Editor,
I would like to seek clarification from Police Chief of Meghalaya as to which provision of the State laws or orders of the competent authority or the Police Act, 1861, or the Meghalaya police Act, 2011, that the uniformed men at Umling toll gate are extracting money from people like us who are engaged in small time business such as ferrying goods to earn our livelihood? Such incidents have occurred not only with me but with many others too. Police stop our vehicles and check to see what we carry. On seeing that we carry personal goods (like stationeries, goods etc) in private vehicles they ask us to produce documents for the goods. This is needless harassment because they know what those goods are and why we are carrying them. In the end we are forced to grease their palms to avoid further confrontation.
Does the Constitution prohibit us to carry out our trade and profession in a manner we deem fit, as long as it is legal? Moreover this extortion racket is unwarranted and may force the employed youth of our state to lose faith in the system and indulge in activities similar to what these uniformed men callously carry out without any shame. Or if everything else fails we are also free to form counter organizations and in the end get Government jobs after surrendering our arms. And worse we can get ourselves enrolled in such forces and commit white collar crimes to earn our livelihood. And is the toll gate meant for such purposes?
This is to inform our well educated uniformed people posted at the Umling toll Gate not to force us to misuse our knowledge and qualifications to counter your greed and disrespectful nature towards your state, uniform, people and the country. Don’t bring us more shame than we already find ourselves in. Aren’t we always in the limelight for the wrong reasons anyway?
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request
Arise, awake and stop not…..
Editor,
Is it too late are we on the brink of extinction? Is the world coming to an end? Yes our individual world will come to an end because we are born to live and die. But what is our contribution while we are still alive? Do we think of our loved ones? Is their future secure? Most of us are so selfish that we even forget to think of the future of our own children and when it is too late they have to struggle to even make ends meet.
Very few people who are doctors, engineers, IAS officers etc., will be able to guide their children to become like them because we know that intelligence is not inherited. So it is up to us to change our complicated system and simplify it. It’s time to unite and find ways to change the system for a better future for our loved ones. Let us start by doing away with greed and selfishness. To be active in politics is good but not party politics or the politics of profitability. Instead we should encourage the politics of neutrality or realistic politics.
The mushrooming of political parties is confusing and pressure groups are the main causes for the downward trend in our society. We have tolerated them for too long. They have defeated us in every which way they can. It’s time we stand together and take up real issues.
Let’s also be aware of people and political parties that have mastered the art of changing uniforms every now and again for their own vested interests. And why does the party in power accept such people in its fold? Does it need their experience in promoting red- tapism and diverting funds so that they can fool people? Let us strengthen our Dorbar Shnong which practice direct democracy. Women can sbuild up their Seng Longkmie. Youths who have completed their studies can strengthen their Seng Samla. Those who excel in sport can strengthen their sports clubs. Genuine people must take up genuine issues. We can achieve this only when the fourth pillar of democracy i.e. the media, both print and electronic stand firmly on the foundation of truth and help all of the above to work with accountability and transparency.
Yours etc.,
Manphyrnai Marbaniang
Shillong