Editor,
The former Rajya Sabha MP, Robert Kharshiing’s outburst against both the Chief Minister and Home Minister focusing on unanswered phone calls is questionable. However he deserves credit for raising the bar on the plight of rape victims and the slowness of the justice system. To tackle the growing number of rape cases with the aim of punishing the perpetrators is a formidable task in the face of a weak criminal justice system here in Meghalaya as also in other parts of the country. Setting up fast track courts has to be aligned with improving the standard of investigations. Moreover, raising the efficiency level of prosecution is easier said than done.
The Ex-MP was part of the Government at one time and is probably aware of the earlier step-motherly treatment to development of fisheries, thereby causing a huge outflow of funds in importing fish, particularly from Andhra Pradesh. Alas! the frittering of a natural resource in the form of bountiful rivers and streams has been plundered by greed and self interest. The inaugural event at Sohiong village on March 30 last is not merely about the two fish ponds but the larger picture of of plenty as the 11,473 ponds take shape and that reduces our fish imports from Andhra Pradesh and Assam.
Crimes of all sorts, including crimes against women are major issues which should be appropriately addressed in the Legislative Assembly on the basis of a white paper emanating from the Government, to show the way forward.
Yours etc.,
D Lyndem,
Shillong-2
Govt. employees have their dignity
Editor,
Referring to the news item that appeared in your esteemed daily ( ST, March 27, 2013) on the arrest of Agnes Kharshiing, we must appreciate the police for arresting her since she is in the habit of abusing people. This is not the first time that she has done so. I have seen her doing the same several times earlier. She cannot abuse anyone without reasonable grounds. Government employees manning the gates (any where) are only performing their duties. They are not sitting at the gates for their personal interest. If she is a right thinking and law abiding citizen she should go by the regulations. If she has any grievances against the arrangements she has every right to protest to the appropriate authority as per law, not to gate-crash anywhere she likes and shout at any body. She should be aware that government employees are also human beings like her; they have equal rights like her. Just because the government is weak and is a soft target for NGOs, it does not mean that its employees can be abused by one and all. We also have our own dignity and human rights.
Yours etc.,
Diana B Wahlang,
Shillong -2
Great job people!
Editor,
The voters of 14 Pynthorumkhrah Constituency have chosen the same candidate for 15 long years and we have to live with this choice for the next five years. If Pynthorumkhrah had been under any other MLA for a continuous 15 years it would have been the most developed Constituency with clean drinking water, civic amenities schools, colleges, hospital, roads and other infrastructures, employment for unemployed youth, pension for old and single parents and poverty eradication programmes in place. But for the past 15 years nothing has happened. Just look at the constituencies adjoining ours and compare them to Pynthor. It is shameful of us to be called the people of this particular constituency. Water scarcity is the main issue but who will come to our rescue when the one we chose has already spent so much before the election that he has to start accumulating money for the next five years. Yes now we hear much talk about CCI sheet distribution scheme (Scam) that had come under the scanner. What next? The cement scam to make concrete homes for those illegal immigrants or the so- called vote bank to secure the seat for the next 20 more years? And who knows? These immigrants will be called the local people of our constituency with the right to vote! For them development means money overnight and why not? For them development means not of the constituency but for their own selves It looks as if the job of the MLA is to take care of the needy only in the constituency and not the entire polity. Someone has rightly said, “ Once we enter Polo it stinks” (mar iapoi Polo sma Hek). Polo is an eye-sore for the people of Shillong! So people wake up before it’s too late and things spin out of control here. Why do we think it is none of our business to poke our nose into our MLA’s business? Why let MLAs get away with treating the MLA schemes as if they come from his personal coffers when the money actually belongs to the people? Those of us who have elected the same person will one day regret our misdeeds! Seems we are living in a generation where illiteracy rules. Why are we not smart enough to differentiate between ruler and minister? Why have we sold our votes? Then when why complain when people sell their own children for food? Why did we not bring change in Pynthorumkhrah? For God’s sake we are not married to AL Hek that we are legally bound to vote him! These days even marriages don’t last that long! Why did the people of Pynthorumkthrah not vote for change? I am non-plussed !
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request