Editor,
The race to the presidential election is getting more interesting by the day. A lot of time is still ahead for things to unfold differently. Although, Mr. Pranab Mukherjee is considered a better candidate to Mr. PA Sangma by his supporters, I would say that the word better is relative. Both politicians are outstanding in their own right. It is a tactical propaganda of the NDA and of the JD (U) and Shiv Sena against Mr. Sangma to make such absurd comparisons between the two. Has Mr. Sangma not proven his mettle as the Lok Sabha speaker? Is he not the co-founder of the NCP? Yet Mr. Pranab Mukherjee eminent and experienced as he is, has also shown that he is a fallible mortal. In fact, he has failed conspicuously as a finance minister of the country and so he is now entering into the race for the lofty office with that stigma upon him. In this election we witness an interesting phenomenon of two persons: one still a member of a political party while the other a common man. While one has the blessings of a political party, the other has the blessings and support of a large tribal community of India. While one is fighting for the good name of his party (a selfish motive), the other is fighting for the recognition of a discriminated population (a noble ideal). However as things unfold, it looks like this is going to be the second time that a tribal aspirant towards presidency is heading for failure. A few decades ago Mr. G. G. Swell a renowned politician from Meghalaya who also held the office of Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha was defeated in the same presidential race. Coincidentally, he was also backed by the BJP at that time just as Mr. PA Sangma is being done so by the same party today. Unfortunately, the Congress has till date, never fielded a tribal person for this post which speaks volume of their discriminatory policy towards tribal people. Will the voice of the tribal people of India be heard this time or will it be silenced yet another time? I hope that our MPs and MLAs will vote what their conscience dictates and not what their party commands.
Yours etc.,
B. Mawrie,
Via email
II
Apropos the news item “Sangma gets BJP support” and “Congress rejects Purno’s appeal for debate with Mukherjee” (ST June 22 and 23, 2012) the BJP’s support for the candidature of Mr P A Sangma former Speaker, Lok Sabha is a welcome sign. BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley have rightly said that the Party cannot support a Government which is using various manoeuvres including using investigative agencies to rope in parties to stay in power. The main opposition of the country has taken the right decision not to allow a ‘walkover.’ Given the fact that the Presidential polls on 19th July 2012 will be held through secret ballot, the provisions of anti-defection law would not be applicable in the election and as such members of the electoral college (MPs and MLAs) can vote according to their ‘conscience’ and are not bound by any party whip. It would be interesting to wait and watch till 22nd July 2012 how the fractured electoral college which constitute UPA – 41.87% , NDA -27.74% and Non-NDA/UPA block/small parties and independents- 30.39% votes. After all the Presidential election is not the prerogative of the Congress Party. Purno Sangma is a capable person and the BJP has rightly said that there should be a ‘contest’ and not a ‘walkover’. Pranab Mukherjee’s candidature is a short term insurance policy for Smti Sonia Gandhi to prop up Rahul Gandhi as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the Congress in 2014. But the million dollar question is whether the UPA can reverse the damage it has done to itself under a crony capitalist Prime Minister by thinking of reforms only as concessions to the rich and wealthy and landing the economy in a stagflation? If it doesn’t, it will remain a drift until the tidal wave comes along in 2014. Indeed it would have been interesting if there is a Presidential debate but sadly there is no provision in the Constitution of a populous and flawed democracy such as ours, unlike that of the United States of America.
Yours etc.,
Freddy Lyngdoh,
Via email
Child labour
Editor,
The article ‘Child labour in Meghalaya’ (ST June 22, 2012) is a clear and sound fact that what has been compiled is totally different from the reality obtaining in the Jaintia Hills district. I come from Tluh in Jaintia Hills and am involved with the local village community in parts of Saipung Block with the Meghalaya Rural Development Society(MRDS-IFAD) and nowhere have I found small children working in the coal pits, but yes they are involved in tea stalls, shops and other household activities. It cannot be said that 70,000 thousand children are involved in coal mining or even strenuous activities. Hence it is very perplexing as to how the IMPULSE NGO arrived at such a figure, since even to hire a baby sitter is so difficult with the coming of the SSA program. The data being brought out by the NGO concerned is utterly rubbish as their methodology used is not understood. In reality they have neither come to meet or gone deep into the villages where coal mining activities are carried out. The majority of coal mining activities are carried out by a number of non tribal adults and not by children as stated, which has been blown out of proportions to garner recognition and funds under the garb of social service. I would ask its team to come and visit this part of the district and show where and in which area children are employed in strenuous coal mining activities. Perhaps it would enlighten many readers.
Yours etc.,
Dominic S Wankhar
Shillong-3
Outmoded tradition that threatens
Editor,
We have tradition championed by an entity we call a Syiem. Some have even deemed to call him U Khlieh Nongsynshar while the status of the Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers, the CEM of the District Council have in the process been deliberately and selectively ignored. Truth of the matter is even those who still revere the Syiem have little knowledge of what he actually does and more importantly how relevant this institution of the Syiem is to the Khasis of the 21st Century. There are rumours that the Himas generate revenue of their own. How this income is spent, on whom it is spent and if such information is ever shared in the public domain, curiously in this day and age, continues to remain in the realm of rumours and gossip. This only highlights the deplorable degree of transparency and accountability of this public office, U Khlieh Nongsynshar.
Of late a further curious matter occurred in the Shillong suburbs. It was rumoured that the Syiem was proposing to parcel off a large chunk of forested community land to his Myntris somewhere in the Mawpat area. From the perspective of the Hima since it was answerable only to a coterie i.e the electoral college who elects the Syiem and his myntris, any public demand for administrative accountability is a superfluous requirement. The general public on the other hand had different ideas. From their perspective, they challenged the legitimacy of tradition to dispose off public property and resources in such surreptitious and clandestine a manner. A hue and cry ensued. Public pressure prevailed but for how long?
It is now rumoured that the same plot of forested land at Mawpat is now on offer to the Church. The implied logic is that hopefully people would be reluctant to oppose such a move on religious grounds and it will then once again open the devious intent to divide public property among the myntris of the dorbar. The question before the Khasis is, do popular and socially relevant institutions need resort to such devious manoeuvrings in their day to day administration? If Hima administration is for the welfare of ‘U khun U hajar’ then where is the need to hoodwink and mislead the public in this manner? What value does the institution of the Syiem and his Hima have for this generation? Except for their sentimental worth , really nothing and the way the traditional institutions are behaving, their relevance to society, tradition notwithstanding, is rapidly disappearing. Is blind tradition digging its own grave?
Yours etc.
Toki Blah,
Via email