Editor,
The story of vigilante organizations taking law into their own hands while police look the other way is a familiar tale in this part of the country. In the case of the MPUF raid on Ali Imam’s grocery store in Lad Rymbai, it is important to ask some pointed questions. Such as, on whose authority did MPUF conduct this raid? At this juncture, neither the allegation of expired goods nor the counter allegation of attempted extortion should distract us from asking both the Home Minister and the Police Chief a very important question – Why does the Govt shut its eyes and allow vigilantes to run parallel governments in Meghalaya? The list of vigilante organizations is practically endless, with new groups sprouting up almost every week and month. They all claim to be ‘saviours’ of the race, but the only people they want to ‘save’ are themselves.’ Even headmen are turning to vigilantism to protect the lucrative NOC Raj, if recent events are any indication. Meghalaya has become a lawless state where everything is free if you dare to grab it! The Govt rewards militants and vigilantes with special ‘packages’ and govt contracts, which in turn encourages others to turn to organized crime for a career. As of today, it is a reality that no other State in India can boast of having as many Govt-sponsored career-criminals as Meghalaya, be they Garo militants, extortionist NGOs, Toll-gate policemen or NOC-issuing headmen, all out to make a quick buck at the expense of honest citizens! Why should I, or any ordinary citizen, continue to be honest and hard-working when the Govt. showers riches only on criminals? Let Mukul Sangma answer!
Yours etc.,
Lucas Rynjah
Shillong- 21
Meaningless song and dance in Delhi
Editor,
I was one of those who attended the NE Song and Dance Festival organised by Govt of Meghalaya in collaboration with NEC recently in New Delhi. It was no doubt a historic event of bringing some of the best musicians in India/NE under one platform. Another attraction of the event was the display of NE food which was awesome. But there were some serious drawbacks as well. I found no logic in bringing 20 bands from NE to perform in one day. There was lack of creative direction in the allotment of time to the performers. Some went on singing despite having completed their quota. There was complete lack of planning in the seating arrangement because 80% of space i.e. the floor was not allowed to be occupied (only people with VIP passes were allowed). The distance between the performers and the crowd was nearly 150 metres away so there was no eye contact and no connection between the crowd and the performers. As a result the usual energy in the concert was missing. In fact one of the most prominent singers in Asia, Alobo Naga was compelled to run 150 metres to reach out to the music lovers. Nearly about 60% of people (mostly from NE) went away without witnessing the best NE bands. Reason? The concert stretched for far too long. It started at midday and went on till midnight. The best bands were made to sing at the fag end of the programme. They had to wait till about 9.30 pm. By then most people had left the venue. Some singers were not even qualified to sing at the state level. It was wrong to club them with accomplished bands. There were no microphone for the for the folk dancers so their voices though at their loudest could not be heard. Only their movements were visible.
Whoever the event manager was, he/she seems to have zero experience. Is it possible for any human being to listen to non-stop music for 12 hours? Any reasonably good event manager could have kept this in mind while planning the event. The stage curtain was kept only 80% open and that had denied proper view to the audience on the left side of the stage. The stage decoration was badly done with flags of only two colours saffron and green. Do these colours signify the diverse cultures of the North East? Meghalaya state being the main sponsors/organisers might be able to explain better. The dance component did not cover even 5% of the event yet the theme says ‘Songs & Dances of the NE’. The stadium was meant for a crowd of at least 30,000 but the audience at any given time did not exceed 1500 people. After 9 pm onwards 90% of the crowd were only NE people. The performance of some bands are worthy of mention. The awesome performance by Shillong Chamber Choir, Soul Mate, Tetseo Sisters, Alobo Naga, Girish and the chronicles, an all girls band from Arunachal Pradesh etc. did a great job. The theme says ‘Songs & Dances of the North East, but except for the few bands most played or sang western music. By the time I left the stadium some renowned singers like Lou Majaw and and Rueben Marshangba were yet to perform.
That was really madness. I don’t know how many of the objectives have been achieved through this event. Perhaps Rs 2-3 crores was spent. Is this another failed effort at marketing the North East in Delhi?
Yours etc.,
JR Lyngdoh,
Via email