Editor,
I write this not just as a concerned citizen of Shillong, but as a heartbroken one. Born and raised in this beautiful city, amidst the simplicity and God-fearing spirit of the Khasi community, I am witnessing its gradual decay.
The stretch from Police Bazar Point towards HDFC Bank and Pegasus Crown Hotel, all the way to Ward’s Lake and Oakland, has become a haven for prostitution and drugs. It’s morphed into the new red-light area, staining the very fabric of our “so called” beautiful city.
Forget walking with your family or children – even driving through this area has become an ordeal during evenings. And the most infuriating part is that the whole system seems to be involved in this racket. Hotels, including the supposedly prestigious Pegasus Crown, turned a blind eye and conveniently gave rooms to these people by the hour. The police? They take bribes and choose to look the other way.
This depravity unfolds right under the noses of a CRPF team stationed there every evening! As a responsible citizen, I did my digging being a freelance photographer and journalist.
The police, it seems, are reluctant to arrest these girls, transgenders, or even their pimps. Why? Because the moment they do, a swarm of human rights groups and NGOs descend upon the police station, securing their immediate release. They say they are helpless as it becomes a matter of saving their jobs due to the pressure from above.
What kind of a world are we living in? Has our Khasi community, with its cherished values of ‘Hynniewtrep’ and ‘Jaidbynriew,’ fallen to this? Can’t we, the concerned citizens, do something? Our silence is deafening.
And where are the NGOs who claim to fight for our well-being? The KSU, HYC, and FKJGP – are they blind to the dangers our children face? Why is there no outrage from them on this critical issue?
I implore the leaders of these organisations to wake up and take immediate action to eradicate this prostitution menace from the heart of our city.
Let me also remind our esteemed Social Welfare Minister, Bah Paul Lyngdoh, of his commendable initiative to remove hawkers from Police Bazar. Surely, with the power he wields in the current government, he can take stringent steps to dismantle this nuisance as well.
This is a call to action. Let us clean our streets of this filth. Those who profit from this – people and businesses alike – must be severely punished. Shillong, our pride, deserves better. We, the citizens, deserve a city free from drugs, prostitution, and the indifference that allows them to flourish. Let us reclaim Shillong’s lost glory!
Donbok J. Massar
Shillong
