Editor,
A journey to Guwahati after the NGT ban on coal mining was a peaceful, less stressful one. One can move about freely to and from Shillong without being stuck for hours. The Guwahati- Shillong road is the nerve centre of this part of the country, and the busiest in the north east, handling thousands of daily traffic. Meghalaya being a landlocked state, we depend on Assam for all essential commodities. This is because we have no rail connection as yet. So prices of commodities are very high. If only the rail -head could come to Byrnihat, perhaps commodities would have been cheaper, because that would mean less inter-state taxes on transportation of goods. Sadly we the people of Meghalaya are held ransom, by the diktats, of the various organizations like KSU, FKJGP etc. Their contribution to the down sliding of this state is phenomenal. It is amazing though that these same organizations support coal mining, even though that had brought the moral and environmental degradation of the entire Jaintia hills, the destruction of agricultural lands and death of aquatic life forms. What the KSU is so silent about is the fact that coal mining will in fact bring in more illegal immigration, as it is largely dependent upon labourers from outside that come here from Bangladesh and Nepal. Thousands of illegal immigrants have poured into the coal belts, so why is the KSU so supportive of coal mining? This is sheer hypocrisy on their part, but also what they gain from these coal barons needs to be investigated. It is a well known fact that the coal mining belts have become the Sodom and Gomorrah of Meghalaya. They are the hotbed of all kinds of crimes besides having the highest HIV and sexually transmitted diseases in the State. The rich politicians and our very own MP who benefit from coal mining are fighting tooth and nail to lift the NGT ban. What the public do not realise is that in the long run only a few individuals and people with vested interests get dirty rich while the poor are left to rot in poverty, for, by degrading the environment the very essence of livelihood which is agriculture has lost its foot hold in this degraded coal belt. So if people forget the heart of livelihood which is agriculture, what do you expect will be the fate of this land to in 50 years? The Guwahati- Shillong road has once again become so congested and polluted with the plying of the coal laden trucks, and now illegal mining and transportation of coal still takes place. After all, how do we trust that the people at the check gates will do their duties honestly when they have the blessings of the corrupt politicians who control this state? The ease with which we travel to Guwahati has once again become a distant dream, as now we are inhaling polluted air from these trucks and getting stuck for hours on the way between Shillong and Guwahati. Is this the price we all have to pay, for a few politicians and coal barons to get rich? The condition of the roads will also once again start deteriorating, with the plying of thousands of coal laden trucks per day. Should they not be made to pay a hefty tax for degrading the roads, that too at an incredible speed? We the public should not be silent witnesses anymore. The NGT ban on coal mining is our only hope for the future. Stringent punishment should be given to anyone who illegally mines and transports coal, and also on those individuals at check gates who are not doing their work honestly, for it is only through stringent punishment that these wrong doers can be made to respect the law. Moreover, we the public deserve to travel seamlessly and live peacefully in our own land.
Yours etc.,
Stacy Lyngdoh and friends
Shillong -2
Harassed by the law
Editor,
As a citizen of this State and this Country and as the father of a daughter who has been discriminated, degraded, molested, abused and falsely arrested without ever being produced in -any court during her arrest, I am perturbed that the perpetrators of such crimes against women are roaming free and not even arrested, just because one of them is a Police and others enjoy political clout. If this is the way the justice system works, then I fear for the future generation who will be suppressed and oppressed and will have no political help or backing as they have no power or money to back them up. This action is perhaps the first in the North East, where my daughter was falsely arrested without ever being produced in any court of law during her arrest. Further a video of hers has gone viral, and in spite of the fact that the video is being produced before the Police and accompanied by two additional FIR’s, justice is nowhere in sight. Rather action against the perpetrators is being obstructed. The person who rammed his car into my daughter’s car which could have killed her, was a- policeman, and this could also be the reason why the police are not being fair in their investigation. Article 14 of the Constitution guarantees that all people shall be equally protected by the laws of the country. It means that the State will treat people in the same circumstances, alike. But this does not seem to be so in our State. When Police arrests a common man he parades them before the media, but when it comes to those who are circulating text messages and WhatApp messages condemning and discriminating against my daughter, especially Ms Irene Hujon (CSWO-I) and other womens’ groups from Shillong 19 South are enjoying political immunity so no action is taken against them. It will be highly appreciated if the authorities take seriously such serious cases so that the faith on them is regained. This is in the interest of all oppressed people who cannot voice their disenchantment against the system due to fear of repercussions.
Yours etc.,
George Arthur Warjri
(Father of the victim who was discriminated against).
Shillong-4