Editor
Everyday your newspaper carries the disturbing reports of custodial torture, custodial death, police atrocities etc. What has gone wrong with the Meghalaya Police? Has it gone active/super active/hyper active or inactive? May be it is a case where the lower rank officials (constables, ASI, SI etc) in the department are not trained both physically and theoretically; thus, they are discharging their duties with a considered understanding that they have the inherent right in their khaki costume to brutally hurt anybody to the extent of causing death (may be unintended). An arrest is an exercise of power to deprive a person of his liberty, to keep a person in custody by legal authority in response to criminal charges and it is limited to investigation/interrogation, however, off late it appears the powers of Meghalaya police are extended to killing the arrestee in custody. Yes a police official has wide authority and needs no justification to stop someone even in a public place and ask questions if there exist in his understanding a reasonable suspicion; in similar manner, individuals are completely entitled to refuse to answer any such questions and go ahead with their business. The question arises as to what are the senior most officials in the department engaged in? Now let me tell you my brethrens the practice (dirt) in the Meghalaya Police Department has gone to the extent that the alleged accused persons when arrested on charges of crime other than white coloured crimes are taken care of by the lower ranking officials in the way it is reported in the newspaper every day. And the accused charged under white coloured crimes are taken care of by the highest ranking babus in the department by way of negotiations which go up to few crores. Mind you, they are happy with minimal thousands too for a day; maybe it serves them in paying tips to the bearers in Shillong Club where they relax in the evenings after heavy exertion (read it as negotiation) of the day. The modus-operandi is out of the ordinary; the mastermind occupying the top floor in the building (Dawood Ibrahim and Iqbal Mirchi) designs the game like an architect designs his housing plan; appoints the most sincere, hard core and honest officer as Investigating Officer for the cases so that the public doesn’t have a clue of the negotiations by the mentioned above, mind you; for the safer reasons negotiations are made again through the lowest ranking officials. When the same fails, the arrestee suffers in double; first for the crime he is alleged to have committed, secondly for the refusal to negotiate. Thus, the torment goes on as the high and the mighty has varied means of meeting their ends (maybe through IT department or any other). Now how about the Officers in the department who derive their salaries from the coal trucks/toll gates; (pun intended), at the moment my sincere sympathy goes to them.
The Modi Sarkar should rescue us from Mukul’s IPS (Indian Pervert Service) Officers and also from other officials with confused teeming brains. Highest respect for the Honest Officers I know, remains.
Yours etc
P.G. Baruah
Via email
Reel and real world
Editor,
There are discussions galore on Smriti Irani’s position as Minister of Human Resource Development and controversies galore about her qualification. First of all, it is good for women in the country to see a woman taking such position. Regarding education qualifications, it is also seen that it is not the degree that can make any difference or bring about change. The same Ministry was held by various highly qualified people but the development of human resource in this country remains a far cry. The gender gap in education continues to be a cause of concern. But allotting such a responsible position to a person who is not even a graduate has actually challenged the faith of people on the Modi Government. How far will this new Government do justice to people? Will only the people who speak well, look good and have some celebrity status be allotted prestigious positions in this Government? Rural women who had proved their mettle in some Panchayat for the development of human resource would be far better than Irani. The Modi government should understand that all that glitters is not gold and they cannot push the fate of human resource development to such people whose own resourcefulness was only visible in media and not in real life.
Yours etc.,
Priyanka Chakraborty,
Via email