Editor,
I thank Tyrone D’Brass for writing on the issue of the dismal electricity supply in Garo Hills. Is it not a pity that after gaining statehood in 1972 Garo Hills could not be provided with an alternative source of electricity supply in 40 years? Who is responsible for this pathetic condition? Did the so-called NGO’s of Garo Hills ever ask this question to themselves? Politicians-we never count. It is well known what kind of people these politicians are. They know only one art- how to amass wealth. Similar is the condition of the NGOs. None of them are concerned about the problems of the common people. Otherwise why don’t they see that none of the basic amenities of a civilised society is available here in Garo Hills? Water supply department is almost non-functional. More than half of the town suffers from perennial water crisis. The supplied water, most of the time, is much below the standard of human consumption. Sometimes they supply mud in the name of water. Same is the condition of road communication. No need to go very far- just see the road condition in the heart of the Tura town. The culvert on the Hawakhana road which was damaged during in the last monsoon could not be repaired within last 10 months. The road in front of the Paramount complex turns out to be a paddy field during the rainy season causing enormous problems for pedestrians. These are only some of the problems that we face. There are many more. They need to be addressed. But by whom? God only knows.
Yours etc.
Nitish Pandit,
Via email
Joy of walking
Editor,
It was truly a pleasure to read the column of Gerald Pde (30th April) on walking. He has touched the very nerve of what ails Shillong and its people and what we should do. I would like to chip to what Gerald had stated. Let me start by saying that as a “busy” government servant I was all along hiding behind the favorite slogans of “no time”, “too much to do”, “overwork” etc. I was brought to a rude awakening last Christmas(Dec 2011) when I had to go to Police Bazaar with my son to buy him a few Christmas goodies. I was like a child in a toy shop and felt like a tourist gawking at all that PB had to offer. The realization came that I did not even remember when was the last time I was in PB; everything looked different, changed and I was ashamed! Ashamed because, as a father, I should have been taking my son around and not him showing me around. All shopping said and done I came home feeling really silly and ‘impotent’ in a way. It was one of my Christmas resolutions that from here on I was going to spend more time with my son and with my home – Shillong – to know them better and intimately, and believe me I have not looked back.
What did I do? I started walking to places ( short jaunts at first). I then started compartmentalizing my week and kept Saturday afternoon for ambling aimlessly. It got more and more interesting. I found “more time” out of my “no time “schedule. I realized I was running round in circles with what appeared to be essential/priority works. I started trimming my work and found that the world was still going round without my intervention or help and I found a whole lot of more time. My weekly schedule has now gone up to three days (a few hours a day) of snooping around Shillong in short jaunts and I tell you I am falling in love all over again with Shillong and its people (I am now even more ashamed to think that I am a Khasi boy and wasted the major part of my life aping somebody else when I had so much to savour and nurture in the town itself and especially our people). I am seeing so much – albeit, sadly a lot of unsavoury stuff also – but I feel enriched and am eagerly awaiting my retirement, which is a few years from now. I have literally slowed down and by doing so I have come to a shocking revelation that I am getting much more done. I am actually doing much more by doing less. We are suffering from the information syndrome.
Bah Gerald’s column has therefore served to encourage me. I wish I had company on my jaunts, but the fact that I move around alone does not deter me; in fact I am thinking its better and, I hope to encourage the readers to also analyze their lives, trim the unnecessary, prioritize and start to live.
Walking around Shillong has not only served to educate me but my health of course has been the major beneficiary (my paunch is on the wane) and most of all I feel my quality of life has been enhanced in several ways including my family life. I would urge the readers to just do it (how I like the Nike slogan) irrespective of government interventions. It would be nice if the government comes up with walkways etc as Gerald has pointed out but even if they drag their feet it does not mean we sit and mope. We just start individually with a totally selfish motive for starters and then it will become a norm and I’m sure when we get exposed to Shillong with all its beauty, wiles and even the not so good things going on we will do things which are proactive and build society. We may not shake the world but every drop we do will contribute to something. I know it for a fact because I have started doing it and I am already contributing in very big ways to myself, my family and in a very negligible way to Shillong and Shillongites.
Yours etc.,
Clive Nongkynrih,