Sounds of silence
Editor
I think I am a sentimental fool! I was forced to pause, reflect, introspect and ruminate time and again while reading, ‘Chilling Silence of the Urbanite,’ by Patricia Mukhim. (ST Friday, October 6, 2023). Many have commented in The Shillong Times on ‘The Sound of Silence’ through articles, including letters, and I too wonder why we are ‘invariably muted?’
So many emotions filled me, visualising, nay feeling, the hurt, pain, sorrow, anguish, agony and sadness as I took my time reading through the article. What has happened to the ethos and caring nature of our leaders and people? How have we become so hard-hearted, indifferent, even callous towards one another, especially when we are all affected? Why hasn’t the voices of NGOs, chipped in to expose the ‘Care a Hang’ attitude of the government? (Only HYC & HNYM I’ve read about in the daily now and then).
It it through this observation I have deliberately highlighted ”DUTY OF CARE” in a few of my letters to the editor. We were brought up to care for one another, for nature, the less privileged, the physically and mentally challenged and so on. This was the ‘Unlearned’ or the ‘Untaught’ part of our learning in school. We had activities that brought about this caring nature.
I grew up in Dr Graham’s, Kalimpong, as an orphan and our Principal, a man from Scotland, would always remind us ,’To walk this world with dignity’ and our Pastor, he too from Scotland, who was also the farm manager, would talk to us, even preach from the pulpit about our duty of care.
Going back to the late 70’s this caring nature was so palpable in Shillong. People were always giving a helping hand. I recall the localities would band together on many issues. One day in Riatsamthiah, we spent the day looking for a lad who had gone missing!
And in closing, I subscribe to the possibility where dangers of the government becoming ”tyrannical” where our rights will be overridden as stated are real.
Yours etc.,
Kevin Phillips
Shillong – 19
Seasonal self – proclaimed environmentalists
Editor,
Each year, with the advent of autumn, the festive season sets in and Shillong’s seasonal “environmentalists”, individuals and organizations alike, suddenly wake up. In the last few years, whenever Durga Puja preparations begin, certain organizations start complaining about pollution resulting from the immersion of the idols of Goddess Durga in a tiny stretch of Wah-Umkhrah in the Polo area. From the statements of these organizations, one would seem to think that idol immersion is the sole major cause of pollution in this otherwise pristine river. However, they conveniently seem to neglect the fact that the idols are composed mainly of clay, hay, and bamboo/wood, adorned with some colours. In addition, the auxiliary items that are immersed along with the idol as per tradition are also natural and biodegradable items like flowers and leaves. Further, the wooden/bamboo items are retrieved from the river immediately after immersion by volunteers under the supervision of the district administration. As such, it is evident that the hue and cry being raised every year on the eve of Durga Puja festival is malicious.
The various puja organizers are fully aware of the dangers of pollution and they always take adequate measures to ensure that the festival-associated rituals have a minimal environmental impact. The fact that these complaints being raised are facetious is further illustrated by the fact that these “environmentalists” never bother about the actually polluting human activities such as construction, vehicular movement, mining, etc. Pollution can only be combated through a holistic approach; any genuine “environmentalist” would certainly raise awareness about all of these degrading activities. Real reasons for the present wretched condition of the river are illegal encroachment on river banks, unauthorised construction, discharge of domestic sewage, throwing of non-biodegradable items like plastic and other synthetic materials, effluents from motor repairing garages and car wash shops, discharges from hotels and restaurants, cement and other hardware materials from godown/shops functioning in the stretch of river bank. It may further be noted that Pujas have been going on in the city for over a century, and residents can attest that the Wah-Umkhrah water was so clean as to be potable even through decades of idol immersions. The decline in the Wah-Umkhrah’s water quality has actually mirrored the uncontrolled rise of Shillong’s population and the increased mismanagement of local authorities
Perhaps these self-proclaimed environmentalists would be better served by calling out the real causes of pollution instead of using such a frail veneer to mask their prejudiced views.
Yours etc.,
D Bhattacharjee
Shillong-1