Exposing the Rot: Shillong’s network of influence & intimidation
Editor,
I write to express my concern about a dark underbelly of our city, a network of power and manipulation that corrodes the very fabric of justice, morality and fairness. The recent harrowing incident involving a businessman’s unspeakable crime where he stabbed his wife in-front of his daughter, the brave testimony of the daughter, and the subsequent illegal actions of the police in protecting the accused have laid bare a sinister nexus that demands our immediate attention.
It is deeply disturbing to discover the extent to which individuals exploit their connections within influential circles in Shillong. The accused, Suresh P Singh, is not just a member and Director of the Shillong Club but also enjoys close ties with high-ranking government officials and police officers. The Additional Advocate General of Meghalaya, who is also incidentally the Golf Secretary in the Golf Club under The Shillong Club, shares an evident camaraderie with Singh, as evident from their social media pictures. This connection sheds light on why Naushad Khan, the officer in charge of Laban Police Station and the AAGs brother, is desperate to manipulate this case.
What is equally concerning is the omission of relevant IPC (Indian Penal Code) sections in this case. Despite the daughter’s explicit account of her father’s attempt to murder her mother there is no reason for the inexplicable absence of the charge of attempt to murder. This blatant disregard for the severity of the crime showcases the lengths to which these influential individuals will go to protect one of their own.
Even more alarming is the calculated manner in which these individuals exploit their positions in social organisations. These individuals hobnob shamelessly with bureaucrats, high-ranking government officials, police officers, and even members of the armed forces and top-notch business people, creating a web of corruption and cronyism. These connections, far from fostering genuine camaraderie, are used to shield criminals like Suresh P Singh.
It is also extremely sad and agonising to hear the victim’s allegations that Suresh Singh has been bringing other women to their matrimonial home and doing all sorts of merrymaking which is completely opposed to the moral fabric of our society. These so-called intellectuals and torch bearers of morality parade around pretending to be part of social organisations while in reality they are pure scum.
It is crucial for us, as responsible citizens, to recognize the magnitude of this crisis. The audacity with which these individuals manipulate our system is not just a stain on our city, but a cancer that has infected our society. We must demand more than just accountability; we must demand a reckoning. Government officials who read this must understand that their complacency in the face of such blatant corruption and injustice will not go unnoticed.
Let this be a wake-up call, not just for these high-profile people, but for our entire community. We must rally against this pervasive culture of fear, intimidation, and abuse of power. It is time to reclaim our institutions, restore justice, and ensure that the guilty are held accountable. The people of Shillong deserve nothing less.
In defiant solidarity!
Yours etc.,
Batskhem P. Marbaniang
Via email
Is MDA a puppet of Assam CM ?
Editor,
We are attracted by the news item appearing in the front page of your esteemed Daily (S.T.October 9, 2023) on the caption “VPP terms MDA a Puppet of Assam C.M.” The accusation and attribution might both be true as this writer has experienced an incident which may confirm the news item. This writer met a very important and very senior leader of NPP some time ago to discuss the problem arising unceasingly in the disputed area of the well-known Blocks I & II. But instead of listening to the problem, the leader tried to divert my attention to the so-called popularity of the Assam CM who, according to him, might likely become the leader of the Northeast. I simply kept quiet and left him alone. But I must tell him and his likes now that except the NPP leaders of Meghalaya, the Assam CM will never be acceptable to any political leaders in other hill states like Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh nor in the rest of the other states in the northeast. Even in Meghalaya, perhaps with the exception of the NPP, no other party leaders would accept him as leader of the northeast insofar as the boundary dispute is concerned.
We the people of Jaintia Hills do not at all understand as to what motive Block-II was entrusted by the state government to the Regional Committee of Ri Bhoi district instead of the West Jaintia Hills district. Is the motive of the MDA to mislead, misguide and misinform the people of Jaintia Hills? It is feared that the consequences of the interstate discussion on the so-called remaining six areas in the second phase would be much worse than the controversial MoU of the first phase. As a matter of fact, the case of Blocks I & II is of a different nature from the rest of the disputes. It is a case of re-transfer of the two Blocks to Jaintia Hills as per the pre-1951 Map which defines the constitutional boundaries of the erstwhile Jowai Sub-division and as approved by the Constituent Assembly of India, rather than a border or boundary dispute. As per its commitment declared on June 23 last which was widely circulated by the media in Shillong the next day, we trust the present state government will be able to convince Assam for the re-transfer. We also hope that if Assam does not yield but stick to its earlier suggestion that Meghalaya should move the Union Government under Article 3 of the Constitution, our State Government would act accordingly.
Yours etc.,
Prof. P.M.Passah
President, Jaintia Hills Solidarity & Welfare Union
Via: e-mail