Editor,
It is very unfortunate and also condemnable that a group of young women out to spend time together had to face a harrowing experience along the Guwahati-Shillong route. For a police personnel of whatever rank he might be to refuse to assist those facing risks to their lives is highly unprofessional and unbecoming of that person on duty. But the crux of the matter is that everyone has been asking about the absence of the highway patrol cars that were purchased amidst great fanfare by the State Police. I was surprised to see one of these highway patrol cars escorting a VIP vehicle when there was already a pilot car and an escort going along. It seems that having a highway patrol is pointless since these are never visible on the entire national highway that runs through our state. Moreover, these cars seem to be out only to patrol trucks rather than helping passengers who face difficulties along their journey. A sad state of affairs in the police department!
Yours etc..
Dominic S. Wankhar
Shillong-3
Essence of Good Friday
Editor,
In the article, “What is Good Friday all about?” (ST, March 30, 2018), B.J. Syiemlieh rightly said, “Jesus’ death on the cross which is commemorated on Good Friday is a celebration of the act of emptying oneself to be a blessing to others without any expectation of a reward or a pay back.” Suffering and death of Jesus on the cross on Good Friday was not in his own personal interests. It was a sacrifice in the best interests of our evolution so that we could become more conscious. It was, as it were, for the resurrection of divinity in us from its oblivion of sleep. The execution of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a church leader, who had to give his life for opposing Hitler, was another such crucifixion for the same cause.
Interestingly, January 30, 1948 was indeed a Friday. This day is observed as a Martyrs’ Day in our country. Nevertheless, it is another Good Friday. On January 28, 1948, Mahatma Gandhi had said, “If I am to die by the bullet of a mad man, I must do so smiling. God must be in my heart and on my lips. And if anything happens, you are not to shed a single tear.” On the day of Mahatma’s crucifixion, he walked up to a prayer mandap. At that time, a man came before Gandhiji. The man offered pranam by bending his body at a distance of less than two yards. Gandhiji returned the salute. The man remarked, “You are late today for the prayer.” Gandhiji smiled and replied, “Yes, I am.” But at that moment the man pulled out a revolver and fired three shots from point-blank range. The bullets pierced the frail body of the great leader. Gandhiji collapsed. The assassin was seized by the people who had come to attend the prayer.
Thus, another crucifixion was staged on another Friday. The Good Friday of January 30, 1948 halted the juggernnaut of religious fanaticism as it made people realize the inherent danger of it. As a matter of fact, such Good Fridays made our evolution from brutality to humanity possible. We still have miles to go but past progress from primitive society to feudalism to police state capitalism to modern welfare states confirms that ours is an ascending evolution. However, Jesus is still to suffer on the cross to get us going.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata
Good deed or bad dream?
Editor,
Friends desert when misfortune knocks at the door of the BJP, but remember, “Jishka koi nahin, uska khuda hi yaaron” . PM Modi and FM Jaitley deserve a pat on the back for doing away with the irritants of foreign funding of all political parties since 1976 through Finance Bill 2018 sans debate and discussion. Despite the good neighbourly act, they got brickbats instead of bouquets from disgruntled allies. The One who sees keeps track of all good and crooked deeds for repayment in future! The bad deeds point to mega data leak on Facebook, Cambridge Analytica, and Ovleno Business Intelligence or OBI and the main actors are Mark Zuckerberg, Alexander Nix, Praveen Chakravarty and Amrish Tyagi. It’s almost an open secret now as well as bitter BJP-Congress twitter spat on the sticky turf of mega FB data leaks leaving the dirty linen wide open to public view. Whatever it is or whichever way one may view the sticky issue, the people of India would certainly want the concerned political parties to make a clean breast of things and fight the upcoming elections fairly and squarely and not the no-holds-barred elections through these forked missives!
The best deeds that were achieved by the NDA Government at the Centre this year include (i) enhancement of the monthly pension salary which is double the regular amount for all categories of pensioners, (ii) doubling payment of widows’ pension, (iii) giving lump sum aid yearly to orphanages, crèches in addition to already existing grants-in-aid. (iv) sanctioning a hefty amount for construction of “Old age Home” subject to availability of land and fund. Basic necessities of life revolve mainly around, “Roti, Kapda aur Makaan” as well as good schools in rural areas of Meghalaya, some of which are hardly accessible even on foot. News reports say that the State is cash-strapped due to fiscal mismanagement in the recent past! Positive steps may bear good fruits in the near future! The poor cannot give PM/FM back anything but their blessings. A good deed done to the poor and needy is a blessing and often returns to the doer as a double harvest! Some may call me a sycophant and a parasite. I am neither. I am pointing to facts only which are often missed.
Yours etc.,
Sonaram M Sangma,
Tura