Thursday, November 7, 2024
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Loss of Shillong’s identity versus practicality

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Editor,
Apropos of the news report titled “123-yr-old iconic St. Anthony’s building set to be dismantled”( ST October 29, 2024), I became deeply concerned by the statement of Fr. Saji where he stated that “…people may not even recognize the spot where this building once stood. It will soon become almost insignificant”. The reason why we preserve historical structures and artifacts is to never forget a society’s origins and its identity. Hence, an outrage and disapproval has arisen against this decision.
The building is synonymous with the history and identity of Shillong as a hill station and an educational hub. It is also a symbol of the contribution the Salesians and the Catholic Church to intellectual development of boys and youth. It is NOT insignificant. Preservation is to be done so that generations would be able to learn, understand and take pride of the city’s history and legacy.
His other statement, “Practicality cannot be ignored … we are ensuring that the school remains not only a place of learning but also a safe haven for students”, also brings out the question of the practicality of the school, sharing its premises with Don Bosco Technical School, which houses an automobile and steel fabrication workshop quite close to the building and basketball court.
Various mishaps have occurred before (but never reported) where students have received injuries due to the activities related with DBTS. Now, a short metal barricade divides the premise but that too does not seem practical.
Another question also arises of the building’s exclusion from the Meghalaya Heritage Act, 2012. Most structures in the list seem to be government bungalows that are largely inaccessible to the general public. The Shillong Club building which was reconstructed after 1962 is also in the list.
As the plan for demolition continues, let us mourn the loss of another iconic architectural heritage of Laitumkhrah and Shillong, while continuing to plead for its inclusion under the Meghalaya Heritage Act. The congregation must consider Architectural Facadism (façadomy), where the front facade of the building is conserved while the new structure is built behind it.
Yours etc.,
Earic Sohtun
Shillong – 6

Boost police manpower to combat the drug menace
Editor,
Firstly I’d like to congratulate Salil Gewali for his earlier letter, “Beware, Drug Traffickers Are Destroying Our Society” (ST, Sep 19, 2024). Just a few days after it was published, the notorious kingpin he hinted in the letter was arrested by police with the help of local village members and NGOs. This woman had allegedly been running her narcotics business from Lower Paltan Bazar under the Shillong Cantonment Board for many years, even after multiple arrests, without facing serious consequences. She seemed fearless, as if the police would never take strong action against her. The main kingpin would recruit anyone in the locality she could influence to spread drugs around Shillong and beyond. It is well known that several of her relatives are still involved in drug peddling, further contaminating the environment of the neighborhood. In fact, many drug peddlers operated less than 300 meters from the police station, yet they continued their business without fear. Why did the Shillong Cantonment permit such criminal activity to persist in these areas for so many years? The Government must initiate a thorough investigation into this matter.
I also fully agree with the points raised in Gewali’s latest article, “Drug Menace: Bold Decisions Needed or a Disastrous Future Awaits” ( Nov 4, 2024). As he has highlighted, more and more young people are falling into addiction and drug peddling, often due to unemployment, bad company, and poor family upbringing. I believe the responsibility does not rest solely with the government; each of us also has a role to play as responsible citizens.
Gewali rightly emphasizes the urgency of the situation, pointing out the large number of young people already affected. I also wonder what might happen if this number continues to grow, from 300,000 to 400,000, and then to 600,000. This is a serious crisis that demands immediate action, especially from the government, starting with increasing manpower in the police department. Without additional police resources, little can be achieved. I hope the Government takes this concern seriously, in the interest of our future generations.
Yours etc.,
Name withheld on request,
Via email

India should take a cue from US Polls
Editor,
India needs to learn a thing or two from the American election. In spite of being the leader among technologically advanced countries, the United States of America falls back on ballot paper voting to root out any suspicion of foul play stemming from voting through EVM.
Over the last two decades, the United States of America has gradually moved back from electronic voting machines to paper ballots. Given ballot paper voting, unlike EVM, builds confidence among voters and opposition party members, it undoubtedly strengthens democracy.
Another highly commendable step the USA election authorities have taken is that they have printed the ballot papers in all major languages of a state, depending on its demography. While a voter in New York can choose a ballot paper in Bengali instead of English, Chinese, Spanish, and Korean, voters in Illinois can opt for a ballot paper printed in Hindi. It also shows how a democratic country should honour the mother tongue of even those voters who have origins in different countries.
These actions reflect the attitude of catering and prioritising the interest of the demos (people) above everything. It must also be remembered that to impose a language ignoring the major languages spoken in a particular area flouts democratic principles. There is no room for the ‘one nation one language’ policy in a multilingual democratic country like India.
The Reserve Bank of India needs to take a cue from the American election. As per the 2011 language census West Bengal, like most southern and northeastern States, is not a Hindi-speaking State and has adopted English as its secondary language. I am a Bengali and a resident of Kolkata. The RBI has surprisingly been sending a number of important SMS to me in Hindi only.
I could only gather that those SMS were about how to save ourselves from online fraud. But I failed to understand the instructions in them. If the RBI has to use Hindi, it should stick to India’s three language policy by sending SMS first in the primary language of the State, then in English, and in the end in Hindi to non-Hindi States.
India needs to get back to ballot paper voting and to use the major language of a state besides English in all official matters in that state in order to strengthen democracy.
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata

Lit-fests must have space for youth and local authors
Editor,
With reference to the news report, Are Literary Festivals Dying a Slow Death In Meghalaya ( ST November 5, 2024) there are a few points I would like to mention.
Firstly, I am delighted to read about the students and young people in Shillong who seem to be avid readers and who understand the importance of books, who are actually mourning about the lending libraries closing down. In the UK, JK Rowling suddenly appeared and drew thousands of children back into reading. We need a JK Rowling here in Shillong. I say this in all seriousness. A few suggestions I have to offer are – Book Clubs should be encouraged headed by local authors who can hold small Lit-fests for local talent and once in a while, also invite well known writers from outside to give that exposure and glamour. Special sessions for aspiring writers and poets are a must in literature festivals big and small.
On a regular basis reading and story-telling sessions can be organised by well-known local authors who are committed and who understand and enjoy them. Music is important – very few of us can do without music but it should not totally replace literature. Just as we need both legs and both arms to be fully functional, similarly literature and music are inseparable parts of the creative world.
I wish the Shillong Literary Festival all success.
Yours etc.,
Bijoya Sawian,
Via email

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