Editor,
The article written by DK Joshua captioned “Anti police attitude, Terrorism and Lawlessness in Garo Hills” (ST June 24, 2014) was an eye opener for all of us. I read the article word by word and line by line literally without blinking my eyes. Brave person and conscious he must be to put the entire picture of Garo Hills, the attitude of its citizen of higher or lower rung before our eyes with a stroke of his pen.
Kudos to him and kudos to The Shillong Times for giving prime place to his thought provoking article.
It’s now or never. Wish many will follow.
Yours etc.,
H. Gaire
Army operation the only option
Editor,
Robert Rumnong’s letter (ST June 24) ‘NGO-militant-politician nexus’, has captured the problem of militancy beautifully. The reason why no Government has been successful in tackling this issue is because they are hand-in-glove with NGOs and militants in extorting money and blackmailing common people. The politicians have links with underground outfits and use them actively during elections. They provide protection from the law to terrorists in exchange for services. The NGOs collect taxes from common people using various clever means. They also get funds from dubious sources from time to time which they share with their militant brothers. The police are the ‘Bakra’ who get used by all. But since they receive a share of the loot from check gates and bribes, they are happy to sacrifice their pride and plead helplessness. It is well known that Meghalaya Police is heavily infiltrated and their operations are leaked in advance. They are afraid of all politicians and NGOs and this makes them a demoralised and spent force. So far their success rate is below 5%.The only option is to mount an Army Operation to wipe out militancy and book collaborators under T.A.D.A.
Yours etc.,
W. Swer
Shillong 1.
Hindi not a national language!
Editor,
Apropos the news report titled “Govt’s move to promote Hindi not an ‘insult’ to English:BJP” (ST June 21) BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi dares to state that Hindi is India’s “national language” and it is the “heart of the country”! Has the Almighty descended from heaven and declared that Hindi is the “heart of the country”? As far as its “national language” status is concerned, nothing is further from the truth and Naqvi is barbarically trying to brainwash the country by forwarding false messages. Along with all languages of India, Hindi is also just another language of this multi-lingual democratic nation; the latter’s right over the country is neither superior nor inferior to the rest of the languages. This is the very reason why the Constitution has not declared Hindi as the “national language” and the division bench of Gujarat High Court comprising of Chief Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya and Justice AS Dave has categorically stated that there is no national language in India. Moreover, since India is a conglomeration of different regions, each possessing a distinct cultural and linguistic identity of its own, Hindi cannot ideally enjoy more importance than the indigenous languages in the concerned regions. Again the High Court of Gujarat has delivered an extremely praiseworthy judgment regarding this particular issue. The bench, comprising Justice VM Sahai and AJ Desai, has opined that Hindi is nothing but a FOREIGN LANGUAGE for Gujaratis who were protesting against the National Highway Authority of India which had dared to issue a notification in Hindi only right on the soil of Gujarat. This directly proves that the indigenous languages in the non-Hindi speaking regions are superior in status than Hindi which is actually nothing but a mere regional language spoken in the North Indian states, but absolutely foreign outside it. Thus, those who zealously project Hindi as the “national language” are merely assaulting the very basis of the Constitution and the powers who are imposing Hindi upon the non-Hindi states are actually demeaning the judiciary.
Yours etc.,
Kajal Chatterjee
Calcutta – 114
Shillong a fine city
Editor,
Much has been written about, talked about and debated about the decline of Meghalaya in general and Shillong in particular from the pride of place and status of once being known as the Scotland of the East to the present reputation of the Slum of the East as someone had written in one of these columns, something which everyone who loves Shillong and our state, mourns and grieves with each passing day.
I am told that Singapore maintains its cleanliness and beauty by having a system of imposing fines on violators which is why Singapore is also known as a Fine City. By following this example set by Singapore and imposing spot fines on those who violate the laws of cleanliness and the anti-plastic ban, I am sure Shillong will slowly but surely get back its reputation of being one of the best and beautiful hill stations in India.
However, to make this exercise effective and bring immediate results I would like to suggest that the authorities who are empowered to impose and collect fines whether they be traffic police, the local dorbar and their seng samla and any other authorised agencies, should be given a certain percentage from the fines collected, says 30% or more so that they will be motivated and encouraged to perform their duties with enthusiasm and with a sense a purpose towards achieving this objective.
By making Shillong a Fine City it will bring back the lost glory of a clean Shillong and then let it extend for the whole state so that Meghalaya will be known as a Fine State.
Yours etc.,
Michael N. Syiem