Editor,
I was caught in traffic on a Monday morning after dropping my daughter to school around Dhankheti/St Edmund’s school. The jam was caused by heavy traffic rush for reasons unknown to me. I was on my bike and no matter how hard I tried I could not manage to move ahead as was the same with other two-wheelers. Suddenly there was a loud blaring of siren and an escort jeep followed by a huge car of our Opposition leader was trying to drive through, literally, all the vehicles and two-wheelers stuck on that road putting many school children, pedestrians and riders in grave danger. When I confronted the driver of the Escort jeep he replied that the “BOSS” was in a hurry. Does the BOSS know or have any sense that we too are in a hurry to reach our offices or schools? He might not be reprimanded for reaching late to office but we the lay persons and school children are taken to task if we are 10 mins late. Will somebody put a stop to using sirens by these so called VIPs while driving on city roads? Is it necessary to blare your sirens within the city limits? Or is it just a sign to say that the “BOSS” is on his way? Please VIPs try to live and drive like us ordinary people, at least once in the morning!
Yours etc.,
Casper Tariang,
Via email
Voice of the people Vs ignorant fear
Editor,
Once again a genuine and long felt need of the people of Shillong becomes front page news for all the wrong reasons. I refer to the intention of the Government to set up a hygienic and modern slaughter house at Mawiong and the opposition to the same by the dorbar of Mawiong Umjapung and Mawiongrim. Firstly the opposition was because of apprehended pollution to the Umsohlang stream and lately because of professed humane considerations for fly infested meat that the rest of Shillong was likely to consume. Our response to this unsolicited and dubious noble consideration is ‘Please don’t make the rest of Shillong a scapegoat (lang sait pop) for any vested dorbar interest. The rest of Shillong is quite capable of thinking for itself with out boorish interventions from ignorant dorbars. So thank you but no thanks’.
The original fear of contaminating the Umsohlang is genuine. But the fact of the matter is that a recent inspection by the Mawlai Town Dorbar found that the upstream Umsohlang is currently being polluted by direct septic tank discharge from houses along its banks. If the Mawiong Umjapung and Mawiongrim durbars are so concerned about Umsohlang contamination, why is this matter of faecal contamination to their Umsohlang not an issue of concern to them? Concrete circumstantial evidence of direct contamination from septic tanks is greeted with indifferent silence, but a howl of protest is raised over something that no one knows anything about. What mockery of logic is this? Two different yardsticks cannot be used for the same measure. Will it be too much to expect the two durbars to make this issue of ‘discriminatory justice’ an agenda for discussion in their next dorbar meeting? Or is this too much to expect?
How have the Dorbars of Mawiong Umjapung and Mawiongrim come to the conclusion that the modern slaughter house will contaminate the Umsohlang? Is this conclusion based on research and scientific findings? Has any member of the above durbars ever seen a modern slaughter house? Does any one have any idea of the technology used simply to ensure that the most sterile and germ free conditions prevail? Has any one taken the trouble to find out? Or is the opposition simply because of an expression of alarm based on ignorant fear? All evidence seems to point that way. Probably it is because of the inability of the two durbars to distinguish, ‘Ka sur u paidbah’ from genuine public concerns based on reliable and educated information. Now why should the rest of Shillong be deprived of clean wholesome hygienic meat simply because two durbars are too lazy to find out the truth. Are we prepared to suffer this silly stand which has all the potential to force us to continue eating unhygienic meat? This habit of saying ‘NO’ just because we can’t understand, must stop. Shillong must raise its voice against those who stand against its interests.
Yours etc.,
Alex Massar,
Via email