Editor,
Regarding the distribution of seats for the NIT at Sohra, if the ST candidates of Meghalaya cannot compete from the General category too, it will be an injustice. However, if the ST candidates can compete through the General category, the competition will be good for us. If we clamour for reservation, it reflects badly on our perception of ourselves. Organisations which survive on handouts, and whose members consist mainly of dropouts, mediocre students, political aspirants, and people who do not have the stomach for open competition, should not insult the intelligence and attitude of the rest of us and muddy the waters for their personal gain. We are capable of competing with the best in India.
Yours etc.,
Damanbha Diengdoh,
Shillong -14
Inauthentic map?
Editor,
Apropos the news item published in your esteemed paper under the caption, “Survey of India map not authentic’ (Oct 19, 2012) as expressed by the honourable Chief Minister of Meghalaya, I would like to apprise the indigenous people of Meghalaya that the expression of the words ‘SOI Map not authentic’ by CM of Meghalaya is ambiguous as probably he is not quite aware of the fact that Survey of India (SOI), under the Ministry of Science and Technology, GOI, have been serving the nation for the last 24 decades, not only engaged with topographical survey and producing a correct map of the entire nation, but also surveys and coordinates the external boundary pillars of the country and incorporates the same on the maps of different scale, as well as surveys the states’ boundary pillars, in case these are available on the ground. In case if between states of India, no boundary pillars exists on the ground, the boundary of the states are decided on the basis of the documents available with District Collectors of both the states and duly authenticated by them. However, the work is entirely manual and the possibility of errors cannot be ruled out.
Here, I want to add that the state of Meghalaya was bisected from the state of Assam about four decades ago, covered by external boundary on the south and internal boundary on the north and east which has always remained a hot topic of discussion both at external and internal levels and the same will continue to exists until and unless proper boundary pillars are surveyed and fixed on the ground with their 3-dimensional coordinates with mutual agreement between external and internal authorities. I presume that every citizen of the state feels that this is the prime duty of the state administration to sort out the problem at the earliest instead of finding fault with the available documents and allowing the residents of the disputed areas to create unwanted havoc resulting in loss of lives and property. One hopes that in the near future the state administration will act upon the issue to sort out the confusion caused in the minds of all the citizens of Meghalaya.
Yours etc.,
PB Das
Shillong-3