Editor,
On Feb 6, 2023 the people of Shillong woke up to the rude reality of everyday politics. Politicians wishing to enroll their nominations for the forthcoming 2023 Assembly sallied forth to the DC’s office to do so. No harm in such constitutional necessity but to do so accompanied by hundreds of supporters that were ferried to the same destination ( ie the DCs office) either by bus, pickup vans , private vehicles and bikes; supporters in their thousands all assembling in one narrow part of town, who as soon as they debussed transformed themselves into a frenzied shrieking dancing mass; doing so in already narrowed streets that can hardly accommodate everyday traffic; causing traffic jams lasting for hours; to the inconvenience of other innocent citizens prevented from their ordinary daily activities, can no longer be termed as a constitutional obligation. If a political activity causes harm or annoyance to the common man ( in this case the very electorate our politicians seek to represent) then it can only be termed as a criminal offence that attracts Sec 268 of the Indian Penal Code. And if this crime is caused either by lack of space, lack of imagination, the inability to foresee by the concerned authorities supplemented by the selfish indifference of hopeful PEOPLE’S REPRESENTATIVES, then the only solution to prevent it happening in the future is to change the venue where such public nuisance is committed.
The hope of this letter is that the authorities concerned and the politicians who will eventually form the next Government realize the disgust, revulsion and loathing the hapless public view such thoughtless antics , especially by those who earnestly seek the public’s votes. As a member of the above-mentioned unfortunate public to have suffered from the selfish action of the political system, my humble request to the high and mighty, is to leave us in peace next time they rampage their way to their nominations. So if possible, in future, the permission of the Election Commission can be sought to hold future nomination processes away from downtown. It can be done at New Shillong and I do not see why not , since counting of votes can be done away from the DC’s office. It’s simply a process of providing relief to a long suffering public and to prevent Public Representatives from committing Public Nuisance. I would like to conclude by wishing everyone who has filed their nominations success. May everyone win. May a Constitutional crisis develop so that President’s Rule is imposed so that some relief be provided to a public that has been harassed, betrayed, abused and trampled upon by the very persons on whom we based our hopes on by casting our votes in their names! Jai Hind.
Yours etc.,
Toki Blah,
Via email
Too much election news stinks!
Editor,
Every single news item in the front page of your newspaper on Tuesday, Feb,7, 2023) relates to the assembly elections, especially in Shillong. Come on, your readers (most I would presume) are fed up with these once-in-a-5-year quacks promising remedies to all that ails the state. They are comics! Period. Why not highlight the shortage of potable water in vast areas of Shillong and the water mafia that exists (who MLAs don’t dare to take on)? And what about the degenerating administration in NEHU where, because of their lackadaisical and inefficiency in sending timely financial requirements to the UGC, pensioners are yet to get their pension for January (present staff also received their salary late for the same reason)? And of course while this has a relation to the elections, try to go to any government office for some work – the stark answer is “come after the elections,” even when they are not actively involved in the conduct of the elections!
So please also give us some other news that will keep us citizens better informed on other events in the city or the state. Elections are not everything, and the election news hype only further pushes these jokers up into higher pedestals!
Yours etc.,
Dr Eugene Thomas,
Shillong 6
Harrowing Monday
Editor,
We are living in a modern society where citizens, especially the self-proclaimed leaders are expected to respect the rule of law and the internet has driven us past the caveman period but when politicians decide to engage in a show of strength life goes haywire. I along with many ordinary mortals witnessed a traffic jam not caused by the early start of educational institutions but because politicians and their rowdy followers decided to crowd up all roads leading to the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, East Khasi Hills. Now why did the district administration not call only the candidate, his/her family members and the top leaders of the party? The spectacle created by aspiring MLAs was such that it appeared as if they were not filing their nominations but taking part in a competition of sorts. It was a sad plight for those caught in medical emergencies. We need to learn fast to dabble into tech-driven solutions or else the words of Late Lee Kuan Yew, former premier of Singapore will ring true when he said that no single person can change India.
Yours etc.,
Christopher Gatphoh,
Shillong-10
Traffic snarls should be resolved immediately
Editor,
Apropos of the letter by Raghav Bajaj “Horrific traffic jam in the city” (ST Feb 7, 2023), I too wish to express my sense of great desperation at what had happened on Monday 6, 2023. All roads from Laitkor and from 7th mile Upper Shillong saw a sea of stranded vehicles for nearly 4 hours. Every day the routine bottlenecks at Sawlad and Bailey bridge at Umshyrpi with 7 km long traffic seems to have become an incurable illness. Luckily schools are closed otherwise what a turmoil there would have been among children.
Let us admit that as of now the traffic jam is not curable and to accept that the Shillong of yore is no longer able to allow rallies or processions if we are to lead a civil life.
With roads from all corners of the state pounding heavily into and away from Shillong especially patients in a critical state, passengers trying to catch trains and flights and people having interviews or examination or having any appointments, not to forget the daily bread earners are exasperated by the ominous traffic jam. Let these old methods of filing nominations that affect traffic in the already traffic- \snarled city be executed through online mode. What happened on Monday February 6, should on no account be repeated.
Yours etc.,
W. Passah,
Nongkrem.