Editor,
I refer to the news report titled “NPP to file complaint with ECI against VPP nuisance” (ST April 10, 2024), wherein the State President and the spokesperson of the NPP demanded that the VPP leadership take full responsibility for the disturbance and nuisance caused during the public meetings at Umsning and Jaiaw, One cannot ignore the signs on news and social media platforms that the VPP is garnering much support from different parts of the Bri U Hynniewtrep and other political parties are feeling the heat and intimidated by this growing support for the VPP, especially from people living in the suburbs and rural areas. It is understandable that of all the political parties in the state, the NPP is feeling weary, and one can say, to some extent, that they smell defeat in the upcoming MP elections from the Shillong seat. Similar to the common use of tactics and strategies during battles, political battles also involve the application of these tactics and strategies. One such tactic, propounded by the famous military strategist Sun Tzu, was to use the enemy’s weakness to one’s own advantage by wearing down the will of the other side to fight.
When one views and reads the latest political unrest within Meghalaya on social media, including the Shillong Times, a couple of questions crop up in one’s mind. Has the accusing political party done enough investigation to determine that the hooligans causing nuisance during the meetings belong to the VPP? Is it plausible that such hooligans have been hired to impersonate as VPP supporters by those who are now playing the victim card? Furthermore, one cannot ignore the fact that there are so many unemployed youth, and this makes it easier for politicians wielding money power to engage such youth with ulterior motives. One is also suspicious about the timing at which such incidents have taken place. Such unprecedented incidents during elections are highly undesirable, and one hopes that the Election Commission of India, through the Meghalaya Police, can prevent such ugly incidents from happening in the future.
Is it therefore not in the best interests of everyone that the political parties leave the investigation of such incidents to the law enforcement agencies and stop the unsubstantiated ccusations against the VPP?
Yours etc.,
Samborlang Dkhar
Shillong-10
North East India still digitally divided
Editor,
Through this letter I want to voice my concern regarding the use of the cellular providers “International Roaming Services.” I am in possession of two sim cards of which one is postpaid and the other is pre-paid. On reaching a certain destination, only my postpaid sim was able to connect to or latch to a cellular network; whereas my prepaid sim was not connected to any cellular network and was totally useless at that point in time.
Nevertheless, I contacted customer care services and complained about the same with the hope of resolving my issue, but their reply was that “International Roaming Services are not permitted on Prepaid Sims of the North East. I was dumbfounded by this answer.
In a world where obtaining OTPs is always necessary for each financial transaction, particularly while traveling abroad, it really is a major hassle and problematic for mobile phone owners to make digital payments. Prepaid users have a larger market share than postpaid customers, according to government data.
With the exception of Jammu & Kashmir, other prepaid consumers from the rest of Indian states are welcome and allowed to utilize this service. I felt that this was unjustifiable and unfair to us. Is this benefit or perk available solely to postpaid consumers due to the higher rental plans and tariffs? I believe that there is still a line drawn by dividing us digitally from the entire country.
I implore upon the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to pay heed to this request and take up this matter with urgency so as to enable all prepaid users in the North East to benefit from this service for hassle-free connectivity anywhere in the world.
Yours etc.,
Chanmiki Laloo,
Shillong 02