Editor,
In the recent Assembly session, May 2020, Congress legislator, Charles Pyngrope made a proposal on the floor of the House to deduct the salary of all MLAs by 50%. His proposal came after the Government had decided to defer the salaries of Government employees by different slabs ranging from 25% to 50% for the month of April and May (except for employees of Health Department, Group C employees of Home (Police) and Home (Civil Defence and Home Guard). The legislator had clearly mentioned that it is not wise to defer the salaries of lower rank officers and staff as this poses a hindrance to their monthly budgets. So, He proposed a deduction of 50% instead of 10% of the salaries of all MLAs and not to defer the salaries of lower rank officers and staff. On May 20, 2020 the Meghalaya Assembly Speaker told the media that consent of all MLAs is required for the 50% deduction of salary. Till date, there is no news as to whether the MLAs are agreed on the 50% cut from their salary.
Interestingly, it is learnt that Charles Pyngrope had written a letter addressed to the Speaker of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly requesting that 50% of his monthly salary from April 2020 to March 2021 may be deducted and placed at the disposal of the state government. The initiative being taken by the Nongthymmai MLA needs to be appreciated. As a leader, the MLA has shown the way not only by words, but by actions. Kudos to you Sir! Of course, we cannot deny that many people have come forward to lend a helping hand in this time of crisis; all should be appreciated. It is never too soon for kindness because we don’t know how soon is too late.
Thankfully on May 27, 2020 the State Government had decided not to defer the salaries of government employees for the month of May.
Yours etc.,
PV Marbaniang,
Via email
Lockdown introspection
Editor,
It’s in the nature of human beings to restlessly strive to reach new goals and heights. But in this process we have failed to reflect on our knowledge and to train ourselves to shape tools and technologies, which are in harmony with nature and not always seek to dominate and indiscriminately destroy nature. With great despair we notice all around us the deforestation of land and hills and the pollution of water and air. We watch with equal despair the development of industries and technologies which single-mindedly destroy our natural resources. The tool making ability of human beings gave them power to adapt to nature as well as to control it. A part of the crisis of our civilisation today is about the nature and extent of this adaptation. We have yet to establish a harmonious relationship with nature in the wake of our present day industrial and nuclear civilisation. The much talked about topic of “sustainable development” is all about this critical relationship of adaptation and mutual harmony but sadly it is not adapted by many.
One may not advocate a retreat from science, technology and inventions. That would be futile and anachronistic. The solution to our problems lies in invention and uses of new technologies in a manner which is friendly to and not discriminative of the surrounding ecology. Let us not forget the harsh and miserable lives of hunters and gatherers of the past and how they died helplessly and in great pain from a host of diseases. In this present generation we are not hunters but have been reckless in our dealings with the environment, and we have completely forgotten the fact that we need co-existence and that we depend for our food on the soil and air to breathe from the atmosphere. It seems now more than ever that nature has turned towards if not against us. It is high time for us to look around and see what changes we can make on our part individually and collectively.
The wonders of science have helped to prolong the life of human beings so would it not be wonderful if science could assure prolonged existence for their species?
Yours etc.,
Lahun Wanniang,
Via email
How far back has Covid-19 pushed our future?
Editor,
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Covid-19 a pandemic. This pandemic we are dealing with at this moment shall haunt us even when it becomes history. Almost all the sectors around us are collapsing be it the marketing, education and so on. But it’s high time for us to adapt and decide in the right directions in order to minimize the damage that the future holds for us. This pandemic has merely shifted the method of transformation from traditional to modern ways of dealing with the art of living and thus determined the strategies by which we move forward. Today the pandemic had made life very difficult for us but do we even know what the future holds? It’s certain to be very different and that’s why it is necessary for us to reevaluate our future now.
Yours etc.,
Badonkupar Mairom,
Shella