Editor,
The phrase, ‘help us serve you better’ is no doubt the watchword of every police personnel. We see this slogan in almost every place where police are discharging their duties. I must congratulate them for putting their watchword into practice, although not all of them do so. There are several instances where a few police personnel had done just the opposite for the sake of money or otherwise. We are not here to judge them or condemn them; that is up to the authorities to take action. My point in writing this letter is to put forward a suggestion to the Police Department based on what I have seen in other countries, which I suppose will work well in this part of the world as well. I would like to suggest to the Police Department to utilize the social media to its fullness. I am not sure if they can access or use social media. If not, the authorities should call experts to train them for the good of society. And if they are, here are some of the things that social media could help police personnel to solve many dirty things that are happening in society. Firstly, create a social media platform (it could be Facebook, Instagram or Twitter or other social media account) then put these accounts up in public places for display, add friends and allow every citizen to see posts in the account/s. Secondly, allow citizens to post news or information or photos of things that they observe in society which are not proper. Thirdly, for posts or photo with sufficient evidence the police personnel should take action accordingly. If these platforms are provided, I know many citizens who are constantly on social media would send lots of information and photos and this will make it easy for the police personnel to solve crime better. On the part of citizens, they should also co-operate to provide detailed posts with proof and photographs. I believe this will solve the problem of littering in streets and other places. It will also solve the problem of vehicles stopping in places where they are not supposed to. It will above all solve the problem of drunkenness and other menace in society. Can this be done? Can we help one another for the betterment of our society?
Yours etc.,
Michael Makri
Shillong-08
Threat to India’s integrity
Editor,
In spite of the challenges of ethnic diversity, huge population, corruption and related short comings of democracy that has plagued the nation for decades, India has been coming up fast as modern and progressive nation in the global map, much to the unhappiness of many of her directionless and non-cooperative neighbours. India’s unconditional support to the cause of East Pakistan gave birth to the proud nation of Bangladesh with countless deaths and inhuman torture by a monstrous regime. India never annexed East Pakistan but recognized it as an independent, sovereign nation. In spite of that great selfless service, India was reciprocated with counter terrorism, illegal immigration changing the population dynamics and the rights of the indigenous people in all the NE states. A pro-Islamic section of the current Bangladesh will always remain against Indian development and economic prosperity with covert support from Pakistan and China that aims for destabilizing the great nation. Can India remain silent to such imminent security threats to the people of NE? Can the nation allow the targeted approach of changing the demographics of the region for supporting a Greater Bangladesh at the cost of her indigenous population being afraid of antagonizing a pro-Islamic section of Bangladesh which is even threatening the secular nation and the democratic government of their own nation?
China has been competing with India in every front and has been trying to destabilize the nation through the adjoining neighbors. The whole world including US has strongly protested the attempts of Chinese hegemony in South China Sea and its veiled attempts to endanger the entire South and SE Asia for her economic and military benefits. Several dissident groups receive strong covert logistic and financial support from China that bleeds our innocent citizens in the NE. The regular provocations along border areas by the Chinese army in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh is a huge security threat to the nation. India under Nehru did not protest against Chinese occupation in Tibet and the result has been an Indo-China war occupying Indian territories and influx of millions of helpless Tibetans to India. Nepal has been playing with fire ignoring the rights of Indian-origin Madhesis and other ethnic communities by not allowing proportional representation and stripping them of citizenship if they are married to Indians across the border by promulgating an unacceptable constitution. If India does not give a strong signal to Nepal now, adjoining Indian states will see huge influx of refugees in the not so distant future. Of course bilateral issues need to be peacefully resolved over dialogue table; however, so far not a single genuine demand of the Terai populations has been accepted by the Nepal government for a section representing over 50% of the population. We often forget the security we enjoy being part of a large, strong and united nation; else our virtual rights would have been extinguished by our so called friendly neighbors.
Yours etc.,
Saikat Kumar Basu
Lethbridge AB Canada T1J 4B3