Editor,
In an article written by this writer and published in your esteemed daily under the caption, “Schedule VI & Transfer of Land (Reg.) Act, 1971: RIP” (ST. February 4, 2015), there was a statement which reads, “…the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India is a Constitution within a Constitution” which is an averment by a former Chief Justice of India, M. Hidayatullah, in one of his learned lecture at Guwahati long-time ago.On February 6, while this writer was at the KHADC premises, an ex EM while lecturing to a learned advocate was heard saying the same thing. I was greatly elated to find that there are kindred souls who share this writer’s perception of the provision of the Schedule. It means that there may be many people who share this writer’s perception of things around us. However, I am disappointed that they do not come forward to place their views/perceptions in the public domain by airing their expression in the media.This writer has always put his views in the public domain, not to see his name in the print media, but, to invite either bouquets for boosting his morale or brickbats to teach him a lesson or two.The lecturer at the KHADC premises should also share with the public his views and experiences while being in the KHADC administration, especially, as an EM. It would be interesting to know how his colleagues respond to his views, especially this one, while serving as EM.All kindred souls and concerned readers are also invited to respond through the media and not to discuss things in a hush-hush manner or in market places and private drawing rooms.
Yours etc.,
Morning Star Sumer,
Shillong – 2
State Govt encouraging NGT violation!
Editor,
The State Govt is encouraging violation of the NGT ban in a back-handed way. Most ministers/politicians are direct or indirect beneficiaries of coal mining. The police force and top bureaucrats have been used to lining their pockets with ill-gotten gains coming from illegal check-gates. The NGT ban has hit their pockets hard. It is not in the Government interest to support the NGT ban. Corrupt policemen have found a novel ways of ensuring a steady income by extorting money from coal trucks plying illegally in the dead of night. The going rate is Rs. 2000 per truck per police station on the route. The recent murder of an honest police officer P.J Marbaniang, for fighting the NGT violation and the shocking manner in which his own police dept tried to pass it off as suicide, shows that the entire department has been compromised by the coal mafia. Everything points to the fact that his murder was probably committed by a rogue policeman under instruction from the coal mafia! No wonder the police tried to hush it up by tampering with evidence. Add to this the chaos and unrest on NH-40 by angry truckers callously abandoned on the roadside by weigh bridge officials shows that the State Govt is using every dirty trick in the book to overturn the ban. By deliberately encouraging a lawless situation to develop on NH-40, the Govt is hoping that public anger against the lawless truckers and the inconvenience of blocked highways will force the NGT to relent.
It is important to note that the police force posted at the Umling weigh bridge abandoned their post and ran away from the scene instead of dealing with the situation. As usual, MLP has shown great skill in running away from danger and saving their own skins instead of doing their duty! My guess is these policemen were under orders to retreat the moment the weigh bridge situation turned ugly! Also to be noted is the fact that no arrests have been made with regard to burning down of public property. Meanwhile, the CM is safely ensconced in Delhi, far away from the scene of trouble. It is too much of a coincidence that Mukul Sangma is always out of the state whenever trouble strikes! We would like to ask the Chief Minister why he is never on the scene to handle such situations. Even a blind man can see that the CM prefers to be jet-setting around the world and tackling state emergencies only by remote control. Mukul Sangma appears to care only about his political masters and their rallies/ campaigns in Delhi. There is zero commitment to the people of Meghalaya, apart from meaningless speeches laced with empty promises of development. The Chief Minister of Meghalaya is known to behave like a dictator who likes to control everything. So why is it that he is always absent when the State needs him?
Yours etc.,
Richard Pyngrope
J.P Nagar, Bangalore
Competition is good
Editor,
It is heartening to see local lads, Eugeneson Lyngdoh and Rocus Lamare performing well for their respective football clubs in the I-League. Achieving success at the highest level is no mean feat. Apart from talent you need hard work, grit and determination to succeed. Therefore nothing makes me prouder as a Khasi than seeing people like Janice Pariat getting national recognition for her outstanding literary work or Daniel Syiem, the fashion designer who has made a name for himself in the world of fashion. We will earn the respect of the rest of the country only when we learn to compete at the highest level. Thus it was a proud moment not only for the people of Manipur but the rest of the North East when Mary Kom finds mention in Barack Obama’s speech to an audience consisting mostly of young people during his recent visit to India. Hope we learn a thing or two from the people of Manipur who seems to have mastered the art of resilience and hard work.
Yours etc.,
Gary Marbaniang,
Via email
Shillong deserves to be a smart city
Editor,
We are in the 21st century.Our Urban Affairs Minister wanted to develop Shillong into a smart city But this city does not even have traffic lights. Once the police personnel are off duty i.e. after 8 PM, the pedestrians as well as law abiding car owners are left at the mercy of God. There is confusion galore created by speeding cars at road junctions. Past failures are
not to be treated as deterrents but should be taken as a learning experience. The concerned departments will be now in a better position to judge the materials supplied, installed and its operation. The advantages of traffic lights are many, but one that appeals to me the most, is the health of the traffic police personnel, manning congested junctions like Dhankheti, Police Bazar, and many more. They can take a breather from inhaling those exhaust gases besides putting their lives at
risk. For example in Mawlong Hat, Malki junction etc, the STP personnel control the flow of traffic by standing right in the middle of the busy roads. I also wonder what the STP personnel goes through when it rains and he has to hold
an umbrella in one hand and manage the traffic at the same time, which demands the use of two hands. Once the traffic
lights are installed, STP personnel can watch the traffic flow from a comfortable distance and bring benefit to pedestrians and night riders. I sincerely request the concerned authorities to install traffic lights once again and take a small step
towards building Shillong into a smart city.
Yours etc.,
Baptu Paul,
Via email