Editor,
The actions taken by the Sadar Police, Shillong of arresting four women and a policeman among the 33 persons arrested and fined for drinking in public places and creating nuisance at Police Bazar and also the arrest of young people along the stretch of Mawkdok – Sohra road recently, needs to be appreciated and commended by all. Open drinking is a common sight today in and around the city. Young people, with their prevailing misconceptions of life, “Live Fast, Die Young,” care less about themselves or the society around them. You’ll see them in their cars, bikes lining up in Golf links, Upper Shillong etc., enjoying life? This is an urgent call and needs to be addressed with tact, wisdom and love. Arrest, fines and lock-up will help to wake them up, but what I feel is lacking is counseling, guidance and love. Police can perhaps set up a counseling cell to help our young members in this ever growing problem. More raids, surprise checks by the police on the wine shops, open bars in Polo areas will help to arrest this problem.
An initiative to clean Police Bazar, the commercial hub of the city along with the business community is a great gesture. Unless civic rules are strictly enforced, Police Bazar will become a dirty slum, not a commercial space we are proud of. Certain areas of Police Bazar have become eyesores due to the constant dumping of garbage and the initiative is a great task of the Police. Well done Policemen, we are Proud of you.
Yours etc.,
R N Rymbai,
Shillong- 8
North East neglected
Editor,
Several talents and legends from the North East have made the nation proud. Unfortunately a vast majority of them have not yet been recognized for their exceptional contribution by the Central Government. In other words they have fallen through the cracks. The number of recipients of Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of the nation is particularly ill represented with outstanding individuals from the North East. The only recipient of the highest civilian award from the region has been Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi leading national activist and ex chief minister of Assam. I request the Central Government to kindly consider the list of following legends from North East for bestowing posthumous Bharat Ratna over time including Dr Bhupen Hazarika (Assam), Binny Yanga (Arunachal Pradesh), Rani Gaidinliu (Manipur & Nagaland), Laldenga (Mizoram), Sachin Deb Barman (Tripura) & King Palden Thondup Namgyal (Sikkim) for their extraordinary contribution to the nation and the society.
Yours etc., e
Saikat Kumar Basu
Lethbridge AB Canada T1J 4B3
Where’s our scholarship?
Editor,
Scholarships are given for a purpose. For most students scholarships mean that we get we can actually buy books and other things necessary to our education so that we would not have to depend on our parents. But with the kind of system in place in Meghalaya’s Education department scholarships seem to benefit the Government more than the students. It’s been over a year since I applied for my Post-Matric Scholarship but till date the amount due to me has not been disbursed. It is more difficult for us who are studying outside Shillong. How is it that students from other states are paid much before us? Are people in the Department hoping that we will forget about the scholarship we applied so that it goes into their pockets? Why make us wait for more than a year to even get the scholarship which we deserve? The Meghalaya Scholarship Portal is not helping at all. Even if we want to give feedback or to contact any of the officers in charge we cannot do so. At least help us in getting what is rightfully ours and do something about students who are studying outside Meghalaya so that we do not end up in frustration. A proper site to check the status of our scholarship and also to get our renewal forms as soon as possible would be of great help!
Yours etc.,
Heather Phanwar,
Via email