Editor,
For five months, Shillong will be my home. Your wonderful climate gives me energy and creates an excellent feeling of well-being. Everyday I’m following the good advice of your health pages. There are very important messages for people to keep fit and healthy. But there are reasons for despair. Parts of Shillong are very dirty and full of stink! The small urban creeks are covered with plastic bags, bottles etc., because the people discard them as piles of rubbish. Around Polo Ground and market areas women are washing their clothes in this polluted water and it even takes on the toxic-chemical soap. It’s not understandable, that this rotten process should have any cleaning effect.Could your paper – health section- do anything to educate people not to destroy their own living surroundings?
Yours etc.,
Magda Hofferbert
Mexico/Germany
Height of moral degeneration
Editor,
Over the past few months, the whole world has been condemning the Delhi bus gang-rape and the media is flooded with such news. We all agree that such inhuman acts should not be tolerated and must be nipped in its bud, but mere blanket condemnation of such barbaric acts would not do justice to the victims. We clamour for laws, death sentence, chemical castration, etc., but everyone forgets the basic and fundamental causes which trigger such acts. The root cause lies with our patriarchal society and its narrow, medieval mindset where women are seen as mere sex objects, pleasure items and pro-creating instruments. What is needed more than the laws is the change in the mindset of our society that women are created equal and have equal rights to live their lives as they want to. Until this mindset changes, women will always be at the receiving end. For instance I once read this statement, “Who will eat in a plate where someone else had eaten?” This implies that a non-virgin is not acceptable as a wife. This is the sick attitude of Indian men. We care more about the hymen than the woman’s personality! Shame on us all.
The last point I want to raise is on the inaction and silence of spiritual leaders, religious organizations and academic institutions regarding such acts. I last read in your esteemed paper of the need for religious organizations and leaders to take proactive role in tackling these inhumane acts. Sadly, this is not happening. Our pastors and churches shy away from such responsibilities and consider it too hot to handle. But you cannot wash your hands from these human failings. Last year, students of a Christian-run institution (UCC, Umiam) were up in protests and agitation for months against a teacher accused of sodomy. And to us onlookers from outside, the actions of the management leaves us wondering if there is justice left in this world. Why were the media not allowed to cover the issue and the agitations? Is there anything behind it? Why has not the management come clean on this? Why is the management tight-lipped and only interested in hushing up the matter? Is the management (a Christian body) sheltering the accused? Like I said before, silence is consent. Has there been any action taken against the offender-teacher and to what extent? And to think that such acts happen in a religious-run institution and too in an environment where intellectuals are aplenty is dreadful. The truth however is not hidden.
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request
Extortion by police
Editor,
The Shillong Times report published on 02-02-2012 about the collection of money from coal trucks and those carrying essential commodities plying along the NH-62 and passing through the various police camps and toll gates on NH-62 in both East Garo Hills and the newly created North Garo Hills districts are spot on. The money has been collected for the forthcoming elections by employing non-tribal police officers of both the districts at the following places viz; Dobu police camp, Rongjeng police camp and Mendipathar police camp. It is also learnt that police conducts highway patrol on NH-62 as per the direction of district higher-ups to control the crimes but the police personnel are busy collecting money from all the trucks. After the money is collected it is sent by a messenger by the departmental vehicle to politicians and police officials in Shillong. This is the reality and if the Election Commission of India has eyes and ears it should stop this corrupt practice forthwith and investigate who the police officer is who is orchestrating this extortion racket.
Yours’ etc.,
Jobang Raksam
On behalf of NGOs
Dainadubi, PO Dainadubi,
North Garo Hills, Meghalaya
Employment Exchange office
Editor,
Through your daily esteemed newspaper, I request the Chief Engineer, PWD (Buildings) Meghalaya, and the contractor concerned to please expedite the construction of the Employment Exchange office at Keating Road for the convenience of the literate, educated un-employed youth to register their names in the office which is centrally located in Shillong. The office was destroyed by fire in 1985 and the delay is due to a court case. The office of the Chief Engineer P.W.D. (Building) Shillong called for Short Tender Notice vide its letter No PW/CE/BD/91190/56 Dated 26-5-2009 to complete the work within 30 (thirty) months. It was stated that any delay should be settled with the office or contractor concerned. The completion of work within 2013 would be a gift by the new Government to be formed soon.
Yours etc,
I S Mawrie)
Retired Employee,
Divisional Employment Exchange,
Shillong.