Editor,
Encircled by inhospitable topography, which includes the world’s highest range, the Karakoram, Kashmir remains a bleeding wound from the partition of British-ruled India in 1947. With America acting as the peacemaker, the geographical chessboard pendulum is swinging as potential enemies leverage the internet to gather intelligence. The Indian Parliament introduced the Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016 shortly after the Pathankot attack to regulate information such as Google Maps data. The availability of sensitive points, considered a new kind of oil and easily accessible through platforms like LexisNexis, Janes, and OpenStreetMap among others, allows potential adversaries to monitor and understand the terrain and patterns of History. Geography, as a subject, functions more as an intelligence process that contributes to the coordinated understanding of various specialized fields, ultimately aiding in area synthesis.
Two articles substantiate the necessity of safeguarding national security assets: ‘The importance of geospatial data in national security’ by Shravishtha Ajaykumar (Observer Research Foundation), published on July 26, 2022, and ‘Declassified Documents Trace U.S. Policy Shifts on Use of Commercial Satellite Imagery from 1970s to Today’ by Jeffrey T. Richelson (The National Security Archive), posted on November 27, 2012.
As the landscape evolves with complex, ambiguous challenges, our national defense policy must be elevated to enhance protection against aggressors. We could consider setting aside disclosures for programs such as Imagery Analysis during natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, typhoons, and cyclones), severe drought conditions, or instances of industrial pollution affecting rivers and forests. Future scenarios require thorough planning; recently, the National Security Advisory Board was reconstituted with former R&AW chief Alok Joshi as chairperson and seven new members, thereby strengthening the security framework of the country.
Erik J. Dahl’s book, ‘Intelligence and Surprise Attack: Failure and Success from Pearl Harbor to 9/11 and Beyond’ provides insight into the crucial nature of timely, tactical intelligence and the importance for decision-makers to pay close attention to the Cassandras.
Yours etc.,
Christopher Gatphoh,
Shillong-10
Celebrating the revival of Akashvani FM Jongphi
Editor,
I am writing to express my sincere delight and appreciation on the occasion of the revival of Akashvani FM Jong Phi on April 27, 2025. As a dedicated radio listener, I, along with countless others, keenly felt the absence of this vibrant and engaging FM service after it went off-air on August 7, 2023. The return of Akashvani FM Jongphi, which broadcasts on the FM band 103.6MHz, marks a significant and welcome development for the radio landscape of our region. For many years, this station served as a vital source of entertainment, information, and connection, particularly for the youth. Its unique blend of Khasi, Jaiñtia, English and Hindi music and other shows, fostered a special bond with its listeners. The absence of such localized and relatable content created a void that I am confident its revival will now fill.
Local radio stations like Akashvani FM Jongphi play a crucial role in our communities. They provide localized information that might not always find its way to mainstream media and cover local events, thus preserving and promoting our cultural heritage. They also offer a platform for local voices and can contribute significantly to community building and a sense of belonging.
While I also advocate for the revival of The North Eastern Service Of Akashvani’s shortwave radio service, as highlighted in my letter published in your esteemed newspaper on March 27, 2025, and my ongoing petition, the return of Akashvani FM Jongphi is a positive step in ensuring diverse and accessible radio broadcasting in our state. I commend Akashvani Shillong for recognizing the importance of Akashvani FM Jongphi to its listeners and for bringing it back on air. I am hopeful that its second innings will be even more successful, continuing to enrich the lives of the people of Shillong and beyond.
Yours etc.,
Hamemanbha Lyngdoh Lawai
Via email
India re-asserts its sovereign status
Editor,
Apropos of the headline news, “PM warns against ‘nuclear blackmail’ (ST May 13, 2025) the Prime Minister rightly declared that India will not succumb to nuclear blackmail and emphasized that any discussions with Pakistan will only focus on terrorism and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. Navroop Singh the author of ‘The Great Reset’ and an expert in geopolitics and international affairs, analysed India’s counter-attack on Pakistan and described it as both “a military success and a psychological rupture that was unexpected by global powers.”
Operation Sindoor has unsettled policymakers in the West, China and Turkey. The operation marked a shift in India’s approach to defence, challenging the long-held assumption that India would exercise restraint in regional conflicts. John Spencer, US Warfare expert praised India’s approach, calling it a “new doctrine” that redefined red lines in dealing with terror attacks. He emphasized that “restraint is not weakness – it is discipline in pursuit of strategic clarity.” Operation Sindoor demonstrated India’s offensive and defensive military capabilities, including indigenous platforms in live combat. India responded to Pakistani escalations (such as drone swarms) with strength but avoided full-scale war – exemplifying discipline and deterrence. India managed the crisis independently without seeking external assistance, reinforcing its sovereign strategic independence.
Yours etc;
VK Lyngdoh
Via email
Give us back our footpaths!
Editor,
I would like to thank Elakyntiew Lyndem for her letter and for the suggestions made vis a vis freeing the footpaths for pedestrians. I strongly share her anger and agony because I feel the same. I wish to add that nearly all of our pavements are taken away from us. Pedestrians have no claim on the pavements at all. Of greater concern is the fact that the encroachment by the hawkers in and around Motphran, Jeep Stand and Bimola Point is posing a real threat to the pedestrians as there is a convergence of hawkers, pedestrians and vehicles all in one place. These are not the only spaces where hawkers have set up shops. In fact, opening of shops and laying out wares by the hawkers just about anywhere with no permission required, exemption from paying rent are common images here in the state capital.
As always, one urges the Government to find vending zones for the hawkers and not nonchalantly settle parking lots as befitting vending zones to the inconvenience of others. Well, there are as yet no hawkers to take up the stalls yet but the vehicle owners are certainly deprived of parking space. However, to come back to the need to return the pavements back to the pedestrians, one cannot help but point at the two gates at the Shillong Civil Hospital that have permanent stalls of those who set them up a few years ago and new ones that have just emerged. Convenient, aren’t they? Between these two gates the bus shed has turned into another space for hawkers. It is next to impossible for pedestrians to use this stretch of the sidewalk. This is just another pavement that no longer belongs to pedestrians.
Will we ever find a solution? Will the hawkers get their vending zones? Will the pedestrians get their pavements? Only time will tell.
Yours etc.,
Jenniefer Dkhar,
Via email