Editor,
I was shocked beyond belief when I saw the life size painting of Bollywood superstar of yesteryear, Mithun Chakravarty being disfigured in one of the government buildings in Lower Lachumiere. The painting on the wall is an expression of artistic fervour and may have been sponsored by the Government of Meghalaya to promote Tourism, If a Pakistani actor can work in Bollywood and became an idol for some fans here and Indian artistes are working in Hollywood and have earned name and fame internationally, then why object to Mithun’s portrait? These days even local talented artistes are making inroads into Bollywood and artists from Bollywood are taking keen interest in the development of the Khasi Film Industry and further with the global economy the world has become a global village and we are interdependent on each other for peace and progress.
If Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Bob Dylan can be idolized here why is there a problem if a life size painting of Mithun Chakraborty a well known celebrity of Bollywood is painted? There is love and respect for his acting by fans all over India, Bangladesh, Nepal and other parts of the world, therefore it is very sad to see such hooliganism taking place in this beautiful city. Time has came to rise above this bigotry.
Yours etc.,
DP Joshi,
Shillong-2
Repair of Goralane Road
Editor,
Apropos of my letter to the editor dated May 25, ‘2018 on the pathetic condition of the Goralane Road, I must say kudos to the PWD (Roads), Government of Meghalaya for taking up the repair works of this road on a war footing from June 22, 2018. I hope the dispute between MES and PWD (Road) regarding the said portion of the road has been resolved, and maintenance of the road will be taken care of by PWD(Roads) in future, A big thank you!
Yours etc.,
Mohan Kumar Rai,
Shillong -3
Taming the ego!
Editor,
Having seen a “no signal” notice on my TV screen, I phoned our cable service provider. He informed me that an object had fallen inside the dish antenna which interfered with satellite signals and it would be removed in a while. After that I went to the veranda and tried to understand the nature of the problem. The problem occurred not owing to lack of satellite signals. They were all around the dish antenna itself! The only problem was that the antenna could not receive them! It raised an important question in my inner self ~ must not I also clean my ego to receive the cosmic force?
Rainer Maria Rilke gave us a very important lesson when he said, “Make your ego porous. Will is of little importance, complaining is nothing. Openness, patience, receptivity, solitude is everything.” It is indeed everything as it connects us with the whole universe ~ with the One. As a matter of fact, this is the only way to receive the cosmic force. It is central to our development as it places us at the centre of the whole universe.
In our moments of solitude ~ when we have an uncluttered receptivity ~ when all the windows of our minds are open, the horizon makes us feel like ~ we are the universe! The vastness and beauty of natural surroundings sometimes give us a feeling of dancing with the music of infinity. It is, as it were, living the universe. It enlarges us and helps us overcome greed and have empathy for other people’s situations, for the moment though.
“This opening”, said Sri Aurobindo, “is a throwing wide of all nature at all its levels and in all its parts to receive unto itself without limits the greater divine Consciousness which is there already above and behind and englobing this mortal half-conscious existence.”
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata