Editor,
The Saturday editorial “A Tale of Defiance” (St Nov 8, 2014) was a shocker in its characterization of the Manipur issue vis-à-vis AFSPA as a Catch-22 situation. At least three massacres where armed forces lined-up and shot dead innocent civilians remain in my memory. In the backdrop of these memories, I may be excused for using the word “shocker”. The question that you raised in connection with the characterization was, “If the AFSPA is withdrawn, who will tackle the rebels”? Similar questions must have been asked before the dropping of the atom bombs, or the tackling of the “Jewish problem”, or the dropping of the napalms. To the question that you have raised, there is a simple answer – The State has to tackle the rebels. It has to tackle them without waging war against its own people which AFSPA is for it gives the same immunity that a nation gives to its armed forces when they fight in enemy territory. It is commission to random rapine, killing, gutting and such other crimes against humanity. One of the premises of your questioning, which is symptomatic of a common-enough bankruptcy when it comes to AFSPA, is that there are no other means but AFSPA to contain the rebels of Manipur. If that be the case, then you have already conceded that Manipur and its people are not part of the imaginings of a Nation. The time has come for us to realize that AFSPA does not, has not and cannot solve the problem it is meant to deal with. It is time to realize that it has caused only misery, suffering and a deep sense of alienation. That there has to be an alternative to AFSPA, an acceptance thereof based on our common humanity, shall lift the fog of the Catch-22 and such other catch-phrases and their logic. Sharmila is hopeful. We too can join her in being hopeful. That can be a fitting tribute to her “steely-will” that you have so eloquently sung.
Yours sincerely,
Aribam U. Sharma
Asst. Professor
NEHU, Shillong.
Traffic-cops, illogical fines, zero vision
Editor,
The problem of finding parking space within city limits has reached insurmountable proportions. Most people have written about the issue and requested the Govt to do something about it but to no avail. Our representatives are deaf to such pleas. Everybody including the Traffic Police, admit that there is huge shortage of parking space particularly in commercial areas of Khyndailad and Laitumkhrah. They have also admitted they have no answer to the problem, except to carry out bizarre traffic experiments now and then. Instead of facilitating new parking lots to accommodate the exponential growth in vehicular traffic, the police have inexplicably increased “no parking” zones manifold and introduced punitive measures like clamping of vehicles. The practice of “clamping” is being carried out with great efficiency and zeal, probably because it has become such a big revenue earner for the Police Dept. But isn’t this an idiotic way of tackling a serious problem, by ignoring the root cause and tackling the end result? Frankly, it is ridiculous to find “No Parking” signs put up in commercial areas where roadside parking does not hamper traffic flow. A very good example is the Laitumkhrah main road, from Beat House to Police Point, where parking is allowed only after 7pm currently. It is a complete mystery to most people about why this was done since the road is wide enough for single line parking even during rush hour. What is the justification for doing this, apart from collecting fines from hapless drivers? The traffic police also appear to be in league with local taxi drivers, who are allowed to park wherever they want without being fined. A normal citizen would have been yelled at, clamped and fined within minutes for the same violation, but never taxi drivers! What makes them the darlings of our traffic policemen, one wonders? Will the DGP and SP please explain the logic of converting Laitumkhrah to a “NO PARKING” zone till 7pm? Do they have any real plan or intention to address the parking problem in Shillong? So far, it looks like they neither have a plan, nor give a damn – let the public suffer, while policemen collect the loot!
Yours etc.,
Deborah Syiem
Shillong -14
