Editor,
For the past 3-4 days in a row now, the front page news headlines in The Shillong Times has all been about GK Iangrai, Assistant Inspector General of Police (Administration) who is rapidly emerging as One Hell of a desperate Black Sheep within the IPS/ MPS flock. If reports are to be believed this cop manages to control and manipulate over 29 vehicles (apparently all new vehicles) of the police department. Who uses these vehicles, Police officials or private citizens; when, how long and for what purposes is yet to be clarified. It’s just one of the layers upon layers of inexplicable acts unbecoming that of a Government servant perpetrated by this man. He misuses a police truck for his own personal benefit. He draws POL bills on his own signature and thousands of unaccounted liters of fuel. A large chunk of the police budget has been kept at his discretion. At the same time he also is also heading the elite SF -10 , a counter-insurgency commando force within he Meghalaya Police. Most probably the personnel of this cream-of-the-crop force will end up running domestic errands for the family of the AIG. To top the icing he also appears to be the favorite of the ex DGP and there are insinuations of yet to be proven connections with and acting as henchman of greasy palmed Ministers of the Govt.
And all the above facts have emerged from an in-house inquiry report by a group of senior police officers. It’s no made up yarn by some sensation seeking newspaper. Going through this cop’s CV is like going through the biodata of some super Tihar inmate; only here it happens to be the CV of one of Meghalaya’s top cops.
Well, the above is as far as allegations go, but that they are allegations against a senior police officer of the state and one who will be heading the elite SF-10 force and this makes it imperative that they be taken with the seriousness they demand. No one is guilty until proven guilty is accepted. But there is also the possibility of one remaining in a position of power to cover up his own crimes. This however seems to be the furthest from the Govt’s mind as the Chief Minister himself has stepped in to give the suspected cop a clean chit. On what grounds was this certificate of exoneration given by the Head of the Govt is not clear. The CM preferred to put his faith on one accused man than on the report compiled by his own senior police officers of the state! Strange, really strange! Why the alleged tainted cop was not removed so as to enable an unbiased probe into the matter is also not clear. More intriguing is the complete silence by the Home Department on this issue. The Home Minister, true to form, has decided that discretion is better than valour and has apparently decided to go underground on the issue. So what does all this moving around in circles on an apparently open and shut case indicate?
Either the top guns in the police force itself are protecting their man or a more serious and dangerous drama of political involvement and political cover-up attempt is what the public is seeing. If those in the know are to be believed then the underwear of politicians involved are tainted and smeared with complicity in corruption. A more than likely turn of events knowing the sticky fingers most of the senior political people in this Govt are reputed to have.
Yours etc.,
Pramod Chandra Pradhan,
Via email
Unfair treatment to ICSE topper
Editor,
Through the columns of your esteemed newspaper, I would like to draw your kind attention to what is going on in the academic manifest of St. Edmund’s School, Shillong. I am writing this with a lot of grief and anger but I believe that writing this would do justice to so many people who would be taking education seriously. A month ago my son’s ICSE results had been declared and he completed his entire 10th education with flying colours. Knowing this we were elated and wanted everyone to know about this piece of information that was so precious to us and our son. But we couldn’t blatantly put this out publicly because we had to get the school’s confirmation. A month of the results went by but the school never reached out to us and never contacted us with anything related to our son’s results. Normally it is the school that instantly makes the announcement and is excited about the results. They are the ones that put in the efforts for the child that has done well and has put their school on the top list. But even after multiple efforts by multiple sources we could never get in contact with the Principal or anyone in the administration. The Principal would not pick up our calls and would never reply to our messages. We were so sad and angered that we decided after so long that it is our right to understand the situation. We mailed our grievances to the institution and in reply we got a message from the administration that they were “apparently” sorry as they couldn’t put our son’s name in the academic merit list. They “allegedly” had a Principals meet after a whole academic year in the month of August of this year out of all months and they decided that a topper would be chosen from the boy who actually embodies the heart of the school and it’s founder.
Our only question is, in which institution and in which educational language does “academic” topper fall under a school’s definition of embodying the essence of a school. An academic topper is always chosen over the marks that the student obtains. We came to the conclusion that the school does not want to give our son the pedestal that he has got through his hard work and instead wants to degrade the position of the academic topper by making lame excuses. We have never heard that an academic topper is “chosen;” we have always known that an academic topper “becomes” the topper through their hard work. It is difficult to understand this administrative decision. We believe that for every future student of St. Edmund’s it is very important that this bit of justice is done to our son. We repeat that the administration of St Edmund’s school is depleting and degrading the essence of our ward’s hard work and all we want is justice for our son’s efforts. We hope this message travels far and wide. The world must understand what goes on behind the flowery walls of such a prestigious institution.
Yours etc.,
Sazeed Zamal,
Via email
Conservation of unique fish species
Editor,
Through The Shillong Times, in particular and through other media, I wish to draw attention to the precious new species of Catfish found in Rongkil and Rongdal streams of North Garo Hills near Rajasimla. These require immediate protection. They should be conserved and meticulously monitored and propagated. Some of these new endangered species like Pseudolaguvia meghalayaensis which are new diminutive sisorid catfish (Domain) can be conserved and multiplied by propagation. I call upon the Fisheries Department of the Government of Meghalaya to take special protection and care of these species by declaring these two streams at least as Catfish sanctuaries. In fact, these type of Catfishes and other types of indigenous varieties were available in huge numbers in many streams and rivers in Jaintia Hills, Garo Hills and Khasi Hills prior to 1960-65. But due to human indiscriminate destructive practices of fishing many Pseudolaguvia meghalaensis became extinct. These types of Catfish if conserved and left undisturbed in bigger and deeper rocky strong current flow rivers can grow very big and fishermen cannot catch them with bare hands without proper protection even after firmly hooked by fishing hooks because these fishes have sharp protected armoured fins on both sides along with antennae of the hammer like elongated hard head. Even now some are found in lower reaches of strong current flows of Rilang, Kynshi, Wahblei, Umngi, Umngot, and the upper courses of Simsang, perhaps in some courses of Ganol and other strong current flow rivers. Fishermen sometimes still get also Anguilla bengalensis (Kha Triang) in deep wide rocky spaces with certain amount of sand deposit rivers.
The rivers of Meghalaya used to have so many types of fishes and aquatic lives but due to human indiscriminate destruction of the environment these precious fishes, flora and fauna are all lost. The Fisheries Department in collaboration with the communities in villages and environmentalists should step up their joint efforts to ensure protection and conservation of the precious aquatic lives and flora and fauna of the State by ensuring protection from pollution and by stopping indiscriminate poisoning of rivers and their catchment areas.
Yours etc.,
Philip Marwein,
Sr. Journalist,
Shillong-2