limit must be observed. One can be fined, have his license suspended, or even be imprisoned for not complying with rules.
Similarly, there are elaborate regulations about the ownership of planes, powerboats, etc.
An individual has the right to own a home; but again, there are codes and safety standards that must be followed.
One has a right to drink at the party but not drive back home under the influence of alcohol.
Such regulations are mainly for the protection of the rights of others. We live in a society with others and must respect other people’s rights.
Sick of daily mass shootings, a vast majority of Americans want to regulate gun ownership to check gun deaths. They must translate their vague sentiments into concrete action. Vote out those who oppose common sense gun possession regulations. It is time to discuss and develop a consensus on step-by-step measures to check gun violence. Second Amendment or no Second Amendment, people have a right to own guns but only with regulations to ensure everybody’s safety. It has been achieved by other free and democratic societies. There is no basis for gun exceptionalism in the US. We should stop making gun ownership a fetish. The gun culture in the US is a creation of Hollywood Westerns rather than a need or reality. There is nothing glamorous or macho about gun ownership. Nobody’s safety least of all that of the individual himself is enhanced. Rationally considered everybody’s safety including that of the gun owner is diminished. An arms race in gun ownership endangers everyone’s life in society the same way that the global arms race threatens the security of every nation.
The power to change in a democracy rests with the people. Gun freedom lobbies may have money but the people who believe in common sense gun regulations have the vote. They should go to the polling station at the next election and exercise it.
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic avalanche in Sikkim.
Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said, “The news of deaths and injuries due to catastrophic avalanche in Sikkim is deeply distressing. Condolences to the bereaved families. Wish the injured a speedy recovery.”
Earlier in the day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the government is closely monitoring the situation in Sikkim.
Shah took to Twitter to condole the loss of lives and assured that the teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will reach the affected area soon.
The minister also prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured in the incident.
“My sincerest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in the tragic avalanche in Sikkim. We are closely monitoring the situation and the teams of NDRF will reach the affected area soon. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,” Shah said in a tweet.
At least seven tourists were killed and many are feared trapped after an avalanche struck the Gangtok-Nathu La road in Sikkim on Tuesday afternoon, the Army said.
The deceased have been identified as Shiva Psd Lamichaney, Ashika Dhakal, Rebya Singh, Bal Singh, Sourav Roy Chaudhary, Pritam Matiy and Muna Shah Shrestra, officials said.
“Among the 7 deceased we have identified three as Nepal nationals, and two each were from Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The Bengal victims will be taken in an ambulance, 2 from Uttar Pradesh will be flown while those from Nepal will be taken by road for which the State Social Welfare department is looking into the logistics of taking mortal remains,” Gangtok District Collector said.
An estimated 20-30 tourists were feared to be trapped under the snow along with five-six vehicles, the Army added.
“By 3 pm, 14 persons were rescued and taken to a nearby Army medical facility. However, seven persons succumbed. The other seven persons were administered first aid and returned to Gangtok, the Army said in a statement.
The search and rescue operation was halted on Tuesday at 6:00 pm due to inclement weather, the DC notice stated.
Further, the search and rescue operation for the avalanche will again start at 8:00 hours on April 5, 2023, to account for missing tourists, the statement reads.
