Editor,
The unveiling of the Draft Meghalaya Film Tourism Policy 2025 by the Hon’ble Chief Minister marks a promising step toward showcasing our state’s natural beauty and cultural richness on a national and global level. As a concerned citizen, I wish to offer some constructive feedback to ensure the policy’s success and sustainability.
Community involvement must be at the heart of this initiative. Local stakeholders—including village councils, youth groups, and artisans should be consulted and included in both the planning and implementation stages. This will not only build ownership but also create employment opportunities and guard against exploitation of local communities.
Cultural preservation should be a non-negotiable pillar of the policy. While film tourism has immense potential, it must not come at the cost of diluting or misrepresenting indigenous traditions, languages, and values. Clear guidelines should be established to protect our intangible cultural heritage from commercialization or distortion.
The policy must prioritize sustainable development. Infrastructure built to support film tourism should be eco-friendly and mindful of the fragile ecosystems in our hills and forests. Waste management, environmental impact assessments, and restrictions on large-scale productions in ecologically sensitive zones are critical considerations.
I appreciate the Government’s call for public feedback and hope these suggestions will be taken in the right spirit. With the right balance between promotion and preservation, this policy can indeed make our state Meghalaya a leading example of responsible and community-centered film tourism destination in India.
Yours etc.,
Jerry Jeffrey K Marak,
Via email
When a system fails its own people: A citizen left without answers
Editor,
This is a follow-up to the letter I previously wrote and was published regarding the theft of my two-wheeler (Honda Activa ML05AE0842), stolen on the night of May 23, 2025. It’s now been more than a week, and I wish I could say something has moved — but sadly, nothing has. No police officer has contacted me. No update has been given. No information about any investigation or suspect has been shared. The system remains as silent as it was on the first day.
I write this letter with hesitation, because every word I type carries fear — will I be harassed in future for speaking out? Will police make it harder for me if I go to them again? Will the local community authorities delay my rent documents or create other hurdles? I was born and brought up in Shillong, but as a non-tribal, I’ve often felt a quiet divide — and this incident has made me feel that separation more deeply than ever.
The police and local representatives both gave me conflicting responses regarding the CCTV footage. The newly installed Shillong Smart City camera — which might have helped trace the culprit — was never accessed. Each department passed the responsibility to another, and in the end, no one took action. I now expect the next excuse to be: “Sorry, the footage has been auto-deleted.”
I firmly believe that had action been taken on the very first day, my scooty could have been found. If the officers at the station at that time had reviewed nearby CCTV, traced movement, and established a boundary of the last sighting — the investigation could have led somewhere. But no such steps were taken. Instead, my case was assigned to a night duty officer, who on the next day visited the area once, upon my repeated insistence, but no follow-up was done, and no one made formal contact with those who could have helped recover the footage.
I ask: if not the police, then who is responsible for this job? If it’s the public’s job to investigate, why are we paying taxes to fund a police department?
When I approached the relevant local authorities about the locality’s camera network, I was told: “none of the cameras are working.” I heard so many two-wheelers have already been stolen in this area, then why were the cameras never repaired? Is the system waiting for more thefts to happen before doing something?
As a non-tribal youth from a working-class family living on rent, I live with constant fear of saying too much — fear of being pushed out, ignored, or punished. My sister worked for two years to help us afford that second hand scooter. When it was stolen, and I turned to the very departments funded by our hard-earned tax money, they chose to do nothing.
A friend once told me before leaving this state: “It doesn’t feel like home anymore.” I never understood what he meant until now.
The government constantly boasts about its ICCC as a major Smart City achievement — then why hasn’t the police directly gone there, retrieved the footage, and properly investigated my case? Investigation requires legwork. I did mine — but the system didn’t. If a student like me understands the urgency of tracing suspects through timely footage, shouldn’t trained officers know it better? And if they do, why didn’t they act? Every citizen has the right to ask: where is our tax money going, and what kind of justice system are we funding?
I wrote to the SP. I emailed. I spoke respectfully to every department. But still, no progress. Just silence. And fear.
I’m writing this not because I expect anything now — but because staying silent only protects the system that failed me. I still live here. I still walk these streets. And I still pay my taxes. But I’ve learned one thing: unless we speak, nothing changes.
Yours etc.,
Ekramul Haque,
Via email