Editor,
Once upon a time in the heart of Mawlai, when footpaths weren’t tiled yet and Pa-Trai still loved Mei dearly, a few witty butchers helped Pa-Ieid to overlook the buzzing traffic from their stalls in ‘The Main Junction’. At one point, a Maruti driver inappropriately parked his car on the road side to quickly buy the famous ‘Doh-Bung’ from one of the meat stalls, blocking the trailing Blue NEHU Elephants in the early rush hours. A jealous butcher from the other side of the road yelled in a thick Mawlai accent – “shna syndon da ka siam hapdiang …mia!” (Build your own garage in the middle of the road). Red-faced, like the displayed meat, the man returned to his car and was never seen again. (Source: Orally passed down by Mother – passenger of the Blue Elephant).
The words of this unknown butcher aged like fine ‘Tungrymbai.’ All over the city, the Government now seems to encourage parking on the side of the road (limited parking lots lately). In small-small localities too, (recently in ours) our little roads are adorned with OFFICIAL yellow lines meant for Parking. Although roadside parking in the Main Roads of Mawlai is frowned upon and prohibited (except in a few localities like the Mawlai Nonglum stretch near the Presbyterian church), the main roads have now shown signs of extreme exhaustion because of the growing number of private cars, bigger sized cars and uneven width of the roads. After days of research and careful observation, these are some of the main issues noted – Phantom traffic jam is caused as a result of a cab’s sudden embarking/disembarking of its “Your Highness” on the side or an SPTS bus which ironically moves like a snail but shouts ‘POLO-PB-SHAW’ like an auctioneer.
Interestingly, it can also be attributed to the three special needs people – ‘Basa Soh License Holders’, the ‘Doh-Bung Lovers’ and the day time ‘High Lebels’- whose peculiar skills on the road were raising BPs and testing patience, with their over-taking, absent-spatial awareness, no-signal sudden stops, ‘ha-ri-lajong-katba-mon’ attitude and unprecedented U-turns. The FCI and BSF trucks too add masala to this spicy hotpot. A stylish Vega helmet still over my head, I once overheard an elderly couple’s street banter as I waited in line for my ‘Lam-Jew’ – “Ym lah peit sliam re ïa ki nei ki bait ki scuti te!” (I can’t look at these bikes and scooters for long!). This never-ending BEEF is an amusing spectacle! Elderly aunties/uncles hate riders, riders hate car drivers, car drivers hate deaf and blind uncles/aunties and riders, and pedestrians hate them ALL!
Kudos to the Traffic personnel, the Dorbar Shnong, the stall owners and concerned citizens who collectively manage traffic in the main junction. How do they do it every day? Whistling, signaling, and brewing witty comebacks against sarcastic comments thrown at them by passing characters. Their team work is indeed a ‘Ramhah-task.’ In light of the ever-increasing traffic woes in and around Shillong City, I am optimistic that the Grant-In-Aid scheme for Off-Street Parking under the Meghalaya Parking Policy (ST 30.08.25 – Govt. Rolls Scheme…) will start to bring a quick relief as we wait for our Hi-Tech Parking Infrastructures. I would also like to direct the attention of our Leaders/Dorbars/NGOs/residents/concerned citizens of ‘The Gateway of Shillong…The Guardians of the Khasi Society’, to gear up for the pressing issue of traffic congestion that is growing day by day in our area. Fresh planning and blueprints are the need of the hour.
Yours etc.,
Kyntiewborlang Kharakor
Shillong – 17
Consistency the Essence of Diplomacy
Editor,
The editorial “Diplomacy, choppy waters” (ST August 29, 2025) made interesting reading. Absolutely, “a strain of consistency” is not just “integral to diplomacy,” it is its operational backbone. Consistency is foundational in diplomacy as Amro Shubair puts it, “Diplomatic continuity is not a slogan. It is the invisible architecture that holds every agreement, partnership and negotiation together.” Without consistent documentation, follow-through and institutional memory, diplomacy collapses into scattered efforts and forgotten promises.
When we talk of credibility and trust, states and envoys are judged not by what they announce, but by what they sustain. Consistency signal’s reliability whether in honouring treaties, maintaining alliances or responding to crises. Inconsistency breeds doubt, erodes trust and invites strategic hedging by partners. And when we talk of transition resilience, diplomatic teams rotate, leadership changes and geopolitical context shift. Therefore, structured continuity through archives, transition files and procedural discipline ensures that new actors don’t start from zero.
The UN’s Civil Affairs Handbook and Security Council reports emphasize that documentation governance is what keeps missions intact through change. Then there is another factor and that is narrative coherence. In diplomacy, narrative is power. A consistent strategic story whether about peace, trade or deterrence anchors a nation’s identity and intent. Mixed signals (e.g., shifting stances on alliances or sanctions) weaken a country’s narrative and invite adversarial framing.
Yours etc;
VK Lyngdoh,
Via email
Diplomacy, choppy waters
Editor,
I strongly agree with your Editorial, “Diplomacy, choppy waters,” (ST Aug 29, 2025) which clearly captures the current state of India–US relations. The tension is not a passing quarrel but the result of shifting global power and clashing interests.
The US tariffs on Indian goods, especially in textiles, threaten jobs and strike at the core of India’s economy. For a developing nation, defending industries is essential. While Washington calls the tariffs a correction of trade imbalances, in New Delhi they appear one-sided and unfair—forcing India to retaliate.
The “China factor” further complicates matters. The US wants India as a partner against Beijing, yet its protectionist stance pushes India toward exploring closer ties with China. This is the tightrope of Indian diplomacy: neither power can be ignored.
Domestic politics add to the pressure. With its Atmanirbhar Bharat policy, the Modi government must show independence; any concession risks backlash at home.
As your editorial noted, today’s diplomacy is not about photo opportunities but about skill and strategy. The present strain is not failure—it is the cost of safeguarding sovereignty in a multipolar world.
Yours etc.,
Jairaj Chhetry
Tura
Online gambling trap shut down
Editor,
Nothing is more heartening than the fact that the Government of India has now fully banned all real-money online games, including fantasy sports, card games, online lotteries, and betting platforms through the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025. Sadly, it took too long for the government to wake up to the adverse consequences of gambling. It seems the government acted only after sensing that even the children of some leaders had slipped into this digital gambling trap. Anyway, countless parents and spouses of gaming addicts must have heaved a sigh of relief at last!
Over the past few years, I was shocked at how the government permitted the ceaseless bombardment of advertisements for such dangerous games on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, X etc. At times, I was even tempted to place a bet. After all, who does not want to make quick money? But at the end of the day, the players always lose everything they have, while the companies sit back and mint cash — all at the cost of social devastation. I presume that lakhs of households have been ruined by these online games in the last few years. The addiction to such platforms is nothing short of a digital drug.
Apart from the obvious financial loss, the “psychological impact” of game addiction is far more detrimental. Such obsession invariably blots out one’s ability to engage in healthy creativity, innovation, and imagination, often leading to gradual memory loss. It kills ambition, steals inner peace, and leaves one staring blankly at a glowing screen.
Of course, obsession with “anything” always spells disaster. This current ban might be just a legal move, a small step forward to save society from moral, social, and psychological decay. Given how netizens run riot in the digital world without moral discipline, there are “many more things” that need to be banned. Well, nature unfolds a “fresh dawn” for us to strive to become morally stronger. It is not meant to be wasted on betting on poker and jokers, only to grow weaker — both morally and intellectually.
Yours etc.,
Salil Gewali,
Shillong