No lawful business at night?
Editor,
Remember how when pressure groups were not content with the government, they would call a bandh or a picketing or road blockade? Well, reminisce no more. Now, the District Administration has brought that 90’s trend back in. Because of an incident of lawlessness by some group, the government is banning all shops after 10 pm. What did the bandhs accomplish, apart from affecting daily wage earners and businesses? I’m not sure, but I’m sure the present ban by the government will accomplish just as much. What exactly are the shopkeepers made to suffer for? If not as a punishment for the lawlessness, then is it as a punishment for the inefficiency of the administration? Or maybe the administration is still hung over from the COVID shutdown? Is this the side effect of the vaccine finally kicking in?
While we are talking about lawlessness, is this not the same government that the Hon’ble High Court of Meghalaya has stated is allowing the illegal trade of coal from the State to Assam and back into the state again? Nothing is done regarding the ghastly night trade at Khyndailad. Nothing can be done regarding the menace of drugs, as admitted. The CM recently admitted that illegal mining is unstoppable. And the solution to all this crime infested environment is to ban all commercial undertakings after 10 pm? Oh! I see! The night is where only unlawful transactions can take place, right? The Night is safe.
Yours etc.,
Kitdor H. Blah,
Shillong
Centre has failed the non-tribals
Editor,
There have been a series of letters in the past few weeks depicting the atrocities against non-tribals in the state of Meghalaya. While I am in total agreement with all of them, I fail to understand what steps have been taken by not just the state government but also the central government to safeguard their citizens in the state. It is an open secret that till date, there has been no punishment given to any perpetrator across the last few decades for any of the hate crimes which non-tribals have had to face. But what disturbs me the most today is the fact that the majority of non-tribals in Shillong who belong to the Hindu community happen to have a specific devotion for the so-called pro-Hindu government in the centre led by their beloved leader, Narendra Modi. But may I ask them, what has that pro-Hindu government done for their loyal Hindus back in the state of Meghalaya in the last 9 years of their rule?
While some may argue that law and order is a state subject, it is evident that, in spite of all the eye-wash of federalism, it’s the central government that calls the shots in India, especially for tiny and dependent states like Meghalaya. Every now and then we see the state government approach the centre for the release of various funds from the different ministries in New Delhi. So, in such a scenario, can’t the Centre issue some basic guidelines or Ordinance for the protection of their non-tribal brethren back in the state? The great Modi government is known to take bold and fearless steps when it comes to reforms for larger interests, but have they made any law to give the Hindus or non-tribals the minority rights where they happen to be in a minority, which the other minorities enjoy in Hindu dominated states, in spite of having an absolute majority in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha? The readers would like to know that Delhi Police, which comes under Central Government, has constituted the Special Police Unit for North Eastern Region (SPUNER) for safety and security measures for North-East people living in Delhi way back in 2014, which is well appreciated, but did they ever think about doing the same in Shillong for the non-tribals who don’t even have the courage to file an FIR as that would target them further!
The same applies to the Autonomous District Councils of Meghalaya which were established to safeguard the rights and livelihoods of the indigenous but take immense pride in trampling on the basic constitutional rights of that of the non-indigenous, which ironically also generate the bulk of the revenue for the state. It is laughable that even for District Councils, a significant amount of funding comes from the Central Government, but the remitters of those funds in Delhi have only turned a deaf ear to the pleas of the non-indigenous to bring about reforms in their system, especially the online issuance of the trade and labour licenses.
All in all, I am forced to say, while the non-tribals have been victimized to the core in this state, they are only living in a fool’s paradise by being blind supporters of the current regime in the centre, which is into its 10th year of absolute majority, which very much powers the State Government and the District Councils, which boasts to be the supreme messiah of the Hindus but has completely failed to make any improvement in their miserable state of affairs in Meghalaya.
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request,
Via email
Why is Shillong unsafe?
Editor,
If the State Administration says that Shillong is unsafe then who will come to the safety of citizens? It is really shameful on the part of the Administration that they bow down to the anarchy and lawlessness happening every day. Never a single day passes without any incident of assault on the people without any rhyme & reason.
After the MDA 2 came into power the day to day increase in violent activities by the miscreants are reported and no action by the Government is forthcoming to punish them for their crimes.
On the one hand the Government is unable to contain the situation and on the other they are trying to lure tourists to the State. Under these circumstances who would like to come to Shillong where the roar is that “Shillong is unsafe”.
The paramilitary forces like the CRPF who are patrolling the roads with one MLP officer are mute spectators as they even cannot catch a miscreant as they have no power to do so. If the powers are given to the CRPF and they take stringent steps the public as a whole comes down heavily on them and claim their activities as police high-handedness.
What then can we expect from the Government even while the public squarely blames the paramilitary force for their action.
The recent incidents in Laitumkhrah where even a Minister is not spared by the miscreant who barged into her home with lethal objects is a sad commentary on the state of affairs in Meghalaya today.
The Government should take the strongest action and make the city safe so that we Shillongites can live in peace and amity
Yours etc.,
S.L. Singhania,
Via email