Editor,
We live in difficult times. Just the other day Congress party workers and supporters were shouting high pitched slogans and raising banners condemning the ruling BJP party in India for banning cow slaughter. Watching one news channel after another we were treated to a banquet of delicacies with one Congress leader after another attacking the BJP in fork tongues for banning beef and slaughter of cows in Maharashtra. They said it infringes on the democratic rights of one section of society and curtails their fundamental right and the freedom of choice. While in one corner of the country the Congress shouts and swears at its opponent BJP party for encouraging bans in democratic India, at another end it gets its people together and bans a daily newspaper.
There seems to be a glaring similarity between the Congress and the BJP. Both enjoy the word ‘Ban.’ I wouldn’t be surprised if they had been separated at birth.
I think we ought to be fair to the people who work in the newspaper sector in Meghalaya. They have to work very hard to get to the depth of the story and ensure it is out the next morning so that we can read it while sipping our morning cup of tea. I agree that not all news in the newspaper banned by the Congress gives up to date stories for Garo Hills since we all take a copy in the morning and there are some differences in the stories in Shillong and Tura.. But then again, I read online about the difficulties they face due to the distance and most recently the editor of the paper, who is a well known writer and a recipient of our country’s Padma Shri, clarified in her editorial on Monday about the challenges posed and the efforts put in by the staffers to ensure we readers from Garo Hills get as fresh a story as we can get.
So why ban a paper when we the readers are not complaining. Instead of banning a paper why doesn’t the Congress take out their own daily? Let there be competition. Competition is always healthy. We the readers will stand to benefit the most. Banning a newspaper will never solve the issue. It will only put the Congress in poor light. Already its power has dimmed post the 2014 general elections which pushed it to a mere double digit party in the lines of regional parties like the Janata Dal and the Samajwadi Party. The Congress party workers should not burn the midnight oil and push the grand old party in India to single digits.
Yours etc.,
D Momin
Via email
Why the ban?
Editor,
What a sorry state of affairs we are in with militancy, extortion, murders, rape, and now of all the things a BAN on a newspaper. Is this what Garo Hills has come to? What are our officers and politicians doing? Why are they allowing Garo Hills to slip into the Dark Ages?
In the midst of all our troubles and difficulties in life many of which are man-made and politically blessed we were at least contented with our silver lining in the form of a daily newspaper that gave us all kinds of information about our state. Now even that has been banned. Isn’t it ironical that such a ban has come not from militants, extortionists, muscle power gangs and unions but from a political party known to all of us as the CONGRESS.
I am ashamed to even recall that once upon a time I had voted for the very same party that spoke about democracy being at its core and which is now cultivating hatred and disallowing the citizens of Garo Hills from their right to read any newspaper they want to.
Where has our democracy gone? Who is behind all this happenings? Surely a bunch of young boys from the Congress cannot be calling the shots when it comes to banning a reputed paper of the state. There must be a sinister agenda. I think I speak for all when I say that the dirty hand of politics is always long and crooked. Please spare the innocent readers of Garo Hills from the political shenanigans of our leaders.
There is no justification to ban a newspaper, more so, when it is the only one giving us news about Shillong, Jowai, Nongstoin, Tura, Baghmara etc. Politicians intruding into the workings of the Fourth Estate is a serious issue which has not been seen anywhere else in the country. Please don’t make Meghalaya and Garo Hills “Infamous” with such acts by a group of young wannabe leaders. We are already in the limelight for all the wrong reasons beginning from murder of a young mother by militants in front of her children to the horrific rape of a teenage girl by a gang of juveniles on a winter night.
I hope some good sense prevails on those wanting to ban the very foundations we stand on.
Yours etc.,
J.R Marak
Tura.
Why kidnap a teacher?
Editor,
Through your esteemed daily I express my deep sense of shock, anger and frustration about the abduction of our beloved Sir G Sanyal very recently by some miscreants/ anti social elements. A man of dedication and sincerity, Sir Sanyal served in Don Bosco School, Tura and played a key role in promoting the Scouts & Guides movement in Meghalaya in general and in Garo Hills in particular. Is it the reward he deserved? Can’t a retired teacher live a peaceful life after his long 35 years of dedicated service for the student community? A person who moulded the destiny of thousands of his students and whose many students are now placed in responsible positions in Garo hills is facing such humiliation! I appeal to those insensitive people to release our Sir at the earliest and give him the due respect he deserves. Let us all stand united and raise our voices against this inhuman act. My appeal to all the student organizations of Garo hills, Don Bosco Past Pupils’ Association, other NGOs and all concerned citizens irrespective of caste and creed to come forward and join hands together for the safe and unconditional release of our Sir Sanyal.
Sanjib Kr Das, Tura
Lower Babupara,
Tura
Silly turf wars
Editor,
The Ordinance empowering traditional institutions has run into the usual roadblock from opposition parties. It seems the issue is not about the merits or demerits of the ordinance but rather about technicalities. Neither Govt nor Opposition parties nor pressure groups have bothered to discuss the issue at hand objectively. Whereas these groups should have been debating the contentious issues raised by the High Court such as ambiguity of function, parallel governance and corruption, the focus has been diverted to misplaced pride and patriotism, irrelevant issues over which these parties are fighting a turf war. No politician or pressure group leader wants to debate intelligently on the pros and cons of empowering the Rangbah Shnong without first addressing the inherent flaws in the system. Nobody in this bunch of hypocrites wants to take up the issue of Women’s Representation in the Dorbar Shnong. Not a single busybody has commented on the extreme misuse of powers by Rangbah Shnong to usurp Govt schemes for themselves and their family members. And absolutely nobody wants to bring up the subject of issuance of NOCs to traders in Shillong (especially Laitumkhrah) in exchange for hefty bribes! Not a single NOC has ever been issued on its own merit to tribals and non-tribals alike under the current office holder in Laitumkhrah. Even to open bank accounts and take loans, one has to pay a bribe to a Rangbah Shnong! When will short-sighted politicians and trouble-making pressure groups get around to addressing real issues instead of trumpeting their foolishness before the whole world over and over again?
Yours etc.,
Karen Wahlang
Shillong-3
Empowering foolishness!
Editor,
The Govt’s decision to bring an Ordinance empowering the Rangbah Shnong is sheer foolishness and likely to blow up in its face. By taking such a step, Govt is attempting to placate the Rangbah Shnong cartel and neutralize political opponents at one go. It has discarded the High Court’s wisdom and complaints from the general public for narrow political considerations. If the Governor OKs the Ordinance, then we will be forced into the same corrupt, authoritarian system which has victimized the common man for many, many years already. What kind of democracy is this, which empowers autocrats to rule over us and rob us of our hard-earned money? How can development happen in a State where bureaucratic red tape is interwoven with Rangbah Shnong red tape? Shame on the Govt and our Chief Minister, who speaks of development on the one hand but does everything possible to impede it by tying us down to regressive tradition!
Yours etc.,
Anthony Lyngdoh
Shilong-4