Editor,
A report in this daily on January 22 last stated that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is ready to convert the Guwahati-Shillong road into a six-lane road provided the State Government makes land available for the purpose. My immediate reaction is ‘Why six lane for GS Road while the Nongstoin-Ranikor road in West and South West Khasi Hills is languishing with no lane at all?
The sanctioned Nongstoin-Wahkaji-Phlangdiloin-Mawthabah-Ranikor road in West and South West Khasi Hills was cancelled in 2016 and 2018 because of opposition from pressure groups like the KSU. To please these pressure groups KHADC CEM Pynshngain N Syiem and the mercuric HS Shylla refused to grant NOC to NHAI for the construction of the much needed road. The pretext for the opposition was that the road was meant for uranium mining in Domiasiat (South West Khasi Hills).
Now, Uranium Corporation of India (UCIL) reveals that uranium is found all along the western parts of Meghalaya, from Jaintia Hills, Khasi Hills and Garo Hills (uranium belt). Uranium is found in Sohra, Tyrsad, Mawsynram, Mawlyngad (East Khasi Hills), Domiasiat and Mathahbah (South West Khasi Hills) and in Garo Hills. Will KSU and other groups oppose two lane roads to Sohra, Mawsynram and to other location where uranium is found? Will KHADC refuse to grant NOC for two lanes to the above places? Uranium will be ferried along the current 4-lane and future lane GS road too. Will the highway be shut down?
The opposition to the two lane Nongstoin-Wahkaji-Phlangdiloin-Mawthabah-Ranikor road is to keep West and South West Khasi Hills backward. The Shillong based NGOs who oppose the road look down on the people of the two districts. For this reason ‘ki seng bhalang’ are nick named ‘ki seng sniewlang’for their anti-development attitude particularly in rural areas.
Yours etc.,
Albert Thyrniang
West Khasi Hills
Abide with Me
Editor,
Before coming to Rev Diengdoh’s letter about the dropping of the tune, “Abide with Me” from the January 29, Beating the Retreat programme, I want to express my thanks to Glen Kharkongor for reminding us of our Cambodian connection. Not to waste time, Larnai ( 8 km from Ummulong), Cambodia and Brazil are the only countries in the world that manufacture pottery without the potter’s spinning wheel, and amazingly they are perfectly round.
Coming to Rev Diengdoh’s findings, I who never missed a single day of one channel (the only reliable one in India) and the BBC foresaw all of these happenings. For the BJP born of religious hatred and racial overtones to not do silly things is impossible. They have infiltrated into all veins of governance and the last bastion is now being touched. To ensure that he is appointed Chief of Defence Staff, Mr Bipin Rawat breached protocol to publicly defend the CAA. Then the new CJI, SA Bobde was not patient enough to wait for the investigative probe to know who are the rioters in the present anti-CAA protest. He hollered in the media, “SC will not be bullied.” Of course he dared not fill the blanks (by whom?). I read the editorial in the ST January 23, 2020, and it is disappointing that the Supreme Court is refusing to stay the CAA despite the country-wide protests that have gone on for over a month.
The beauty of the song, ‘Abide with Me’ does not lie only in the tune which makes one emotional. Its wordings point to the wish of one to be in constant touch with God in joy, sorrow or when hope is lost. Rev CF Andrews who preached the Bible to the Mahatma on “the sermon on the mount” was later overwhelmed and preached by Mahatma not in theory but by practical ‘Meekness’ or ‘Satyagraha.’
Since 2014 till date I have been touched by this tune in the “Beating of the Retreat.” But a small man like me simply bears it within himself at the fact that the tune is now jettisoned by people nurturing religious hatred. The letter to the editor made me joyous that someone has at last expressed the anguish I felt. When we sing ‘Abide with Me,’ we should abide with HIM or else it is not conviction but convenience of unpardonable trespass.
Yours etc.,
W Passah,
Via email
Bane of social media
Editor,
Social media is leading to all kinds of anti-social behaviour. The marital life of many couples are either on the brink of collapse with some even facing a tragic end. The latest casualty is Naina aged 22, who was strangulated to death by her 26 year-old husband, Ayaz Ahmed Ansari over her alleged excessive use of Facebook. After killing her, he dumped her dead body at an isolated place near the Jaipur-Delhi National Highway.
Naina and Ayaz had met each other two years ago and later their friendship grew into an affair. Since both were from different religions, they solemnized their marriage twice as per Hindu and Muslim rituals. Their family members didn’t give their consent to their relationship. So, they eloped and tied the nuptial knot in Ghaziabad in October, 2017. They had a three-month-old son. Ansari reportedly told police that Naina alias Reshma would always be busy with her phone and he was suspicious that she might be having an extra marital affair. The excessive use of FB by her led to marital discord and frequent quarrels. Thus, the relationship had reached a flashpoint and they started living separately.
Strained relationships like that of Ansari and Naina is only the tip of the iceberg. There are a slew of incidents like this in our society. There are three billion people which is roughly about 40% of the world’s population that use online social media- and we are spending an average of two hours everyday sharing, liking, tweeting and updating on these platforms. Since social media is relatively new to us, conclusive findings are limited.
People use social media to vent about everything from customer service to politics, but the downside to this is that our feeds often resemble an endless stream of stress. In 2015, researchers at the Pew Research Centre, Washington sought to find out if social media induces more stress than it relieves. In the survey of 1800 people, women reported being more stressed than men.
Once a man or woman creates an account with Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, he or she is being initiated in to the busy world of chatting oblivious of the dangers inherent in the use of social media. If a person is aware the inherent dangers of social media she/he can control or limit its use. But excessive use of Facebook etc., may lead to domestic problems. Hence its good to step back and check if we are addicted to social media and learn to limit its use.
Ultimately, technology is for our comfort and welfare and it should not be vice versa. If the use of Facebook kills our pleasure or peace, then we should limit it or avoid it, for our life is more precious than the use of social media. Let us first love ourselves, our family, our relationships and social responsibilities more than the use of the social media. If we set our priorities right social media could be an ally rather than a bane.
Yours etc.,
TK Nandanan,
Via email