Editor,
Apropos the news item, “Illegal logs seized in North Garo Hills” (ST Oct 22, 2018) it is painful to note that our valuable forests are looted and plundered left and right by the timber smugglers. This is completely unacceptable. We raised forests not to be looted and smuggled by timber barons and gangs. I, personally, have seen the dense and valuable sal and teak forests of Garo Hills which were raised by the Forest Department, especially in East and South Garo Hills and even West Garo Hills. Garo Hills, as a whole, was blessed by the presence of valuable teak and sal dense forests but today, except few patches here and there, there is hardly any forest cover particularly the teak and sal forests. The forest wealth of Meghalaya was largely located in Garo Hills. Where have all these valuable forests gone today?. Is it because of the negligence and carelessness of the Forest Department or by the Government as a whole? Or is it because of the connivance of the Forest Department officials with timber gangs right from the top to the bottom? What has happened to the vast expanse thick of teak and sal forests of East and North East Garo Hills? Do they find their way to the Assam saw and veneer mills? Are they smuggled across to West Bengal and other parts of India? Where are the stewards appointed for the purpose?. Even today truck loads of timber are daily openly smuggled out of Garo Hills just to clean shave whatever little forests are still remaining there. We demand an immediate answer from the Forest Department on this. We also demand that whoever is responsible for this should be immediately arrested and exemplary punishment be meted out to those responsible for this grievous crime.
Yours etc.,
Philip Marwein,
Via email
Fear of #MeToo for the better
Editor,
It is no longer going to be a bed of roses for sexual predators. Now they can scarcely hide the wrong acts under the cover of their power and influence. Even the powerfully naughty and haughty Harvey Weinstein had to give in to the thunder of #MeToo protests some months back, thanks to the bold roars in unison by over 80 victims who could finally corner this lecherous filmmaker. What of Weinstein’s castle, of his opulence and social influence now? They all have virtually fallen down like a house of cards! Yes, the formidable jaws of MeToo have already devoured a good many Weinsteins across the world.
In India huge uproars in media and Bollywood have already put the integrity of the entertainment houses into question. Many film actresses are now determined to fight against the sexual advances by their past bosses. But what is shocking is that we now get to see the skeletons tumbling out from the unsuspected holy cupboards too. October 19, was another new dawn for the Northeast. A humble lady from our state could gather enough courage yet again to articulate through social media the evil acts of the devil under the garb of holiness. It is disgusting that those who sermonize about the “hell of eternity,” had, in fact, allegedly given the lady hell since she was a 5-year old kid. I don’t think any jail sentence or material punishment will ever appease God in heaven for such heartless pedophilic c acts. It is an unpardonable sin.
Its difficult to analyze the ordeal the said lady had experienced all through. However, the pain, anxiety and trauma has driven her to cry for “justice”. True, with the “Weinstein effect” worldwide now, the aggrieved victims of sexual abuses can stand up and call out the perpetrators. I am quite sure that what we see now is just the tip of the iceberg. Frankly speaking, MeToo is a frightfully sharp dagger that will slay the evil within the perverts. Not just that, it will frighten away the males from committing any sexual crimes. Let’s pray, that more new and genuine cases, come to light and that sanity will descend on society.
I think the stern laws and various punishments existing to prevent sexual misconducts have been quite dwarfed by the worldwide MeToo movement. One would consider this movement truly “successful” when males habitually “fear to touch” females as they fear to touch fire. Indeed, as noticed, the fear “symptom” has already started to run deep into the veins of the males. It is a very healthy development. Hope this will help douse their raging fire of lust.
However, there is a fair chance of this movement being used for the wrong ends too. Its consequence could be very bad for both males and females and society at large. No innocent males should ever be harassed and tormented by females for vengeance. WeTwo should not at all turn into MeToo, else the “sharpness” of MeToo movement itself will be blunted. Let the evil in men be slain, not their gentlemanliness!
Yours etc.,
Salil Gewali,
Shillong
Tribute to a true journalist
Editor,
Those who believe in media freedom should honour the brave journalist Jamal Khashoggi who was killed inadvertently inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. He was a fearless person who had to pay with his life for writing columns critical of the Prince’s policies and his repressive measures. He has become a martyr to the cause of freedom of the press and his death is now mourned by the entire world. His death is a fresh example of a true journalist who gave up his life, but never gave up his mission. I appreciate his courage and his tireless efforts to expose the oppressive Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He will be remembered throughout the golden history of journalism whenever it will be written in future.
Yours etc.,
Mohd Faheem,
Via emai
