Lawlessness in Garo Hills
Editor,
Through your esteemed daily I wish to bring to the notice of the authorities a brutal incident where a group of dacoits forcibly entered the house of Chandra Shekhar Das an inhabitant of Mahendraganj Babupara on the midnight on May 29th. The dacoits not only looted valuables, money and mobiles but also brutally attacked Mr Das, his wife and two daughters. The attack was so severe and brutal that while Mr Das managed to escape with severe injuries, his wife died on June 3rd after medical surgery at GNRC Hospital, Guwahati. This unfortunate incident has created several doubts about the efficacy of the administration. We are the bonafide citizens of the State paying all sorts of taxes to the state and central government but we are deprived of the minimum level of security. A huge section of people in this part of Garo Hills spend sleepless nights and are paranoid about being the next victims.
If we look into the history of Mahendraganj in the past few years we will have noticed that a number of such incidents have taken place but not a single person has been arrested, much less convicted. The recent desperate attempts of the dacoits prove that they are not deterred by the fact that a house could be within 100 meter radius of the police station. In this regard I would like to ask a few questions to the district administration and those in political positions. (1) What is the role of the police? (2)What is the role of the administration? (3) Are police meant for VIP security only? (4) Who is to be held responsible for incidents of dacoity? (5) After an incident has occurred whom do I ask about my security rights? What category of security am I entitled from the A-Z list ?
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request
Yoga- the quieting of mind
Editor,
‘Yoga is the quieting of mind’, that is what the great Patanjali said about yoga. ‘Baba’ Ramdev who runs the Patanjali Yogashram and teaches the whole world ‘yoga’ is asked by an ex-policewoman, Ms Bedi, to learn to manage his anger, meaning that he has not quite mastered the quieting of his mind and the spokesperson who came all the way from Haridwar to support Ramdev’s call to arms was seen going apoplectic in a recent TV show. Ramdev might extol women’s power and hide behind woman’s “purdah’ and compare himself to the great Shivaji, in a futile attempt to run from the police, but the Haridwar spokesperson’s sneering attitude towards the ladies on the TV, that came out so clearly, did not show much respect for women’s power. So people who are the proclaimed experts in the art of ‘quieting of the mind’ are anything but that, while policemen who normally thrive on bluster and bull and have very little people skills cannot but over react when a fugitive is hiding among the women. If a woman is injured in the following police action, at least part of the blame should go to the guy who masqueraded as a woman.
Yours etc.,
John D Jayakumar
No generalisations please!
Editor,
Apropos Kong Janet Moore Hujon’s letter (ST June 07 2011), I am all but praise for her timely observations, especially concerning the environment, since I truly believe that this is one God given gift to us humankind, that we need to inevitably unite and stand up to this two- faced, Janus headed, gentleman of a Speaker, who I think has a firm belief that money can secure his own future. And as for his off-springs, the environment abroad will be fine. So, why should one care if the lungs, liver, or stomach of the city is desecrated? As for her praise for Kong Ampareen, I can only say that the comment has stolen the essence of the important message since everybody who is anybody in the Meghalaya Secretariat knows that the only ministers present throughout this long “drawn ” crisis, was Dr Mukul himself and Bah Bindo M Lanong who has been kind enough to do justice and not play politics, while the beleaguered CM was attending to crisis from within, as well as crisis from without. I feel such information should be cross- checked before one is labelled a pawn of the many. And forgive me if I am wrong, but isn’t Kong Janet in the moors of United Kingdomland or has she hyperlinked to google earth live feed, to verify her praises? If not, let this set the record straight, with no ill will to any other.
Another suggestion to Kong Janet, is that for what the Speaker or for that matter any other individual commits, be it good , bad or ugly, is no justification to paint all politicians with the same brush. Why dump all politicians in the same basket? There are those who are just waiting for the opportune time to do right? As for the fly to Delhi types, when we start paying taxed, they will know!
Yours etc.,
J Dkhar,
Via email