Editor,
Apropos the news item, “Shillong placed at 53rd in clean cities list (ST Feb 16,2016)”, I would like to draw the attention of authorities that a city in the State of “The Abode of Clouds” to be placed at this level in the list of “Clean cities” of the country(India) is indeed a disgrace to the State and it’s people. I believe the main cause for such a poor honour of Shillong is mainly the hawkers who have over time marred the beauty of the city by occupying almost every corner and paths and shamelessly producing large chunks of filthy garbage. Police Bazar is seen to be teeming with hawkers converging on the roads and footpaths. Mini eateries have sprung up with no concern for hygiene. On the view of Motphran area, I had earlier written about the hideous surrounding of the area and I would like to reiterate that the number of hawkers at Motphran is increasing at an alarming rate. They have marred the area and it’s surroundings turning it from bad to worse. More and more indigenous street vendors are seen occupying nearly half of the tombstone in Motphran creating a lot of chaos and nuisance and not allowing traffic to ply smoothly. In no time they will engulf the entire tombstone thereby creating further disruption. I sometimes wonder whether vehicle drivers are to blame in case of accidents. This personally vexes me! It doesn’t mean that just because they are indigenous people (Khasis) they can do whatever they like in their own land even if it affects the interests of the people at large. I strongly condemn such shameless actions! It is also seen that recently along Motphran to G.S Road, grilled partitions were constructed along the footpaths, but to my horror, these partitions serve the hawkers as grills for hanging their products (viz. clothes, electronic accessories, etc) being put on sale. It is such an unpleasant plight to see our surrounding teeming with a large numbers of hawkers day by day! But above all this, the district administration seems to be blind. Where are the EAC’s and magistrates who were there few months back to keep an eye on these hawkers? Can’t the local representatives of these adjoining areas raise their voices on these matters? Is the Urban Minister not seeing or even aware of such a plight? Where is the voice of the so called NGO’s on such issues? Why is the SMB not taking stock of such crucial matters? Such issues should be dealt with sternly and strictly. I request all the concerned authorities to keep an eye on such matters and to take steps to improve our unhealthy and hideous surroundings.
Yours etc.;
Mewan Pariat,
Shillong-2.
Misplaced priorities
Editor,
Kudos for the editorial, “National flag and academic autonomy”( ST 23 Feb 2016) It is indeed amusing to note that while a lot of hue and cry gets registered by the State and the middleclass( who are leading a lavish life thanks to the socalled economic boom) whenever the tricolour or national anthem is shown “disrespect”; no protest is made about the hunger, poverty, illiteracy and injustices our impoverished fellow citizens are forced to suffer on a daily basis. This only goes to prove that in “educated”, “enlightened” and “elite” India of attainment of Mars orbit, the value of a piece of a cloth or a paragraph of music is infinite times more than the life and dignity of innumerable unfortunate souls. When will the middleclass and the State wake up to the fact that national flag or anthem is merely the symbol of the nation? Rather it is the common people who form the real nation. The national flag flying aloft the ramparts of Red Fort, Government offices or academic institutions may make a good sight, the great immortal song of the genius named Rabindranath Tagore might give us goose bumps; but only a hunger-less, literate society enjoying basic human rights, dignity and justice can form a truly prosperous and proud nation.
Yours etc.,
Kajal Chatterjee,
Kolkata.