Editor,
Apropos of the letter to the editor under the caption, ‘Why this irrational response?” written by BS Lator (ST Sep 1, 2021) I would also like to state a few things which are highly relevant concerning the current fiasco in Shillong. Firstly, as a common citizen I would like to appreciate the courage of the writer for taking a stand on a matter which has not been taken up by anyone yet. Secondly, the ‘irrational response’ as pointed out by the writer is true to the core as in Shillong it is common to see protests led by pressure groups with vested interests for their own well- being rather than taking up issues for the betterment of the public.
I have never seen any kind of movements by these pressure groups demanding from the Government to improve the employment rate or to improve the standard of education etc. because such movements will not bear any fruit for them and most importantly they will be exposed for being out of depth. All they know is violence. For any issue that pops up in the capital which they see as an opportunity to exploit, the first thing that these pressure groups will resort to is stone pelting or burning of properties. The viral videos post the August 13 incident and the videos available online will validate the claim.
Coming to the recent developments the state Government is trying its level best to bring back normalcy in the city but from what I see, it appears that the pressure groups still want to rake up the matter. The burning questions of today is, “Why are the pressure groups still clinging on to the issue when the Government has already announced a judicial enquiry as per their initial demand?” It will be more sensible to wait for the findings of the Commission instead of jumping on illogical bandwagons and threatening the people with lawlessness. I feel that the beloved Mawlai town and its people have been brainwashed by these pressure groups so much so that they are willing to live their lives at their mercy.
History teaches us that whenever any pressure group acts as a mouthpiece of the community there will always be political influence behind it and this time it’s exhibiting the same inclination with many letters written to the political masters who are interestingly echoing the same agenda. The time has come to turn the tables and it is never too late.
Yours etc.,
Mewanshuwa Shylla,
Shillong-17
Govt buying time
Editor,
To me it appears that the killing of HNLC mainspring Cheristerfield Thangkhiew has unwittingly begun to give legitimacy to the banned outfit. There is a public outcry in Mawlai and not quite surprisingly. Mawlai has been known to be one of the epicentres of HNLC for a long time. But what surprises the most is the one stupidly executed police raid has given rise to public defiance of law and order authorities. That Bah Che received a hero’s farewell amidst chanting of pro-HNLC slogans, even from school children is scary. Interestingly, except for Nongstoin and Malki, there has been muted reverberation of the Mawlai public sentiments. Privately, most Khasis are in endorsement that Bah Che has been killed with an intent to take the wind out of HNLC sails. Clearly, one senseless act has recoiled on the government.
Today, the government has been caught on the wrong foot. There is no way they can run away from the fall out. The Home Minister’s dramatised resignation has not come out of a sense of remorse or responsibility. Don’t we not know how Lal Bahadur Shastri resigned as Railway Minister after a train accident? Can we ever forget that our own DD Lapang had resigned after violence in Jaiaw? This cold- blooded murder is not going to spare anybody. Yes, there is a demand for suspension of the DGP and two police officers who led the raid on that fateful night. Government is seen to be dragging its feet for it has turned out to be the proverbial hot potato which neither can be thrown out nor can it be swallowed.
The Home Minister’s wishy-washy statement that the government is examining the matter from all angles is a clever ploy to buy time. There is also the issue of judicial enquiry. Although the enquiry body has been constituted, we have not heard so far whether the investigation has begun or not. Probably not. Why should the government prod the Committee to hasten the probe? It suits perfectly well for the government to let the tempers cool by themselves. The question lurking in every public mind today is: Will Bah Che’s death at the hands of police become another dead issue after a few days? As far as I can see, it is not going to die down so soon. Its not just the political rivals who will keep the issue alive but also the large number of pressure group will not rest unless the issue comes to a logical end. Now whether the government will relent in appeasing the agitators remains to be seen. But the interesting development is that some MLAs supporting the ruling coalition have gone public saying that they would bring pressure on government to meet this demand. I personally think these MLAs are merely mouthing mealy words for public consumption. Don’t forget, elections are not too far away. Whatever happens during the coming weeks will have an immense impact in the coming elections, at least in Khasi Hills. There is an old saying that sitting on the fence for too long will cause pain in the posterior. Let the government of the day not sit on the fence for too long. It can do so only at its own peril.
Yours etc.,
Pynshngain Jyrwa,
Via email
Befriending Taliban
Editor,
With the Taliban getting centre-stage in Afghan Politics, India’s concerns regarding external security in its North Western Border holds water. Given the close proximity and support Taliban enjoys from Pakistan, India’s external security threat becomes double edged. However, the silver lining in this backdrop is that traditionally and historically Afghanistan and India enjoyed very cordial relationships. India needs to bank upon this tradition and further augment the friendly ties with the Taliban. With Taliban high commandos stating that they won’t be involved in the Indo-Pak dispute, this is a sign that the future may not be so gloomy vis a vis the Indo-Afghan relationship, provided efforts are made to embolden the traditional ties of friendship.
Yours etc.,
Sadiq H. Laskar,
Guwahati