Editor,
The Meghalaya Traffic Police work tirelessly come rain or shine; hell or highwater but their work goes unnoticed by the masses. Traffic Police deserve gratitude and respect for managing the unruly traffic of this city and the whole state. I wish to give special thanks to the state traffic personnel who were engaged in clearing the traffic jam that occurred in the NH44 Shillong-Jowai Road on Sunday evening (June 30, 2024) despite the relentlessly heavy rains. Traffic jams can only be avoided if we citizens abide by the traffic rules and remain in line without unnecessarily overtaking. This will reduce the traffic jam and prevent a jam from happening in the first place. Overtaking only worsens the work of the Traffic Police. To the hardworking State Traffic Police department we thank you for your sincerity towards your duties and even at the eleventh hour.
Yours etc.,
Manpura Roy Lyndem,
Via email
Revisiting the Emergency
Editor
Thank you for your Editorial, “Regurgitating the Emergency,” (TST, July 1, 2024). I remember the day Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay were defeated in the polls. I was a young college student and my hero was Jayprakash Narayan. He represented something so decent, so refined, and courageous. I remember the jubilation on the streets of Delhi as we got news of the defeat of Mrs. Gandhi and her son. This proved that the Indian voter values freedom more than anything else.
Yours etc.,
Deepa Majumdar,
Via email
Expert Committee on Reservation must rise to the occasion
Editor,
The world famous “Abode of clouds,” a 52-year old tiny beautiful state of Meghalaya, also called the Scotland of the East, is inhabited not only by the indigenous tribes of Garo, Khasi and Jaintia peoples. There are other tribes like Mikirs, Rabhas, Hajongs and smaller sub-tribes such as Dalu and Mishings have also co-existed since time immemorial. Long before the State of Meghalaya came into being, a sizable population from the mainland of India mostly from Bengal and Bihar and other North Eastern States have familiarised themselves with the indigenous people and they have been carrying on trade and commerce for a long time. So, the state is not the exclusive domain of the hill tribes only as we think it to be. The non-tribal settlers joined hands while sloganeering during the Hill State movement under the pioneering patriotic tribal leaders whose names have been written in the hearts of the contemporary citizens.
From the beginning of the journey of Meghalaya, a question of equitable distribution of opportunity in matters of jobs and services was debated in the State Legislature by some leaders from amongst the indigenous people as it was seen that there is disproportionate representation in the Meghalaya Secretariat and in all the government establishments at the district level. Taking into consideration various factors such as availability of educational institutes at all levels, trade and commerce, road transport communications, economic backwardness, the Meghalaya Job Reservation Policy, 1972 was legislated and became the law of the land with provisions of 40:40:5:15 per cent to uplift all citizens in the state of Meghalaya which ensures peaceful co-existence and because of which it has continued till date, although the policy was never implemented in letter and spirit as envisaged by the visionary leaders.
Many social organizations, political parties, individuals have aired their views for and against the proposed review of the Meghalaya Job Reservation Policy. If the competent authority calls for the recruitment records of the MPSC for the last 50 years or even for the last 20 years for fair assessment, it will reveal the true figures which cannot be denied by applying any method of calculations either by percentage or arithmetic or logical applications.
There is high hope among citizens that the Expert Committee constituted by the Government which is led by trusted legal luminary, Justice (Retired) M C Garg and his team will not be influenced by the political parties and social organizations but keep in perspective the peaceful co-existence of the indigenous tribes of Meghalaya in particular and all the bonafide citizens of Meghalaya in general. A just and fair recommendation is of paramount importance for the smooth journey of Meghalaya as was, as is and will also be in the near future.
Yours etc.,
Thrumen Sangma,
Via email
Taxis fleecing passengers from Umroi airport
Editor
This is with reference to the news about having more flights from Umroi Airport including on Sundays. It is always a pleasure to fly into Shillong via Kolkata. But the major issue that plagues the passenger is the heavy burden in travelling to and fro from Umroi Airport. Most taxi drivers charge an exorbitant amount which sometimes is equivalent to our taxi fares to Guwahati airport. The Government of Meghalaya should think of regular bus facilities from the airport at regular intervals which shall benefit many. Another issue is that there are no flights in the evening from Kolkata. As mentioned in the news, most of the flights are in the forenoon or early afternoons. Therefore, someone who wants to catch an evening flight is unable to do so. Moreover, most of the trains coming from South India arrive around noon. It would be very helpful if the airlines can think of providing a late evening flight to Shillong and back. There are no flights from Shillong on Sundays. Introduction of more flights including on Sundays will be a blessing for many travellers, who want to avoid the travel to Guwahati.
Yours etc.,
Ravindra Kumar Vemula,
Via email