Editor,
In connection with the inquiry into the deadly assault on the CSWO activists, Agnes Kharshiïng and Amita Sangma, the police have been going too soft and extremely slow in nabbing the culprits. The police have not only the inputs but also the evidences leading to the culprits provided by one of the victims to the SB, CID. In fact they also have the photos of the kingpins behind the assault in their WhatsApp but we do not know why they are reluctant or why they shy away from arresting them. In fact, even the police from Lad Rymbai have all the necessary evidences so why the delay? According to media reports only five persons were picked up in this connection out of the many who are still at large. We do not know whether the five are the actual persons who attacked the duo or if this is just to show to the world that the police are doing something to apprehend the criminals. If this is the case then can we finally conclude that the police are hands in glove with the perpetrators and the illegal miners as is widely suspected? If that is the case, how can the police investigate into the acts of their colleagues? Hence this lends more credence to the demand for an independent inquiry to get into the bottom of the criminal attack.
Yours etc…..
Philip Marwein,
Via-Email.
Justice at last!
Editor,
October 31 and November 20, 2018 will go down in history as days of great significance and redemption, not just in Indian Judicial history but also in the country’s rocky moral journey as a secular and just land. After more than three decades, justice at long last is been delivered in the 1987 Hashimpura massacre in cold blood of 42 men belonging to India’s largest minority community, by policemen belonging to the UP Provincial Armed Constabulary. What is noteworthy is that the Delhi High Court has overturned the trial court’s acquittal of the policemen in 2015 and 16 of them have been sentenced to life term in prison. This is quite a departure from what has become the norm over the years thereby perpetuating the reprehensible culture of impunity. On November 20, Delhi Court awarded the first death sentence in a case related to the anti- Sikh riots by convicting Yashpal Singh and ordering life imprisonment to another, Naresh Sherawat, for killing two men during the riots. The court’s judgment on the Hashimpura massacre and anti –Sikh riots is most welcome as it sets a positive precedent in curbing communal and mob violence characterized by lynching. The judgment, even if belated has the potential to disprove the old adage, “Justice Delayed is Justice Denied” .
Yours etc.,
M Haque,
Advocate
Shillong-6
Where do we go from here?
Editor,
These days newspapers regularly report about mental health and the dearth of professionals to deal with this ailment. We live in a society that is highly competitive and mental stress is common. So what do we do? Where do we turn to? Naturally we turn to a Mental Health Professionals (MHP) to guide and counsel us. In Meghalaya, we are told there are very few MHPs but if the Government wants to it can employ such professionals since many of them are qualified but unemployed. We want to ask our Health Minister and Government what their plans are for improving the mental health services in the state.
We read a report published in The Shillong Times (October 10, year not known), that Dr. Sandi Syiem a renowned psychiatrist had spoken of the lack of health services, manpower, doctors, limited mental health facilities and mental health professionals. A month ago we saw in the news that because of limited beds in Civil Hospital, Nongstoin, drug addicts were discharged from the hospital. Drug addicts also are patients as addiction is an illness. The truth is that MHPs are available. Every time we approach the Government to create posts for the benefit of the mentally ill, they speak of funds constraint. How long can we wait? There are no MHPs in Government hospitals, especially in MIMHANS which treats patients with mental illness.
According to the 2011 census, East Khasi Hills District has a population of 8,24,059, Ri Bhoi District- 2,58,380 and Jaintia Hills District – 3,66,694. There is one MHP in Shillong Civil Hospital and none in Jowai Civil Hospital. The patients in Shillong have to run from MIMHANS to Civil Hospital to see the doctor or to get a disability certificate. The patients are suffering and the poor people are left without any help.
Five years ago in MIMHANS they wanted to employ a Clinical Psychologist, but instead of writing ‘Clinical Psychologist’ in the advertisement they wrote instead Clinical Psychiatrist. What a blunder! And now its 2018 but they haven’t yet corrected the spelling error. We feel sad and ashamed that the State Government does not recognize Mental Health Professionals and does not create any posts for them. If the Government does not think about the well being of society then there is no need to talk about mental health and to pretend to show care and concern and observe all the important awareness programmes that the whole world observes.
If the Government is serious about addressing the growing mental health problems in Meghalaya then it should create posts for the MHPs in Government Hospitals such as Civil Hospital Nongpoh, Civil Hospital Nongstoin and also a very hectic hospital MIMHANS for the well being of mental health patients.
Yours etc,.
Name withheld on request
Unemployed Mental Health Professionals
Meghalaya