Editor,
The incident that occurred at Pynthor is not only unfortunate but also alarming. It is unfortunate because things should not have happened the way they did. One is appreciative of the fact that a conscientious citizenry is the need of the hour and the Seng Kynthei has highlighted their attentiveness by patrolling the locality between 12 midnight to 2 am every night. Thereby, the Seng Kynthei was doing their duties that night. But what was alarming, wrong and unethical was the way in which the matter was handled. There certainly was no need for the ladies to have taken the law into their own hands and to have humiliated the young girls to teach them a lesson. The ladies failed to think twice over the repercussions their actions could have on the young minds. These young girls are of the age of their daughters and no matter what, one is sure that none of them would have liked to see their children being subjected to such humiliation. What was needed at that time was a calm and serene mind rather than overpowering anger and rage to handle the matter effectively. If the act of the girls were immodest, in spite of the warnings and counselling decided upon, the matter should still not have been handled in such an inappropriate manner. As a result the dedication of the Seng Kynthei to help maintain peace and harmony in the locality has lost its essence and meaning. Their efforts have gone to waste as the highlight is on their impulsive action rather than understanding why our young girls go astray.
Yours etc.,
Jenniefer Dkhar,
Via email
Rail-Line or Trojan horse!
Editor,
On August 30th last when Mr. Rajen Gohain, the Union Minister of state for Railways had visited Shillong, it was reported that he had come down heavily on the present Congress led govt. of Meghalaya for putting on hold the Tetelia-Byrnihat railway project. Although the Minister had spoken the fact but he also indicated that he could not care less about the popular objection and fears raised by the KSU and other NGOs, some of whom since months back have had to suffer incarceration till date over this rail-line agitation. Notably, the core mission of the Central Govt. is to chart a scheme to connect a rail-line up to Shillong, and thereafter to other parts beyond. It pleases me no end to hear that the Union Minister concerned had averred that such communication links could definitely go the extra-mile in boosting tourism, generate employment scope for lakhs of unemployed youth; and to cap it all, the Minister assured, farmers could export their farm produce and thereby become a game changer in the agricultural dynamics of Meghalaya. Such mind-blowing and rosy assurances ought to trigger off public movement to prod the incumbent State Govt. to resume the shelved railway-link construction without more ado. Further, this Union Minister has hinted that if BJP comes to power in Meghalaya in the 2018 assembly polls, the saffron party would give foremost priority to interlink viable parts of Meghalaya onto the railway networks and thereby bring about breath-taking developments to the State. And I, for one, can hardly wait to see such an ambitious project being transferred into reality.
However, in my sustained interactions with many an indigenous citizen and the intellectual elite in sequel to what the Union Minister in question had publicly asserted on rail-line connectivity, I was given to understand that it must be only a hidden agenda of the NDA led govt. at the Centre, who, by means of this communicative vista, can have access on to the Uranium rich deposits of West Khasi Hills where rail-transport can prove very handy in tapping and ferrying uranium out of the land of Hynniewtrep, not caring a damn about the incorrigible health hazards and the deadly ramifications owing to radiation-effects on us, as self-evidently exemplified at Jaduguda in Jharkhand where the poor and ignorant folks have to grin and bear the interminable stigma of physical afflictions to date in the wake of flagrant exploitation of this radioactive metal. Incidentally, the Indo-China confrontation at Doklam has of late occasioned the belligerent Chief of Army staff, B. Rawat, to boast that India can deal with any twin and synchronous attacks from both Pakistan and China and this has lent credence that India is frantically exploring uranium sources nation-wide to make itself a strong country with nuclear capability against its immutable hostile neighbours. It is a natural corollary, therefore, that the saffron Govt. at the Centre should be keenly eyeing the so-called yellow cake of Khasi Hills. Rail links must have been contrived as a Trojan horse to mine this highly radioactive element from this land of Hynniewtrep. If that is so, will the indigenous and conscientious electorates of Meghalaya favour BJP and its associate allies in next year’s elections to the State assembly?
Yours etc.,
Jerome K. Diengdoh