Editor,
I have been away from Nongtalang Village for over eighteen years but I cannot forget the role of my dear village which has shaped me and made me what I am today. My existence has a lot to do with the humble beginning from the Nongtalang Lower Primary and Middle English School. My teachers taught me to be honest, loyal and never to spread any false propaganda. Today my heart bled when I learnt that the respected Village Secretary of Nongtalang Village led a group of youth to forcefully enter Nongtalang Government Higher Secondary School and incited the students against the newly appointed Headmaster. I am not saying who is right or wrong since I was not present at the place, but terrorizing the secret temple of learning is a bad precedence and violates the sanctity of education and the society at large. Therefore I strongly condemn the act of the Village Secretary and urge them to stop this high handedness and politicking through propaganda. Let us come forward and together raise our voices to restore the lost vision of the Village Dorbar and work towards the development and growth of our region so that employment opportunities can be created, which in turn will ensure that the youth see a brighter future.
Yours etc.,
E Tariang,
Via email
Bad timing of events
Editor,
On Feb 24 some Tourism festival was held in Shillong at the State Convention Center for 3 days. After that another event started at Soso Tham Auditorium on Feb 26. In both the events there were very few participants and even lesser public visitors. I wonder why these two events could not have been clubbed together and held at one place to make them more attractive. Many people did not even know about these two events. Incidentally I visited both the places. The first event did not start until 1 pm on Feb 24. In the other event at Soso Tham Auditorium although there were very good shops displaying a number of items, there were hardly any visitors or buyers. Why are these events listed towards the end of the month when salaried people don’t have money to spend? Some common sense should have been applied.
Yours etc.,
M.F.Ansari
Sr GM BSNL , NE-I Circle,
Shillong
Shillong traffic overwhelming
Editor,
For about two months (from mid December to mid February) moving around in Shillong city was a pleasant experience except for certain hours in the morning and evening. Now that the schools have reopened traffic jams have started and moving in the city is a horrendous experience. And this is bound to happen in a city that is so lawless. This lawlessness starts with the heads of educational institutions who while they run elitist educational institutions and charge hefty fees are averse to the idea of school buses for ferrying their kids. Perhaps those who run these schools feel great that the parents dropping the kids to their school are able to flaunt the latest models of cars. No one thinks of pedestrians who are inconvenienced by the fact that every inch of space in the road is occupied by vehicles. The footpaths are so narrow that children and parents who don’t own cars have to walk in single filed on them. It is learnt that the Deputy Commissioner, East Khasi Hills has had extensive discussions with these heads of educational institutions located in and around the Laitumkhrah-Don Bosco area about the use of school buses but the idea has been shot down by these obdurate educational honchos. Is it because they don’t have the investment to make in acquiring school buses? Or is it because they don’t have parking space? If so then why have they set up their educational institutions in such congested locations? If their institutions have grown by leaps and bounds and they are breaking at the seams then they should think of moving away from the city centre to better locations.
Let’s face facts, the Shillong Traffic Police are at their wits end on how to control the movement of traffic during school timings (morning and evening). All they can do is make more one-way traffic lanes and raise the fines for traffic violations. And they are earning quite a tidy sum from fines. But is that a solution? Imagine thousands of vehicles from every nook and corner of the city converging at Dhankheti, Don Bosco and Laitumkhrah. It’s a chaotic scene. The Chief Minister and all his ministers who use this road know the predicament that the aam aadmi without the red lights and sirens face so why don’t they come up with some solution and insist that all schools run their own school buses and prohibit parents from bringing their vehicles to the school gate? If this does not happen soon I can say without a doubt that there will be a riot because citizens, (including those with vehicles) will protest. Yours etc.,
Bidalin Diengdoh,
Via email