Editor,
When I read in the paper this morning that the Langpih protesters had suddenly called off their fast unto death programme I was surprised.. My question is plain and simple. Who holds the key to the Langpih agitators? I see this as a political move for some people to get into the limelight for the 2013 election. When the people of that area came forward to voice their protests through non-violent means against both the State Governments of Meghalaya and Assam, my question is why did the leaders of The People’s Movement take away the credit by asking them to call-off their fast? They said they will resort to another agitation on Langpih. I wonder what type of agitation programme they are talking about. But at this moment there are a thousand questions as to who calls the shots for the people of Langpih and who decided to call-off the fast. It is not only those in the Peoples’ Movement who have the patriotic spirit and understanding. People from Langpih and adjacent areas have the right to have their say too. Let’s hope that one day the people of Langpih and the State as a whole will achieve that goal.
Yours etc.,
Golden Katrai,
Via email
Altruism is alive
Editor,
We live in a polluted environment (in every sense of the term!). So what I witnessed on 12th July,2012 was like a breath of fresh air. I was on my way to work at around 9:40 a.m. when, at the junction after 4th Furlong, the traffic got held up for some reason. I noticed some commotion ahead. As I approached nearer, I discovered that a tall bamboo had uprooted and created an obstruction on the road for the vehicles plying towards me. Cars on my lane however were unhindered. So I was irked when the van ahead of me showed no indication of moving. As expected, horns blared in unison at the driver! Undeterred, the driver of the van (ML O5 F 8609), who I shall now christen “Good Samaritan”, calmly got off, walked towards the fallen bamboo, deftly removed the offending obstacle, got back into his car and quietly drove away. I could almost hear the grateful drivers on the other lane silently applaud this fine gentleman! I then continued my journey to work with a renewed hope in humankind! God bless this altruist.
Yours etc.,
R J Nongrum,
Shillong-793006.
Aversion of two Chief Ministers?
Editor,
In the news report under the heading “Dispute should be solved through mediator : Gogoi (ST. July 13, 2012). We are told that Gogoi the Assam Chief Minister suggested that “… Meghalaya could take the legal recourse of moving the Supreme Court over the dispute … as Assam has also moved the Supreme Court over its dispute with Nagaland”. In the news report under the heading “Arbitrator must be neutral, non-political”: Mukul, (in the same issue of The Shillong Times) we read, “About the Assam Chief Minister’s aversion to the idea of the Supreme Court stepping in to settle the matter like in the case of Nagaland, Dr. Mukul said that he is also not inclined to the idea of approaching the Supreme Court to resolve the matter”.
We, the readers, are unable to understand the stance of Gogoi, the Chief Minister of Assam, on the ways and means to resolve the inter-state boundary between the two neighbouring states because one report says the CM of Assam had suggested that Meghalaya could go to the Supreme Court just as Assam had done in the case of their dispute with Nagaland. While in the other we are told the Assam CM has an aversion to the idea of Supreme Court stepping in. Similarly Dr Mukul Sangma of Meghalaya is “… not inclined to the idea of moving court…”.
The best bit is in the reported statement of Dr. Mukul Sangma, “There are always possibilities that the decision of the Court would be against the interests of the State” which is an admission that the Government of Meghalaya has botched up its case through ineptitude. Hence, he is sure that the court would decide in favour of Assam. We suggest that Dr. Mukul Sangma read the Report of Assam-Meghalaya Boundary Committee (July 27, 1987) and tell us what he understands about it or he should get his legal experts to tell us why the Government of Meghalaya did not accept the Y.V. Chandrachud Committee’s Report and what they have done so far in this 40 year old dispute with Assam.
Yours etc.,
Morning Star Sumer,
Shillong – 2
Misuse of MLA funds
Editor,
Through your esteemed daily, I, on behalf of the people of Rongjeng would like to highlight the blatant acts of corruption of the MLA of Rongjeng constituency. From RTI replies we learn that for schemes like SRPW, IACDP etc., most of the amounts released for the specific projects are withdrawn by the close friends of the MLA. The following are some of the projects defrauded by his followers under SRWP scheme 2006-07. Installation of street light at Rongjeng Bazar – Rs 2 lakhs, Bamboo plantation Rs 5 lakhs for 50 families. In 2009-10 Rs 3 lakhs was spent on purchase and distribution of rubber stamps for different villages. In 2010-11 Rs one lakh was spent for 2 computers distributed to Rongmil High School and Rongchek A’kong School. In 2010-11 Rs 2 lakh was shown utilized for installation of transformer for Upper Rongjeng under IACD scheme. Again in 2007-08 the budget for organising winter festival at Rongjeng was Rs 2 lakhs. In 2008-09 organising of traditional sports competition at Rongchek A’kong cultural club – Rs 75,000 etc. Did we elect our MLA to spend money so injudiciously? As stated by Dr. Subhash C Kaskyap, “Indian democracy can be rightfully termed as a government of the corrupt, by the corrupt and for the corrupt.”
So it is high time for us to awake and learn lessons!
Yours etc.,
C G Momin,
Via email