Editor,
The statement of Mr Robert June Kharjahrin, Chairman of CoMSO seeking support of genuine non-tribals of the state in the current opposition to the recently promulgated Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 is a welcome step in the right direction. The genuine non-tribals of the state have always felt that they are one of the stakeholders in the affairs of their state and have plenty to offer towards the overall development and progress of the state. The non-tribal populace of the state had unequivocally supported the Hill State Movement which ultimately led to the birth of Meghalaya. They are always ready to lend their support and co-operation to various issues concerning their tribal brethren. To achieve this goal it is incumbent to take some confidence building measures like ensuring the safety of life and property of non-tribal people during any agitation or protest. Non tribal citizens have not openly come out to support the issues and concerns of indigenous people since most of the times they have been at the receiving end and continue to bear the brunt of any movement launched by the tribal people, including the present agitations against the CAA. It is no doubt, pragmatic to forget the past as advocated by Mr Kharjahrin and start a new beginning for peaceful co-existence. To achieve this goal, there is a need on the part of the majority tribal community to create an environment of harmony and a platform where the representatives of the permanent residents of the state can participate wholeheartedly, air their views, suggestions and concerns and work hand in hand for a peaceful and prosperous Meghalaya.
Yours etc.,
NK Kehar
Shillong -3
ILP before Christmas please!
Editor,
The winds of change are blowing fast over India. Northeast India in particular is feeling the force. Northeast India can be destroyed and its indigenous cultures wiped off the map, unless certain measures are taken, and taken fast. ILP is one. When states not bordering Bangladesh are granted ILP why not Meghalaya, Assam and Tripura? Our humble appeal to the honorable Home Minister of India is to meet the CM of Meghalaya immediately after December 19 when the Meghalaya Legislature passes its resolution on the same. Why wait till after Christmas? It does not make sense, and it only unnecessarily prolongs the agony. Give ILP, and make it a Christmas gift to the people. Rethink later on the status of the unconstitutional Shillong Municipality and European Ward, after due care is taken to recognize genuine non-indigenous settles who support the demand for special protective measures of the indigenous community and culture of the State. Genuine non-indigenous settlers of Shillong must never suffer in the future.
The argument coming from the Tourism Department that ILP will affect the inflow of tourists is untenable. There is no free movement today for tourists, whether Phuket island of Thailand, Bali of Indonesia, Hawaii, Mauritius or the Alps of Switzerland. There is no more free movement even within the country. You cannot just walk into any Minister’s chamber at the Secretariat even though they are public representatives. Barricades everywhere. Without valid tickets or relevant documents we cannot enter into Airports, Railway stations or even night buses. In Shillong, we are surrounded by Army Camps, with almost hundred percent of them out of bounds for public. We resent, especially when army land encroaches on public passageway like the one towards Mawshbuit and Shillong View Point, but then we have learned to take these irritants in our stride. In cities like Bangalore, with so many corporate houses, entry restrictions are unbelievable. They take your picture, print a badge and you have to wear it around for as long as you are inside their turf. So what is this resistance to registration on entry to the State, is difficult to understand. Genuine tourists would be glad to know that the administration knows their whereabouts, because anything can happen with these deep jungle treks and nature getaways. While on tourism, on a sideline, this whole budget tourism streak has to be reconsidered, and the profit sharing by the indigenous players carefully compiled whether transport, hotels/guest houses or shop keepers. The Tourism Department must prove that it puts the indigenous people’s interests first.
Yours etc.,
Edelbert Kharsyntiew,
Via email
PM’s statements provocative
Editor,
It is highly intriguing to decipher the statement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday with regard to the wide spread violence over the amended Citizenship Act. Modi said the Opposition’s actions prove that the decision to pass the Bill was ‘1000 per cent correct’, and those indulging in arson ‘can be identified by their clothes.’
Yes, every tree is known by its own fruit. But here our Prime Minister segregates the antisocial by their clothes. It is a marvelous action hitherto unknown to any political leader except our Prime Minister. So, he is such an astute politician judging things through outward appearance. It is true ‘what is bred in the bone will come out in the flesh’; so clothes worn by people are an extended display of what is being carried in the mind of a person. Yes, a dress style speaks volumes about a person’s character, and also of course speaks volumes about one’s religion. Modi’s serendipitous discovery of this could be derived from his long stinted political life.
But what bleeds one’s heart is the destruction of the public property as part of the protest against the amended Citizenship Act. Delhi again is in the grip of man-made disaster; the air again got polluted by large-scale arson of buses and other public property. Protest against the CAB is natural but destroying the environment is unpardonable. Why can’t the protesters resort to environment-friendly protest? It may be good for them to remember that large-scale arson can only contribute to air pollution. So, the protesters must not cut the bough they sit upon. Protest without causing damage to the nation’s property and environment may be adopted by protesters henceforth.
Yours etc.,
TK Nandanan,
Via email