Editor,
I was greatly perturbed when I heard that recently on a Sunday evening, a young man lost his precious life at Laitumkhrah due to rash driving, allegedly by a drunk driver. I was even more perturbed to learn that most people regarded this casually as an unfortunate incident. This is like saying that some poor soul has to die because someone is drunk at the wheel. The fact is that when someone is drunk at the wheel nobody is safe. No doubt there are laws against drunken driving – Section 185 of Motor Vehicles Act, for instance and if a drunken driver kills someone through rash driving, it is culpable homicide or maybe manslaughter under the Indian Penal Code. The moot question is whether the culprits are ever punished under these laws? I was heartened to know that in a certain South Indian city, drunk drivers who are booked by the police had their driving license confiscated permanently. Shouldn’t the citizens of this State take a page from the Community Against Drunk Driving initiated in the country since 2001?
Drunk drivers still rule the roads at night in the city. Checking for such errant drivers may have been done by the police intermittently but it is not enough. Breath analyzer is a thing not many people know or have seen, much less taking the culprits to book. It is time for civil society to stand up and regard drunken drivers as ‘would-be murderers’. Unless there are concerted efforts from legislators, the administration, community leaders, NGOs and the media, the scourge of drunk driving would persist. Anyone unfortunate enough to be at the wrong place at the wrong time would pay dearly with his/her life. Is anybody listening?
Yours etc.,
Monkhmer Lyngdoh,
Via email.
BJP graph rising
Editor,
Apropos the special article “BJP cannot be fought without the Congress” (ST November 6 2014) by Amulya Ganguli, the writer has aptly presented the state of the Communist Party in India today. The writer has also rightly stated that the ‘BJP cannot be fought without the Congress’. It is not only the BJP’s pro market outlook that has given a boost to the Party in Indian politics but the BJP’s respect for federalism is going to gain ground and further raise its vote share in future not only in Bengal but elsewhere in the country. There will be no alternative to the BJP in future if its policies and programmes are implemented well and percolate down to the ground. In fact we are witnessing the emergence of a new quality of governance with transparency in mind. The BJP graph is rising and Congress popularity is waning and this is because the Prime Minister is delivering in good governance and sees himself as the ‘Pradhan Sevak
Yours etc.,
VK Lyngdoh,
Via email
Vishal and unfair means!
Editor,
On October 26, I went to Vishal Mart, Police Bazar to purchase winter garments for a child costing Rs 499. The cashier asked me if I needed a carry bag. When I said that I did he asked me to pay Rs 4 extra for the bag. I was astonished since all goods or garments purchased are usually packed and given in a packet or a plastic bag which is free of cost. Since I had no change to pay for the carry bag I had to carry the purchases in my hand. Is this not a consumer offence? Every right thinking consumer of Vishal Market should condemn this practice. I would also appeal to the concerned authority of Vishal Unit to check this unfair means practiced by their staff. Vishal Mart has footfalls of about forty to fifty thousand a month so they must be earning a windfall from the carry bags alone. Besides, how can a carry bag with the logo of Vishal Mart be charged to the customer?
Yours etc.,
Biswajit Ghosh
Shillong-2
A correction please!
Editor,
Apropos the news item in your paper (ST October 20, 2014) where it was mentioned that Shillong is two months away from its 150th year and there is no celebration in sight, as one who was involved in the Shillong Centenary Celebration I would like to make the correction. Officially Shillong became the capital of Assam in 1874. The centenary celebration under the chairmanship of Mr.P.R. Kyndiah, the then Minister PWD could not be celebrated in 1974 because of pre-occupation with the new Hill State established in 1972. It was celebrated two years later in 1976.Various activities were organized throughout the year and two memorials would remain as our legacy-the Shillong Centenary Celebration Souvenir under the editorial board of late Dr. Hamlet Barehr Dr.C.Wolflang7 Mr. KynphamSingh, Mr. Francis Syiem, Mr.P.M. Lyngdoh and the undersigned. The souvenir contains many valuable articles by reputed personalities on the history of Shillong and other allied subjects. The other memorial was the erection of three monoliths at the tri-junction near the State Central Library and the KJP Guest House, which stands till date. Unfortunately we have not learnt to preserve and beautify our inherited legacy .The hoarding in front of the monoliths has become an eyesore which obstructs their scenic beauty. Whoever had allowed their construction has no sense of beauty. They should be immediately removed. Coming back to the misleading news item, Shillong will be 150 years old in the year 2022.We hope the celebration 8 years from now will usher in a new dawn of peace and prosperity.
Yours etc.,
Torist Mark
Shillong -6