Editor,
“Noted environmentalist” Naba Bhattacharjee is suddenly talking for the coal barons. That is to be expected, as he has recently joined the Congress and cannot be relied upon to give an unbiased opinion. He rather naively says that mining is not illegal here compared to other states because the land is usually of individual, clan or community ownership. Does that give anyone the right to poison the land and rivers? Or to burrow into his land until he come up at the Estadio do Maracana in Brazil?
He further says that the effect is definitely localized in Jaintia Hills but gradually gets neutralized and diluted as it drains downstream, with only a major river Kharkor emptying into Kopili. We are not so much concerned about Kopili but about the “effect” which is “localized in Jaintia Hills”. Has he gone to those villages downstream where fishing was a livelihood a few years back but is now dead?
Yours etc.,
Damanbha Diengdoh,
Shillong -14
Is Garo Hills already another desert?
Editor,
Many years ago my grandfather, who is also my hero, Late. Dr. Rev. Gilbert K. Marak had written an article entitled “Garo Hills Damgipin A’gisi” (Garo Hills Another Desert). Today Garo Hills is afflicted by terrorism, abduction, extortion, rape, kidnapping, sex racket, murder, you name it and the list goes on. I guess this is what my mentor had foreseen! Garo Hills today is in an abyss and is indeed turning into a desert (where the living conditions have become hostile). With such inhuman acts, unimaginable chaos, cheats, self-centered people etc ruling the roost what else can we expect. As a research scholar working in one of the militancy infested zones of Garo Hills, I have heard harrowing tales of blood-shed and violence in the remote parts of Garo Hills. I have swallowed most of the pain that I see in the deep sunken eyes of the villagers (especially women and children) every time I go for my field work. And I think, if I were to remain silent till this moment, my inner soul would be guilty of complicity. So here is my humble request to the State Government through the media- Take the worst crimes that have taken place recently as a wake up call!! The common people are suffering more than you can ever imagine. The voices are crying, “Sleep no more! The situation has murdered sleep in Garo Hills”- the Innocent Sleep!! Up until now we all have raised our voices and shared our views and opinions in most of the social networks with high hopes. I think this menace can be reduced if we start self- examining ourselves genuinely and deeply. I see that there are a few people out there who love to pass comments and wonder blindly saying- Where are the NGO’s, Students body, Human Rights groups, church leaders, media, politicians etc. But I believe the change has to start with each person individually. Why question and wait for others to act? I’d rather say “Change your thoughts, change your actions and then change the world.” Today, it is heart wrenching to call ourselves ‘The Garos’ where we held our heads high once upon a time. Not only is humanity affected but also the environment. Let’s arise, awake and take responsibility by doing our bit. The rest will take care of itself.
Yours etc.,
T.M. Sangma
Via email
Musicality in mayhem
Editor,
Apropos the letter ‘Mayhem in Shillong’ (ST, June 13, 2014), I would like to point to the misconceptions that Eva Giri has about the whole ‘Rain revolt’ concert and a possible attempt to tarnish the image of Christianity.
‘Mayhem’ firstly could be the worst possible way to describe a concert comprising of dedicated music lovers who assembled sans violence and destruction. Death metal as a genre has a lot to be explored and ‘superficial’ observations on passing via Polo can undoubtedly lead to misconceptions. What is amusing is that we have a lady who never entered but yet got a picture of “many metal music fans who swarmed in from all nook and corner of the North East.”
That the writer is a novice in this area is borne out by her statement, “To me, that was no music but animalistic screeching and howling noise coming out of the venue.” Death metal vocals are referred to as death growls; hoarse roars/snarls. Death growling is mistakenly thought to be a form of screaming using the lowest vocal register known as vocal fry, however, vocal fry is actually a form of overtone screaming, and while growling can be performed this way only by experienced vocalists who use the fry screaming technique, “true” death growling is in fact created by an altogether different technique.
There are a multitude of reasons why this genre maintains a strong following and earns the fierce loyalty of many listeners worldwide. Before blatantly hitting out at death metal as another form of satanic practice, this is what the writer should have (a) listened beyond the tearing guitars and unusual vocals for it’s more than just idiotic noise. There are melodies, patterns, and complexities to be realized and appreciated if enough time is spent soaking it all in (b) watch a live death metal performance to observe how the group members manipulate the instruments. It can be quite an experience especially since the shows are often small and you can walk near or behind the stage to observe the musicians up close. Anyone who’s tried to play those instruments would be amazed at the agility with which they play. It takes practice and dedication, which challenges the stereotype of metal heads being lazy and careless. It’s a display of energy not chaos.
Let’s remember that in death metal, unlike many other genres, each band almost always writes its own music. That includes the riffs, drums, solos, and lyrics. Writing your own music demonstrates another dimension of instrumental mastery and talent, as well as making the music more personal and less manufactured.
It is wrong to take the context and subject matter personally. Death metal lyrics and themes aren’t intended to be taken literally. They document the outer extremes of human experience which other genres don’t dare touch, such as the motivations of serial killers, the activities of the walking dead, death itself, and isolation. Introspection will also show the writing talent that these guys have.
Respect the artists is the only message that one would like to send out. The greatest death metal musicians can’t even make a living out of music, yet the musicians in these bands persist despite their obscurity. Death metal is so non-mainstream that its musicians have to work incredibly hard for their career sales to reach even a million copies (which very few death metal musicians have actually done). Many death metal musicians are highly intelligent people with comprehensive musical training. If these words are not enough, the writer is requested to spend time looking at ‘Metal: A Headbangers Journey’. It is a great documentary and reveals how metal has evolved.
Music is undoubtedly supposed to be a medicine and even metal as a genre heals broken hearts. From Pantera’s ‘This Love’ to Killswitch Engage’s ‘The end of heartache’, we know it all works just fine!
Yours etc.,
Nawaz Yasin Islam
Shillong-3
NGT ban- overstatement and exaggeration
Editor,
I respectfully disagree with Ibanylla Lyngdoh’s views about the after-effects of the NGT ban (“The NGT battle”, 13th June 2014). One must not play the blame game and think short term when larger issues are at stake. In my humble opinion, the livelihood of a few does not take precedence over the grave issue of our survival. The people who are engaged in mining did not go into the business blindfolded. Nor were they forced into it by extreme poverty. They were well aware of what they were doing from the very beginning when they damaged the environment in their bid to amass wealth in the shortest possible time. They deliberately chose to ignore the concerns and criticisms regarding the threat to people and environment which their mining activities had been posing for a long time. My counter question to Ibanylla Lyngdoh would be – Why did the mining community not take steps to address these concerns earlier? Where was their sense of responsibility all this time? Of course the government shares the blame to some extent for allowing this to happen. Let’s not forget that the government is also made up of rich coal miners who have gleefully flouted every rule in the book for personal gain. Why did these people not guide the mining fraternity of which they are a part?
It is the fringe business which cater to the needs of the mining community which will be the first casualty of the ban. But such businesses have the freedom to relocate and be successful elsewhere since they are not tied down to the coal mines. Saying that people will starve is pure exaggeration. People may not turn into crorepati in 6 months as before, but that hardly qualifies to be called starvation. Development programmes can be initiated to take care of the needs of the people. Here, I urge the coal mining community to take the lead by injecting some of their wealth into development schemes for these areas. I am sure they can afford it.
Yours etc
Rinku Marak
Tura