Editor,
Apropos the letter, “People of Tura, are you not ashamed?”(ST April 3, 2012) by Tim Wallace (Marak? Sangma? Momin?, Arengh? Shira? Or perhaps a British national) I agree on the diminishing civic sense among our people, but I presume that the route you are acquainted with is only NH 51 roads covered under Tura town, so you mention of garbage-bins being placed on the road side. Have a look at Burny Hills, Sunny Hills, Upper Babupara, Nikrang Ading, Balsanang, and many other localities which are not posh areas and are very much within the jurisdiction of Tura Municipality. There is not a single garbage bin, no sweeper is ever sighted; there is no street lighting ever, yet people are forced to pay house-holding tax, for water connection, light connection etc. Tura Municipality has failed in providing basic civic amenities to its tax payers and to throw the entire blame on the people is not justified.
Yours etc.,
Tengsrang SK Marak,
Dakkopgre, Tura
It’s possible to purify water
Editor,
That more than 90% of water bodies in our State are unfit for drinking is indeed alarming. One only has to hope that the toxic is not arsenic as in the case of Gangetic Bengal. If it is microbiological, then the matter can be solved to a certain extent and that too, sadly, for the rich only. Germs can be destroyed only by boiling water and with electricity tariff of almost Rs.3 per unit, it will be beyond the reach of the poor. The ultra violet treatment is the cheapest but unfortunately this treatment is subject to the whims and fancies of the multi-crore companies who sell their machines at an unaffordable price. Being from electronics stream, I can tell you the high price has nothing to do with the main UV treatment. The high price comes mainly from the trivial and fanciful stuffs associated with the machine. The UV tube about 20 cm long is just a fluorescent tube we have in our houses except that the mercuric oxide coating is removed so that UV rays are not converted to milky white light. Electronic eye can be done away with if we take care to have a prior treatment through sand and charcoal (preferably charred coconut shell) to make it UV penetrable. To ensure its operationality water samples can be taken to laboratories periodically. This sample machine would not cost more than Rs.500 and could even be less if our government takes up the matter to have large scale production. If this is done, every person in Meghalaya could have potable water and it will be a very good news for the people of Cherrapunjee, the wettest place on earth, who will have to depend tremendously on water harvesting (never free from contamination) in times to come. With Bah Phrang Roy of IFAD taking interest in the well being of our State along with many regular articles, contributions from within and outside our state Meghalaya has high hopes of recovery.
Yours etc.,
Wandell Passah,
Retd. H.O.D. Electronics,
St Edmund’s College
Are we getting the best education?
Editor,
As a student I have a series of questions about the state Meghalaya is in the area of education, politics, corruption, lifestyle, quota, minority and the likes. I feel that as a citizen and as a student I should do something about it and start by writing letters and articles. However, I will write about one thing at a time, starting with education and the education system.
Shillong is called the “Educational Hub” of the North East, but has anyone really delved into the education scenario to analyze what really is happening in educational institutions. As a student who has pursued my education here from nursery to the degree stage, I must admit that I might have made the wrong choice in continuing my education here. My lower level of education has brought me this far, and I appreciate what my alma mater has given me. However, the higher educational system is still in the old, dark ages. Universities and Institutes are cropping up everywhere, but how are we to know if these are accredited? Or recognized?
The one University that has all potentials is victim of a stale system. And fellow students will understand what about I am referring to; just a clue however- “Degree Results” and “Low-Marks”.
We don’t know much about the various universities and yet we allow them to be set up and to rob us the students of the education we really need and the parents ,their money. These very institutions come here not to educate but to make profit. The way they teach, the facilities they provide are not up to the mark compared to the fee structure they charge. I know for a fact that some teachers and lecturers don’t really care for the future of their students. To them the institutes they work in is just another job, a way to make money. No wonder Khasi and Jaintia Students prefer to go out of Meghalaya to study.
And then there are the coaching centres, promising good seats in reputed colleges of engineering and medicine. Who’s to know whether these centers can provide the seats? More importantly, how do we even know if the “Centre Teachers” are qualified to run such centres? And who are the one’s providing the space and the comfort for these institutes to flourish? A few, who for just for the sake of money forsake their beliefs and sell us all out to “Fakes”.
I won’t name any centre, institute, university or any teacher. I just want people to wake up and start questioning. We the youth deserve a better Shillong than this. We deserve the education and the right to live in our home land and not being overrun by others because no qualified tribal is available. I just want justice for all students who can’t afford and don’t get the opportunity to go out of state to receive the education of their dreams. Speaking of which brings me to the question of seat reservation or quotas as we all know it. But then that is for another section.
Yours etc.,
Oliver Lyngdoh
Shillong-14
