Editor,
It has been noticed that the Assam type building next to the District Transport Office (DTO) Shillong which was once the Office of the Director of Supply has now become an abandoned, dilapidated building after the office shifted to another place. Though the building was under lock and key, we have noticed that all the locks have been broken and the building remains open 24 hours. Hence miscreants are misusing the building for nefarious purposes.
It is also noticed now when we go to DTO’s office that the drivers of Govt vehicles spend their time playing cards while some even use the building like a liquor stall. This is highly objectionable. Since DTO, PWD, Tourism, etc offices are located there and nowadays no private vehicles are allowed to enter inside the office premises, all the contractors, visitors and other person who have to go to DTO for registrations, etc and members of the public have to park their cars on the roadside, leading to traffic jams. I therefore suggest that the old Supply office should be dismantled and used as a temporary parking lot until the Govt proceeds to build a new office complex. There many offices such as Excise, Labour, and many more who have taken the building on rent for their office due to paucity of office space available and Govt has to spend crores of rupees by way of rent. It is learnt that Govt is planning to construct a multi- storeyed building to accommodate all the offices which are functioning out of rented buildings. It is a very good thought on the part of the Govt and they should proceed ahead with the construction immediately. I also suggest that the total ground floor of the building must be set aside for parking for all Government vehicles.
Yours etc.,
Bhakupar Khongsar,
Via email
Of bleeding heart intellectuals!
Editor ,
The so called Indian celebrities, intellectuals and academics in spite of their inherent talents have always been part and parcel of various national political parties for catering to their own selfish needs and benefits at different times, right from the days of Nehru to the present day Modi regime. Every political party in every corner of the nation have used these so called intellectuals for their long term political agenda and the intellectuals have also used the golden ladder provided by the political parties for their personal ambitions in a nice symbiotic relationship that has stood active in post independent India for decades till date. All major national institutes, societies, associations and academies have always been filled by the beneficiaries of different ruling political parties. None can claim in India that their ascent to the high offices has been without political blessings. Hence it is so interesting to watch the hue and cry of intolerance across the nation by intellectuals for and against the ruling and opposition parties that appear like a grand circus. None of the intellectuals, shedding crocodile tears today made a single conscious appeal during the anti-Sikh riots or the Gujarat riots or the demolition of the Babri mosque or when an eminent artist like M. F. Hussian had to unfortunately leave India.
Now they have suddenly found their lost conscience. Is it because of their deeper consciousness or for promoting their self interests and other ambitions? This needs to be questioned. Any incident of intolerance and uncalled provocative statement is highly condemnable; but returning national awards is only humiliating and dishonouring the nation and not any specific political party. Big beneficiaries of past regimes are vocal against the current regime; while the current beneficiaries are vocal against the past regime. This is indeed an interesting super drama with complete entertainment, total suspense, cinematic moments, climax and anti-climax. What no one realizes is the fact that this is bringing an uncalled for attention to India in the global platform and tarnishing the image of the nation for economic investments, geopolitical dominance and cultural disharmony sending a very wrong image of the largest democracy to the world and thereby damaging the prospects of our future generations. Long live the intellectuals and their recently evoked deeper conscience!
Yours etc.,
Saikat Kumar Basu
Lethbridge
AB Canada T1J 4B3