Editor,
Apropos the news item “Need for balance between young and experienced candidates” (ST June 20th 2012) the suggestion made by the Union Minister of State for Communication and Information Technology, Sachin Pilot on Tuesday on the need for a mix of youthfulness and experience while finalizing the list of the Congress Party is realistic. However, his suggestion to make early preparations for the Assembly elections in order to prevent other parties from having an edge over the Congress cannot is far fetched. The Congress Party is yet to announce the list of candidates of the in Meghalaya. So how on earth can the Party prepare for a solid performance? It is equally absurd to think that a large number of ticket aspirants from the Congress necessarily indicate that the people want the Congress to come back to power. The fact is that the Congress has never come back to power on its own except with the support of the regional parties.
It may be recalled that in the last Assembly Election (2008) in Meghalaya the vote share of the Congress was 33%, the Regional Parties 30.43% and NCP 20.37%. Historically and statistically the Regional Parties were stronger prior to 1998 back to 1972. In 1972 the Regional Parties backed 51.4% of the vote share while the Congress shared 9.89% of the votes and in 1998 the vote share of the Regional Parties came down to 34.79% while that of the Congress stood at 34.04%. In 2003 the vote share of the Regional Parties was 33.13%, INC 29.84% and NCP 19.73%.
There is substance in the statement of MPCC President DD Lapang that the Party would have to work hard to ensure that it comes back to power in 2013 but not necessarily on its own. The statement of AL Hek that the Congress would secure absolute majority in the next election and that there would not be any need to seek support from other political parties to form the next Government is a pipe dream. The election results of the past are there for him to see.
Yours etc.,
Freddy Lyngdoh,
Via email
No Civic Sense
Editor,
In Tura Town, in the past four decades there was no water crisis. We have many springs and streams all around the town, but due to merciless cutting down of all the big trees from the hills of Tura peak most of the springs and the streams are dried up. For the past four decades Tura was cool during summer season also. But all these things are now in the past. Some of the springs and the streams are still there, but the citizens of Tura town do not have civic sense. They dump all human and animal waste into the streams. Therefore, these water bodies are no longer fit for human consumption and very unhygienic. After throwing away God’s free gift people are now depending on the Government’s water supply system. If the citizens of Tura, could have a little bit of civic sense they could still retrieve what is left of the streams and rivers and create a heaven here. The Scripture says; if we carelessly, mercilessly and selfishly destroy the earth, God will destroy us.
Yours etc.,
Joel Sangma
Tura.
Unwarranted behaviour
Editor,
We would like to bring out in your esteemed daily about the unpleasant incident that occurred in the afternoon of the 14th June, 2012 in our college premises. The Headmistress of Little Flower Secondary School, Tura made an unwarranted verbal assault on the Principal, Tura Government College alleging malpractices in
the ongoing admission process of the College. Such allegations are baseless, since the students are selected purely on the basis of their performance in the Entrance Test.
We strongly condemn such aggressive and objectionable behaviour which is not expected of a Headmistress of a school.
Yours etc.,
President,
MGCTA, Tura Unit.