A job well done
Despite all the hullaballoo surrounding the deteriorating law and order situation in the city and outcry over avoidable show of strength by the State Police on certain occasions, the men in khaki deserve a fair share of credit for their relentless efforts in ensuring a peaceful festive week in Shillong which began with the Durga puja festival on October 11. Even as the 10 NGOs protesting for the implementation of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) assured an agitation free week, it is anybody’s guess that there was no scope of laxity as far as the security scenario was concerned for antisocial elements could be out to take advantage of the situation. While Shillongites reveled in the joys of the Durga puja festivities, police personnel could be making the rounds of the city late at night and early in the morning besides normal hours. For arguments which subscribe that it is the duty of the men in uniform to perform such arduous tasks as and when the situation demanded, it is still to be considered that a duty well performed is a service to the society. Traffic personnel murmuring in the walkie-talkies late at night and pilot escort vehicles zooming through the city roads as late as 2 am are just two examples which show that the security men meant business when it came to maintaining harmony during the festive week. Even though a couple of minor incidents were reported from within and without the city, the same failed to raise eyebrows over the professional approach of the police force. At the receiving end more often than not, criticized and dismissed for their ineffectiveness, the police machinery deserve a “thank you” from the peace loving public of Shillong for if not for them democracy would crumble in no time.
Students and ILP
Among the worst sufferers of the ILP conundrum are the school students in the city who are appearing in their annual school examinations that would determine their prospects of going to the next standard. With the series of bandhs these students are now at their wits end as after the Puja holidays they are supposed to complete their syllabi except the bandh is making things tougher for them. After losing out on classroom coaching due to bandhs has crippled the students mentally and psychologically. Many have become indolent. But while some students tried to brave the bandh and attend extra classes they found the teachers missing from action upon reaching their respective schools. Parents who are conscious of this have arranged private tuitions for their wards but all cannot afford such luxurious teachers exclusively hired to teach a particular student at home. The rest are dependent on classroom coaching. Most schools in the city, it is learnt, are preparing for their final examination and this is an important time when the syllabi gets final touches. And even a single day of disruption means huge loss as teachers will have to scramble with whatever time available to finish their courses. And in the end it becomes too heavy for students to imbibe the curricula of three months within a fortnight. But, are the agitating NGOs aware that the future of these students who are also the future of this state is at stake because of their insensible bandh call? Perhaps it’s because most NGOs either have no school or college going children or have forgotten their own students days. The parents are distraught but have no means to air their grievances.
Guwahati bound Shillongites
On October 16, a day prior to the bandh call by the pro-ILP NGOs, Shillongites coming up from Guwahati were amazed at the number of Shillong registered private vehicles bound for Guwahati. Obviously people who could afford it were getting out of the miserable bandh to spend their time shopping or enjoying their leisure in Guwahati where malls and bistros galore beckon those with the money to shell out. Indeed this is the problem with Meghalaya today. The disparity between the have and have-nots has just become unbridgeable. While the salaried class can enjoy a bandh without loss of livelihood for the poor it could be a question of whether they can have food for the day or go without it. Farmers decry the bandh because this is the time for harvesting cauliflowers and squash which are highly perishable. Many don’t know the meaning of ILP and influx. For them the more the buyers the better it is. The NGOs have never considered it their duty to create public awareness on the ILP. They have taken it for granted that the people at large support them and the ILP. This is a huge misconception, said a vegetable vendor.