Editor,
A few days back when I was on an exigent duty and while walking along the Anjalee petrol pump en route to Civil Hospital and on reaching one of the junctions leading towards the Nethralaya eye clinic, I chanced to see two youths who were in hot dispute with a senior citizen. These youths were not allowing the man to walk past unless he paid them Rs 5000 as fine for urinating in an isolated corner along this pathway. That the man was frozen with fear was unmistakable from his facial expression even as he pleaded that he did not have the amount demanded by them. However, those youths were adamant and threatened to take the victim to the Office of the Cantonment Board to be dealt with accordingly. I was moved with deep sympathy for that senior citizen who may perchance be a diabetic having to pass water more often than not. Given that I was in a tearing hurry I could not, therefore, see what transpired thereafter. Subsequently, I was informed from reliable sources that such youths are used to hanging around those areas and extracting hefty fines on unwary people, especially the loner and the feeble looking, who happen to respond to the call of nature along these paths, but without issuing any receipts whatsoever.
Now, I have to ask the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cantonment Board if these fine collectors are appointed staff of the Board? If that’s so then why has the Board levied such a humongous amount as a penalty on an incident referred to above? If, however, the Board states otherwise then is it unaware of the existence of such extortionists? Who has authorized them to penalize those who commit nuisance? Based on these contentions, I appeal to the CEO, Cantonment Board to ensure that such hideous actions of the extortionists are nipped in the bud at the earliest so that the good name of the Shillong Cantonment Board is upheld. I also appeal to the police posted within the Cantonment area to patrol these grey areas and bring to book these anti- social elements by charging them under the proviso of penal code as indicated u/s 388 of Indian Penal Code for such revolting intimidations on unwary passers-by, especially in the evening when such goons take full advantage.
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request
Lokayukta at last!
Editor,
At last Meghalaya has a Lokayukta with the swearing in of the Chairperson, Justice Pranoy Kumar Musahary on Nov.6 last after a long wait of nearly four and half years. Meghalaya Lokayukta was notified in March, 2014. This is really a long wait but better late than never. Another four persons are yet to be appointed to be in the Lokayukta and we really wonder how this body will function with only one member for now. However, we the public, should feel free to approach the lone member with our specific complaints against any particular public servant of the Government of Meghalaya if the person is found to be indulging in any corrupt practice.
Yours etc.,
Philip Marwein,
Via email
Marginal victory of Congress in Karnataka
Sir,
It was extremely encouraging that Karnataka’s ruling JD(S)-Congress alliance won a crucial endorsement trouncing the BJP 4-1 in the recent bye- elections for three Lok Sabha and two Assembly seats, with the victory in Bellary ending the saffron rival’s 14-year vice-like grip on this parliamentary constituency. This marginal victory may be a sign that people are able to understand that the Congress is the need of the hour. I think the people of Karnataka have realised the hardships and tribulations being faced by small businesses and the middle class because of what BJP has done in the past four and half years. Now it is high time for BJP to realize that people are losing their faith in the Party and learn lessons that the country cannot be ruled only with rhetoric. Rather, people want the country to develop and progress so that they reap the fruit of that development.
Yours etc.,
MF Kasmi,
Via email
Making mockery of hunger and deprivation
Editor,
In the famous allegorical fiction, The Happy Prince, Oscar Wilde depicted how the costly statue of the prince began crying with sadness after seeing the plight of poor people all around. Had Sardar Patel got life in the Statue of Unity, the same thing would have happened on seeing 190.7 million hungry children and adults all over India. He had once categorically said, “My only desire is that India should be a good producer and no one should be hungry, shedding tears for food in the country.”
The Statue of Unity cost India almost 3000 crore rupees when India ranks 103rd among 119 countries in the 2018 Global Hunger Index with “serious levels of hunger”. Moreover, India has been identified along with Djibouti and South Sudan as the country where child wasting is most prevalent. In the ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, 2017’ report, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN has estimated that nearly 40 per cent of the food produced in India is wasted or lost. And this costs India one lakh crore rupees every year. Obsolete technology used in infrastructure and transporting food items is the culprit for food wastage in India. We could easily solve the problems of child wasting, child stunting and hunger if we adopt better technology for infrastructure and transporting food items and distributing the excess food among the poor in a more effective way.
Sardar Patel must have been wondering from the height of 182 metres, how we have become so small that we fight shy of spending money on stopping food wastage. He will certainly feel sad on seeing that we shamelessly spend crores of rupees on his statue while totally ignoring his only desire to make India a country where “no one should be hungry, shedding tears for food”.
It will be highly unfortunate if we keep on constructing more such costly statues to make those great persons groan under the weight of abysmal inequality, hunger, malnutrition, unemployment, child labour and lack of human development.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata