The amount of money lost by the Government of Meghalaya through the Tamabil Dawki as per the estimates of the article by Mr. Mohrmen is to the tune of 9 lakhs, 13 thousand five hundred rupees per day! If the Government of Meghalaya was able to recover even half of this amount on a regular basis, can you imagine the development that this money can fund? Meghalaya could be turned into a major metropolis within a very short period of time with this kind of money at hand.

A. Challam , Shillong

It is a well known fact that the seven sister states of the North East and Sikkim are steeped in mystery and tradition. It is no wonder therefore that an age old institution such as the Dzhumsa has survives to this day in the alpine state of Sikkim. What is amazing though is the fact that the people of this state have been able to mould it along the lines of modern administration. As per my understanding, the Dzumsa is a ‘no nonsense’ kind of institution which has resulted in a very peaceful community. The punishments that it imposes are such that the residents of the region feign from indulging in any mischief. This is something that needs to be inculcated by other administrative systems – punishment severe enough to deter people from mischief and crime as opposed to the proverbial slap on the wrist that is prevalent in most parts of India.

Subhasish Ghosh , Shillong

Like myself, I think that a lot of people did not know that Delhi has been the capital of India for a hundred years now. The article carried in your January 2012 issue of Eastern Panorama on the emergence and evolution of this city was very informative and interesting. However, given the historical nature of the article, I feel that a more visual approach could have been taken with more pictures. That aside, the article was well written was and a wonderful piece of reading material.

Kartika Sonowal , Mumbai

It looks like Mr. Kapil Sibal bit off more than he could chew when he tried to take on social networking sites. I guess he was trying to be the knight in shining armour and ride to the rescue of Sonia Gandhi and Dr. Manmohan Singh who were at the receiving end of numerous jibes in social networking sites. The way things turned out, Mr. Sibal only came out of the affair with egg on his face and had to go limping back sheepishly to Gandhi and company. The Indian electorate can not be threatened and intimidated any more, the internet has become a powerful tool of the public and I have to applaud Mr. Sibal for his courageous albeit fruitless attempt to gag the voice of the people. In internet terms Mr. Sibal – LOL, LOL

Zirfan Ahmed , Guwahati

The Hornbill Festival of Nagaland has always been a crowd puller with large attendance of both domestic and foreign tourists. This year however, the organizers have outdone themselves and come out with a fantastic event spanning seven days of festivities and events. Keeping in mind the diversity that the North East region of India has, festivals such as the Hornbill Festival will go a long way in promoting tourism and showcasing the rich cultural diversity of this remote and little known about region of India. Other states would do well to emulate the efforts of Nagaland or better still, surpass them.

Lulur Haokip , Kohima

Witch hunting is a spectre that has haunted Assam for decades and it it exists till this present day and age. The rural areas of the state are the hunting grounds for witch hunts and this is not surprising keeping in mind the superstition that is rife in these areas.

Ipshita Goswami , Silchar