Editor,
According to news reports in ST, HIV / AIDs cases are on the rise in Meghalaya. Added to that is the next snippet ‘AIDS awareness poor in M’laya.’ The knowledge of AIDS is supposed to increase with wider spread of education and wealth creation. If AIDs awareness is poor in Meghalaya, then it means we neither have education nor wealth. When read against the news of proliferation of private universities run by the ‘education mafia’ it is all the more troubling. There are more goons out to get the little wealth we have and leave us more ignorant and poorer and at more risk it seems. The next news is about the increasing incidence of alcohol and drug abuse. Are our young taking the short cut to nirvana in a State (pun intended) of reduced opportunities? Drinks have always been part of a hill people’s table, but there is a difference between home made brew with its enhanced food value and a commercial and alien concoction
that befuddle the brains with poison. Somewhere, in their eager beaver ascent to modernity are our young people just aping the superficial and shallow and are blown like froth on a black Guinness? And what about the latest report about rape incidences, at seven reported (and many more unreported) cases per week? Is depravity reaching epidemic proportions in Meghalaya. Unlike the patriarchal
mainland India, the tribal women are believed to have better social standing, more independence and more brain and even brawn. At least that was my understanding. Now it looks they are no better, and in some cases even worse off. It is a pity the Christian belt of the nation has more official corruption and social and moral turpitude, which does not augur well for the future of our society.
Yours etc.,
John D Jayakumar,
Via email
Increasing incidences of rape!
Editor,
Crime against the girl child and women in our State is rising at an alarming rate. How are we going to prevent such unwanted situations from happening? Each and every day we flip the pages of the newspaper to read of one or more rape case taking place in Meghalaya.
The most vulnerable section is the girl child. One amongst the many preventive measures that we can think about is for parents and more particularly the mother to empower the girl child to be aware about unwanted male advances usually expressed by ‘touch’. Children should know when a touch is unwelcome yet they seldom understand the difference between these two. As a result they become victims of rape either by their near and dear ones or people whom they trust. The mother who knows her child right from conception till she grows up to be a mature woman knows best when and how to tell her small daughter about what a male touch suggests. This will help prevent unwanted situations. A girl or a woman is not a mere sex object or reproductive tool but rather a partner in progress. This should be understood by the society.
I am reminded of the words of Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India who said, ‘To awaken the people, it is the woman who must be awakened; once she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves and the nation moves.
Yours etc.
I L Synrem
Via email
Overcharging by tourist taxis!
Editor,
Shillong based tourist taxi service-drivers are now charging Rs 1600 for a reserved cab from Shillong to Guwahati airport, a distance of slightly above 100 km, which probably is the highest charge amongst South-East Asian countries; much higher than Singapore or Malaysia. The charge was Rs 1200 for a full-taxi for the same destination in December 2010. Meanwhile there is a hike of five rupees in petrol price and two rupees for diesel per litre recently. Moreover, these unscrupulous drivers never give any receipts to passengers which is illegal. Hence they are looting the passengers in broad day light!
This reflects badly on our tourist management as there does not seem to be any fixed charge fixed on tourist taxis plying between Shillong and Guwahati airport and vice versa. Will the District Administration, the District Transport Officer, the Regional Transport Authority, Traffic police et al look into the matter and regularly initiate surprise checks on the national highway to see whether tourist taxi drivers have issued receipts to passengers for the amount paid as fare. Concerned authorities may also compel the drivers to display the rate chart of fares to different places from Shillong which will be authorised and sealed by the concerned authorities for the benefit of passengers.
Yours etc.,
R Dhar,
Via email