Editor,
Your report ” Umling ticks right boxes, mostly” (ST Dec 30, 2020), is reassuring. That over 800 tourists are entering daily, in spite of regulations, raises hopes that tourism industry will not die because of lack of tourists. However, my hunch is that a bulk of these tourists are from Assam. For these tourists this is the season for them to enjoy picnic, excursions and sight-seeing. In the past, in December-January the lake area used to be crowded with picnickers from Assam. Many of these parties used to be quite a sight. They would choose a site close to the main road for the people to get a glimpse of what they do. There are times when some get drunk and create nuisance. Of course, revellers are all alike in this respect. Our domestic picnickers are also known for such proclivity. Be that as it may, this year so far we haven’t seen the Assam picnickers in Umiam area. Maybe, COVID has a lot to do with it and now with regulations in place, the picnic revellers are yet to be seen. I feel, the concerned authorities like District Council, MeCEL etc should identify picnic spots around Umiam Lake and charge a small fee from the users. This is just to ensure that hordes of picnickers from outside do not light a fire anywhere and everywhere or litter the area and leave the environment affected.
Yours etc.,
Gerald C. Mawroh,
Via email.
Thoughts on New Year
Editor,
As the new year dawns on us, I send new year’s greetings from the USA to all of your readers. I am a regular subscriber of your esteemed daily and I wish a happy new year to you and your team. There are many in my country who have a notion that life is going to be a lot better once 2020 is gone. That’s not true at all. COVID-19 which is everybody’s bugbear, is not going to disappear just because we are going to turn a new page in the calendar. In the USA, UK and many other countries in the western hemisphere the situation is still grim. Yes, with the change of guard in the White House, there is every possibility of a better handling of the situation. But that is not going to happen on January 20 when the new president assumes office. I feel people everywhere must maintain vigilance for another six to eight months as we prepare to take a jab as a possible prophylactic against Coronavirus.
Let us hope that by the time we welcome 2022, the world would have rid itself of COVID and the familiar hustle- bustle is back.
Yours etc.,
Ray Roppe,
Via email.
2020: What a year it was!
Editor,
2020 has shown us humans what it means to live and stay alive in this world. Yes, it’s been a year now and we are trying to get back to our lives but nothing is certain except that COVID – 19 is still here with us. I am spelling the virus in capital letters not out of fear but with a determination that it cannot and will not be victorious in annihilating humankind though it may have created a space for itself in the history of the world.
Sadly 2020 had been a year of trial and pain; of death and destruction of livelihoods. We were forced to change our way of life. Wearing a mask, washing our hands and maintaining social distancing had never been more imposing. Humans are social animals by nature yet today to stay safe and to survive, socialising has taken an entirely different meaning. We socialise but by using different platforms such as mobile phones, Whatsapp, social media, etc. 2020 was indeed a year that forced us to practice social distancing in letter and spirit! The two words have never been more popular than they are now.
As we close the old year and usher in 2021, I look back to the times when our country was under lockdown; a time that took us by surprise for it was a difficult and terrible time for all. It exposed the glaring realities of our lives! While some did not need to worry about food, safely locked within the comfort of their homes, many others were in penury. I remember the faces of those that were hungry and scared and how some would count the number of days when hey would still get at least one meal a day. Still others were anxious about buying food for the house when the little money they had was exhausted. The migrant workers and their plight that flashed on our television screens were yet another horrendous side of the pandemic. However amidst all this, if there was one good thing that 2020 did was to awaken in us fellow feelings and camaraderie. We saw humanity in action.
In our own state, organisations and individuals wore the mantle of compassion and kindness. Many came out to help those in need of food and subsistence. This uninhibited regard for fellow humans and the will and determination to not allow those in need to stay hungry was nothing short of the presence of a godly spirit within them. I bow my head in reverence before each one of them.
I also take this time to salute our front liners; the doctors, nurses, policemen, the municipal workers, and all those who put their lives at stake fulfilling their duties while we stayed safe at home. At the risk of being infected, they plunged into the combat zone to save lives. Our medical team stayed away from their hearths and homes, their family and loved ones, answering their call for duties and safeguarding those they love, lest they pass on the virus to them. Stories of how the PPE sets and safety gears to protect them were cumbersome and heavy and yet how they braved all odds, will become part of our history. Our protectors and guardians of the law moved out on the streets keeping a check on the citizens so they do not defy orders. They kept themselves away from their family only to make sure that the citizens stay safe with theirs. The municipal workers without whose service we would have lived with filth and dirt deserve special respect. Without them it would not have been possible to free our houses and streets of garbage. Those were challenging times yet we saw how hard they worked amidst fear of being infected. While some were fortunate enough not to be infected by the deadly virus, others lost their lives to it. To all those who lost their near and dear ones, prayers are for them to be strong and keep their faith intact.
Who would have thought that the world would be crippled and come to a standstill? Yet it did. Now all of us together yet apart need to fight against COVID-19. Nations and governments are trying to find a cure to this virus and put it to rest. The million dollar question lurking in our minds is what the year 2021 has in store for us? How different will it be from 2020? Well, there is no way by which we can foresee the future. However what we as individuals can do is to work towards keeping ourselves safe for only then can we keep our loved ones and our fellow human beings safe.
As I bid adieu to 2020 I wholeheartedly welcome 2021 to usher in peace, harmony, love, good health and above all to retain humanity in its fullest form.
Yours etc.,
Jenniefer Dkhar,
Via email